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jade123
LIF Infant
Member since 9/13 168 total posts
Name:
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Disney VIP Tour Guides
A lot of people I know use guides for disney and swear by them. They are RIDICULOUSLY expensive. They swear they never wait on line, have a fastpass for everything, and see and do basically what they want.
You are allowed 3 fastpasses per person usually, and after you use those you can get additional at the kiosk as available one by one. So a guide can do the same, I would think? How does the guide seem to get unlimited fastpasses? Is this something Disney makes a profit off of and therefore allows and gives richer people this access? I'm trying to figure out how the whole guide thing works? Thank you
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Posted 3/14/16 10:29 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Is this the WDW VIP guides or an outside company?
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| Posted 3/15/16 5:25 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
They go through the fastpass line...and sometimes there is a wait, sometimes there isn't. Depends on how busy it is. I see people on the VIP tours every trip, and I always chuckle because that is a HUGE amount of money to spend, and I wouldn't want to spend my entire day with a Disney cast member. Not my cup of tea. I would rather use that money and splurge on something else (like a monorail resort, etc.) The guide works for Disney, so they don't get actual fast passes ;)
As far as tours go, I highly recommend the Family Magic tour at the MK. We did it last month, and all had a great time.
Message edited 3/15/2016 7:17:51 AM.
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| Posted 3/15/16 7:17 AM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3072 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
We were gifted a VIP Tour Guide. We had taken a group of friends down to Disney for a long weekend and we stayed our our DVC. There were 8 of us (all adults). The 6 of them all chipped in and paid for a guide for a day as a thank you.
It was AWESOME! I wouldn't spend the $$ to do it, but if you get a group together and you only have a short time, it's definitely worth it.
You go through all the fast pass lines. You don't wait for tables as restaurants. You tell them what you want to go on, where you want to eat, etc., and they make it happen. We actually hit all 4 parks in one day, had breakfast lunch AND dinner and caught the late Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes.
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| Posted 3/15/16 9:23 AM |
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dianadrw
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 2092 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by Mill188
We were gifted a VIP Tour Guide. We had taken a group of friends down to Disney for a long weekend and we stayed our our DVC. There were 8 of us (all adults). The 6 of them all chipped in and paid for a guide for a day as a thank you.
It was AWESOME! I wouldn't spend the $$ to do it, but if you get a group together and you only have a short time, it's definitely worth it.
You go through all the fast pass lines. You don't wait for tables as restaurants. You tell them what you want to go on, where you want to eat, etc., and they make it happen. We actually hit all 4 parks in one day, had breakfast lunch AND dinner and caught the late Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes.
This sounds amazing!!
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| Posted 3/15/16 12:50 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by Mill188
We were gifted a VIP Tour Guide. We had taken a group of friends down to Disney for a long weekend and we stayed our our DVC. There were 8 of us (all adults). The 6 of them all chipped in and paid for a guide for a day as a thank you.
It was AWESOME! I wouldn't spend the $$ to do it, but if you get a group together and you only have a short time, it's definitely worth it.
You go through all the fast pass lines. You don't wait for tables as restaurants. You tell them what you want to go on, where you want to eat, etc., and they make it happen. We actually hit all 4 parks in one day, had breakfast lunch AND dinner and caught the late Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes.
This. If you do it, go with the wdw ones. They go through the FP lines and got to do so much. The people I know who did it, only did it for 1-2 days of their trip, not the entire trip. They loved it. It was good for those people who have to go during crowded times and do not go often (if not a once in a lifetime trip). One person said they went to 2-3 parks, did the major rides in each park, and mentioned something about being brought around back ways in some cases.
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| Posted 3/15/16 1:02 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3072 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
yes - they drive you from park to park. And even within the parks themselves. If you are there for a quick trip (especially when it's crowded), you save so much time and energy. In Epcot we were driven from behind world showcase over to the back of soarin' and led through the back doors. It was very cool.
You basically tell them what you want to do, and they make it happen.
One of our friends was obsessed with Toy Story Mania and we were able to go through the FP lines 3x in a row.
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| Posted 3/15/16 1:30 PM |
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jade123
LIF Infant
Member since 9/13 168 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Thank you. I think my friends used outside companies- private guides- which is even more confusing of how this all works. They seem to charge around 150 per hour with a 6 hour minimum plus 20% gratuity- so over 1K for each day....
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| Posted 3/15/16 8:18 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by jade123
Thank you. I think my friends used outside companies- private guides- which is even more confusing of how this all works. They seem to charge around 150 per hour with a 6 hour minimum plus 20% gratuity- so over 1K for each day....
I didn't think those existed anymore. I have no idea how it works now, but in the past, MANY of those tour guides would obtain a disability pass and use that for their VIP tours. Totally unethical, and that is what prompted the changes they made to the disability access system. It makes me wonder if they are now taking advantage of the new system (which was supposed to prevent this). But even under that new system, you don't get a front of the line pass, and you certainly don't get to go on every single ride you want when you want. (my son has special needs, so we utilize the system). So I wonder just how they do it!
Message edited 3/15/2016 8:57:10 PM.
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| Posted 3/15/16 8:55 PM |
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jade123
LIF Infant
Member since 9/13 168 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
I have no idea.... disability pass was never mentioned by anyone i called or any of my friends. If you google private tour guides for disney there are many companies. They are very vague when I ask how they get the extra fastpasses.
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| Posted 3/15/16 9:14 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by jade123
I have no idea.... disability pass was never mentioned by anyone i called or any of my friends. If you google private tour guides for disney there are many companies. They are very vague when I ask how they get the extra fastpasses.
Well yeah, they aren't going to tell their clients that is what they have done, or currently do. The clients would have no idea what they are doing unless they are aware of how the disability service works.
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| Posted 3/15/16 9:28 PM |
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jade123
LIF Infant
Member since 9/13 168 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
really disgusting if that's what these private guides are doing!!!
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| Posted 3/15/16 9:45 PM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Disney VIP Tour Guides
i was gonna say the same thing about hiring a guide through Disney if you do it. There was a whole big thing a couple years ago about the private/outside company guides.... and how they were unethically getting disability passes so they could get their "clients" through the lines faster. SO wrong! Disney changed their whole disability pass system because of it... and now people who legit need those passes have a hard time getting them...
i have an acquaintance that i'm now friends with on FB. He worked as a Disney VIP tour guide for awhile. Said it was a really cool job- got to meet a bunch of celebrities and stuff... he super into baseball, so they would give him the baseball players that were coming to Disney to show around. and NOW he is i think the manager of the Wild Africa Trek at animal kingdom ( a "backstage" tour of the safari that you can pay extra for)
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| Posted 3/16/16 8:18 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by ml110
i have an acquaintance that i'm now friends with on FB. He worked as a Disney VIP tour guide for awhile. Said it was a really cool job- got to meet a bunch of celebrities and stuff... he super into baseball, so they would give him the baseball players that were coming to Disney to show around. and NOW he is i think the manager of the Wild Africa Trek at animal kingdom ( a "backstage" tour of the safari that you can pay extra for)
That would be a really neat job actually!!
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| Posted 3/16/16 9:07 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by jade123
really disgusting if that's what these private guides are doing!!!
It is, and like I said I have no idea, but a non Disney guide legitimately cannot do anything more for you than you can do yourself. A good touring plan, getting your fast passes right at your 60 day mark, getting there early, etc. can probably yield the same results, provided they are only using the same fastpass service everyone else uses.
Now if they are going to the actual attraction to get a "fastpass" time and not the kiosk, that's a huge red flag, because you only do that with the disability service. Also, if you were to scan your magic bands at the attraction, and they light up blue, that's an indication that they are also using the DAS system. But, I have no idea how they would routinely get away with it since a picture is taken, and you have a "file" so to speak, and all members of your party must scan their magic bands at guest services. So if the guide who claims to be disabled routinely has a bunch of different people in their party each time, huge red flag to Disney I would think.
Message edited 3/16/2016 9:11:33 AM.
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| Posted 3/16/16 9:11 AM |
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jade123
LIF Infant
Member since 9/13 168 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
They claim they have lots of "extra" tickets for fastpasses. Like season passes etc, but that still only gives 3 fastpasses per person per day in advance so I'm still scratching my head. Either way we decided against it. ????
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| Posted 3/17/16 9:04 PM |
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pumpkinmom
LIF Adult
Member since 5/12 2911 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by jade123
They claim they have lots of "extra" tickets for fastpasses. Like season passes etc, but that still only gives 3 fastpasses per person per day in advance so I'm still scratching my head. Either way we decided against it. ????
I read you can use someone else's fast passes. Idk how that works, if they have to enter the park first, but I guess you would be using your 3 fast passes plus fast passes from other people's cards or magic bands..
I saw a Disney guide bring a group on the fast pass line behind me and was wondering how that worked and how much it was. It sounded like the guide was picking the attraction they went on, but I could be wrong. Always going through the fast pass lane would be great.
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| Posted 3/21/16 8:22 PM |
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Mill188
LIF Adult
Member since 3/09 3072 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by pumpkinmom
Posted by jade123
They claim they have lots of "extra" tickets for fastpasses. Like season passes etc, but that still only gives 3 fastpasses per person per day in advance so I'm still scratching my head. Either way we decided against it. ????
I read you can use someone else's fast passes. Idk how that works, if they have to enter the park first, but I guess you would be using your 3 fast passes plus fast passes from other people's cards or magic bands..
I saw a Disney guide bring a group on the fast pass line behind me and was wondering how that worked and how much it was. It sounded like the guide was picking the attraction they went on, but I could be wrong. Always going through the fast pass lane would be great.
If the guide is a legit Disney guide (booked dkrectly through Disney) the group goes througb the fast pass lines. The real Disney guides will be wearing Disney uniforms, name tags, etc. It's definitely expensive though. Between $400-$600 an hour with a minimum number of hours (I think it's 6 hours.)
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| Posted 3/21/16 9:41 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney VIP Tour Guides
Posted by pumpkinmom
Posted by jade123
They claim they have lots of "extra" tickets for fastpasses. Like season passes etc, but that still only gives 3 fastpasses per person per day in advance so I'm still scratching my head. Either way we decided against it. ????
I read you can use someone else's fast passes. Idk how that works, if they have to enter the park first, but I guess you would be using your 3 fast passes plus fast passes from other people's cards or magic bands..
I saw a Disney guide bring a group on the fast pass line behind me and was wondering how that worked and how much it was. It sounded like the guide was picking the attraction they went on, but I could be wrong. Always going through the fast pass lane would be great.
I highly doubt they are using other people's fast passes. For that to happen, the people's fast passes they are using would need to have park tickets connected to them, and if they have park tickets, they are likely in the park, and using their own fast passes.
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| Posted 3/22/16 8:33 AM |
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