Just a quick question because i’m A curious Disney fan. Has anyone recently been ne’er the front of the line during opening and noticed families with private guides? We were there at thanksgiving and I think we saw at least 3 families with private guides and an increase in the number of Disney guides in park. I’m wondering how f this is on the rise?
I saw two groups with guides enter the fast pass lines of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then I also saw a group arrive at Gaston’s tavern with an area reserved for them to have Lefou’s brew and cinnamon rolls. Not sure if these were tours or private events. I’ll be interested to hear what others know about this.
On our most recent trip - our honeymoon from 12/19/17 to 12/31/17, we saw many VIP tour guides (the WDW VIP tour guides) I know that the cost at this time of year is $600 per hour and something like 6 or 7 hour minimum. Up to 10 guest for one guide. That is $3600/4200 or more depending on how long you have the guide. It seemed that for most of the people that had the guides, it was allowing them to go right into the FP+ lines. In speaking to a few of the guides, they are there to make the experience special and go where the guests want to go.
Here is a great article that just posted to the WDW Prep School site - All about Disney World tours (ages, costs, length) - WDW Prep School.
Yes there are definitely private guides for hire by Disney. If you have the money you can even learn how to surf at typhoon lagoon. For the money you pay, though I have no idea if it is quite as much as mentioned above, it is definitely not cheap. I guess for the money they are paying they probably have a right to go ahead in the FP line.
Anyone can book a surf lesson at TL …
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_GB/recreation/surf-lessons/
You don’t need to have a private session, there are group lessons too.
You can hire private guides who aren’t affiliated to disney or universal but who know all the tricks in the book to avoid queues and pull a few strings etc
I’ve read about them in the past. Also expensive but not the same expense as mentioned above
Here’s a link to reviews of a VIP guide service (non disney affiliated)
I must make it clear I’ve zero links with them nor have ever used them but I’ve researched and they seem to be able to get to the front of many queues without working for the theme parks?
And they get great reviews
In the questions at the bottom these guys claim to be a third of the price of official VIP guides from disney
Still very expensive of course
But lots of happy clients it seems
Their wings were clipped though recently, with the clamp down on magic bands and fastpasses. I’m sure they have ways round it, but a lot of what they used to offer was based on pretty much unlimited FPs, which of course now they can’t do.
Whereas the Disney ones will get you to the front of any FP line you want, get you into any restaurant of want to eat at etc. At a price!!
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From reading the reviews just having another adult who can help go on rides with kids or wait with toddlers whilst adults do rides is clearly an advantage for some families
They also get involved with transfers and restaurant bookings in and out of the parks etc
I guess most on here know and enjoy how to plan etc but I guess there are plenty of families with money who are happy for someone else to do all the planning for them
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This is true. What I was trying to say is that like a touring private session, Disney also has other private or group sessions such as Surf lesions, Scuba Dives at the Living Sea and such. If you can afford them there great but you are going to pay for them big time.