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Post by Joeli on Jan 26, 2023 19:05:18 GMT -5
We were blessed with a VIP tour in December 21 by a Club33 Member. We loved it. Likely would not have done it without the C33 option because an 8 hour day would have been over $3000 BEFORE the tip. We did Tip the guide about $700. I'm glad that you mentioned the generous tip. Our Club 33 friends are taking us on a VIP tour next month. I had no idea about how much to tip. I need new friends! Lol. |
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Post by helenabear on Jan 26, 2023 19:37:12 GMT -5
We were blessed with a VIP tour in December 21 by a Club33 Member. We loved it. Likely would not have done it without the C33 option because an 8 hour day would have been over $3000 BEFORE the tip. We did Tip the guide about $700. I'm glad that you mentioned the generous tip. Our Club 33 friends are taking us on a VIP tour next month. I had no idea about how much to tip. We tip but admittedly not that much. Tipping is definitely appreciated and appropriate but you'll see a range of $100-300 mostly and then some doing 10-20% |
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Post by henrycpa on Jan 27, 2023 9:24:17 GMT -5
We were blessed with a VIP tour in December 21 by a Club33 Member. We loved it. Likely would not have done it without the C33 option because an 8 hour day would have been over $3000 BEFORE the tip. We did Tip the guide about $700. I'm glad that you mentioned the generous tip. Our Club 33 friends are taking us on a VIP tour next month. I had no idea about how much to tip. Honestly, if we decided to keep doing Disney I may consider the Club 33. With the prices of AP the annual ticket allotment may be worth it to us for the cost of D33. |
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Post by helenabear on Jan 27, 2023 9:30:46 GMT -5
I'm glad that you mentioned the generous tip. Our Club 33 friends are taking us on a VIP tour next month. I had no idea about how much to tip. Honestly, if we decided to keep doing Disney I may consider the Club 33. With the prices of AP the annual ticket allotment may be worth it to us for the cost of D33. Last I heard it's pretty much closed off. Prices have increased too. We were going to look into it but held off and wound up adding on instead due to it being effectively closed even if you have a solid referral in - that and once you put your name down and they call if you have a change of heart due to any reason, it's nearly impossible to get back in. My issue is I am not sure how long we will do Disney. We'd never use all the tours and tickets either. But it's on our radar. |
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Post by pdude81 on Jan 27, 2023 10:43:42 GMT -5
This is my first thread in MagicOwners, so if I am doing it wrong, please don't hesitate to set me straight! We are trying to plan a trip with our DS, DDIL, and our little grandies 8 and 4. I cannot go in the summer because the heat and humidity are too much for my lungs. To complicate matters, our DS and DDIL are reluctant to take our grandson out of school. That said, the 23/24 Denver school calendar just came out and I see 3 teacher work days clumped together in October (Thursday, Friday and Monday) that would allow for a long weekend, flying out on Wednesday late afternoon, and home on Monday afternoon, leaving us 4 days within which to build a magical weekend. Last week I was calling Disney for something else and my call erroneously rolled over into the VIP Tour line. Since the guy was so nice I briefly chatted with him about doing a tour. He said the Sep/Oct (avoiding Pres Day week) was part of the VIP Tours off season, with weekdays having the best rates, $450-$550 per hour. He explained how it all worked and I left feeling encouraged. It IS expensive, but if you can get 10 people, it helps with the cost. We have friends who live in the area with 2 boys so that would give us 10 and they are more than willing to pay their share. Made it sound do-able. Now that we have possible dates, this morning I called the VIP Tour line directly and now I am not so sure. The person was completely unhelpful and pushed me to call back at 60 days out, I explained that by 60 days out we would need to already have most of our planning done (our DVC reservation and our plane tickets, etc) so it would be helpful to have a loose ballpark figure. She said prices went up significantly this year and are only set through June, providing no details at all. I asked if she could look at what the prices were in Oct 22, she said that was last year so it makes no difference. When I politely pushed for information she said October was high season for VIP Tours so plan $900+ per hour. She was rude and cut me off and we were done. I wasn't looking for the exact amount or any commitment, I was just trying to see if it was feasible. Talk about bursting someone's balloon...  I am confused by the opposite information I received. Who should I believe? He was helpful, she was just trying to get me off the phone. I know there was a thread in MouseOwners on this but at the time I was just dreaming. Anyone have recent experience with a VIP Tour? Is October (not President's week) really the highest season? I would love any comments, feedback, etc. Thanks so much! My family briefly looked into a combined VIP reservation last year. The off season at that point was including mid to late August, so we were looking at the $450 an hour number. I don't know how far that goes, but Disney has been getting more and more popular into October. I will say that it had to be booked at 60 days, but you may have gotten the +X depending on the length of your stay. It could be split with different amounts on credit cards, but one person had to be the primary contact and responsible if things went sideways. We ended up not doing it because the primary was unsure if they would make it due to a family emergency, and we couldn't be guessing with just a week or so to go. But you really need to all be on the same page about what your plans are. Thankfully with VIP there are 0 time hopping restrictions, so you can maximize your day. |
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Post by helenabear on Jan 27, 2023 16:29:35 GMT -5
This is my first thread in MagicOwners, so if I am doing it wrong, please don't hesitate to set me straight! We are trying to plan a trip with our DS, DDIL, and our little grandies 8 and 4. I cannot go in the summer because the heat and humidity are too much for my lungs. To complicate matters, our DS and DDIL are reluctant to take our grandson out of school. That said, the 23/24 Denver school calendar just came out and I see 3 teacher work days clumped together in October (Thursday, Friday and Monday) that would allow for a long weekend, flying out on Wednesday late afternoon, and home on Monday afternoon, leaving us 4 days within which to build a magical weekend. Last week I was calling Disney for something else and my call erroneously rolled over into the VIP Tour line. Since the guy was so nice I briefly chatted with him about doing a tour. He said the Sep/Oct (avoiding Pres Day week) was part of the VIP Tours off season, with weekdays having the best rates, $450-$550 per hour. He explained how it all worked and I left feeling encouraged. It IS expensive, but if you can get 10 people, it helps with the cost. We have friends who live in the area with 2 boys so that would give us 10 and they are more than willing to pay their share. Made it sound do-able. Now that we have possible dates, this morning I called the VIP Tour line directly and now I am not so sure. The person was completely unhelpful and pushed me to call back at 60 days out, I explained that by 60 days out we would need to already have most of our planning done (our DVC reservation and our plane tickets, etc) so it would be helpful to have a loose ballpark figure. She said prices went up significantly this year and are only set through June, providing no details at all. I asked if she could look at what the prices were in Oct 22, she said that was last year so it makes no difference. When I politely pushed for information she said October was high season for VIP Tours so plan $900+ per hour. She was rude and cut me off and we were done. I wasn't looking for the exact amount or any commitment, I was just trying to see if it was feasible. Talk about bursting someone's balloon... I am confused by the opposite information I received. Who should I believe? He was helpful, she was just trying to get me off the phone. I know there was a thread in MouseOwners on this but at the time I was just dreaming. Anyone have recent experience with a VIP Tour? Is October (not President's week) really the highest season? I would love any comments, feedback, etc. Thanks so much! My family briefly looked into a combined VIP reservation last year. The off season at that point was including mid to late August, so we were looking at the $450 an hour number. I don't know how far that goes, but Disney has been getting more and more popular into October. I will say that it had to be booked at 60 days, but you may have gotten the +X depending on the length of your stay. It could be split with different amounts on credit cards, but one person had to be the primary contact and responsible if things went sideways. We ended up not doing it because the primary was unsure if they would make it due to a family emergency, and we couldn't be guessing with just a week or so to go. But you really need to all be on the same page about what your plans are. Thankfully with VIP there are 0 time hopping restrictions, so you can maximize your day. This was a change last year I wasn't aware of while trying for March. It is now 60+ for those who are onsite. 60 for those offsite. In 2021 it was 60 days on the dot no matter what - or so they said. |
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Post by DougUSMC on Feb 2, 2023 10:17:02 GMT -5
We just did a VIP tour on our January trip, a follow-up from a VIP tour we did for last January's trip. I will say there was a BIG difference between the two tours, even though the two trips were nearly the same dates in January.
Jan 2022 we had a much older Guide (Tom), and he was significantly better at the "history, back lot stories, Disney trivia, keeping us moving to get the most out of our dollars spent".
Jan 2023 we had a younger Guide (Whitney), and she was better at "chatting / playing with the kids, keeping it fun".
Both were great, just different. I don't think there's a bad Guide in the bunch. We did request Tom for this year's tour, but he wasn't working weekends. Interestingly, we all disagree on who we liked more, which I take as a good sign.
I understand it's VERY expensive, but I really can't oversell how much we loved it. I think we see/do as much in that one day as we did in all others combined on our recent trip. Then again, if that's not your goal, maybe it's not as good of a deal for some?
Both trips were AMAZING for hitting all the great rides at 3 parks in 8ish hours. We got all the rides we wanted at MK, Ratattouie both years and Guardians this year, all the SW at HS. I can't stress enough how nice it is being driven around in a Suburban, parking in back lots, short walks through, etc. If you're there just to shop and / or dine, then it's great to have the vehicle there to stash stuff in. As others have posted, CMs and everyone is so helpful and even MORE friendly than the norm.
As far as booking, there were definitely some changes. Sorry to hear the OP had issues with the Concierge, we didn't see that either time. We DID notice some pricing changes though, which we weren't happy about. 2022 we picked a Wednesday over a Tuesday, because the rate was significantly cheaper ($450/hr vs $600), and the weekend was even more ($700). This year they said there's a flat rate on weekends ($800), and the rest of the days followed congestion pricing. Agreed that they can't commit to prices until closer, and you can't book them until 60 days out. I will say that our Guide this year told us that they cap the number of tours at 100, but somehow there were 105 scheduled for that day. She said there was a huge uptick in the number of tours lately, and her guess was that it was due to people doing a LOT more traveling post-COVID.
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Post by alwaysdreamingdisney on Feb 2, 2023 10:51:41 GMT -5
I can’t really help with the tours for info other than I do see a lot more people doing them.
Keep in mind that October is dead center of hurricane season! In 2022 we had 2 pretty big ones (Ian & Nicole) that hit within just a few weeks of each other. I’d find out what the backup plans would be for such circumstances!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Feb 2, 2023 13:29:00 GMT -5
Thank you all for the great feedback, related experiences, and suggestions! I did not even think about hurricane season as my everyday reality is more concerned with blizzards, haha. It turns out DH has a work meeting he has to be at in person during the Oct week, so we needed to regroup anyway. Not sure what changed but when we talked last night DS and DDIL now seem to be ok with taking DGS out of school. As a result we are looking at the first week of December instead. Fingers crossed they don't change their minds... I did call the VIP line this morning and spoke with a very pleasant young man who told me that week is a good one as it is less busy and depending on the day the hourly cost is often at the lower end.
From all the feedback it sounds like the VIP tour is worth it and can be an unforgettable experience. This is not something we would normally have considered but we have been saving up to do a special family trip before we retire. We think the GKs are at a good age to really enjoy the magic and in December all the holiday happenings will be going on. So excited to do this!
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Post by Eeyorelover22 on Feb 16, 2023 16:36:14 GMT -5
I can’t really help with the tours for info other than I do see a lot more people doing them. Keep in mind that October is dead center of hurricane season! In 2022 we had 2 pretty big ones (Ian & Nicole) that hit within just a few weeks of each other. I’d find out what the backup plans would be for such circumstances! We live here and had two trips impacted by the hurricanes. Ian we stayed home. Nicole we ditched our last park day and came home early due to heavy rains predicted and we didn't want to drive in that. I'd definitely find out what the policy is. |
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Post by tomandrobin on Feb 16, 2023 21:37:19 GMT -5
I'm glad that you mentioned the generous tip. Our Club 33 friends are taking us on a VIP tour next month. I had no idea about how much to tip. Tips are not required, but are always appreciated. We normally tip between $300-$500 for the day. Most times its at the high end. But once we left none tip because the guide was so bad. We have also tipped as high as $700 for the day too. The tours are wonderful and can make for the best Disney day possible. The tours go at your pace. They provide private transportation from park to park. If you need a wheelchair, they will get one for you. At Magic Kingdom, they have a private fireworks viewing area where you have space to spread out. |
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Post by nickys on Feb 17, 2023 3:58:44 GMT -5
I have a couple of questions for those that have done one, or happen to know.
I know when Rise of the Resistance first opened you couldn’t ride it on a VIP tour. Can anyone remember how long it was until they added it? And am I correct in thinking you are still restricted to riding it once on a VIP tour?
Also is the same true of Guardians, is it restricted to just one?
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Post by helenabear on Feb 17, 2023 7:13:10 GMT -5
I have a couple of questions for those that have done one, or happen to know. I know when Rise of the Resistance first opened you couldn’t ride it on a VIP tour. Can anyone remember how long it was until they added it? And am I correct in thinking you are still restricted to riding it once on a VIP tour? Also is the same true of Guardians, is it restricted to just one? Yes we were told 1x for Rise. Guardians we weren't told about while booking last year because it hadn't opened but I assume it is. I forgot to ask. I was glad it wasn't restricted from going at all. We had treated our friends and long and short, our plans altered because of them. I will guess Tron will be like Guardians. I'm still debating on a tour this summer (buying kid a car to learn to drive on that isn't as nice as mine or a manual like spouse's). But if I book I'll ask. |
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Feb 17, 2023 10:55:26 GMT -5
(buying kid a car to learn to drive on that isn't as nice as mine or a manual like spouse's) You guys still have a manual trans car? I'm jealous. Last stick I drove was last summer when I drove my 93 Nissan Pathfinder to the junkyard  I've got a 91 Honda that I dream of putting a stick in, but good luck to me finding one (at a cost I'm okay with) |
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Post by helenabear on Feb 17, 2023 11:54:52 GMT -5
(buying kid a car to learn to drive on that isn't as nice as mine or a manual like spouse's) You guys still have a manual trans car? I'm jealous. Last stick I drove was last summer when I drove my 93 Nissan Pathfinder to the junkyard I've got a 91 Honda that I dream of putting a stick in, but good luck to me finding one (at a cost I'm okay with) Yes we do. We've always had 1 manual in our house since I graduated college. For the longest time we actually had 2. I went from a Civic EX 5spd to a Civic Si. When we got the CRV we kept the Si until it was run into the ground. Replaced it with another manual Civic. I did sell my Mini Cooper S 6spd to get my Mini EV, but one pedal driving is a lot of fun still. So we want to give our kid an easier car to learn on. I think we have one we'll buy from a friend. We'll teach him stick eventually. |
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