Who Are These Magical People?

If you’ve ever seen someone at Disneyland donning a red plaid vest, you might know that these mysterious folks are the VIP tour guides. If you’ve seen paparazzi pics of celebrities at Disneyland, you’ll likely see a VIP host lurking in the background. Whether you’re a Kardashian, Beyonce, or a member of the Royal Family, Disney does not give freebies. This service is actually available to everyone and I can promise you’ll feel like a celebrity.

You Get What You Pay For

Planning for an exclusive Disney experience was easy and fun. When I called to book I was presented with a handful of questions — How many guests did we have? You’re allowed up to 10 (kids and even babies count) per tour and as fate would have it, our group was 6 adults and 4 kids. (Me and Danny, my sisters and their kids, my brother-in-law, and my mom!) Next, they’d like to know your priorities; Which rides/attractions you don’t want to miss, what characters the kids would like to meet, where/what you’d like to eat. Hang in, it’s only fair that I share what this will cost.

And So It Begins

When Danny and I pulled into to the gate at the Grand Californian Hotel, a walkie talkie was used to let the powers-that-be know that a “VIP” had arrived. We bypassed the check-in line and were whisked directly to our room, where we were gifted with a variety of goodies, bottled waters, and custom Disneyland macarons. I immediately received a text from guest services and were told to use this number 24/7 for any of our needs. And we hadn’t even set foot in the park yet.

Who Will It Be?

Start times are flexible, so we chose to meet our designated guide bright and early at 8:30am in our hotel lobby. And there she was in the said red plaid vest, Diane. She’s been at the job for 17 years and clearly loves it.

Not only is Diane a true pro and excellent at her job, she has boundless energy and a wealth of insider knowledge about the Park and Walt Disney himself.

Did you know there’s a secret basketball court inside of the Matterhorn? Google it.

Keep your eyes peeled during Soarin’ Over California. They planted the Black Pearl pirate ship in the San Francisco Bay. And there’s Mickey’s face on the golf ball in Palm Springs.

Walt had a secret apartment on Disney’s Main Street above the fire station. They still keep the light on for him.

She was happy to share fun facts throughout the day and answer questions.

Here’s How It All Works

We began the day at Disney’s California Adventure Park. The brave ones (not me) started strong with the Incredicoaster while Diane had me and the kiddos on a point-and-shoot kiddie ride that timed out perfectly. She always knew precisely what time each ride would end and how to find all of us. While the thrill seekers hit up Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, the rest of us rode Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Monster’s Inc. Luckily the youngest in our party happened to be exactly 40” tall at 3 years old, which meant he was just tall enough for Radiator Springs Racers — this was definitely the crowd favorite at CA Adventure. And get this: If you wanted a coffee, a churro, a corndog, Diane would have it waiting for you at the end of the ride.

The best part of the VIP experience is skipping most of the lines. (I know how bad this sounds, but tell me with a straight face that you wouldn’t have done it too.) If a ride has a Lightning Lane you get to join it, meaning that between the two lines the ride will have (Lightning Lane, a service one can purchase for shorter wait times, and the regular line), the line you’re now in will be 5-15 minutes as opposed to up to 2 hours.

If a ride does not have a Lightning Lane, you will be smuggled in through the exit. Not only is there no wait time but those in line can’t see you jumping ahead of them. (The shame!) The majority of rides at the original Disneyland park like Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Pinocchio, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan, are entered through the exit with VIP. We hopped off and on these rides like we owned the place.

Full Disclosure

Cringe.

Try not to judge.

YOLO.

The price varies depending on high/low seasons. Our VIP was March 28 around Spring Break so our rates might have been higher. A VIP tour is a minimum of 7 hours (we opted for 8:30a-3:30p which turned out perfect) at a rate of $700/hour. You also need to purchase park tickets for each member of your group. Park Hopper tickets on our date ran $234 for those over 10 and $224 for those 9 and under. But because you’ll have these park tickets, you can stay after your Fairy Godmother services expire.

Honestly, when Diane left, Danny and I went poof too.

Food and drinks are not included. The magically appearing post-ride refreshments were handled by giving our guide a credit card, which she returned to us at the end of the day.

Gratuity is also not included. (Don’t worry, we took care of Diane.)

Was it worth it?

We managed to enjoy 24 attractions in just 7 hours. Most people average around 10 in a whole day.

I would have to say that splurging on family and having the opportunity to experience this particular Disney magic to remember forever was worthwhile in my book.

Fun bonus: We were all gifted VIP Tour pins at the end of the day.

The VIP Experience: Disneyland Edition