"I just never had to think or worry about anything," travel planner Kelly Dickson tells PEOPLE about experiencing her first VIP tour
Credit: Courtesy of Kelly Dickson (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Disney World’s private VIP tours offer customized experiences with perks like skipping lines and backstage access
- Guests enjoy private transportation, exclusive merchandise, drinks and snacks, and personalized schedules across multiple parks in one day
- Disney fan and travel agent Kelly Dickson told PEOPLE about first VIP tour after it went viral on social media
Stand in line, ride an attraction, refresh the app, repeat — it's an all too common practice for theme park guests trying to beat the crowds and make the most of their time. But one visitor is sharing a peek at a very different kind of park day, and sharing what it's really like to be a VIP at Disney World.
“I felt like I was a little kid just following around my mom who's like, ‘Here, you want a snack?'” Kelly Dickson, a theme park enthusiast and professional travel planner, tells PEOPLE about her experience on her first-ever VIP tour at Walt Disney World. “Your guide just takes care of everything and it's just incredible to experience Disney where it's completely stress-free.”
Disney's private VIP tours offer a one-of-a-kind experience tailored to every group's particular interests. Up to 10 guests are paired with highly knowledgeable cast members who escort them past lengthy lines, through backstage entrances and into multiple parks all in one day.
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It's a common way for A-list celebrities and other high-profile visitors to experience the parks. In recent years, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes as well as Kim and Khloé Kardashian have been spotted using the service at Disneyland on the West Coast alongside tour guides wearing the iconic plaid uniforms.
At Disney World, the experience begins before guests even enter the parks as tour guides will arrange private transportation from resort hotels. From there, VIP guests will pass through a private security screening before embarking on a customized schedule that can span across the entire 40-square-mile resort. Along the way, guests are treated to unlimited water and soda, as well as two complimentary snacks.
Credit: Courtesy of Kelly Dickson
Dickson, a 29-year-old travel agent from Des Moines, Iowa, got to experience a VIP Tour during a recent visit with her company, Marvelous Mouse Travels, which specializes in but in Disney trip planning but isn't associated with the company.
“I knew it was going to be incredible, but I think I didn't fully understand how I would experience Disney differently through it,” she says.
Heading into the day, Dickson says her group wanted to hit as many “top-tier” attractions as they could during their abbreviated six-hour visit (typically, booked tours require a minimum of seven hours, Dickson says).
Credit: Courtesy of Kelly Dickson
The day started with Magic Kingdom, skipping the lines for rides like Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain and TRON Lightcycle / Run. Afterwards, they headed over to Hollywood Studios for Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash. There, they also got a chance to pick from an exclusive line of VIP merchandise at Tower of Terror. Lastly, they went to EPCOT for the Ratatouille, Frozen and Guardians of the Galaxy attractions.
At one point during the adventure, Dickson's tour guide, Lexi, even had Starbucks in hand waiting for them when they got off a ride.
Credit: Courtesy of Kelly Dickson
But for Dickson, skipping the lines wasn't event the highlight It was more about being able to enjoy the parks in the moment, not having to worry about her next reservation or navigation.
“I don't even think I realized it until I did this tour that sometimes Disney can be a little stressful and you're not always taking it in the way maybe you should,” Dickson says. “Like, you get off a ride, your plan was to go do Frozen, but you look at the app and the ride's down. For some families who don't necessarily go to Disney all the time, they're like, ‘Well, what do I do? That was my plan.'”
She adds: “There's just little things throughout your day that could stress you out. But I just never had to think or worry about anything in our day. The fact that I was not on my phone, that is incredible to me.”
The only downside for some, aside from a hefty price tag for the service (see below), is that VIP guests may miss out on some immersive queue experiences that set up the ride when cutting through a side door instead. And, anyone who doesn't like to break the spell of being fully in the world of Disney, might take issue with going through un-themed backstage areas that aren't typically guest-facing and can be a little less magical.
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Pricing for private VIP tours at Disney World ranges from $450 to $950 per hour, depending on the season. Valid park admission is required for each property and not included in the price of the tour.
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