10 people, 7 hours, 4 parks, and 13 rides!

By Travel Planner Vanessa
​My family was invited by dear friends of ours to join them on a once-in-a-lifetime VIP tour. It was hands down one of the BEST experiences of my life. It’s no secret that it is pricey, BUT we received the real VIP treatment. I’m now debating if we need to spend money on things like groceries and clothing going forward OR if we can just spend all of our money and all of our lives on VIP tours… Kidding. (Sort of). There were 10 of us total which is the maximum the tour allows per guide. We had 4 adults, 4 teenagers (17, 17, 15, and 14), and 2 children (10 and 9.) 

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Truth be told, I hardly have any pictures to share, but for good reason. Pictures are not allowed behind the scenes where some of the VIP tour takes place. We got to see some cool places that most guests never get to see. Our VIP tour guide, Kelsey, was so attentive and catered to our every wish. The Disney magic (even through the excessive heat and humidity) was alive all day. 
We started the tour at 9:00 am at the entrance of the International Gateway of Epcot. As a reminder, valid park tickets and park reservations are still required. We visited all four parks after talking to Kelsey about our goals for the day. Of course we wanted to go on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom as our number one goals. We went on two rides at Epcot (ride number 1 - Soarin' and ride number 2 - Guardians). True Cosmic Rewind fans will want to know that we got I Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls as our song. #iykyk!  One of the best parts is that we entered the Lightning Lane for all rides and when we came out of Guardians, Kelsey had bottles of cold water for us. It was an amazing touch - did I mention it was surface-of-the sun HOT that day??
After we left Epcot, we headed over to Hollywood Studios. One of the best parts was that each time we got into our private van, it was already running and waiting for us with the air conditioning blasting for us. We were greeted with a snack basket filled with individual bags of several types of chips, packages of cookies, granola bars, etc. to choose from for the van rides throughout the day. 
After we arrived at Hollywood Studios, we started out on 3. Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith before heading to Star Wars land and riding  number 4 - Rise of the Resistance and number 5 - Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. After we left there, we headed to Ride number 6 Slinky Dog Dash and number 7 - Toy Story Midway Mania! After these rides, more waters were waiting for us and we each got to choose a snack from a cart! Due to the heat, most of us chose a frozen novelty. Personally I love the frozen cup of lemonade and was so glad I could put the lid back on while we headed on to ride number 8, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. 
Our next stop was Magic Kingdom where we headed directly to ride number 9, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and number 10, Tron. It was worth the hype! We finished up Magic Kingdom with one last stop at ride number 11, Space Mountain. We were exhausted. And hot. And having the time of our lives! 
The final park of the day was Animal Kingdom. We had a LONG walk from where we entered behind Dinosaur and headed over to ride number 12, Expedition Everest. Kelsey was, again, waiting for us once we got off with ice cold bottles of water. We stayed well hydrated and full of snacks all day long thanks to Kelsey and the VIP tour interns. Our last stop of the day was ride number 13 - Avatar Flight of Passage. 
Kelsey gave each of us our own exclusive Disney VIP private tour pin to end our time with her. We were finished with this amazing itinerary by 4:30 p.m. We headed back to our resort, Swan Reserve, to relax for a bit, and get ready for our dinner we had planned at Biergarten. We also bought individual Lightning Lanes early that morning so we could go on Guardians of the Galaxy a second time. That time we got Disco Inferno! Our favorite song will always be September but we also like that one too!
⭐️PRO TIPS:⭐️ You may be wondering how we made it all day with 4 adults, 4 teenagers, and 2 kids without eating a real meal or having any meltdowns.. Here are some ways to plan your day with stamina in mind:
⭐️ Eat a huge meal before and after the tour hours ... We ate a huge breakfast at Amare at Swan Reserve where we were staying followed by a huge dinner at Biergarten in Epcot Germany. The snacks and water during the day were plentiful and really helped us get through the day. Note: we could have stopped for a meal if we wanted but decided the best bang for our buck was to eat before and after. If we had stopped to eat, it would have cut down on the number of rides we completed. 
⭐️ Wear comfortable shoes and have a back-up pair. I love my Hokas and they served me well. I had a back up pair of flip flops just in case I needed them. (I didn't). We were able to leave a bag in the van throughout the day
⭐️ Dress for the weather. Depending on the season, dress in layers, bring disposable ponchos in case of rain. Florida weather is predictably unpredictable. Wear lots of sunscreen on hot, sunny days.
⭐️ Take advantage of group bathroom breaks - everyone goes!!! Kelsey has great suggestions for bathrooms that were not busy so our entire group got in and out quickly
⭐️ If your goal is to accomplish as many rides as possible, avoid shows and character visits. Prepare younger children in advance for this. 
⭐️ Take advice from your VIP tour guide. They are the experts! Kelsey made it clear that ultimately we were in charge of the itinerary for the day but she gave us many helpful hints that maximized our time. The two youngest members of our group and one of the adults chose not to go on Space Mountain. Instead, they went on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Kelsey first scanned 7 of us on to Space Mountain and then brought them over to Buzz. We all met up afterwards - it was perfect timing and everyone was happy!
⭐️ Our VIP Tour guide, Kelsey, was professional, attentive, and nothing short of amazing. If you feel the same way about a Cast Member, be sure to pay them the ultimate compliment and complete a Cast Compliment found in your My Disney Experience app. My family LOVES to call out cast members for great service. Of course, we also tipped her at the end of the day, but I know that cast members also love reading the compliments as well. 
⭐️ Wondering how to make all of this a bit more affordable? The greater the number of people who can split the cost of the tour, the less expensive it will be per person. The cost of the tour is the same whether you have one person or ten. I would recommend going in a group of 10 adults and splitting the total cost by 10! It is still an expensive day but much more affordable than if you paid for the whole tour yourself. In addition, consider crowd levels when booking. VIP Tour pricing is cut in half during the less crowded times of the year vs. the busier and more expensive times of the year! 
🏆 I am a senior agent for Tink's Magical Vacations with 10 years of Disney travel planning experience. Please contact me at [email protected] and I can help you plan your dream Disney vacation!