We booked a Plaid! Need your thoughts please (itinerary)

[GeneralTso]

We are a group of 8 adults coming from 4 cities, converging on Animal Kingdom Jambo for my husband's birthday. Us and our kids and partners, etc. It was nearly impossible--no--IMPOSSIBLE-- to book FP for our group even with linked magic bands. I gave up. Threw in the towel. We have one full day and night together--Saturday.

I booked a Plaid for the day. I didn't realize they would drive your group to any park you want.
My initial thought was Magic Kingdom for the day.
Then I realized we could go to HS and do Slinky Dog and the other Toy Story Land rides as well.

Question is: Do you think that's enough? Should we add Animal Kingdom for FOP/River?
Seems like too much but they were really clear that they will go at whatever pace we want.
Besides my husband and I, all the kids are in their 20/30's. A lot of hustle if they really want to do that.

We are game, would like to get a Big Bang for the (crazy) bucks, but also want to be reasonable.

What have you done? What worked? Didn't work?

Any and all insight is appreciated.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Just for clarity for those reading along... OP is referring to a Private VIP tour (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/private-vip-tours/). The CM guides have plaid elements to their outfits (like what you would see with guest services CMs), hence the reference to ‘booking a plaid.’

Sorry, just making sure others know what that means.

OP, question if you don’t mind... are you planning on just the minimum 7 hours? Or longer? Or not sure yet?

 

[TangledHairDon'tCare]

Just for clarity for those reading along... OP is referring to a Private VIP tour (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/private-vip-tours/). The CM guides have plaid outfits , hence the reference to ‘booking a plaid.’

Sorry, just making sure others know what that means.

OP, question if you don’t mind... are you planning on just the minimum 7 hours? Or longer? Or not sure yet?

Thank you, I thought it was a typo! Lol

 

[holden]

I haven't booked a plaid, but we did the VIP Thrills Tour a while ago. We were able to do 11 attractions in 3 parks. Being driven in a private van from park to park makes it much less exhausting and cut down commuting time significantly.

I would absolutely make sure you hit all the popular attractions (if you want to ride them) - FOP, SDD, 7DMT, etc. The world is your oyster! Go for it!

 

[jimim]

I would do as much as u can being the cost is up there. If everyone in the group are adults then u guys can really boogie and crash the next day!

Should be an awesome time!

 

[cgattis]

ITA with other posters. With a bunch of adults, I’d totally hit all the hottest rides in every park! I love immersing myself in one land at a time—not crisscrossing a park—but for the cost and the chance to do those things together (which FP couldn’t manage), I’d totally do it!

 

[jo-jo]

I have no experience with this, but I believe you can hit many, many rides because not only do you get driven from park to park, but you are taken into the park where the rides are. You don't need to walk 6 miles from parking lot to FOP.

 

[mrsxsparrow]

We are a group of 8 adults coming from 4 cities, converging on Animal Kingdom Jambo for my husband's birthday. Us and our kids and partners, etc. It was nearly impossible--no--IMPOSSIBLE-- to book FP for our group even with linked magic bands. I gave up. Threw in the towel. We have one full day and night together--Saturday.

I booked a Plaid for the day. I didn't realize they would drive your group to any park you want.
My initial thought was Magic Kingdom for the day.
Then I realized we could go to HS and do Slinky Dog and the other Toy Story Land rides as well.

Question is: Do you think that's enough? Should we add Animal Kingdom for FOP/River?
Seems like too much but they were really clear that they will go at whatever pace we want.
Besides my husband and I, all the kids are in their 20/30's. A lot of hustle if they really want to do that.

We are game, would like to get a Big Bang for the (crazy) bucks, but also want to be reasonable.

What have you done? What worked? Didn't work?

Any and all insight is appreciated.

I may or may not have been a plaid in a former life...

Honestly, as long as you have an idea of where you want to start and a list of MUST do's... feel free to leave everything else up in the air. You'll have to meet that seven hour minimum, but after that, you can keep going as long as you want to (or are willing to pay for), and you can decide that day. If you finish MK and DHS and feel up for DAK, go for it! If you feel tired, you can end there. You can even decide to split up if some people want to go back to the resort and rest and some want to stay out and continue riding things. Hitting every ride in MK used to take around 5 hours, with kids, including stops for restrooms, snacks and lunch. Just to give you an idea of your timing

What I would say, is if you think you MIGHT want to see any entertainment (fireworks, parade, stage shows, etc), make sure you let them know ASAP. It is much easier to cancel a viewing if you decide not to use it than to book one same-day with little notice. Same with any dining reservations.

Also, be prepared to be more tired than usual. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but a day of not standing in line can be exhausting. A line gives you time to slow down and relax a bit. With a tour, you'll be on the go from the minute you meet your guide. I always recommended a table service lunch or dinner if the family was planning to stay out all day, just for a chance for some down time.

 

[rlk]

We've done two Private VIP Tours. Both times, we went to three parks in the 7-hour minimum time frame. As the previous poster said, it is surprisingly exhausting, even with getting driven behind the scenes to enter all the parks.

I spoke with a Special Services CM to let them know everything we wanted to accomplish and then left it in their hands. We were able to do everything we had requested and some things we decided to do in the moment.

 

[wdw&sonny]

Just clicked on the link above and saw the prices. Wow! Congratulations to you on doing this for your family. What a wonderful treat. Do as much as you can do and enjoy!

 

[GeneralTso]

We definitely plan to do the minimum of 7 hours, not sure if we will need to go over that.
At your suggestion, I will book a sit down lunch at MK. We have Prime Time Cafe booked for dinner around 7:30 that's why I thought ending at HS would be great.
If we can do AK between those 2 parks, I think that could work. I was able to get FOP for the remainder of the group staying past Saturday, so that won't be missed.
I was kind of "meh" on Navi River. It didn't blow my socks off. So, depending on timing will decide if it's worth the overhead to pack up the gang, head over to AK just to do FOP. I'm thinking no.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I would totally do one if money wasn't part of the equation. During our last trip, a family behind us had one with them while we waited in the Navi River FP+ line. I will say it was sort of odd since they had two toddlers. One was all over the place and at one point he almost fell into the NRJ boats bc he was running like a fool, he needed to be strollered ASAP I felt really bad for the CM because he was giving them all this cool info and they couldn't even listen to him. We enjoyed it for the few min we were in line and wished we could have stolen him. I say cram what you can in and if the people you're going with don't know much about Disney, they'll enjoy it. Have fun!!

 

[rlk]

We definitely plan to do the minimum of 7 hours, not sure if we will need to go over that.
At your suggestion, I will book a sit down lunch at MK. We have Prime Time Cafe booked for dinner around 7:30 that's why I thought ending at HS would be great.
If we can do AK between those 2 parks, I think that could work. I was able to get FOP for the remainder of the group staying past Saturday, so that won't be missed.
I was kind of "meh" on Navi River. It didn't blow my socks off. So, depending on timing will decide if it's worth the overhead to pack up the gang, head over to AK just to do FOP. I'm thinking no.

You will be able to fit a lot in. We manage to do three parks and could have done all four if we didn't opt to watch the afternoon parade in MK.

 

[KJeff90]

Hey There GeneralTso! I booked a VIP Tour experience that was similar to your circumstances this apst August; we had 8 adults, and one teenager in our party, started off at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, and did close to your 7 hours, with 8 hours total with our guide. If you want to see how it went down, please take a look at my post in another thread at the following link:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/has-anyone-done-a-private-tour-of-disney.3701285/#post-59636939

As you'll read in my post, we were able to visit all 4 parks on a hot August day. When you consider the fact that most of the the set-itinerary VIP tours are close to $300/person, the bigger your group -the better the value. I read that you're interested in booking a sit-down meal. While that is a nice idea, perhaps it would increase the value of your tour time to maybe have that sit down meal before/after your tour? We did a Boma breakfast and had our pick up point be at Jambo House. The buffet breakfast kept us full almost the entirety of our tour time (we only stopped twice, once for churros and drinks, and the other for ice cream and drinks). Being picked up at the same resort as breakfast made things easier and we were ready to go. After the tour, we were dropped off at our resort and had a QSR dinner, a little later than the typical time you would expect (around 10pm). Eating while on your tour can take up a substantial amount of time that could be used riding attractions. You'd basically be spending about $500 for a meal you're already spending out of pocket for. Light snacks and waters were offered to us twice during the tour, so that may also hold you over even more between food purchases. This paragraph is a suggestion, and do with it what you will.

Having your cast member drive you between attractions saves you a ton of time, and it's surprising how being able to cut through backstage areas suddenly makes certain attractions that much closer. Not having to worry about going through security multiple times and waiting in bus/boat/monorail lines felt like a luxury.

While your cast member is willing to work with you on what you want to do, (sometimes at a moment's notice) it's great to allow flexibility as well. Weather, and an attraction going down happened during our time with our guide, she was able to move things originally planned, and seamlessly work in spontaneous attraction decisions. We almost had a stagnant amount of free time towards the end of our planned tour time, and before going to our reserved Happily Ever After viewing area that was arranged by our guide... we had accomplished everything we wanted and then some during our time. Your mileage and needs may vary, bvut it is very possible to get quite a few headliners done in 7 hours.

If you want more specific insight, and know who our cast member guide was; feel free to message me. You can put in a preference to see if a specific cast member is available when making/updating your reservation, and well our cast member was amazing and perfect for our group in our 20s. She was high energy, yet easy going. I would have no problem recommending her. Having her with us for the day made her feel like the 10th family member of our group, and a great bond was made.

In any case, I hope you have the best time during your tour. Also, be persistent with the Fastpasses for your large group... we were a group of 9, and between FP+ and our guided tour; we were able to do Flight of Passage 3 times during our week-long stay without having to wait in standby once.

 

[jo-jo]

Curious for those who have done this,...... when you get to a ride, do you just walk into the FP line or is it more front of the line situation. For instance. Most rides have a line, then a holding room or two and then the actually ride. With these tours, where do you start?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Curious for those who have done this,...... when you get to a ride, do you just walk into the FP line or is it more front of the line situation. For instance. Most rides have a line, then a holding room or two and then the actually ride. With these tours, where do you start?

For the large majority of rides you get in the FP line - no front of line access.

 

[GeneralTso]

Man I knew it. You guys are a WEALTH of information and tips. Awesome! Thank you so much.
I've ditched the sit down meal idea. Makes perfect sense. I also think we will try and do Animal Kingdom mainly because it's hard to pass up those Pandora FP rides.

Love reading all the past experiences.

 

[rlk]

Curious for those who have done this,...... when you get to a ride, do you just walk into the FP line or is it more front of the line situation. For instance. Most rides have a line, then a holding room or two and then the actually ride. With these tours, where do you start?

For the large majority of rides you get in the FP line - no front of line access.

What GADisneyDad14 said is what we experienced. The only front of the line experiences happened with preplanned character greetings and then it was done in such a way that it didn't look as if we were cutting ahead of people waiting in line. Besides those few character greetings, our guide did take us through a secret door after our first ride on Space Mountain so we could experience the other track. He wanted us to see if we could tell if there was a difference between the two tracks.

 

[twodogs]

We have done this several times, and I have a review somewhere that I will link when I have more time. I definitely agree with no sit down meal during your tour since you sound high energy. We do CS lunch, but I do not want to pay that much per hour to eat a sit down TS meal.

We usually skip EPCOT because the rides there tend to have long FP lines (TT for example), and there are so few rides, it doesn’t seem worth the driving time to get there, even through the back entrance. We have done EPCOT on a tour once, but we have cut it out on subsequent tours for the reasons above. We just get FPs for EPCOT another day. If the VIP day is your only day, then you might do all 4 parks.

We usually just give the Plaid team our wish list of rides and meet and greets, and let them pick the order of rides and parks. Sometimes we have to change our plan on the fly due to weather/ride closures, but the plaid can talk to other plaids at the other parks to get the real low down on what is happening there to decide to redirect or not.

I would say ride what you want more than once if you want to. We did FOP twice in a row, and SDMT 3 times in a row one year. Don’t feel like it is one ride and then on to the next. If you want to perfect your scoring on TSSM, ride it 4 times in a row (and get ready for a hand cramp!).

To repeat what OP said, tell them if you want priority parade or show viewing ahead of time (weeks ahead if you know) and you will need to make sure you start in the “right” park so you end up in the correct park at roughly the time of the parade or show you are wanting. The guide can help with this. Note that they can’t get you VIP seating for a parade or show unless they are still on the clock with you at the time of the event. So if you want VIP fireworks seating, plan your start time so that they are still with you at that time of night. The VIP viewing for the Festival of Fantasy parade was from the train station and was awesome this summer.

Try to carry the minimum that day, as you will really be moving. I left my backpack in the van several times, but do make sure that the van is the same one you will be in all day if you do that.

If you want certain rows on rides like Soarin’, be sure to let the guilde know and they can usually make that happen. Ask for scoring tips on Buzz and TSSM, as they have all the tricks!

Bring cash for the tip (usually at least 10-20%), as this is the only way to tip the guide who makes very little of what you actually pay for the tour.

We usually have them pick us up at our resort around 9am (only day we don’t have to RD!), and then plan to finish in a park and stay on at that park for the rest of the night (I book our FPs at the last park for evening, so we have some FPs to use after the guide is done for the day). We generally use 8-9 hours for 3 parks. It is much cheaper to Uber/Lyft back to your resort than have them drive you there at $500/hour!

Most importantly, you are paying gobs of money so just let them plan it. I am a super planner and this was hard for me to do at first. But they do a great job, so just let it go, and you will have a blast! PM those of us who have done the tour for guide recommendations, though you will want to look for guides that are good with your age group. Have fun!

 

[twodogs]

Also remember that you must have park tickets for the day and they must be park hoppers. This is not included with the VIP tour.