VIP Tours and RotR Discussion

[eryeal]

Curious if they are still going to allow the World of Dreams VIP'ers to fastpass it?

I called just out of curiousity - the World of Dreams VIP tour is allowing 1 ride. Heck of a price to pay to upgrade from a standard VIP tour though!

 

[focusondisney]

I completely agree with you. My hostess booked this VIP tour after the announcement of when ROTR would open and was told it would be included with the understanding that we could only ride each ride in GE once (rather than returning to ride a 2nd or 3rd time). And then yesterday was told NOPE. It's a bit of a bait and switch in my personal opinion. And that is a bad business model on Disney's part IMHO.

That said, I know our group will have a GREAT time.

You know, even using the boarding groups can be considered a bait & switch. Disney has been announcing the opening for months. Average person plans a trip, expecting to wait in line as long as necessary. Then they get there & find, nope, you can’t wait in line & you got there too late to even join a boarding group. I bet that is happening a lot today. And will for the next several days.

Our family arrives Saturday. We should be at resort between 10-10:30. Since boarding groups hadn’t been announced before, some members planned to head directly to the Studios & wait as long as necessary in the line. Guess they won’t even be able to join a boarding group by then. Other members had planned to get in line near the end of the day, since usually you could do that & still be allowed to ride. Again, that won’t work now either.

We have a prepark opening breakfast another day. So hopefully we’ll be able to get in a boarding group since we’ll be in the park & will just keep refreshing the app as soon as we can.

Just another frustration in planning a Disney vacation.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For those of you with VIP tours booked, I would consider starting your tour early in the morning to be at DHS at RD (or just before), so you can get a boarding time in the VQ. I have a friend who did a VIP tour today. She was picked up at 7 am, went directly to DHS and got a boarding time. The VIP guide then took them to Toy Story Land and Smuggler's Run while they waited for their time to open. They were off RoTR around 9:30 am. Starting the tour at 7 am was at the suggestion of the VIP department (she got the call yesterday) so they could try to navigate her group through the VQ system and it definitely worked for my friend. If RoTR is a goal for your VIP tour, I would definitely consider starting early and discussing this strategy with the VIP department prior to your tour day.

 

[GoingSince1990]

For those of you with VIP tours booked, I would consider starting your tour early in the morning to be at DHS at RD (or just before), so you can get a boarding time in the VQ. I have a friend who did a VIP tour today. She was picked up at 7 am, went directly to DHS and got a boarding time. The VIP guide then took them to Toy Story Land and Smuggler's Run while they waited for their time to open. They were off RoTR around 9:30 am. Starting the tour at 7 am was at the suggestion of the VIP department (she got the call yesterday) so they could try to navigate her group through the VQ system and it definitely worked for my friend. If RoTR is a goal for your VIP tour, I would definitely consider starting early and discussing this strategy with the VIP department prior to your tour day.

I’m happy it worked out for your friend, but to me a VIP tour means sleeping late and still being able to do everything in the park, not being urged by the guide to get up at the crack of dawn in order to join a virtual queue. I expect that Disney will get quite a lot of feedback to that effect and at some point will allow VIP tours to grab a boarding time even if they don’t arrive early.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I’m happy it worked out for your friend, but to me a VIP tour means sleeping late and still being able to do everything in the park, not being urged by the guide to get up at the crack of dawn in order to join a virtual queue. I expect that Disney will get quite a lot of feedback to that effect and at some point will allow VIP tours to grab a boarding time even if they don’t arrive early.

I agree and it sounds like, just based on this thread, VIP tours will lose quite a bit of business if they don't change the policy sooner rather than later. We have a tour scheduled for Dec. 29 and I had it all planned out to start in the afternoon, do all of SWGE (with an Oga's reservation) and then end at the EP Forever VIP viewing area. If this policy stays in place, we are going to have to choose between getting to DHS early to get a boarding time for RoTR or doing our Oga's/EP Forever plan (unless I can somehow get a morning Oga's time, but that still leaves EP Forever on the chopping block). So, yes, this is a level of planning I was hoping to avoid when booking the tour, but I guess I appreciated the fact that VIP tour services figured out a way to get my friend on the ride since ride operations and policies are completely out of their hands. Definitely not ideal for the amount these tours cost, though!

 

[trivan]

Those who have received a call, is this for a private VIP tour or another like the Ultimate Day of thrills VIP tour

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

Those who have received a call, is this for a private VIP tour or another like the Ultimate Day of thrills VIP tour

For us, it's a private tour.

 

[trivan]

For the prices we are paying for the tour, they should just assign specific times that are made available throughout the day and tours can opt into one of those times. Similar to them asking if you want to see the parade or not. I’m booked for the 28th and like DisneyWishes14, we start late and finish with the fireworks. Hopefully with a couple of weeks for Disney to work things out they will open it up a bit.

 

[AndyR]

I received an email from Disney Signature Services today regarding the tour. There's no mention of not being able to do RotR. All it had was:

• Your VIP Tour Guide has direct access to attractions that feature Disney FastPass+ service* with a minimal wait in the FastPass+ queue. VIP Tours utilize the main queue for other attractions.

*Please note: Disney FastPass+ service is unavailable for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Which seems to say they're using the main queue similar to other non FP rides.

Andy

 

[Jennasis]

They let Neil Patrick Harris and his family VIP access the ride TWICE this week.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For the prices we are paying for the tour, they should just assign specific times that are made available throughout the day and tours can opt into one of those times. Similar to them asking if you want to see the parade or not. I’m booked for the 28th and like DisneyWishes14, we start late and finish with the fireworks. Hopefully with a couple of weeks for Disney to work things out they will open it up a bit.

I would love something like this. Our tour currently starts at 3:15 pm (may change to 7:00 am if need be to get in a boarding group). Even if they just slotted us into a boarding group in the late afternoon and let us ride once going through the regular line, I would be thrilled! Then I wouldn't have to change my entire day's plan around.

I received an email from Disney Signature Services today regarding the tour. There's no mention of not being able to do RotR. All it had was:



Which seems to say they're using the main queue similar to other non FP rides.

Andy

The problem is, there is no main queue. You have to be in a boarding group in order to ride and boarding groups have been filling for the entire day by early morning. You can't just arrive at RoTR and get in line.

They let Neil Patrick Harris and his family VIP access the ride TWICE this week.

I would think they would have to do this for him for security purposes.

 

[twodogs]

I would think it should work like any other VIP tour access: when you are ready to ride ROTR, you could join the line (since there is no FP line; you would not need a pre-booked boarding group to join the line, just like you don’t need a pre-booked FP to join the FP line on a regular VIP tour). I don’t understand why Disney is not doing this. VIP has never been “front of the line” access to any ride, so just letting the VIP tours join the line at whatever time they arrived at the ride would be in line with how the rest of the tour runs.

 

[BuzzLightyearDad]

How much are we talking per person here?

 

[10CJ]

How much are we talking per person here?

It is an hourly rate and the minimum is 7 hours. Prices vary by date.

This is from late 2018 but gives a good overview. At that time the range was $425-$625 an hour.

https://wdwprepschool.com/disney-world-vip-tour-guide/

 

[trivan]

It is an hourly rate and the minimum is 7 hours. Prices vary by date.

This is from late 2018 but gives a good overview. At that time the range was $425-$625 an hour.

https://wdwprepschool.com/disney-world-vip-tour-guide/

As all things Disney the top range went up about $100 for the peak times. On top you need to purchase park tickets for each person.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would think it should work like any other VIP tour access: when you are ready to ride ROTR, you could join the line (since there is no FP line; you would not need a pre-booked boarding group to join the line, just like you don’t need a pre-booked FP to join the FP line on a regular VIP tour). I don’t understand why Disney is not doing this. VIP has never been “front of the line” access to any ride, so just letting the VIP tours join the line at whatever time they arrived at the ride would be in line with how the rest of the tour runs.

RoTR is not running like any other ride or attraction in WDW. I'm assuming that just having VIP tour guests show up whenever they want to join the line would impact how they are handling crowds at the ride because they can't predict how many people would show up. Given that WDW was handing out 1-day tickets and RoTR FP+ to guests in boarding groups who ultimately couldn't get on the ride in the first days of opening, I would think they want to control numbers as best they can to not put themselves in that situation again. Let's say 1000 VIP guests show up for the ride at 3 pm (not likely, but unpredictable if you allow them to ride whenever they show up). That would significantly impact ride operations for the rest of the day.

Perhaps when crowds die down a little, they will change the policy. I, personally, wish they would just pre-assign VIP guests into boarding groups based on the time their tour starts. That would solve the problem - VIP tour guests still get access and it doesn't impact ride operations in terms of numbers of people predictably showing up at any given boarding time.

Our tour falls into the top tier of hourly pricing as we are going during Christmas week and while this is disappointing, I realize we were never promised access to RoTR. I think it may be short-sighted on WDW's part to not include access even if it's limited (1 pre-reserved, boarding time per tour) and if it affects their bottom line, I suppose they will change the policy.

 

[twodogs]

I thought some OPs said they WERE promised ROTR on their tours, and then it was later removed from the tours? If I had a tour booked in the near future, you can bet I would be calling Disney to see how they are going to accommodate riding ROTR on the tour.

I agree that assigning a pre-determined BG to the tour would work well for now.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I thought some OPs said they WERE promised ROTR on their tours, and then it was later removed from the tours? If I had a tour booked in the near future, you can bet I would be calling Disney to see how they are going to accommodate riding ROTR on the tour.

I agree that assigning a pre-determined BG to the tour would work well for now.

I don't know about other PP's, but we were told back in early September that we would get priority access to Smuggler's Run and that was it. We were never promised RoTR. I think I just assumed RoTR would work like Smuggler's Run, but you know what happens when one assumes, LOL! Honestly, I feel like ride operations are ultimately out of the control of VIP tour services. They only thing ever promised was we would get into the FP+ line of any ride or attraction with FP+. The fact that Smuggler's Run does not have FP+, yet we will be granted priority access is still nice. Crossing fingers for RoTR, but not holding my breath and will adjust to accommodate if need be.

 

[Marknj22]

RoTR is not running like any other ride or attraction in WDW. I'm assuming that just having VIP tour guests show up whenever they want to join the line would impact how they are handling crowds at the ride because they can't predict how many people would show up. Given that WDW was handing out 1-day tickets and RoTR FP+ to guests in boarding groups who ultimately couldn't get on the ride in the first days of opening, I would think they want to control numbers as best they can to not put themselves in that situation again. Let's say 1000 VIP guests show up for the ride at 3 pm (not likely, but unpredictable if you allow them to ride whenever they show up). That would significantly impact ride operations for the rest of the day.

Perhaps when crowds die down a little, they will change the policy. I, personally, wish they would just pre-assign VIP guests into boarding groups based on the time their tour starts. That would solve the problem - VIP tour guests still get access and it doesn't impact ride operations in terms of numbers of people predictably showing up at any given boarding time.

Our tour falls into the top tier of hourly pricing as we are going during Christmas week and while this is disappointing, I realize we were never promised access to RoTR. I think it may be short-sighted on WDW's part to not include access even if it's limited (1 pre-reserved, boarding time per tour) and if it affects their bottom line, I suppose they will change the policy.

The difference here is that the "1000 VIP guests" can coordinate boarding times. They should only be allowed to ride a single time. Just assign a maximum of 12 VIPs to each boarding group. If the ride can reliably do 80 boardings per day, the impact would be negligible. Certainly less than people reboarding in the first day.

Also, 1000 VIPs seems high? I find it hard to believe Hollywood Studios, with attendance at roughly 30,000/day has 1 in 30 people being on a private VIP Tour at any one time.

 

[GoingSince1990]

I don't know about other PP's, but we were told back in early September that we would get priority access to Smuggler's Run and that was it. We were never promised RoTR. I think I just assumed RoTR would work like Smuggler's Run, but you know what happens when one assumes, LOL! Honestly, I feel like ride operations are ultimately out of the control of VIP tour services. They only thing ever promised was we would get into the FP+ line of any ride or attraction with FP+. The fact that Smuggler's Run does not have FP+, yet we will be granted priority access is still nice. Crossing fingers for RoTR, but not holding my breath and will adjust to accommodate if need be.

There is almost certainly a very spirited dialog going on right now between VIP Tour Services and Ride Operations regarding access to RoTR, given that a great many people will be unwilling to spend thousands of dollars on a "premium" tour which does not allow them to ride the hottest attraction of all.