Disney VIP Tours | Theme Park Strategy Worth the Cost
Jason just returned from his first Disney VIP Tour, and he's breaking down whether it's actually worth it. In this episode, Tachel and Jason compare Disney's VIP experience head-to-head with Universal's VIP offering, sharing insider theme park strategy insights, real costs, and the ROI for families. Get expert travel agent perspective on maximizing your vacation budget.
Terri: Hmm?
Jason: And welcome to episode seventy-five
Terri: you
Jason: of Castles to Cauldrons. I'm your host, Jason Davis. I'm here with Rachel and Terry. Rachel is back from The Wonder. I wonder if she had a good trip.
Terri: Yay! It looked like you guys had a good time.
Rachel: I see what you did there.
Jason: Yeah.
Rachel: No, we had a good time. Yeah, it
Terri: It looks good.
Rachel: was a it was a good mix, yeah.
Terri: Because it's just you two, right?
Jason: mine.
Rachel: It was, but I was there for a seminar at C. So it was
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: So you're with like bunch of agents and stuff like that?
Rachel: Yeah. Yeah.
Terri: But like no kids is what I mean. you got like,
Rachel: No, I my kids were home.
Terri: yeah.
Jason: I have school Terry.
Terri: I know.
Rachel: School soccer dance.
Terri: Yeah, I know. It's a lot. We're going through it right now.
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: yes.
Rachel: We are.
Jason: I'm not. Micah's not.
Terri: as I'm sitting at football practice while we record.
Jason: Micah is on her way to I think she said Dallas for banana ball. Because what else would she travel
Rachel: I love it.
Jason: for besides banana
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: ball?
Rachel: She's gotta come up my way. Okay.
Jason: I did I talked to Savon while we were on the trip this weekend and said that we're gonna try to go to Atlanta to the ban banana game if they come back. So hopefully we can get some of the agents to all go to Atlanta that are banana fans and sit together and watch a game.
Rachel: That'd be fun.
Terri: If you can get tickets, I'll go to Atlanta. I'm just not a member of the club, so.
Jason: Yeah. We can we sh we should be able to get something. I think you know enough people now.
Rachel: Yeah, like Hamper Agency as a is in the K Club.
Terri: You knew Allison and Micah.
Jason: Yeah, so we can get Rachel on a plane and fly down to Atlanta and join us too.
Rachel: There you go.
Jason: But yeah, so this this episode we're gonna be talking a little bit about VIP at Universal and Disney. Because I was lucky enough to go down, like I said earlier this week and do a whirlwind trip just for a VIP experience with the agency. And Rachel's done it a few times before. So we'll have input just a few. How many times have you done it?
Rachel: Just a few. I don't
Terri: Just a few. Just a few VIP tours.
Rachel: I don't know. It's been that many. I I don't know. And I'm that's disgusting to say, but I honestly I don't know.
Jason: That's disgusting to say.
Terri: not discussing you have a you have a career
Jason: Yeah.
Terri: that allows the opportunity for that to happen.
Jason: Rachel gets to go as a representative of the agency for multiple VIP tours with Disney. So it's it's a good thing to be so high up or co owner of an agency.
Rachel: It has its perks.
Jason: It has its perks.
Terri: Just a few.
Jason: Just a few, just being treated like royalty every time. I do before we get into the VIP stuff, because what we're gonna do is talk about Disney VIP, we're also gonna compare it to Universal VIP because I've done that a few times. Rachel's done that a few times. Terry is going to be more of like a question person because I don't think she's ever done either one. the only time I've done
Terri: Yeah, I can't afford VIP. Mm-mm. We're relying on you guys.
Jason: Yeah, I've done VIP because of the agencies I've been with. So the previous agency I was I went on one and then my my first or second AEP With us with Magical Travel, we were doing a VIP. So I have now paid Disney's the only one I've played completely for and it wasn't Perkish.
Terri: will say that my family, have priced it almost every time we've gone. And it's hard convincing a whole, you know, more than just my immediate family, because obviously for a whole group. But it is always in the, like, we're always like, we should do that. Like, we've got to do that. Like, every time you're waiting in line or the crowds are super big and you just are over it, you're like, why didn't we book it? So you guys today are going to help me convince my family and everyone else out there that it is worth it. So that's your job today.
Jason: So before we
Rachel: On it.
Jason: get talking about that so much, Rachel, on your Wonder of the Seas, I know Terry did a trip report a few weeks ago, so we won't go fully into it, but I don't wanna ignore the fact that you did go on this ship and it was your first time on the ship. What was did you enjoy it? What was some positive, what's some negatives, stuff like that?
Rachel: Yeah, Andy and I enjoyed it. So we went on the Wonder of the Seas. It was a four night out of Miami. it had a day at sea, a stop at Coco Perfect Day at Coco K, and then Nassau. we I w there was about fifty-two of us in like the whole group with the advisors and like their guests. So there wasn't like fifty-two advisors,
Terri: Okay.
Jason: Perfect day. Okay.
Rachel: but you know, like I brought my husband. So that was nice. we paid for specialty dining for the entire time. I just kind of know what Royal Caribbean's main dining room food is like, and we said no, thank you. And so we paid for specialty dining. worth it in my opinion.
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: agree.
Rachel: yeah, we got it for a really good price because I kept watching the price. So that was just something that you need to do with Royal Caribbean's excursions or dining packages or drink packages is to continue to check it. I had a an inside a neighborhood balcony. So it's technically an inside stateroom with a neighborhood b balcony. We were facing the boardwalk. so we were on the aft of the ship and we could see the aqua theater from our room. We were five cabins
Terri: Hmm. Thank
Rachel: in from yeah, we were five cabins in from the back of the ship. So we could see the aqua show, which was nice. Would I have intentionally booked that? No. I will say that I can now speak on it since I've slept in those rooms and I can tell you about the the noise level and just the the location on the ship, but that is not a room category that I would intentionally book myself.
Jason: Does it get loud because of where it's at? Do you think it would have
Rachel: Very yeah, very
Terri: That's good to know because I didn't think about that.
Jason: So if you were
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: like in Central Park area, would would that have been a little bit quieter and better?
Rachel: Yes. Yes. So Central Park, that was where Andy and I spent most of our nights because we had a bunch of the restaurants were there, like a hundred and fifty Central, Chops was there, Giovanni's is there. That was more our vibe. Definitely a lot quieter. You had like jazz musicians playing. So that was really nice. no, but
Terri: I
Jason: would love it. She would absolutely love jazz musicians playing.
Terri: hate jazz. She
Rachel: Ha ha ha
Terri: missed so much. hate jazz. But she's right because the Central Park Resort is quiet and they've got so
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: many live plants and it's open air
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: that you lose the whole I'm on a ship vibe. And she's right. It's not crowded. Like everyone stays
Rachel: I mm mm.
Terri: in the main part, which is crazy to me too, because we walked through there a lot and just would like get a drink and sit and just walk in and I think because
Rachel: Yeah. Was
Terri: it's so it's very nice.
Rachel: Was riptides open when you were on it? The bar that goes up and down?
Terri: Yes.
Rachel: It was not open. It looked no,
Jason: That sucks.
Terri: We wrote it, yes!
Rachel: it looked we wanted to go in it. It looked vacant.
Terri: Yeah.
Rachel: All the liquor was gone out of it. They did it had it open in the app and they didn't have a sign. It had like next departure, 630. It was not manned. Nope.
Terri: Yeah, I went up and down the whole time we were and our bartender weirdly enough at Coco K that Matt really liked this one particular drink. He served it to him all day and then like the rest of the week he worked that bar. So every time we'd go in that bar, he would like know what Matt wanted to drink automatically. So yeah, we went in there. We
Rachel: Mink yeah. No. It was not working.
Terri: only went up and down once, but we would just stop in there, get our drink and walk out because we knew he he would
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: know exactly what to do. that's weird. I wonder if the hydraulics broke or something. Hmm. So like, it's a
Rachel: yeah. Could have been. Yeah, all the alcohol was out of it too. Like it looked vacant. It was weird. Yeah. I
Jason: That was one of the big selling points for that ship when it came online too. Like that class was the fact that it had a elevator bar on all.
Rachel: Mm-hmm. you we would heal hear people scream going down the that abisque slide. I yeah, I'm gonna tell you, I almost got stuck in it.
Jason: That's the dry slot, right?
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: I had to like wiggle. Like I don't
Jason: do you
Rachel: know what happened, but like I had to wiggle my butt down and I was like, I this is not
Terri: I bet you don't weigh enough.
Rachel: fun.
Terri: I bet you didn't weigh enough to keep the momentum going.
Rachel: Maybe, or I didn't push off enough.
Jason: I was gonna say if you got stuck, I probably would definitely get stuck on it.
Rachel: It was just I didn't have any momentum. It was weird. Like
Terri: Yeah, I think she didn't weigh it because some
Jason: And I'd
Terri: parts of it are not super steep. So if you don't weigh a lot, it's not that you got to get she said, like a kid that gets stuck
Rachel: Right. Yeah.
Terri: in one of those, you got to tell them to scooch until they get to a part where they can slide. But I'm glad you brought it up to like the sound.
Jason: I do like a roll. I I was just gonna say I like the of silence.
Terri: Go ahead. You go, then I'll go.
Jason: I w I just I like a royal ship is all I was gonna say. I like I love being on the Disney ships, but that I going on Star last year just really brought me to the attention of I need to try going on a royal ship with Bethany and seeing if it jives with with us. Now that we know Travis likes to go on a on a cruise, let's see if Royal can be another option where we can go for a three day on one of these massive ships and get lost, but still be able to have fun.
Rachel: Terry?
Terri: What I was gonna say is I'm glad she brought up the noise level in her rooms because we did
Jason: Yes.
Terri: watch the Aqua show we did spend a lot of time like in Central Park like I in that part of the ship and I kept looking up and I was like these rooms are beautiful like this is a this will be a perfect place to stay like you said because it had lots of views of the open back end of the ship
Rachel: Mm-hmm.
Terri: and So the fact that never once did I think of the noise that the slides and the Aqua show and all that would have. So that's a good point.
Rachel: Yeah. Well the aqua show is at ten thirty is our last show,
Terri: Yeah.
Rachel: so it runs almost an hour. so and it's like you hear you feel the bass almost. it's
Terri: It's booming, like, yeah.
Rachel: yeah, it's pretty loud. I mean, we got to watch the show from our balcony, which was cool, but I also I also didn't like looking right across and seeing people staring at me.
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: I'm not used to that.
Jason: That'll be fun.
Rachel: and like you could see if you didn't shut your blind, you were seeing into everyone's room.
Terri: Mm-hmm. I remember we were eating dinner one night or lunch one day and we could see in someone's room and Matt was like, that's kind of weird. And I was like, I don't know, but yeah.
Rachel: Yeah. the solarium, that adult space was perfect. That's where Andy and I spent most of our time.
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: I did not feel like I was on a ship half the time because
Terri: No.
Rachel: I didn't see the water unless I was like on the promenade or I was up by the pool. Like yeah, it's was definitely an experience. Yeah.
Jason: Because they're so big you don't feel the the movement of it.
Terri: Yeah, no.
Jason: So it's gonna be great going back to like the dream after being on these big ships like that and then
Rachel: I can go get some refill of my water cup and then like not have to walk an hour, it's gonna be fantastic.
Jason: Yeah.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: Or soda. Get a sodi pop. For free.
Rachel: yeah, for free. Cause I didn't have n not one thing of soda because we didn't have a drink package. So I had lemonade and water the whole time.
Jason: man. so before we move to Disney VIP stuff, I did have a a question I wanted to ask y'all because I I learned it on a podcast of the history of Disney while I was driving down at one o'clock in the morning the other day to Walt Disney World. Do you know the name of the movie that Steamboat Willie debuted in front of?
Rachel: No, I forget it.
Terri: It's one of those things I've heard, but no idea.
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: It's gang wars.
Rachel: Dangors?
Jason: Yeah, Gang Wars. I was like, that's interesting because everybody remembers Steamboat Willie. They don't remember the movie it debuted in front of because Steamboat Willie was such a big thing that happened with the synchronized audio with a cartoon. So no one remembers the movie. But it was Gang Wars. So there's your there's your Disney trivia for the day. I thought it was pretty cool that that was that was
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: it. Now the you know, it's a four hour podcast and I listen to like thirty minutes at a time. So
Terri: That's a long podcast.
Jason: And there's two parts. It's eight hours altogether 'cause it ends at the Renaissance and then it starts like the second episode is starts the Renaissance up to now. So it's like crazy.
Terri: Do they continually do things? Or is that just like one long podcast?
Jason: They do they do seasons, so it's not like what we do where we you know, here's an episode every week. They they put one out.
Terri: Yeah. But is that their format
Rachel: Mm.
Terri: to do super long every time?
Jason: Yeah. I haven't listened to I don't listen to a lot of them. If there's something with Disney history like that and that's
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: really deep because this one's more about acquisitions and so Dis this is talking about the start of Disney and then going into how Disney has acquired so many different things. But they give you the whole history of building the company to what it is. So that's what I wanted to learn. I want to learn why they bought certain things, how they bought certain things. You know the nerd in me. I'm a univer I'm the univer.
Terri: Speaking of acquisitions,
Rachel: Like it.
Terri: did you see Royal acquired sandals?
Jason: Ja, jag.
Rachel: Yeah, for three billion dollars.
Jason: Trump change. Rachel was like, I put a bid in for two point five. And Royal just Royal just came in and said three.
Rachel: Yeah, okay.
Terri: 2.5 thousand.
Jason: I'm curious to what's gonna happen with that. I have it set for our news episode, but we can talk about it for a little bit if you want to. I don't know.
Terri: No, no, I was just mentioning it. We can save it. Yeah.
Rachel: No, we could do it later. Yeah, we could
Jason: Okay. Cause
Rachel: save it.
Jason: maybe 'cause we don't have much about it. We just know it's happening.
Terri: No. Yeah.
Jason: and we
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: don't know how it affects sandals. We don't know how Royal Caribbean's going to incorporate sandals into possible cruises or anything like that. So hopefully by the time we get to the news episode that we do, we have a little bit more sight in what that comes through.
Rachel: I don't think they're announcing anything until the beginning of twenty seven.
Jason: Yeah, that wouldn't be surprised. But still, that's that's big in in our area with travel agents and especially with y'all who want to book with us. Because maybe there's some type of perks that Royal Caribbean and Sandals now combine and you get better things.
Rachel: I think yeah, we'll talk about later.
Jason: But let's go into the Disney and Universal VIP stuff.
Rachel: Blah blah
Jason: so I will go on and say that the VIP was great. I'll let's get some prices first. I have those pulled up. So for Disney, the Disney World VIP tours start anywhere at f around four hundred and fifty hour for a
Rachel: Uh-huh.
Jason: seven hour minimum and a ten hour maximum, and then can go up to nine hundred and fifty dollars per hour. that depends on the season. So if you're going at Christmas, you're going to be spending nine hundred and fifty dollars.
Rachel: I will tell you. Let me I had a client do three VIP tours the week between Christmas and New Year's.
Terri: Mm.
Rachel: And I might say how much it was, huh?
Jason: A lot. so while she's looking that up, the the group size is up to ten people, which our agency we had ten people go and we split the price of this. We ought actually had one of our D V C owners book it with a DVC discount. So we didn't pay but I think like three hundred and thirty or three hundred and forty per person for for our trip. after that you'd have to get another another group, another guide. So if you have a group of twenty, you'd need another guide.
Terri: Okay.
Jason: it's great. That's that's the thing is like you have to have your ticket is separate. So if you have a one a park you have to have a park opera if you want to go to multiple parks, or you just have the one park, you go how you please, but that's separate from your admission. What
Terri: you
Jason: was the price for theirs, Rachel?
Rachel: they paid nine fifty an hour and their total of three days was nineteen thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars just for the VIP tour.
Terri: It's a good Christmas.
Jason: That's that's very good Christmas.
Rachel: It was a great Christmas. And they see it in the Riviera in one in two bedroom suites, villas. Yeah.
Jason: Wow. and then we move over to Universal right quick. Theirs start at $429.99. So let's just round it up for $300 for a three-park to choose from. So you can start, you can do Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure or Epic Universe. or they have a two park experience, which starts at two n $300, and that's two parks included, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Theirs actually includes a lot. Like you get food, breakfast and a s and lunch. You get seven hours for across two parks with the two-park experience. valley parking for one, VIP pro priority access to rides and attractions, and then you get the your dedicated guide. Separate admission is still required for this. and then they also
Terri: So, the presentation. So, thank you.
Jason: What Disney doesn't do, they offer a non-private VIP experience as well. So you can book that at a little bit cheaper rate, but you're put with random people that you've never met in your life.
Rachel: Yeah, but people do that for Disney. Like there's groups on Facebook that people will do that themselves. it's just not bookable. Yeah.
Jason: Yeah, there but this is right. This is bookab
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: like you can contact you can book with us and say, Hey, I want a VIP, but I don't want private. We can put you in one and they'll assign you to a group that already I think you can only book up to six people in that group or something like that. Yeah, it's good. Yeah.
Rachel: Correct. Once you go over six people, it's considered a private and they'll make it do private.
Terri: Gotcha.
Jason: So, you know, if it's just like the three of us wanting to do a universal, we could go book a and it that one's more structured. than what a regular private VIP for Universal is. Because private univers VIP you can do what you want how many times you want to. When it's the non private, it's a group votes type thing.
Rachel: And something I do wanna add about Universals VIP tour is that once you're done it, you get express pass for the rest of the day.
Jason: And discounts.
Terri: Ooh.
Rachel: Yeah, and a ten percent discount. Yeah. yeah.
Jason: On merch. So and pictures are included too. But
Rachel: Pictures are included on the rides, yeah.
Jason: yeah, and and and that's the same with Disney too. So that's that's the gist of it for for when it comes out to layout of how these two differ so much, like as written on paper. As for experience, now that's what we're gonna go into a little bit more. like I said at at the top of the show, this was my very first Disney VIP universal. I've done three, I think. And Rachel's done a lot of both.
Rachel: Done like three or four, five, maybe universal. Three? No, it's not more than five.
Terri: Okay.
Jason: Six, seven. I've done one I've done one RAP with Universal for H H N, which is their, you know, VIP for H H N, but we did a non private for that one. It was me, my wife and two of her friends. So we were put in a group and we just that one's so structured, it's you go through the ten houses, you do the the show, you get a light lunch and you get a exclusive bar. So that's the only big thing with difference between a R I R IP and VIP? Rundown for us for VIP. I'll I guess I'll start with that. we started at Hollywood Studios. And then we Yeah, we met
Rachel: Virgin you that's right, you okay.
Jason: at we met at Hollywood Studios at ten o'clock. my stupid self decided, hey, let me just drive in straight. so I left my house around ten forty five, eleven o'clock and drove straight into Orlando. And like I said, I have a Tesla, so I have to charge every now and then. So I stopped taking nap, all this jazz. Was also still dealing with that kidney stone I mentioned last episode. So that was great.
Terri: So who coordinated?
Rachel: well Heather's getting
Terri: Like, I know this is Heather's DVC, but did you guys get together and decide like, this is the park we want to start in or this is where we want to go? Or did you just kind of let Heather decide that? Or how did
Jason: Well origin.
Terri: you decide the day?
Jason: Originally we were starting at Hol Magic Kingdom because it was a party day. We're gonna start at one o'clock and then end in Hollywood Studios for Phantasmic because we get priority seating at parades and shows. So she was gonna drop us off at Phantasmic and that'd be the end of the night for us with our VIP guide. but because one of the agents had to leave early, we moved it up and it started Hollywood Studios. in our emails back and forth, there were some people that requested different rides and whatnot. I didn't personally request any just because I was fine doing whatever. I just I knew we were gonna go on roller coasters, we weren't gonna miss the new stuff. Hindsight, I would have like would have done asked to at least go into the magic of Disney animation just to see what it was. But I that was my fault for not speaking up. And then I didn't go back over to Hollywood Studios after our tour was done to go see it myself. So that's that's all one hundred percent on me. so
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: just a rundown of Hollywood Studios. We did Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story, Main Mania, Rise of Resistance, Tower of Terror, Rock and Ro Rock and Roller Coaster featuring the Muppets, which I'm can die happy now. It's
Rachel: I'm so happy you got to do that.
Terri: Was it worth it? Do you love it? Okay.
Jason: Yes. I loved I mean, was it Muppet Vision? No. But I was smiling the entire time on that ride
Rachel: Awww.
Jason: because just seeing all the little references to Muppet stuff the entire and it was a great song. I can't remember what song we had, but I just enjoyed the music.
Terri: I was gonna ask you what song you got.
Jason: I just I just enjoyed being on the ride and being on rock and roll I loved Rock and Roller Coaster and Aerosmith. So going in there and seeing the Muppets, that was just great. I wish I would have had more time and we could have ridden it one more time. The negative about Disney VIP, is that you do not get backdoored through a lot of these attractions. the way our guide, which was Anne Marie, she's a very sweet lady, If if you get her, she's she's a little bit different, but she was fun and she was very informative. She talked to us a lot about she talked to me a lot about Muppets. Anne Marie told us that we don't get backdoored because the imagineers spent so much time on these stories creating the build up to the actual ride. So like with Rock and Roller Coaster, you had to go through the sound studio because that's part of that story and getting into the ride. But to me it's like, well, we skipped Toy Story Midway Mania. Thank you. Well, the Imagineer spent time building that story as well.
Rachel: I've skipped Taunt Mansion and go right into the exit.
Jason: we we d we skipped Haunted Mansion. We skipped Buzz Lightyear.
Rachel: Yeah, I've actually Pandora like I know you guys didn't go to Anno. I you guys didn't go to Anna Kingdom,
Jason: Yeah, we didn't go to we didn't go down with any government.
Rachel: but like Flights of Passage, I've gone through a backdoor.
Jason: Yeah, so it's like they they say this and then we go through some of these that it's like, well, they've spent their time Sean. We got backdoored
Rachel: And I also think it yeah.
Jason: into Tron.
Rachel: that's a long that's a long Tron's got a long like exp lightning lane queue.
Jason: It does. But once again, if you're telling us that the story for Imagineering is important on these rides that we can't backdoor like Guardians, it should be the same across the board.
Rachel: I get it.
Terri: I was gonna ask if it was newer,
Rachel: I also think it
Terri: but Tron's newer and you skipped
Rachel: What?
Terri: that one too.
Rachel: I also think it should be like case by case basis. Because if you have people
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: that have done it, have done every ride, they don't need to see the pre-shows.
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: They don't need to see the queue. Like there's regular line queues that I've been in like last August when I went with my family. We didn't buy Lightning Lane at all. I've never been in those queu before. Cause I've always done Lightning Lane.
Terri: Yeah. It's so weird. You're like, when they
Jason: Yeah.
Terri: put this here, when they've been there, it's been there forever.
Rachel: Right.
Jason: I'll say I do think that like if it's a group of adults, like what we were, group of agents,
Rachel: Right.
Jason: we don't care about the story. We just want to go on the ride.
Rachel: Right.
Jason: We want to make the most of our time that we've spent our money doing this. So backdoor us onto everything. Now, if we all, if we were families with our young kids,
Rachel: Different story.
Jason: different story. We don't want to break that magic. There's a reason why you can't take kids under a certain age on keys to the kingdom. It's because they don't want that magic broken for those kids. I get that. We're adults, let us go. That's where it difference in the Universal. Universal, they pretty much backdoor you onto every attraction and put you straight on the ride as fast as you can. And then if you get
Rachel: Multiple times.
Jason: Yeah, I was we got off Velocicoaster, and then I was like, Hey, can I ride
Rachel: I knew ripe I remember that.
Jason: it again? He's like, Yeah, just get right back on that one. I'm like, Okay. So I think there we wrote it like three times in a row.
Terri: Mm.
Rachel: Yep. Where Yeah. Disney will only certain rides they only let you do it one time with their VIP tour guide. Like Guardians and Tron, they only let us do it once. But then like Okay, so last time I was
Jason: Yeah. They told us we could do Guardians twice, but we'd have to look up we'd have to leave
Terri: Mmm.
Jason: and get back in the line before the end of the Q before the end of the tour.
Rachel: Okay, so but like where you're on that was I think the last time I was on a VIP tour is like still newer. They wouldn't let us do that. whereas like but like Velocicoaster like newish less than a year and they're like, You want to go three times? Go three times. You want front row? Go front row. You went up right the back. They had their own remember we had like our own little private screening? Like there's just this random d metal detector like in the back for specifically for those VIP tour guides.
Terri: Okay.
Jason: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was amazing. And that's like that's the biggest complaint that we all talked about, like and we compared to with Universal and Disney was the the Unlimited Express
Terri: you
Jason: at the end of the tour, being able that I paid this money, so now I can go ride the rides all I want to, even though my tour is done. Disney doesn't give you unlimited lightning lane. They don't even give you a single lightning lane after the tour. It's you're off on your
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: own, back a regular person in the crowds. And then being able to be backdoored into every attraction. Like that were the biggest two takeaways
Terri: So,
Jason: from Disney versus Universal.
Rachel: I I will I will also say that
Terri: thank
Rachel: the VIP tour guides that I've had with Universal, they do an excellent job of storytelling the ride.
Jason: yeah.
Rachel: Excellent. Like I knew I fit I like learned stuff I didn't know before about certain rides. So they are the storyteller. So that's why they can backdoor you. Whereas Disney, they're letting the Q do it for you. So.
Terri: So,
Jason: Yeah. You get to know your if you talk we had ten different people trying to talk to Anne Marie, so I didn't have much time to talk to her. You learn more about the guide than you did about the attractions or anything like that. The multiple the the V IPs like Rachel was talking about with Universal,
Terri: thank
Jason: I've learned a lot about the parks. They were pointing out different little things I've never seen.
Terri: Okay.
Rachel: I will say the three guides that I have used for Disney, especially John. John is like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to Disney. He'll tell you anything. so I just do I think it does depend on the guide.
Jason: Yeah. And it what you know, and they're their passion. If you if they're not passionate
Rachel: Of course.
Jason: about one of the parks and aren't gonna be so informative of it.
Terri: So to question before
Jason: yeah, but yeah.
Terri: we get forward. someone is, so you said you had to wait in line and go through some of the cues. Are you going through like the lightning lane or are they walking you
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: by people in the line?
Jason: Yeah, you're welcome to
Terri: you're going through, so
Rachel: No, you're in the lightning lane.
Terri: you're going through light. So that's
Jason: And like
Terri: the line you're talking about.
Jason: yes, so like rise of resistance,
Terri: Okay.
Jason: we went through the lightning lane entrance and we stood everywhere. Like we were getting yelled at by the cast members in Rise of Resistance to stand in a certain spot because that's where we're supposed to be. You know, that's it wasn't bypassing anybody else. We were right
Terri: Gotcha.
Jason: there.
Rachel: And Terry, to your point of that, I think that's why it's harder to sell a VIP tour now because people will just do that with the Premiere Pass.
Jason: Right. For a fraction of the price.
Terri: Yeah, that's why I sort of those wheels are spinning in my head like, you know, like you said, if you do the cost.
Rachel: Yeah, and I've talked to Yeah. I've talked to Kirk as soon it the premiere pairs came out like a couple weeks before I did my last tour. And Kirk was like, Yeah, we're getting people that just want to use it for lightning lanes. They don't wanna they don't want the knowledge, they don't want the transfers, like they just want the lightning lanes, and that's exactly why they're not using a VIP tour guide. So, you know. Yeah.
Jason: And I I get that. Like one hundred percent. If you're if you're wanting to wanting to go past everybody in some
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: form or fashion and not have to look at your phone to do it, go ahead and
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: pay the money for that premiere pass and just walk into Rise Resistance and walk in via Lightning Lane whenever you feel
Rachel: But
Jason: like riding it. It's only the one time, but you still
Rachel: Right.
Jason: so that's the downside. Rise like some of these attractions you can go with a VIP tour guide as many times as you want. But Some of like Rachel said, is it's only one time.
Rachel: And nothing feels better than walking through a park with a plaid and people look at you. Are you rich? Are you
Jason: Right.
Rachel: famous? Like it's n it's great. You just feel like you're high. Yeah. I'm neither.
Terri: Yeah. How did they get this?
Jason: And you're like, I'm neither. I'm a hobo.
Terri: Thank you.
Rachel: Just n I just know some people
Terri: work hard.
Jason: have you seen that episode of Blackish where they get the VIP guide? I like halfway through Yeah.
Terri: Yes. At first they're real skittish about using it and then like by the end they're like waving at people as like they're
Jason: What up?
Terri: going by.
Jason: I was I was thinking like we should have done a TikTok or something as we walked through doing something similar. 'Cause that would have been hilarious. But th I wasn't going to like, Okay, we're gonna stop and do this.
Rachel: Did I ever tell you that my w Johnny Z, like my original OG tour guide, had Princess Diana? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. John
Jason: Think I think I think you've told me that. I think I don't think you've told us here. I think we were talking on one of the training things.
Terri: No!
Rachel: had Princess Diana and the boys. Yeah. She he said she was
Terri: Nutsers.
Rachel: like I get the chills when he would tell like I've heard his story at least three
Terri: Yeah.
Rachel: or four times and I just I get the chills every time he says it because she was just amazing.
Terri: I'm sitting here trying to
Jason: Did you see this?
Terri: think of someone better than that. And honestly, there's literally no one that's coming to mind.
Rachel: There's no one better than that.
Jason: There is one hey, there is one person that Rachel would think is better than Princess Die, John Samos.
Rachel: Don't say his name.
Terri: Please.
Rachel: No,
Jason: Yeah.
Rachel: don't ever compare.
Terri: feel like he has his own plaid outfit that he wears as his own VIP tour guide.
Jason: Yeah, so we did the parade.
Rachel: You went to you should I MK. You did a parade. You did the parade.
Jason: We went to Magic Kingdom. so 10 a.m. was Hollywood Studios by 12 40. We pulled into Magic Kingdom. The the best thing is the private transportation. Being able to get into a van backstage, because we got we we got off Muppets, we had some snacks. So she brought us some pretzels, some drinks. we ate that sitting outside the rock and roller coaster. And then as soon as we were done, we walked out and
Rachel: You went through the back door that's like right there, right by. Yeah.
Jason: Yeah, right the by the villains and well
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: it's right behind that sign, that villain sign. And they take you, pick you up in a little bus and I didn't
Rachel: Yeah. There's some good bathrooms back there.
Jason: go to the bathrooms back there.
Rachel: Dude, there that was like my bathrooms when like before Lightning the Queens thing was there, Racing Academy, there
Jason: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: we I would only be that used to be all blocked off. So VIP tour guides would come that way and there's like bathrooms back there. They're pretty nice.
Jason: That's cool. I the only other time I'd been back there was and this was before even Lightning Quin that that black box building got built was for Darth
Rachel: Mm-hmm.
Jason: Malls. When it was the Star Wars weekends, they hit put that huge tent up right there. So I went for that and then during the Tower of Terror race, you would that's the finish line was right in that area. So you'd come across right at the Tower of Terror.
Rachel: Did that's Epcot. Never mind. I'll ask you another question when you get
Terri: So what rides while you
Jason: So we
Terri: were at Hollywood Studios, what rides did y'all do? Because you said you were there like two hours.
Jason: I but
Rachel: He already
Jason: somebody's not paying attention.
Rachel: he already told you, Terry. Yes.
Terri: All of them? You did-
Jason: Yeah. Slanky Dog, Toy Story, Rise of Resistance, Tower of Terror, Rock and Roller Coaster.
Terri: You listen to them out like that? sorry.
Jason: Yes. Somebody doesn't pay attention.
Rachel: He did. They didn't want to waste their time doing Mickey's Runaway Railroad.
Jason: Yeah. Or Millennium
Terri: Yeah, buddy.
Jason: Falcon or Frozen or Star Tours
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: or Indiana Jones.
Terri: No Indian
Rachel: What's a show?
Terri: in the drones?
Jason: No Indiana Jones. so we left Hollywood Studios at 1225, arrived in Magic Kingdom at 1240. We rode Tron. like I said,
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: backdoored for one. Buzz Lightyear back backdoored for that. Went VIP merch shopping. We saw two the
Rachel: I'm so jealous.
Jason: two PM festival par festival fantasy parade with some snacks. on
Rachel: You did that up top of the train station?
Jason: top of the train station. Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion. We were backdoored in, Peter Pan. Yeah, we split the group up. Someone wanted to do Peter Pans. It had been down all day. They went to Peter Pans, and I went with a group that went to Seven Dwarves, Mind Train, and we left at four. so rundown of this right quick. I do have a fun story. I know I've told y'all in a text message, but I just think it's funny to tell. And Jerry will not listen to this, but you know, she's here anyway. This was my first time on Buzz Lightyear since the rehe remodel of it.
Rachel: I
Terri: All
Rachel: was like, where are you going with this?
Jason: So
Terri: right, that's where you tell.
Jason: I'm sitting there and she's like we're getting a cut I'm I'm picking up the gun, getting the feel for it. Yeah, I'm I don't really shoot a gun before I start playing because you know you come around, there's that little dude now, I don't remember his name, and he's the target practice. So we come into the first room and I'm our we've already been shooting for a little bit.
Terri: Okay. Okay.
Jason: And Jerry leans over. You wanna you want a tip? Like, sure, what what do you want to say? She sh she starts saying, You go for go for the eye on the snake or something like that. It has the most points. I'm like, okay, cool, Jerry. You might want to take your own advice because look at the score. I had two hundred and something thousand points and she had nineteen thousand. And then
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: by the the end of the ride, I I had I got my very first Galactic Hero this trip. and Jerry had barely crossed 170,000 points. So it was it was fun that
Terri: I know how Jerry feels.
Jason: she Yeah, she she sat there and she's like, You want some tips? And then I just like completely blow out of the water on on points. Love you, Jerry. She sent me a text message earlier. She said, I'm on my redemption and it she had made she got seven hundred and something thousand. So she she's going up there. She got better. But it was fun. Just being able to I I felt good about getting my galactic hero for the first time. VIP merch.
Rachel: I'm so jealous. I'm so jealous. Okay. Yeah, where is it?
Terri: So where is the VIP merch? Do they set something up
Jason: I don't know why.
Terri: separately or is it like the back of a shop that you get a separate entrance in? Where is that?
Jason: So it's in the it's in the gift shop for Mickey Mouse. But when you do the Mickey Mouse meet and greet in Town Square, that little
Rachel: No.
Jason: gift shop you out of exit out of, it's themed like the backstage of a theater. it's in a closet, literally a closet, right there
Rachel: I saw yeah, I saw the videos.
Terri: you
Jason: in the back corner. So the VIP guide has to get the the key, unlock it, and open up. There is another one in Hollywood Studios. We didn't see that one. She said that that one usually doesn't have as much merch as the one in Magic Kingdom. So that's where we went. I'm not a huge plaid fan. I love the plaids of Disney World and Disneyland. I like their outfits and whatnot, but I don't wear plaid. And then on top of it, they very, very much love this merchandise because for a pen, the cheapest thing on there was a pen for $40. I was like, there's no way I'm spending fifty dollars
Terri: So. So.
Rachel: It's
Jason: on a Ears or
Rachel: It's because it's so rare to get it. That's why. Exactly.
Terri: Yes, I've got to keep it exclusive. If you paid $450
Jason: We can.
Terri: an hour, what's $40 for a pen at that point? You know?
Jason: I don't care.
Rachel: Right?
Jason: I just if it's something I'm not like
Rachel: I wanted the damn ears.
Jason: If you would have said something if I
Rachel: Listen, I was on a ship, I didn't even think about it.
Terri: She was on a ship
Jason: know. But
Terri: with her husband.
Jason: I would being with my wife on a ship would probably be better than being with nine other ladies on Magic Kingdom.
Terri: Sweating.
Jason: Yeah, that was it was hot as all get out that we 'cause it didn't even rain. Like my God.
Rachel: I'm actually shocked you can see Jerry's face in this picture.
Jason: Yeah. but the the merge they had a teddy bear teddy bear, it was a splush Mickey Mouse,
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: they had a jacket, they had tumblers, corksickles, hats.
Rachel: They had the crossbody corpsical holder, couple different
Jason: Yeah, they had a Tumblr.
Terri: wow.
Rachel: ears. They have like yeah, I saw that all and I was talking Heather showed me her her haul.
Jason: So you Yeah, that means
Terri: her haul- did she get a haul?
Jason: every one of the ladies like yeah.
Rachel: She got a haul and her husband doesn't know how much she spent.
Jason: There is there th everybody had like bags.
Terri: You're probably best.
Jason: But yeah, I w I kinda wanted
Rachel: Sorry, Bob.
Jason: I kinda wanted to joke and see if I could buy just the VIP blue they did like their blue bags they had that was the that you ra like you put your stuff in. That was nice. But it was probably like thirty dollars just for the shopping bag. I was like, But yeah, that's That's part of it. I think you do have to ask to go shopping though. Like you want to
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: go to the VIP merch and get that. Otherwise, you're just gonna continue to go. I know a lot of the ladies, that was their primary thing. They wanted to do a VIP merch. I just wanted to do the VIP tour, see what it was about. after that we like I said came up to the train station.
Terri: So.
Jason: That's where the VIP sets up for the Festival of Fantasy. great, great viewing area. You make it feel very important. Obviously 'cause a VIP is very important. you're looking down on all the peasants.
Rachel: Stop.
Terri: Can't say that. Ew, ew.
Jason: It's like, hello, hello. But it goes
Rachel: Were
Jason: it goes but
Rachel: were you
Jason: goes back to Rachel earlier where she's like, these people don't know if you have who you are, if you have money or whatnot. And here I am standing in a t-shirt that says Walt Disney World, you know, sweating my like every living mind out. And cast members are looking up and waving, like, hey, and all the people are like, my goodness, who is that? I'm like, I'm nobody.
Rachel: How
Terri: .
Rachel: were there any other VIP guides with you? Like groups up top? Yeah.
Jason: Yes, there were a few, but no one that like was like noticeable of who they were. So it was still like very much people, families, you know, they're probably like owners of businesses or something like that. It was like a grandparents taking their grandson, that type of stuff. they gave us popcorn, which was stale. I was very disappointed in that. I was like, I want the box of popcorn and I popped it in and I'm like, That is not good. they
Rachel: Okay. Normal people. Yeah. Do you have Mickey bars?
Jason: We got Mickey bars after the parade.
Rachel: Ever.
Jason: we walked downstairs and Anne Marie went and got some Mickey bars for us. and then they had waters and Cokes. Anne Marie bought Cokes and waters for everybody upstairs. Great. Yeah. It was DeSani
Rachel: I have a question. Was it Dasani or was it Smartwater?
Jason: because of the Coca-Cola contract.
Terri: I was gonna say it's coke water.
Rachel: They didn't give you smart water.
Jason: Coke water. You have to have coke water. yeah, yeah.
Rachel: Yeah, but yeah, but smart water.
Terri: Yeah, but smart waters aren't owned by Coke too. It's to level up.
Rachel: D did you know that well
Jason: No, it's smart water is is vitamin water, the vitamin water company and that is coke.
Rachel: well Kurt gave us smart motor.
Jason: Yeah, I had Desani. I didn't care because like I said, I was trying to get a kidney stone out. So
Terri: Yeah, it's gross.
Rachel: Yeah. You're like w I don't like Dasani.
Jason: give me water. I don't care for it because the
Terri: Mm-mm.
Jason: salt, there's a just enough salt to make you want more water, which is how they get you on a lot of the bottom bottled waters. overall, Magic Animal was great. nostalgia like we talked about getting off of the what the VIPs do off when they're not doing guides or tours. When you get out of the van or the vehicle being dropped off. We were presented with snacks. So it was chips and cookies. I think some it was the shit. They come and open the door go. Take as much as you want. Take any
Rachel: Applesauce pouches, granola bars, Doritos. they yeah, they also s do you want more? Yeah.
Jason: Yeah.
Rachel: And then they also start the vans. So like for air conditioning. Yeah.
Jason: Yeah, so it's nice and cool. Yeah, so
Terri: that's nice.
Jason: and it's it's ready to go. And it was great because you know, especially it was like ninety-eight or something like that that day.
Terri: Ooh.
Jason: At least like a Philadelphia
Rachel: Wow.
Jason: temperature. So it was you know, steamy. So then going over to Epcot was the same thing. We got we went right back. It was pretty.
Rachel: Okay, this is what I wanted to ask you. You went in the back, you went under you saw test track. You went under test track. Is that where you parked? Yeah.
Jason: Yes. We parked next to Guardians.
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: so in between Guardians and Test Track. the only thing we wanted at Apcot, we wanted to finish with Guardians, so that's what we did. I think the we only did Guardians and Test Track. Make sure about that. Yep. And then we got Starbucks. But we left Magic Kingdom at four PM and I Jerry was slacking them for the time that she that we got to Epcot. But once again, welcomed with snacks. They gave us our ponchos, so we got a free VIP pin. That's that's one reason
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: I also didn't buy a forty dollar pin because I knew I was getting a free one at the end of the end of the tour. and they gave us the ponchos that say VIP on the back. that we didn't use 'cause it didn't run
Terri: nice.
Rachel: Hold on, hold on.
Jason: holding.
Terri: I was gonna say Durene?
Jason: It was threatening terrain.
Rachel: This this is how like I just have them in my drawers. Like
Jason: see. She doesn't even unlap them.
Terri: They're not even special. She's got them stuck in a drawer somewhere.
Rachel: No, I got these two. I don't know where they came from. But
Terri: Mm.
Jason: I think I have some of those.
Rachel: they'll they're just in my drawer.
Jason: so yeah, that's they they did all that. It was great being able to walk out and we walked straight in, like we walked in next to Guardians and Marie took our Starbucks order and then we went out went and got on Guardians. We had Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
Rachel: Okay.
Terri: attention.
Jason: And I liked it. I mean, I like Guardians, it's a fun ride. I as long as it wasn't
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: Disco Inferno, 'cause it's the f other two that's the only song I've ever gotten on that ride.
Rachel: Can't go last time I was on it.
Jason: Yeah, I I don't get the complaint of music on the ride, like which one's the best. I don't get into all that stuff. I
Rachel: I don't care.
Jason: I think it adds to the ride no matter what.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: especially if you're having fun and you can sing along with a song. Like Conga, I don't know the words to, so I would probably be kind of disappointed. But I would yeah.
Terri: Yeah, see?
Rachel: I know it. Any longer A stronger.
Jason: But I would still have fun because it's an upbeat song, you know. Not like what Micah wanted us to have on Rock and Roller Coaster with Rainbow Connection. If you played that
Terri: Rainbow connection.
Jason: on Rock and Roller Coaster, it would kind of bring you down 'cause it's so slow.
Terri: It wouldn't match the speed of the ride.
Jason: Right. And so and then we went on test track. That was my first time on Test Track. It was they backdoored
Rachel: The new one?
Jason: us. Yeah, they backdoored us into that one too. So that was But
Rachel: 'Cause you're not missing anything on the queue on that.
Jason: you got us think GM was really pissed off that, you know, they put all that money into the sponsorship and you're missing the whole tour of it of all their future endeavors. I really like it though. I like it better than Test Track two point I never went on Test Track one.
Rachel: I like test recon.
Jason: That's everybody We talked to said test track one is their favorite and test track two is horrible and test test three is like a good in between.
Rachel: worst. I wasn't a fan.
Jason: I think it's a lot better than the second one. Cause it's not Tron track. You have Tron and Magic
Rachel: Right.
Jason: Kingdom. Now it's now it's its own thing. So I think if Test Track wanted that Tron look, they should have just gone full on Tron. So yeah, that's that was my experience with VIP.
Terri: Was the Starbucks included with the VIP? I nice.
Rachel: They're Yeah. Yeah.
Jason: It was. I did not get anything. I was kind of disappointed.
Rachel: But you didn't get anything?
Jason: Because I don't drink coffee or anything from Starbucks. I just said just get me a bottle of Coke. And I didn't get a Coke.
Rachel: Will say depending like so the V like the VIP seating for the parades and the fireworks, it's not guaranteed. But
Jason: Right.
Rachel: I've never been denied it. that's something that you need to tell them ahead of time so they know. Because if there's too many group groups that want to do it, there's obviously they're limited for space. But in Magic Kingdom for the for Happily Ever After, there is a private like the grass section, there is one
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: for VIPs. So
Jason: There's a couple of sections for the parade too for VIP, right? Like there's one like right outside of
Rachel: There's that one and then there's
Jason: Liberty Square.
Rachel: correct. I've sat there a few times. I actually yeah, I sat there. It's very small. It's like two
Jason: That one's like like really, really small though.
Terri: Thank
Rachel: bed two or three no, like two like six benches maybe. I sat there for a booty you parade and that was really cool.
Jason: I will say like the best thing about doing the VIP here, and I didn't mean to cut you off, Rachel, is like
Rachel: No, you're fine.
Jason: if the price point is too much for your family or your like if for you yourself, get you a group of friends, get you a family group like
Terri: you
Jason: you don't have to travel with your best friend's family the entire trip. Just be like, Hey, we're going down these dates. If we overlap a couple of days, would you like to split a VIP? And that brings that price down. That's the only reason a lot of us were
Terri: Yeah. Okay.
Jason: able to do a VIP tour for our very first time. I I don't consider myself to be one of those person people that's just gonna throw money out there for a private VIP at Disney.
Rachel: The first time Glenn and you know, Glenn Stitsworth are one of
Jason: Yes.
Rachel: our agents and his wife, I would say it was before it was like eight years ago, 'cause right before I was losing my hair, but I wasn't bald yet. They joined on our VIP tour.
Jason: It was she had just joined Magical Travels, so she wasn't losing her hair yet. She wasn't pulling it out from all the agents like me.
Terri: Okay.
Rachel: man. yeah. So they came down and they shared a VIP tour with us. so it's definitely yeah.
Jason: And I think it's a I think it's a thing like a good thing to remember is like, yeah, the price is going to come like you're going to get sticker shock when you call in and say, Hey, I want this and they're gonna come back and say, by the way, it's seven hundred dollars an hour for seven like five thousand dollars, what? And then you still have to put the tip in. Then it's not horrible when you split it between some families.
Rachel: It's really not. And especially if you go in
Terri: No.
Rachel: a non-peak time. Like peak time, yeah.
Jason: Right, which is what we did, obviously.
Rachel: Peak time is it's it's all it's expensive. And the crowds are more like I get it. but guess what? If they don't sell it to you, they will absolutely sell it out to someone else.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: Well we
Rachel: Because all of those peak times are always waitlisted every
Terri: you
Rachel: single year. So, no, get a group of friends, do it on an off peak time, do it when they're running a promo. The reason that you know, it was so affordable was that there was a 20% discount for DVC members. So that was another, yeah.
Terri: is nice.
Rachel: And then sometimes they do it for like club levels. but I will say that the the most popular hotel that VIP tours pick you up from is Pop Century because people will spend a splurge on their experience, not their hotel stay. So.
Terri: Yep. Yeah,
Jason: Hotel
Terri: I totally get that.
Jason: is amazing no matter what at the end of a hotel. Like I
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: went, we got done at five o'clock, like I said. I probably made it back to Pop Century around six after walking, take my time walking through Epcot, and then riding the skyliner all the way across. I and then on top of it, I've been up from twenty-two hours. So I wanted it crashed.
Terri: I'll say you probably needed to sleep.
Rachel: I can't believe he did that.
Jason: I was ready to crash and I th I text the podcast text group and I was like, the worst thing about Pop Century are the kids randomly screaming and singing outside your door at nine o'clock at night when you're trying to go to sleep. But they were so accommodating because I walked in, I did online check-in and I was like, Hey, I've I've really got to get going, but I just want to make sure my room, if it was ready or not. because you know, sometimes they assign your room in the app.
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: And it will just it won't send you an email or text until it is physically ready. But if you go inside and you ask if there's a room ready, they will reassign you to that room that's ready. mine was not, but I had one within an hour. So I told them I'm like, look, I gotta meet some I gotta meet some friends in Hollywood Studios for VIP. I just wanna see if there's a place I can get get ready so I can get on the skyliner and go. It's very accommodating. He was he was great. I can't remember that cast member's name, but he he worked with me and very polite and professionals telling me that, you know, hey, sorry, nothing's available, but I'll get you in the first available once the rooms start getting cleaned.
Rachel: Yeah, that was pretty early. You're you checked in before before
Jason: No
Rachel: checkout time.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: And there have been times in the past And that that's the thing. Yeah. So
Terri: And at least you your car to leave your luggage in. I was going to say you didn't have to. They will keep it. Yeah.
Rachel: Right. Well I mean no well belt services, yeah. Yeah.
Jason: there's been times and I was talking to a client the other day about this. there's been times when I've done this where I've driven overnight with some friends and we've gotten to the hotel at six or seven o'clock in the morning and our room was ready. We you know, but they weren't Pop Center was sold out that night that I was checking. So
Terri: was going to say they had, it wasn't booked
Rachel: Course. Yeah.
Terri: the night before.
Jason: He said and that was his what he said, we were sold out last night, so I don't think I can get you into a room right now. However, if they had not been sold out, I probably would have had a room ready right when I walked in that door. So
Rachel: Course. Yeah.
Terri: And you do want them to clean the room. So you really don't
Jason: Yes.
Terri: want to rush that process. A king bed, what is that like?
Jason: No, I don't. I had a nice king bed. My air wouldn't go down to 65, but it was amazing.
Rachel: Wait, you had a king bed at Pop?
Jason: I'd had a king bed in.
Terri: I didn't even know you could get a king bed at pop.
Rachel: There you can't it's not a bookable category.
Jason: Yes. No, it's not. It's just a I've only had it a couple times. This was in the 80s
Rachel: I've never been in one. but I just wanna say be
Terri: my gosh.
Jason: building, a building eight. So so Terry, since you've never done anything, well let's let's do this first. Universal wise, we've we've jumped on a little bit about what Universal has to offer. What would be the biggest like selling point for Universal's VIP over a Disney like I think affordability is one thing. You know I think Universal
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: has a little bit cheaper price. the fact that you can't do all three parks is a is a a downgrade for them.
Rachel: Downside.
Jason: Yeah. You have to buy a separate Epic VIP right now from the other two parks. but I think the food
Terri: I'd say food
Rachel: The fact that like I've gone it, yeah.
Terri: and writing multiple times. I would say those are the two things that I think are the biggest
Rachel: I would say
Terri: seven points.
Rachel: I would do food and I would do backdoor entrance.
Jason: And then on top of it too, is is something we don't think about is that universal being next door to Islands of Adventure. You're not No. Yes.
Rachel: You walk. There's no, there's no I've walked in between both of the
Terri: Mm-hmm. No downtime.
Rachel: parks through the sound stages. super easy. It that
Jason: Yeah.
Rachel: is one of the great perks, or you can just take the you know, Hogwarts Express. Yeah.
Jason: They'll take you on the train or what s yeah.
Terri: Yeah.
Rachel: but I I will say that the convenience of the parks being in next to each
Jason: So
Rachel: other is fantastic.
Jason: that those few minutes, like those twenty minutes being in a car in a van going from one park to another at Disney, you are literally wasting time. But did that universal
Rachel: Mm-hmm. That
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: you walk pack you walk and say when Fast and Furious opens, you get off that ride and you want to go with an IOA and ride Velocicoaster, it's a five minute walk.
Rachel: I I will say when I anytime I I plan a VIP tour with for a client, I talk about that. You want to meet them at the park, you don't want to get picked up. you know, you because it is part of your time.
Terri: Yeah, the timer starts when you meet them.
Rachel: Right. So and then you do have
Jason: And ours was great.
Rachel: to have a hopper ticket. That's another thing. Like I've had people upgrade.
Terri: Yeah, when you mentioned that, was
Jason: Yeah.
Terri: kind of like, you think you're paying enough that
Jason: Now that's the thing though.
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: they could be like, hoppers included, because if you're not going to hop the rest of the day, you know, it's kind of like, well, you kind of have to.
Rachel: Well, that's that's funny 'cause that's what my one client was like, I just want to get a base ticket. I'm like, You're gonna be bored halfway through your tour.
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: So let me ask you this, Ms. V I P over there. did they scan your tickets at all?
Rachel: at least once they've scanned my ticket like they they never they didn't scan me at every park. They've scanned
Jason: Yeah, I scan.
Rachel: me at least one time during the VIP tour. I've they also have checked my bags. You didn't talk about security going through the back door. yeah.
Jason: Yeah, we should we'll mention that. so they didn't I walked into Hollywood Studios. That was the only time they scanned my ticket.
Rachel: Well, that's because you were already in the park and they needed to validate it. Well, I guess they need to validate a a a had a hopper. Some t I'm telling you, sometimes it just depends on the the tour guide.
Jason: Right, but didn't validate that I had a park hopper there. So but I was like I wasted my my ticket on a Park Harper ticket on this. But I'm glad I did 'cause what if they scared it and
Terri: Yeah.
Rachel: They d it they scam me every single time I go in a b an entrance or it's like once for the trip, like
Jason: So sec security That for for us, they didn't check us anywhere.
Rachel: well you met them in you already went through it first. Okay. So I
Jason: We met him in the boat, yeah. So
Terri: you met him in the park, so you went through security in the park.
Rachel: yeah, so you're fine. I have been picked up at mul at hotels because when I'm with my sister, she's in the wheelchair. So they will get there's only one wheelchair accessible van that they have for VIP tours. I've been
Jason: So
Rachel: picked I yeah, I've been picked up where they then check your bags. I haven't I don't go through a metal detector back there, but they will check your bags. so
Jason: Would say the looking at the transportation backstage. we had a passenger van just a plain white passenger van. and then when you got to certain entrances, they put the VIP placard up on the mirror.
Rachel: Placard. Mm-hmm.
Jason: And then once they go through, they take it down. I'm kind of disappointed in that. Like I kind of figured that there would be like with the minivan fleet they have that they would have.
Terri: Yeah, a wrap.
Jason: A little bit more like s yeah, like a rap, like a VIP rap or something like that. for the smaller
Rachel: I've been in suburbans.
Jason: Yeah, I was gonna say there's smaller
Terri: Or at least like
Jason: party parties we saw black suburbans, we saw black mini bands, stuff like that that was a little bit more
Rachel: Yeah. Yeah.
Jason: nonchalant, but for the bigger groups, I was like, You're just being in a big old I just it's yeah. And
Rachel: That's how it's always been. It's like a twelve passenger passenger van. Yeah.
Jason: your your guide drives it. She was she wasn't the best driver. And that's also the other thing is that, you know, your guide how they drive it depends on how much time it's gonna take to get in between parts.
Rachel: Yeah, that's very true.
Jason: So sh Anne Marie, she was she was a little bit older, just she made sure to
Rachel: I'm gonna tell you if you want a VIP tour guy that's bam bam bam, Jeremy.
Jason: But
Rachel: Kirk is also like that and Johnny Z is just just a legend. So
Terri: Can
Jason: Siobon
Terri: you request? Okay. Gotcha. They were busy
Jason: saw yes, you can request. They requested all three of those. And we got M3.
Rachel: Yeah, you can request.
Terri: booked.
Rachel: They were doing client returns, guest returns. So they were doing you d you looking at me like you didn't know that. They they told Siobhan that they were doing returning clients. So they like to see certain clients grow up. So like Jeremy will see
Terri: Aww.
Rachel: my kids. Hope like Jeremy will be like, my god, or same with like Kirk. So we we always end up with John, Jeremy, or Kirk. but that's why. She
Jason: Si on saw one of them in the park.
Rachel: saw Kirk.
Jason: Okay. So we were coming out of Tomorrowland and she was she's like, my God, Kirk. But yeah, that's overall, both parks, VIP is a way to go if you can if
Terri: Thank
Jason: you can book it. The best thing was something else we didn't mention is Disney's doing a pilot thing with the booking of VIP too, with packages
Rachel: Uh-huh.
Jason: where you can Right now. And now this later on, if you're listening to this at a much later date, this might have changed, but you can book a VIP tour within your package. So it makes it easier for you to pay for that thing versus, you know, here, take the five thousand dollars up front. You can make it over
Terri: Yeah.
Jason: that year worth of time to pay for it. So that that is something to make it a little bit more affordable for you where you can budget it into your monthly payments if that's the way you make like to pay for Disney vacation.
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: Universal would be the same way. You can put universals in their package and the due monthly payments the same way. So it's just really that's really good for you to know. Universal's been that way for a while. Disney's just started doing this what in the last two or three months. It's it's not been long at all. So Terry, do you have any questions about VIP for us?
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: The only question I have is you mentioned a couple of things you're like, make sure you tell your VIP host this, make sure you tell your... Do you communicate with them at all before you get there or should you have like a list on your phone ready of things that you want to do? like the merch
Jason: Think both.
Terri: and there's something else besides the merch that you said, watching the parades or fireworks or you said, make sure you request that. So do you put that in with your requests?
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: when you're okay. And then you keep a list of like, just
Rachel: Yeah, so
Jason: So
Terri: to make sure let's reiterate that this is what we want.
Jason: And it's it's gonna be one your lead guest that you want to communicate. I think that was something that happened with our communication was like Siobhan was the one who requested everything, not Heather. So that might have like she thought maybe that was something that happened with us requesting our our guide. But like you want you wanna make sure one person in your group is the contact for that. So that it's going back and forth, you know.
Rachel: Yeah. And the the nice thing when booking for clients, you don't have to tell them right when you book it at sixty days out where they what they want to do. You you should tell them like where they want to be picked up. That is, you
Terri: Gotcha.
Rachel: know, but you can always change it. So like I called back after I got a list from my clients of what rides they wanted to do in each park. And I called
Terri: Gotcha.
Rachel: back and I informed them of that.
Jason: Usually when I book mine from
Terri: So that's something you should do.
Jason: our agents.
Terri: Go ahead. Ahead of time. Okay.
Rachel: Yeah. I would do it ahead of time. Yeah.
Jason: Yeah. I I usually yeah, I usually ask mine when they say I want VIP. I was like, well what what attractions do you want and where do you want to be picked up? And that way when I'm making that phone call, it's already there. And if they want to add something later or make changes, I'll call it in for Or they
Terri: Mm-hmm.
Jason: will call it in a little bit closer to time for themselves. I'm not picky about it since it's their trip, but I want to make it as easy it is for 'Cause those lines waiting in the waiting online to talk to one of those Cast members can get kinda long. Well, that's that's gonna do it for this week's episode. We are taking off next week. It is our HHN trip. So Terry, Micah, my wife, and myself will all be in Orlando
Terri: My life.
Jason: for
Rachel: My wife
Jason: we're doing food and wine with Terry on Friday night. Micah comes in late. Then we're going to do H H N on Saturday and we're going to all come home on Sunday. So we wanted to take the week off. That's why we are getting an extra episode right now instead of next week. Rachel, you will be missed. There's still time to join us. If you just want to make a
Rachel: Dude, you should see my schedule. It's so it's with Andy's traveling, I'm traveling, it the kids soccer and dance. I I'm
Jason: I'm just I'm just saying you
Rachel: gonna have FOMO. I had FOMO this week when you guys went on the VIP tour. I'm gonna have FOMO for AJ Gen because I don't know if you saw, but that popped up like the other day on my memories. Yeah.
Terri: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jason: It yeah, it was popping up today, when we did our our like the other day when we recorded and then our popped up today for our when we got home from the trips and everything like that.
Rachel: Yeah.
Jason: so you will be missed. Don't we
Terri: Yes.
Rachel: Thank you.
Jason: we re like it's gonna be something. Bethany is lovely and I love going to H H N with her, but she doesn't take the scare stuff so well. So it's it's good to have
Terri: I get it, I get it.
Jason: people. Yeah, it's good to have people that like to do the scary stuff. So The next episode you'll hear is our H H N recap. Rachel will probably be wanting to ask questions about our experience and food and wine.
Rachel: Yeah, the houses each I I wanna know Ozzy's house.
Jason: I'm hoping we can go through it all at least once.
Rachel: Yeah.
Terri: Don't forget about food and wine where you get to eat.
Rachel: Did you get a did you get Express Pass?
Jason: No.
Rachel: You didn't get Express Pass. Why?
Jason: No. Because we're getting in it too. We're getting stay and scream. Okay. So I pre
Rachel: Okay, different. Okay. So not two to two, maybe like two to midnight?
Jason: Probably two to two.
Terri: Let's hope.
Jason: But Mike has been sharing. I don't know if if it's been in our text group or if it's been in the side text group with the two, so we don't blow up your phone.
Rachel: I think it's probably in the side one.
Jason: But Mike has been sending videos every now and then of people who've done these and like they done six houses before six o'clock. So if we can do that,
Rachel: Okay. Yeah, she's
Terri: you
Jason: we can might be able to get everything before a certain time so we can actually get help back, or maybe we're do multiple runs. Come back to Terry and say, This one's not so scary, Terry. You can hand handle this.
Terri: I'm eating food. That's my job. Food and drink.
Rachel: That's her job. I love it. Well, I hope you guys have fun week. I'll miss you too. I can't wait to hear it.
Jason: Okay. Yes. We will. We'll we'll Photoshop you in some some pictures.
Terri: No! We'll miss you.
Rachel: Just bring my head on a stick.
Terri: That's exactly what we need to do.
Jason: We should. We should. We did that one time with a friend. that's gonna do it for this week's episode. If you want any of us to book your Disney or Universal VIP package, we'd be glad to help you with that. over at magical travel dot com. Any of our great agents would be glad to help you with that. go to YouTube for us, please. We're at ninety-seven subscribers. I know it's not a lot, but we would love to hit that hundred subscriber mark. It's a goal. We're almost there. subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, any of those places. Give us a review. Let us know what you want to hear. if you have any questions, put them in those reviews. We'll be glad it are in the comments below. And we will see you on the next episode.
Rachel: Bye.
Terri: Bye.
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