Inside a Disney VIP Tour: Secret Entrances, Backstage Transportation and a Guide who Thought of Everything

This summer, I spent a day at Walt Disney World with a private guide named Matt, and he showed me doors I’d walked past for years without noticing. We started at Hollywood Studios and ended our day at Magic Kingdom.

Most Disney fans know the theory behind a VIP Tour. Living it is something else.

A Disney VIP Tour pairs your group with a private guide for 7 to 10 hours, with priority access at select attractions and an itinerary built around what your family wants to do.

Doors you didn’t know existed

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was the first attraction we entered through a “secret” entrance. Matt directed us to a door I didn’t realize was even there! We bypassed the typical queue and walked right into the first room guests experience before boarding the train. It was incredible.

Later at Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean worked the same way. A discreet entrance, a short walk, and we were floating past the pirates while everyone else was still queued up outside.

It’s a strange feeling to walk past a line that long without a second thought.

A guide who kept us cool

It was a scorcher of a Florida day, the kind where the pavement radiates heat back at you. Cold bottles of water showed up before we thought to ask, and Matt paced the day so we always had shade or air conditioning lined up between attractions. He even provided Mickey-shaped pretzels at just the right moment.

This is why VIP Tours work for every kind of group. If you’re worried about bringing grandparents to Disney World, a guide who knows the parks inside out takes that worry off the table. The same goes for little kids: someone else handles the navigating, so you get to enjoy every magical moment.

A private shop, set up just for us

Near the exit of Tower of Terror, Matt walked us into a space set up just for our group. It was stocked and ready, with no crowds and no checkout line.

The merchandise is exclusive to VIP Tours. You can’t buy it anywhere else, at any other time.

Stories you won’t find in a guidebook

I live in a family of Star Wars fans, and I know a lot. Walking Galaxy’s Edge with Matt, I still learned more than I expected.

Look up at the roof of the docking bay. The shipping crates and cargo containers perched on top have the numbers 77, 80, and 83 painted on them. Those are the years the original trilogy was released in theaters: 1977 for A New Hope, 1980 for The Empire Strikes Back, and 1983 for Return of the Jedi. I’d walked right under them so many times and never knew.

Backstage in an SUV, with snacks waiting

One of my favorite parts of the tour was our transfer. Instead of a walk or shuttle between parks, Matt took us backstage at Hollywood Studios, where a large SUV was already running and ready for us.

We rode Disney’s private roads to a backstage entrance at Magic Kingdom, a way in most guests never see. When we arrived, a small spread of snacks was waiting for us. It was such an unexpected welcome to the park!

Who I’d send on a VIP Tour

VIP Tours are perfect for first-timers, especially anyone with only a few days in the parks. Multigenerational groups will love it, every time. Longtime Disney fans will too, because the guides know an incredible amount about the parks.

A couple of things worth knowing before you book: You’ll need a park-to-park ticket to park hop, which this tour can do. And I always suggest meeting your guide inside the park where you want to start, because the clock starts when you meet. That way, every minute of your tour is spent enjoying the parks.

If a day like this sounds right for your family, send us an inquiry or book a call and we’ll plan it together.