Disney VIP tours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also got a lot of dirt on the guide's prior celebrity clients. Apparently, Mariah was the worst, but he loved Brittany.

This simply did not happen.

Not PP but I’m inclined to believe it. Our safari guide (white SA) loved bragging about the A list celebs they guided.

The Disney VIP guides are consummate professionals. This is not a celebrity homes tour in LA. They would be fired for what pp is saying.

Please. I’m guessing you’ve never been on a VIP tour or if you have, got one of the few oldies still left.

Most of the guides are in their 20s and are working hard for that 20% tip so they’ll say what they think you want to hear. Their base pay is only $20/hour. Tips is where some of them hit 6 figures.

I do not pay a tip anywhere near 20% when I do this. I am paying $3000-5000 for a one day service, plus park tickets. Disney can find ample resources to pay the guides from this fee. I tip $200.

That is way below normal for tip. Like way below normal. We tip more like $800.

Why would you need to tip $100 an hour for a service for which you already pay (and what you are paying for is already just the person's time) $450-950 an hour?

Nothing about tipping is rational. It’s all social norms. And the norm for VIp tour at WDW is either 20% of cost, or cost of an hour tour. The guides get paid the basic disney rate — they are very good, very well trained, and are working for the tips. Your argument is basically like — if you go to an expensive restaurant, why should you tip the server? Because that’s the thing to do. If you are spending that kind of money on a tour but don’t have the money to appropriately tip your guide, who are mostly hard working you folk saving up for grad school or a house, you need to reexamine your priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also got a lot of dirt on the guide's prior celebrity clients. Apparently, Mariah was the worst, but he loved Brittany.

This simply did not happen.

Not PP but I’m inclined to believe it. Our safari guide (white SA) loved bragging about the A list celebs they guided.

The Disney VIP guides are consummate professionals. This is not a celebrity homes tour in LA. They would be fired for what pp is saying.

Please. I’m guessing you’ve never been on a VIP tour or if you have, got one of the few oldies still left.

Most of the guides are in their 20s and are working hard for that 20% tip so they’ll say what they think you want to hear. Their base pay is only $20/hour. Tips is where some of them hit 6 figures.

I do not pay a tip anywhere near 20% when I do this. I am paying $3000-5000 for a one day service, plus park tickets. Disney can find ample resources to pay the guides from this fee. I tip $200.

That is way below normal for tip. Like way below normal. We tip more like $800.

Why would you need to tip $100 an hour for a service for which you already pay (and what you are paying for is already just the person's time) $450-950 an hour?

Nothing about tipping is rational. It’s all social norms. And the norm for VIp tour at WDW is either 20% of cost, or cost of an hour tour. The guides get paid the basic disney rate — they are very good, very well trained, and are working for the tips. Your argument is basically like — if you go to an expensive restaurant, why should you tip the server? Because that’s the thing to do. If you are spending that kind of money on a tour but don’t have the money to appropriately tip your guide, who are mostly hard working you folk saving up for grad school or a house, you need to reexamine your priorities.

Yeah, no. Disney is certainly not alone in this, but they have conditioned people who are paying an insane amount for services that they also need to pay for the wages of the people who are hired to provide the service.

Let’s assume Disney pays $20/hr to the tour guide. For an 8-hour tour that costs $3600, Disney will pay something like $200-$300, give or take, to the benefit of the employee providing it. Even recognizing that the VIP tour program has some back office cost, Disney is profiting over $2k from that individual tour. And yet we still need to pay the employee to make sure they can eat?!

I can afford a VIP tour and it’s the sort of thing my family would really enjoy, but honestly, the nickel and dining crap ticks me off so much I’d never do it. Does the VP of Parks expect to get paid in tips, or does he demand (and get) a fair pay package? If you value your tour guides as the best of the best, PAY them like it, Disney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could not support this level of privilege.

Think of how many other children could have the experience of their lives with the funds you will use instead to pamper your personal family.

I'm thinking of how many other worthwhile experiences you could be having with family for $10k a day rather than squandering it on a cartoon theme-park.

The people i know who have done it are pretty well traveled. I think some of you just can’t wrap your mind around the idea that if they spend $10K on this they don’t have $10k for something else. There are no tradeoffs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also got a lot of dirt on the guide's prior celebrity clients. Apparently, Mariah was the worst, but he loved Brittany.

This simply did not happen.

Not PP but I’m inclined to believe it. Our safari guide (white SA) loved bragging about the A list celebs they guided.

The Disney VIP guides are consummate professionals. This is not a celebrity homes tour in LA. They would be fired for what pp is saying.

Please. I’m guessing you’ve never been on a VIP tour or if you have, got one of the few oldies still left.

Most of the guides are in their 20s and are working hard for that 20% tip so they’ll say what they think you want to hear. Their base pay is only $20/hour. Tips is where some of them hit 6 figures.

I do not pay a tip anywhere near 20% when I do this. I am paying $3000-5000 for a one day service, plus park tickets. Disney can find ample resources to pay the guides from this fee. I tip $200.

That is way below normal for tip. Like way below normal. We tip more like $800.

Why would you need to tip $100 an hour for a service for which you already pay (and what you are paying for is already just the person's time) $450-950 an hour?

Nothing about tipping is rational. It’s all social norms. And the norm for VIp tour at WDW is either 20% of cost, or cost of an hour tour. The guides get paid the basic disney rate — they are very good, very well trained, and are working for the tips. Your argument is basically like — if you go to an expensive restaurant, why should you tip the server? Because that’s the thing to do. If you are spending that kind of money on a tour but don’t have the money to appropriately tip your guide, who are mostly hard working you folk saving up for grad school or a house, you need to reexamine your priorities.

Yeah, no. Disney is certainly not alone in this, but they have conditioned people who are paying an insane amount for services that they also need to pay for the wages of the people who are hired to provide the service.

Let’s assume Disney pays $20/hr to the tour guide. For an 8-hour tour that costs $3600, Disney will pay something like $200-$300, give or take, to the benefit of the employee providing it. Even recognizing that the VIP tour program has some back office cost, Disney is profiting over $2k from that individual tour. And yet we still need to pay the employee to make sure they can eat?!

I can afford a VIP tour and it’s the sort of thing my family would really enjoy, but honestly, the nickel and dining crap ticks me off so much I’d never do it. Does the VP of Parks expect to get paid in tips, or does he demand (and get) a fair pay package? If you value your tour guides as the best of the best, PAY them like it, Disney.

That’s a fair decision, provided you decide that you will opt out rather than endorse this kind of pricing arrangement. I just don’t like people that go in planing on stiffing the guide. It is the way it is, is either accept it and act appropriately or don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it would annoy me because I know far more about Disney and Disney World than any of these tour guides (who are most great). But I'd be hard pressed to stop correcting them.

Still, I've thought of doing it for one day just for fun. And Insta humble brags. No, not really.

Are you my sister?

She worked as a contractor for their shows right out of college over 30 years ago and thinks she is the only knowledgeable person about Disney.

She also thinks this about everything in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could not support this level of privilege.

Think of how many other children could have the experience of their lives with the funds you will use instead to pamper your personal family.

I'm thinking of how many other worthwhile experiences you could be having with family for $10k a day rather than squandering it on a cartoon theme-park.

The people i know who have done it are pretty well traveled. I think some of you just can’t wrap your mind around the idea that if they spend $10K on this they don’t have $10k for something else. There are no tradeoffs.

This so much. People aren’t one dimensional and money opens up your world in terms of options. Liking Disney doesn’t mean you can’t also like visiting Bhutan or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could not support this level of privilege.

Think of how many other children could have the experience of their lives with the funds you will use instead to pamper your personal family.

I'm thinking of how many other worthwhile experiences you could be having with family for $10k a day rather than squandering it on a cartoon theme-park.

The people i know who have done it are pretty well traveled. I think some of you just can’t wrap your mind around the idea that if they spend $10K on this they don’t have $10k for something else. There are no tradeoffs.

This so much. People aren’t one dimensional and money opens up your world in terms of options. Liking Disney doesn’t mean you can’t also like visiting Bhutan or whatever.

People just don’t understand how the other half lives. The 10K isn’t breaking the bank, they can still ski, scale mountains, sail, and taking cooking classes in Vietnam. The world is their oyster.

[Anonymous]

We have done them 2x. No desire for a 3rd. If you have young kids it is fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could not support this level of privilege.

Think of how many other children could have the experience of their lives with the funds you will use instead to pamper your personal family.

I'm thinking of how many other worthwhile experiences you could be having with family for $10k a day rather than squandering it on a cartoon theme-park.

The people i know who have done it are pretty well traveled. I think some of you just can’t wrap your mind around the idea that if they spend $10K on this they don’t have $10k for something else. There are no tradeoffs.

This so much. People aren’t one dimensional and money opens up your world in terms of options. Liking Disney doesn’t mean you can’t also like visiting Bhutan or whatever.

People just don’t understand how the other half lives. The 10K isn’t breaking the bank, they can still ski, scale mountains, sail, and taking cooking classes in Vietnam. The world is their oyster.

You have described my life, haha. And I'm in my 30s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last time I went it was about $10k for a day. We were in line behind Sean McVeigh who was doing it. I think it's worth it.

Yeah 10k is very reasonable. Honestly it is the minimum we generally budget for on our vacations, and we are a family of 2 adults and a 5 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it would annoy me because I know far more about Disney and Disney World than any of these tour guides (who are most great). But I'd be hard pressed to stop correcting them.

Still, I've thought of doing it for one day just for fun. And Insta humble brags. No, not really.

We did it about 8 years ago. The guide didn’t pepper us with knowledge or facts. The benefit was being able to zip around the park behind the scenes to get places more quickly and to eliminate waits. We had a list of rides we wanted to do and the guide suggested some. We did 3 parks in one day (obviously select rides at each).

Understand it is customer specific, but I sometimes hear the guides talking to their groups in lines. I think it's mostly driven by customer engagement. And I've cringed a few times.

I'll note I've been grabbed twice near the end of lines by VIP groups that weren't full and taken with them through lightning. I don't know if that's allowed anymore. Depends on the VIP I guess.

Are you exceptionally attractive or something? Why would they do this?

I was wondering this too. Maybe PP sweet talked her way in.

[Anonymous]

Who is Sean McVeigh that we are supposed to be impressed he was doing this kind of tour?

McVay the head coach of the Rams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it would annoy me because I know far more about Disney and Disney World than any of these tour guides (who are most great). But I'd be hard pressed to stop correcting them.

Still, I've thought of doing it for one day just for fun. And Insta humble brags. No, not really.

We did it about 8 years ago. The guide didn’t pepper us with knowledge or facts. The benefit was being able to zip around the park behind the scenes to get places more quickly and to eliminate waits. We had a list of rides we wanted to do and the guide suggested some. We did 3 parks in one day (obviously select rides at each).

Understand it is customer specific, but I sometimes hear the guides talking to their groups in lines. I think it's mostly driven by customer engagement. And I've cringed a few times.

I'll note I've been grabbed twice near the end of lines by VIP groups that weren't full and taken with them through lightning. I don't know if that's allowed anymore. Depends on the VIP I guess.

Are you exceptionally attractive or something? Why would they do this?

I was wondering this too. Maybe PP sweet talked her way in.

Not sure why the VIPs would want a sweaty random jumping into their group last minute. They are paying to be away from the hot sweaty masses as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also got a lot of dirt on the guide's prior celebrity clients. Apparently, Mariah was the worst, but he loved Brittany.

This simply did not happen.

Not PP but I’m inclined to believe it. Our safari guide (white SA) loved bragging about the A list celebs they guided.

The Disney VIP guides are consummate professionals. This is not a celebrity homes tour in LA. They would be fired for what pp is saying.

Please. I’m guessing you’ve never been on a VIP tour or if you have, got one of the few oldies still left.

Most of the guides are in their 20s and are working hard for that 20% tip so they’ll say what they think you want to hear. Their base pay is only $20/hour. Tips is where some of them hit 6 figures.

I do not pay a tip anywhere near 20% when I do this. I am paying $3000-5000 for a one day service, plus park tickets. Disney can find ample resources to pay the guides from this fee. I tip $200.

That is way below normal for tip. Like way below normal. We tip more like $800.

Why would you need to tip $100 an hour for a service for which you already pay (and what you are paying for is already just the person's time) $450-950 an hour?

Nothing about tipping is rational. It’s all social norms. And the norm for VIp tour at WDW is either 20% of cost, or cost of an hour tour. The guides get paid the basic disney rate — they are very good, very well trained, and are working for the tips. Your argument is basically like — if you go to an expensive restaurant, why should you tip the server? Because that’s the thing to do. If you are spending that kind of money on a tour but don’t have the money to appropriately tip your guide, who are mostly hard working you folk saving up for grad school or a house, you need to reexamine your priorities.

How would you know the "norm" of what is paid by various groups?