Who are those people with the plaid vests taking park visitors around?

M

musketeer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I saw something I had never seen before this past week. I saw a few families who had what appeared to be Disney employees that were going on rides, watching their kids while the parents went and got food, and seemed to be escorting them around.

They were wearing plaid vests with long white sleeves and were wearing normal disney employee badges.

What is the deal with this? I've never seen it before.
 
Captain Hank

Captain Hank

Well-Known Member
Those are VIP Services guides. They operate out of Guest Relations. Anyone can arrange for a VIP tour guide, though it costs major $$$$. On the order of over $100/hr with a six hour minimum per day.
 
The_CEO

The_CEO

Well-Known Member
It's for the UBER rich that have so much money they could cover their home's walls with it..

I guess 600+ a day is a decent price for the VIP Fast Pass... Right?
 
Captain Hank

Captain Hank

Well-Known Member
musketeer said:
Do you get special fast passes for it?
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Not exactly. The way it works is that the guide will go get fastpasses for the group while the group members are otherwise occupied, such as with eating or riding another attraction. Thus, the group members rarely if ever wait in a line.
 
teebin

teebin

Member
Captain Hank said:
Those are VIP Services guides. They operate out of Guest Relations. Anyone can arrange for a VIP tour guide, though it costs major $$$$. On the order of over $100/hr with a six hour minimum per day.
Click to expand...

They've gone up, way up: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=EPVIPServicesTourPage

Can you imagine: $1050.00 for 6 hours. Plus, I have seen the plaid vests totally bypass the lines and escort families right onto the rides. Is that a different kind of VIP?
 
The_CEO

The_CEO

Well-Known Member
I was lucky enough to see Neil Patrick Harris in person week after Thanksgiving at AK. I was walking right next to him for about 100 feet. One of those vested VIP escorts was with him, so it's a given that celebrities get the escort for their advantage, but I can't fathom paying 1,000 +.... Wow.!
 
Slipknot

Slipknot

Well-Known Member
The_CEO said:
I was lucky enough to see Neil Patrick Harris in person week after Thanksgiving at AK. I was walking right next to him for about 100 feet. One of those vested VIP escorts was with him, so it's a given that celebrities get the escort for their advantage, but I can't fathom paying 1,000 +.... Wow.!
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From the stories that I have heard and from what I have seen done by Mr. Harris, the guy is a ____!!!

And not all celebrities know about the VIP services. Andrew McCarthy (Weekend at Burnie's, Larry) used the regular line when I was working at Buzz. It was the holidays and the line was very long. Yet he waited just like everyone else did.
 
rainfully

rainfully

Well-Known Member
teebin said:
They've gone up, way up: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=EPVIPServicesTourPage

Can you imagine: $1050.00 for 6 hours. Plus, I have seen the plaid vests totally bypass the lines and escort families right onto the rides. Is that a different kind of VIP?
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"Backdooring" onto rides is not included in any VIP tour. The only exception to this would be a celebrity who would cause insanity waiting in line with us common folk. ;)

Many VIP tour guides can procure other means of greatly recuding wait times, however. ;)
 
kirksheppard

kirksheppard

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine was a VIP guide at Disneyland and he told me that official policy for "regular guests" was that there was no line jumping. However, he said he was a cool guide and ignored policy and took them right to the front, usually through the backdoor.

Celebrities do get backdoor access and they should; can you imagine what it would be like to have your vacation ruined by the constant barrage of autograph seekers and amateur papparazi?
 
The_CEO

The_CEO

Well-Known Member
teebin said:
Is a what? "nice guy" , "not a nice guy", "snob", "peaceful spirit" , "megalomaniac" ????
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Atleast the day I saw him, he was happy enough to pose for pictures, shake hands, and was pretty polite to me... But everyone has their days I guess.
 
Since1976

Since1976

Well-Known Member
One night at Restaurant Marrakesh, I sat next to a family who had a VIP guide. I could only guess that the dad may have been a celeb or sports star of some kind -- I know I did not recognize him. What I thought was odd was that the guide sat directly in front of the dad, and the two were pretty much engaged in conversation the whole time, while the mom and three kids were off in their own little world.

I wonder if you can request that your guide maintain a distance and act more as interference from curious fans who might approach you. Lesser known celebrities can probably do this, you think?
 
PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
rainfully said:
"Backdooring" onto rides is not included in any VIP tour. The only exception to this would be a celebrity who would cause insanity waiting in line with us common folk. ;)

Many VIP tour guides can procure other means of greatly recuding wait times, however. ;)
Click to expand...

I know i saw some backstreet boy over at DAK on primevial hurl once upon a time.

There was no need to backdoor anyone... no line...
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
rainfully said:
"Backdooring" onto rides is not included in any VIP tour. The only exception to this would be a celebrity who would cause insanity waiting in line with us common folk. ;)

Many VIP tour guides can procure other means of greatly recuding wait times, however. ;)
Click to expand...


We got "Fastpassed" by a Dream Squad member once.

He saw my kids and I walk up to Test Track and then walk away, and asked why. I said we had ADR's over in MK, and that if the line was short enough, we would have ridden, but it was too long to wait. He asked if we were to have fastpasses, would we ride. We said of course. He said, well I am your fastpass.

We went in the fastpass lane, and whenever a CM checked for fastpasses, he just said "they are with me"

I don't know if thats was a special dream squad only ability, or if the VIP CM's can do that too.

-dave
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
The Castle Dream Suite winners usually get their own VIP Tour Guide for the day. So that could have been what the OP saw.

Last December while waiting near the Tomorrowland bridge for Wishes to start, I stood next to a family with a VIP Guide. By the snippets of conversation I overheard, I was able to figure out they had won the stay in the Suite.

About three years ago as we reached the front of the line for Pirates, a Guide brought Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and his son in through the back door. I was suprised when we were seated in the row behind them, as I would have thought they'd be given a boat of their own, or at least given an empty "buffer row", but no. At least now I can say that I spent 10 minutes sitting two feet away from him. (And no, I didn't say anything or ask for a photo. Besides, my CM friend was with me, and she would have killed me ;) )

-Rob
 
agdbeanie

agdbeanie

New Member
I saw a family last week at MK with a VIP tour guide. It was really early in the morning (EMH). This family did not look wealthy at all. They looked like the average guest. They had a few kids and looked like they shop at Walmart and Target just like the rest of us. Maybe they were the winners of the Castle Suite or something.
 

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