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We have prepared this list of frequently asked
questions and hope you find them helpful. Please Contact
Us when you are ready to begin your Ultimate Vacation Experience,
or if we can answer any further questions!
Another great area to visit is our Endorsements
page. Reviewing the thoughts and opinions of guests that have already
been here and experienced our VIP services is most informative.
Question links on this page:
Do we receive 'head of the line' privileges while on the VIP Tour?
No, but it seems like you most often
do because our Private Guides know the least crowded times to
visit the attractions to avoid the infamous lines, and we maximize
Disney's FASTPASS system to its full advantage (which very few
guests actually know 'how' to use at all). If you follow our advice
and allow us to visit the parks the 'right way,' lines are never
an issue -- no matter how busy the season.
Please remember that we have been serving our families since 1999,
and many of our Private Guides have theme park VIP touring experience
beyond that. The simple formula of knowing what everyone will
do and then not doing it works just as successfully in the theme
parks as it does everywhere else!
Note: Walt Disney World considers all of their guests VIPs, and,
therefore, does not offer 'back door' tours to anyone for any
price. The exceptions to the rule are famous celebrities and their
families because it is often the only way they can possibly
visit the parks without being stopped all the time by other guests.
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Is it true that Universal Studios allows 'back door' entry for their
Resort guests?
If you are staying at Universal Studio's
beautiful Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, or the Royal
Pacific Resort, you can visit all of their attractions through
the Express Pass entrances. Definitely consider this a 'head of
the line' privilege and, yes, it's great!
There is also an extra-cost ticket available, only on the day
of park entry and with a limited number that day, that provides
the same privilege. Please ask us for more details if you are
interested.
Note: We have a great proposal for our
VIPs who are interested in visiting Universal Studios and/or the
Islands of Adventure for more than a day! We begin your vacation
at a deluxe Walt Disney World hotel like the Grand Floridian Resort
& Spa, see and do everything you want, and then transfer your
family to one of Universal's deluxe hotels for the last two or
three days (depending on your available number of days in the
area).
It's like two vacations in one, and we
arrange all of the luggage transfers for you! As always, there
is no work or hassles for you!
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Do we still benefit from a Private Guide for our Universal portion?
Our past VIPs have answered this with
a definite "Yes!" Your Private Guide knows where
everything is, which attractions are the most appropriate for
your family members, which ones should be experienced vs. skipped,
can remain 'in charge,' and still provide the best possible experience
for everyone.
As always, the availability and use of your Private Guide is entirely
up to you, not us. (You may be surprised at how quickly
one becomes attached to a friendly person that handles every detail
for you all day, every day ...)
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I've always heard the lines and crowds at Walt Disney World are
tremendous. Do we have to wait in them?
The average wait time for our VIP Tour
guests is 0-10 minutes, regardless of how busy the season is.
How is this possible? That's what you're investing in! Your Private
Guide dislikes waiting more than you do (because it's their job
to know how not to) and uses his or her knowledge to visit
all of the best attractions for your family at the least crowded
times. All of the guests cannot be everywhere all day long.
That's a simple statement, but think about it and it makes sense!
We also use Disney's FASTPASS
to its maximum potential. It is best described as a 'reservation
system' for their most popular attractions. (The link is a small
popup window with more details.) The only time your Private Guide
leaves your party is to get another set of FASTPASSES. They usually
put you on an attraction, leave your party briefly to make the
arrangements, and then meet you at the exit.
Your Private Guide also arranges for
your party to enjoy the best seats at Walt Disney World's wonderful
stage shows and entertainment events!
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We prefer to not be 'tied down' to itineraries and set times for
everything on vacation. Is all this planning necessary?
Firstly, your itinerary is not a 'rule
book' and you are certainly not bound to it! Think of it as a
very helpful guide to the most optimal experience. There will
only be certain places we might reserve for you that are not as
flexible as everything else. For example, if we have you going
to La Nouba at the Cirque du Soleil, their tickets are very difficult
to reschedule because of its popularity. (And you do NOT want
to miss this unbelievable show!)
Secondly, please realize that Walt Disney
World is THE most popular place to visit in the world.
Our guests reserve us for our experience because they realize
we know a lot more about the Resort than they do. Our experience
has been that guests with a planned itinerary see MUCH more, have
more fun, and actually have a more restful vacation. Part
of good planning is actually planning for flexibility!
With that defense noted ... Please know
that we can be as flexible as you want us to be! This is your
vacation - not ours. We always advise what's most optimal
-- it's our responsibility to you, and then all parties agree
on what's best. Your Private Guide will certainly make the most
of his or her time with you.
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What is the average VIP Tour day like?
Our main goal is to keep you away from
crowds and lines. Sounds good, doesn't it? Your Private Guide
ensures you are at the 'best of the best' attractions during their
least crowded times. We prefer to have our VIPs at the parks when
they open, stay for a while past lunch, return to their hotel
for genuine rest & relaxation, and then return to a park for
evening dinner and an 'entertainment event' like a parade, IllumiNations,
Fantasmic, Fireworks, etc.
We realize some of our guests will not want to stay out late,
or don't care about the evening entertainment, etc. so we simply
stay in the parks later. As with everything we do, the final result
is whatever is best for your party.
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We're not morning people. Is that going to be a problem?
The best and least crowded times to visit
the parks are in the morning because so few guests get up early.
They have often been in the parks all day the day before and are
too tired. (That's why we push the 'split day' itinerary like
we do!) We whisk through entire sections quickly (much more fun!)
and it frees up more of the day for other things. No matter the
time of year, the most crowded time to be in a park is in the
middle of the afternoon (and during the warmer months you don't
want to be out in the intense heat and humidity, regardless).
The short response to your question is
that 100% of our guests who thought they wouldn't
want to be in a park that early have thanked their Private Guide
by lunch on their first day for politely insisting. It never fails
... "When do you want us ready tomorrow?"
If you cannot even consider our 'plan'
as an option, your Private Guide will do everything he or she
can to make the most of your time. We urge you to at least
try our way first, however.
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Is our Private Guide with us during the entire vacation?
He or she can be with you for
any hours that are of service to your family. The definition of
'hours that are of service' is entirely up to you. For example,
more than one Private Guide has stayed with their family's children
during the daily break to take them to the pool. Where are the
parents? Getting a massage or simply relaxing of course! Otherwise,
expect to see him or her in the mornings and evenings.
It is understandable to perhaps feel
apprehensive about 'spending your entire vacation' with someone
you have never met. Please know that our Private Guides are in
this line of work because they are very friendly and enjoy
meeting new people. He or she is the one making sure that everyone
has the best possible day. Trust us from experience, your Private
Guide will become a very popular 'honorary' member of the family
in no time at all. The kids always latch onto their Private Guide
within a few hours!
You also have the opportunity to communicate
with your Private Guide as much as you like before arriving. One
of the principles important to Michael when he founded the company
was that his VIPs should feel like they are greeted by an 'old
friend' and not a stranger when they arrive.
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Is it possible for us to want our Private Guide for too many
hours?
No. We are here to provide The Ultimate
Vacation Experience. If you prefer to have your Private Guide
with you everywhere you go in Central Florida, there is no one
more qualified! Remember, our VIP services extend beyond the boundaries
of the theme parks. We enjoy taking our guests to any fun location
they wish to explore.
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How many hours per day do most guests employ the Private Guide service?
How much does this cost? Do you have a cancellation policy?
On average, most of our Private
Guides spend approximately 6 to 8 hours per day with their guests.
This usually depends on how much of a midday break is used and
the operating hours of the visited park.
Our VIP Private Guide service is $100
per hour plus an additional standard gratuity rate of 20% for
your host. We also require that he or she be used for a minimum of six consecutive hours per day. There are a few exceptions, however. Please visit our Service
Rates page for all the details.
Holiday Rates: We charge $125 per hour plus the standard gratuity of 20% on Thanksgiving, Christmas day, NYE & New Year's Day, and Easter.
Cancellation Policy: Should you cancel your VIP Tour with less
than 24-hours notice you will be charged 4 VIP Tour hours, whichever rate is applicable, plus
gratuity. Certain exceptions apply.
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Do you work with travel agents?
Yes! We are not a travel agency,
and are available to provide our personal advice if it will help
you in any way to assist your important clients. (i.e. hotel choice,
vacation options, transportation, etc.)
We are grateful to you for sharing our VIP service opportunities
with others, and we provide a 'thank you' commission.
For more details, please contact us at tours@michaelsvips.com.
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We are a couple. Are your Private Guide services only for families?
We have catered our site's phrasing to
our main market, which is families. However, a Private
Guide can be very beneficial to a couple. Let's be blunt: There's
nothing worst than a 'third wheel,' but that hasn't been the case
according to our guests and Private Guides.
You are coming to have fun like everyone
else, right? Allow a Private Guide to show you the area's 'best
of the best' without the lines and crowds! He or she will know
when to 'fade to the background.' For example, if a ride vehicle
seats only two or three guests, we promise you will be
alone! ;>)
We also handle your dining arrangements
a little differently. Most of our families want the company of
their Private Guide in the restaurants. However, we prefer to
arrange the most romantic restaurants for our couples and reserve
tables for two ...
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You mention Walt Disney World throughout your site. Do you only
provide VIP Tours to their parks?
We specialize in the best possible vacation
experience to the Walt Disney World Resort because it is the number
one vacation destination in the world. It is probably the main
reason why you are reviewing this web site! However, Orlando /
Central Florida provides an amazing plethora of parks and attractions
for our VIPs and we enjoy showing them the best choices.
Our VIP Tour services are also available
for Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld (we can
arrange Discovery Cove for you -- a guide is not needed), Kennedy
Space Center, the Florida beaches, and the best shopping locations!
In short, we go everywhere you like to go!
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I carry the burden of being a recognized celebrity. Can you help
me?
We feel your pain. :>) MICHAEL'S VIPS
can definitely assist you with the very best hotel arrangements,
local transportation, security (if applicable), itinerary planning,
as well as provide our Private Guide service for any non-theme
park place you would like to visit in Central Florida.
Each theme park has an office devoted
to helping you experience their attractions with minimal exposure
to fans. As you are probably aware, this often entails taking
your party through backstage areas that are usually restricted
to guests. We can arrange and reserve all of your theme park tour
guides for you and ensure you receive the best possible treatment.
However, the tour guides from the theme
parks are only available to assist you in their parks,
and they often have restrictions on escorting their guests to
certain locations on their own property.
Most of our Private Guides are former
celebrity hosts from the theme parks and have admirable levels
of experience taking care of the world's most famous people in
entertainment and sports. They know how to help you spend quality
time with your loved ones and not be on public display. Think
of MICHAEL'S VIPS as your Central Florida personal assistant that
specializes in fun!
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Contact
Us today if we can answer any further questions for you.
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