Third-party companies tout advanced knowledge for private tours of complex amusement parks that can cost $1,000 and up
It is amazing how new technologies and a changing economy create jobs that maybe no one could have imagined just a generation ago. Excerpts from the article:
"How much would you pay for a perfect day at Disney? $1,000? $5,000?
Walt Disney World is ever harder to navigate, thanks to heavy crowds, higher prices and a system of rides and reservations that can require families to plan visits with near-military precision. Enter Disney fixers, tour guides with no affiliation to the company, offering to plan your visit and use their understanding of the parks to maximize the magic.
Disney’s own VIP experience is priced from $450 an hour for a group of up to 10 guests on top of admission. It shuttles visitors door-to-door from their hotels to the parks and gives them virtually unlimited access to their favorite attractions. One popular third-party tour operator, Michael’s VIPs, charges $250 an hour for a minimum of six hours, with a limit of eight people, on top of admission.
These outside guides provide more knowledge than access, and have been adding staff to meet demand and offering services at other theme parks, including Universal Orlando Resort and Disneyland Resort in California.
The cost of theme-park vacations is rising, with higher ticket prices and hotel rates. Disney and other park operators now charge for services that used to be free, such as access to special lines that allow visitors to avoid lengthy waits for rides. Some travelers say they don’t want to spend time and money waiting in long lines. Nor do they have time to scour guidebooks and online sources to optimize their park days."
"Spokesman Avery Maehrer says Disney offers these kinds of services to guests “in special ways only Disney could deliver.” Disney has guest-experience teams stationed throughout its parks that can address families’ questions or concerns during visits, he says."
"Third-party companies rely on a combination of timing and knowledge: They ask their clients to arrive at the parks hours before opening, so that they can hit the most popular rides ahead of the crowds. They build itineraries that keep waits to a minimum based on their knowledge of where and when crowds form. They know when to schedule breaks throughout the day to avoid potential temper tantrums."
"Third-party guides exist in a gray area, neither endorsed nor opposed by operators like Disney and Universal"
"Kacey and Jeremy Kaufman of Westchester County, N.Y., hired a third-party guide when they visited Disney World with their three children and Mr. Kaufman’s parents. The guide led them through each of the resort’s four theme parks, Ms. Kaufman says.
“To be able to experience Disney, you have to really do your research, and it’s almost like earning a master’s degree in Disney,” she says, adding that her tour guide was an expert in Disney’s park app.
“By the time he was done after eight hours, we’d seen everything,” Mr. Kaufman says."
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