by Diane Siskin
posted March 17, 2007
When my daughter announced that my granddaughter would be celebrating her fifth birthday at Disney World with her almost two-year-old sister, (and, of course, their parents) I immediately had a feeling of déjà vu.
My granddaughters - the birthday girl, Molly and her “baby sister,” Mary, - are now the same ages as our two daughters were when we first took them to Disney World in 1973.
This trip for me would be a “Back to the Future” excursion.
Three decades ago when we made that visit Disney World was an entirely different place.
Sure there was Cinderella’s Castle.
But, you couldn’t sleep in it, like you can now if the Dream Squad picks you as the winner of an overnight at the royal suite within the castle.
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto were there when the Magic Kingdom began, but now these famous cast members seem to “get up closer and more personal with park visitors.’’
Magical moments were ongoing throughout the park as visitors had their pictures made with their favorites. There was even a large group of young ladies, with autograph books in hand, gathered around Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother and Stepsisters.
There are now Princess breakfasts, lunches, dinners and other fairytale gatherings, which are open to princesses of all ages. Many attend in their own fairytale costumes.
Decades ago “it’s a small world’’ was all the rage. Now Pirates of the Caribbean (which was open in 1973) with a totally life-like animated figure of Johnny Depp draws crowds.
The first two hotels within the Magic Kingdom were the Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Resort. The Walt Disney World Resort Monorail traveled right through the Contemporary. It still does. It was the highlight of travel throughout the Kingdom.
Today there are even more modes of park transport. There are trolleys, trams, trains, riverboats, lake cruisers and large strollers (single or doubles), which can be rented on a daily basis.
But three decades ago there weren’t all the satellite parks and attractions, highways, auxiliary roads, hotels, restaurants and shopping centers which now spread out for miles in every direction.
We also didn’t have access to Internet, DVDs and publications that provide information to visitors prior to their visit to the theme parks.
And even with all the reading and knowledge you can now secure before your visit, once you alight from the Monorail you are generally on your own in the Magic Kingdom.
With so much to do and see in a seemingly short time you might become daunted by the task.
To really experience and get the most out of your Disney experience you need to start your visit early in the day.
As you approach the gates to the Magic Kingdom you quickly realize that you are not going to be alone on your journey back to childhood.
The parking lots and trams to the Monorail fill quickly even before the Magic Kingdom opens at 9 a.m.
The Monorail brings everyone to the main entrance to the place where dreams come true.
This is where we found our guide to all things Mickey and Magic.
Through word-of-mouth recommendations we heard of a little-known, but well patronized Disney World service, VIP Tour Guides.
This service provides a tour guide to the land of dreams. Ours was Les Tsui from Hawaii, a five-year veteran of the Walt Disney World’s guide service.
Les greeted us at the gateway to the Magic Kingdom.
A quick discussion ensued while he digested the “Been there done that” and “I absolutely have to get Ariel’s autograph’’ to “Can we take the two-year-old on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’’ questions.
Les, with his ready smile and out-going personality jumped right in answering all. He ushered our group of nine, including two large strollers, toward Aladdin’s ride before the crowds gathered. We walked right onto the ride, while Les kept watch over our belongings.
Next up he directed us to Ariel’s Grotto in Fantasyland for the 10 a.m. character greeting time. This stop was on the top of the list for the birthday girl and her five-year-old friend. Alas, many other Magic Kingdom visitors also wanted to meet Ariel and a long line had already formed.
While I volunteered to wait in line, Les shepherded the rest of the group to another ride, suggesting we could keep in communication by cell phone. That’s when I realized that my cell phone was no longer with me. (It had been dropped in the parking lot, where I later retrieved it).
“No problem,’’ said Les. “I will take the others and come back to check on you.’’
Almost magically he had everyone back just as I reached the front-of-the-line to greet Ariel in her grotto where she was posed on a rock.
With Ariel’s autograph and picture secured, we easily check-off the top-of-the-list must-do. And we moved on to another must-do.
The VIP guide facilitates visits but it doesn’t provide front of the line access to any attractions. Using a member of this elite squad, of about 100 guides, just makes your visit so much more memorable and enjoyable.
They know how best for you to use the Fast Pass included with every admission to the park.
“Having a tour guide made our trip to Disney even more magical,’’ said Sherri Barnes of Atlanta, Ga. “Thanks to his help we were able to see more of the park than we would have ever covered on our own. We didn’t pull out a map all afternoon. He even helped out with the kids and strollers. Splitting the cost between two families makes it worth every penny.’’
Using a guide is a practical choice for groups, which contain several generations.
Sixty to 70 percent of kids want to vacation with their grandparents, according to travel expert Peter Greenberg. “And, of course, Disney World, is on the top of that wish list.
“A vacation, which includes three generations; grandparents, parents and grandchildren can make memories that last for three lifetimes but trying to satisfy the wants of a variety of different ages and interests at the same time is not easy,’’ said Mr. Greenberg, on a recent Today Show.
But achieving a harmonious vacation involving family and friends takes planning.
While the young children, and the not-so-young, want to ride all the rides, some older visitors just want to find a cool and comfortable perch and chill-out for a while.
Small children less than a designated height (generally 40 inches) can’t ride some of rides. So while everyone else rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, (a high-speed train) the two-year-old and myself visited a nearby play area. There I found other grandparents enjoying their young grandchildren and the shade the area provided.
Later Les, two-year-old, and I enjoyed watching the riverboats from rocking chairs on a shaded-deck, while the rest of the group again rode rides.
So while the cost of obtaining the services of a guide, for the required minimum of six hours, is not inexpensive, the value is definitely there especially for visitors who have just a short window of opportunity in each park.
The guide imparts information and suggestions for visiting not only Magic Kingdom but also the other Disney parks such as Disney-MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot.
If you or a family member wants to get royal with a Disney Princess or join the high-energy “High School Musical’’ pep rally at MGM, or find Nemo in the new “Finding Nemo-The Musical at Animal Kingdom the VIP guides know how to do it.
Les Tsui has seen the same families return five years in a row. “I, literally have seen some kids from the time they were infants to elementary school,’’ said Les.
This year’s Disney World theme is “The Year of a Million Dreams’’ and visiting a park(s) with a member of Disney’s VIP Tour Guides is definitely a dream come true.
For Your Information:
VIP Tour Guides rates are: $125 per hour for visitors staying in a Disney World property and $150 per hour for all others. A guide can assist up to 10 people in a group. Reservations are required three months in advance and need to be secured with a deposit. Cancellations are required 48 hours in advance. For more information: (407) 560-4033.
For more info on the Walt Disney World: www.Disney.com.
(Diane "Cookie" Siskin is a former Chattanoogan now living in Florida with her husband, Charles Siskin. An award-winning travel writer and editor, she can be reached at charlessiskin@earthlink.net)
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The Wicked Step-Sisters (of Cinderella fame) sign autographs for young princesses
Photograph by Diane Siskin
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