Private VIP tours at Universal Orlando can cost thousands, but is the experience worth it? As a frequent visitor to the theme parks, here's why I say yes.
As a journalist who writes about theme parks, I spend a lot of time at Universal Orlando Resort. As other Orlando theme parks have continued to raise prices without much benefit to guests, Universal has become a favorite hangout for my family of four. But on my birthday this year, I asked my clan to experience something completely new together: A private VIP tour of Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure.
What is a Universal private VIP tour?
Universal Orlando offers two types of VIP tours: a group tour, where your party will be grouped with other guests and a tour guide, and private VIP tours. During a private VIP tour, guests get a dedicated tour guide for their group, who takes them around both theme parks, "priority access" (permission to skip the line) for all rides and attractions, behind-the-scenes experiences, valet parking, reserved seating at shows, three complimentary meals and more. And, when the day with your guide ends, you get to remain inside the parks with Express Pass, Universal's ticket for waiting in much shorter ride lines.
Other perks of working with a private VIP guide include building a custom itinerary that's exactly what your family wants to do that day and a complimentary photo package to capture all of the moments your group will share during the day.
How much does a private VIP tour cost?
A private VIP tour at Universal Orlando starts at a base price of $2,300, which accommodates up to five guests. Prices can fluctuate upward from there based on things like the time of year and how close to your desired tour date you're booking the experience. The maximum number of people for a single VIP tour guide is 12, with an added price of about $425 per person as your group grows.
Are there more than 12 VIPs in your party? No problem. Universal puts no limit on the size of a tour group, but an additional tour guide must be booked for every 12 guests. (If you have a group of 15, for example, you'd need to book two tour guides for the day.)
The cost of the private VIP tour does not include park admission, so park tickets must also be purchased for each member of your group.
How do you book a private VIP tour at Universal?
Universal's private VIP tour can't be booked online, so those interested in participating must call the destination to set up their plans. (Group VIP tours, which cost less, can be booked online for about $200 per person, plus park tickets.)
What is a Universal private VIP tour like?
On the day of our VIP tour, my family arrived early at Universal Orlando and took advantage of the valet parking lot, which is a much shorter walk from the parking structure to the theme parks (something you don't realize matters until you're walking back to the car with sore feet at the end of the night.) We headed to the VIP Experience check-in at the front of Universal Studios Florida, where we met our guide, Paul.
Paul took us straight to Café La Bamba, a restaurant inside the park where VIP tour guests are served a buffet-style breakfast, and we fueled up for our busy day. While we ate, Paul asked us exactly what we hoped to see and do during our day at the parks, and we made a plan for our priority rides along with special things throughout both parks Paul wanted us to experience. Since he was the pro, we gladly followed his lead.
We spent our morning riding attractions like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (where Paul took us behind the scenes through Hogwarts castle and showed us intricate parts of the attraction we'd never seen before) and the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. We waited in zero lines for our favorite rides, and instead were taken through private entrances that put us right where you hop into the ride car and experience the attraction.
As we walked through Universal Studios Florida, then rode the Hogwarts Express to Universal's other theme park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, Paul told us stories about both parks that we had never heard before. We truly learned a great deal of information about Universal Orlando's history, what goes on behind the scenes and more — all of which we'd never heard before in our more than seven years visiting the destination.
Paul secured us lunch reservations at Mythos Restaurant, our favorite place to dine while visiting Universal Orlando. Reservations at this Mediterranean, Asian and American restaurant are hard to come by, but for our VIP tour guide, getting a table was no issue. We feasted on grilled octopus, lamb and couscous bowls (each VIP guest gets an appetizer and entrée as part of the tour) and only paid for our alcoholic beverages when the meal was through.
In the afternoon, we spent more time riding our favorite attractions, and Paul spent more time making magic happen for my family. He made sure I got to ride in the special bike seat on the E.T. Adventure ride — the seat where E.T. himself pops up in your bike basket as you ride through the sky. He convinced us to give our least-favorite ride, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, a try, taking his advice for the best rows to sit in for maximum enjoyment. He was right, and completely changed our opinion of the attraction.
Paul was our photographer, historian, backstage tour guide, line-skipping escort and so much more. And, he entertained us with stories of celebrities who he'd taken on the very same tour, making us feel even more VIP. It was truly a day at Universal like no other.
We did skip some parts of our VIP day — a complimentary dinner at any theme park or Universal CityWalk restaurant and those nighttime Express Passes — as it was my birthday and we had dinner plans with friends. But late in the afternoon, as we returned back to our valet-parked car tired, sweaty and ready for an afternoon nap, we were already discussing when we could go back again for another private tour. We'd request Paul, of course, since guests are able to put in a request for a specific guide.
While seemingly expensive, many of the meals and perks included in a private VIP tour at Universal Orlando help offset the cost. As we discussed whether or not the price was worth it, my husband and I agreed: If you want to experience every part of Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure that matter to you during your visit, a VIP tour is the way to go. Even now, when I visit the theme parks as a non-VIP, I feel "very important" in my heart because of the intricacies I learned about how the park runs, films that have been shot inside its gates, how certain rides work and more.
I see this type of tour as a benefit to two types of Universal Orlando guests especially: First-time visitors who want to get the most bang for their time and money and see everything the parks have to offer and long-time Universal fans who think they've experienced all the theme parks have to offer, but want to go a bit deeper and learn more about the destination.
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