
Disney has recently faced some criticism from the luxury high-end magazine called Town & Country in the form of an article by writer Danielle Stein Chizzik, but Chizzik also had some interesting insights when it came to the value of pricier Disney offerings that could enhance the customer experience!
In the February 2023 issue of Town & Country, writer Chizzik described Walt Disney World Resort as a vacation destination that is “all waiting, whining, and abysmal food.” However, she also pointed out that it can be drastically improved if you “pay the price.”
In this case, paying “the price” meant booking some Private VIP Tours with Disney. These private VIP tours cost about $600 per hour, and at least seven hours are required for the tour session. Tip is also not included in the cost. According to Chizzik, this high price tag does not keep customers away, and “these guides must be booked as soon as you are able.”
Chizzik and her family were able to use their Disney VIP guide to “bypass all of the regular lines, including the one for the new, fabulous, and otherwise almost entirely inaccessible Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster.”
A hurricane (perhaps Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole) was passing through during the family’s visit, and according to the Town & Country writer, “we managed to do all of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios — every single ride — before dinnertime” despite the Disney Parks’ hours being shortened drastically due to the weather.
“There were top secret back entrances, unpublished Disney trivia, and delicious snacks presented to us seemingly out of thin air throughout the day. It was, truly, magical. We fretted — we still fret — that this was precisely the sort of thing that will ruin our children, turn them into entitled jerks,” the writer added. “But when you see the lines at Disney, you will understand our decision to sell their little souls.”
Chizzik and her family also decided to spring for a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando instead of Disney Deluxe Resorts or the cheaper (but not unpleasant) Value Resorts.
“While I maintain that the three monorail hotels —the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, and the recently refreshed Contemporary— are worth considering, there is no doubt that the Four Seasons turns an obligatory family trip into a bona fide vacation,” Chizzik concluded.
“The rooms are sleek, the restaurants are legitimately good (no Winnie the Pooh buffet!), the concierges are unparalleled problem-solvers, and the facilities — infinity and splash pools, water slides, a lazy river, and a kids club — could persuade even the most Disney-obsessed child to allocate time for relaxing poolside,” she added.
If you love a bit of pampering, Chizzik also pointed out that “conveniently close to the pool is the super-luxe spa, which means it’s possible to slip off for an hour of bliss before your family even notices you’re gone.”
Which of these splurges would you spring for on a Disney vacation? Do you agree that it’s worth paying high prices for special treatment on Disney vacations, despite the possibility of turning your children into “entitled jerks”? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!