Getting the VIP treatment at Universal- Is the Cost Worth It?

Here’s a way to feel like you really are the star on a movie set. With the VIP tour at Universal Resort in Orlando. But the cost does come at a premium.

There are both private and non-private tours available. And there are one-park and two-park options at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Orlando.  Then there’s Epic, which doesn’t follow any of these models, so we’re focusing only on Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for this article.

What’s Included in the VIP Tours?

VIP Experience

• Single park 4 hours, single park with breakfast 5 hours, two park with breakfast and lunch 7 hours
• parties limited to 7
• Separate Theme Park Admission is Required
• The tour is pre-determined
• You may be with other groups, this is not private.
• VIP backstage access to rides
• One car free valet parking if pre-purchased
• Prices begin at $249.99

VIP PRIVATE Experience

• Single Park or Two Park options
• A group is 5 guests. Additional guests add $450-$500 or more, depending on the tour and date.
• Free “My Universal Photos”
• Valet parking for one car
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• You choose the rides
• VIP backstage entrance for rides
• Express Passes for after the tour is over

My husband’s work tour was a two-park, private VIP tour for 9 people, and all of them needed the 2-park ticket on June 30th.

$8,859.67 +tax and gratuity

The Experience

My husband’s work group had a really great time, and thankfully, the group coordinator sent me photos and receipts so I can share the experience with you. Keep in mind that specific details are subject to change or may differ for your group.

First, they really wanted to do Epic, but it exceeded the $10,000 budget for this team building experience.

The tour began with breakfast, where they shared their must-do rides. It was a buffet in a private dining area reserved for tours. The guide knew bad weather was predicted, so they hit the big outdoor rides early, starting in Diagon Alley. After Gringotts, they took the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmede and rode Hagrid’s (twice) and then hit Velocicoaster (twice). Hulk was down, or they would have done that as well. At most of the rides, they entered through the exit, at Mummy, they used the Team Member areas backstage.

Lunch was back at Universal Studios in the same exclusive location. There was everything from a fried chicken dinner to handheld charcuterie. After ponchos were needed for a bit, the tour continued with Transformers, ET, and The Mummy, then headed back over to Islands of Adventure with Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Kong and dinner at Mythos. Mythos will be closing to be re-themed, the guides didn’t know what the replacement dinner choice will be. After dinner, the tour was over, but they all had Unlimited Express Passes and could go explore both parks. Hulk finally opened, so some of them headed that direction. Most were WORN OUT and went home.

Is the Extra Cost Worth the Experience?

As we said earlier, this tour cost $8,859.67 for 9 guests, all of whom needed 2 park tickets. If they bought tickets, food, and Express Unlimited passes, one Valet parking pass, and one My Universal Photos pass for the group to share, the cost is approximately $5490.29. So what do you get for the additional $3,459.46?

What the Guide Brings to the Experience

The most valuable part of the tour is time.

• You do not have to deal with lockers, the guide holds onto everything.
• No waiting in lines- even Express Pass lines take up a lot of time, and Hagrid doesn’t even have that option anymore. My testing indicates that on average, 1/3 of the standby time is spent in the Express Pass line, and Universal officially says it could be 1/2 the wait time. If the wait is 120 minutes, that’s still an hour in line.
• They rode 13 rides and ate three meals in 8 hours, during which several had wait times of 90-120 minutes.
• Food is ready and waiting for you; there’s no time spent planning or waiting for service.

If your budget can support the expense, that’s a big if, I would say it’ll feel worth it.

Takeaways and Tips

A great time was had by all, and they certainly felt like VIPs.

As you can imagine, I am typically the know-it-all about theme parks in my family, so my husband enjoyed coming home and sharing some fun things about the parks that the guide shared. For example, did you know there are two Iron Man pictures on the Spider-Man ride, and there are four opportunities to see Stan Lee?

As a practical point, you will definitely get your steps in, so wear good walking shoes. They were all surprised at how tired they were. The impending weather made their plan a little less efficient, but that’s to be expected anytime in the summer.

If you haven’t been to the parks before, use the time after with your Express Unlimited pass to experience the park’s vibe. Take a moment to sit and rest, since I know you’ll be tired. The tour part is hurrying from ride to ride. Steve had never been to Universal Studios Orlando, and hadn’t been to Islands of Adventure for 15 years. He doesn’t think he really saw the parks this time, either.

What do you think? Would this be a good value for your group? Let us know!