Credit: DisneyMore than a year after Walt Disney World Resort cracked down on third-party tour guides in its theme parks, a Disneyland Resort guest reports that unauthorized VIP tours are still prevalent in the Southern California Disney parks.
In November 2023, Walt Disney World Resort and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department served trespass notices to multiple Annual Passholders who were caught selling “VIP Tours” to unsuspecting tourists.
These unauthorized guides used their knowledge of ride wait times and crowd levels and occasionally abused the Disability Access Service (DAS) to help their guests “skip” the lines. Those banned from Walt Disney World Resort weren’t refunded for their Annual Passes.
“Unauthorized commercial activities are not permitted at Disney World as clearly stated in our property rules,” a Disney representative said at the time.
A year later, Walt Disney World Resort’s Southern California counterpart might have to initiate a similar crackdown. Redditor u/gossipchaser recently witnessed what they believed to be a third-party VIP tour guide acting as a Disney cast member at Disneyland Resort.
The “guide” wore a Disney Dress Shop-branded dress designed to resemble the Dapper Dans costume. Though similar, this is not the outfit worn by official Disneyland Resort VIP tour guides.
“They looked like they worked for Disney but I have never seen anyone dressed like this before, only the plaids,” the Disney Park guest explained. “She was wearing light blue stripe dress with the big D on it but she had a bunch of face gems and a bit over the top face bling.”
The shiny accessories tipped the guest off–Disney cast members can’t wear unnatural or overstated makeup on the clock. The guest also found the guide’s behavior unusual.
“She was very loud and obviously helping a group navigate through the park,” they continued. “…Was she flat out pretending to work there? It was odd.”
It’s unclear if this guest made her group pay for the tour–which would violate Disneyland Resort’s property rules. “Unauthorized commercial activities” are prohibited. Guests are encouraged to report anyone posing as a Disneyland Resort cast member to protect everyone at the Southern California theme parks.
The only way to get VIP access at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park is to pay for a private VIP tour. The price ranges from $500 to $800 per hour with a seven-hour minimum, which does not include a tip for your VIP tour guide, souvenirs, theme park tickets, or food purchased during the experience.
Were Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort right to ban third-party VIP Tour guides? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments.