One of the really cool things about Walt Disney World is that, not only can you visit four incredible theme parks, but most of them offer amazing behind-the-scenes tours. At the Magic Kingdom, guests can venture into Disney’s famed underground “Utilidors” during the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests can dine on the savanna on the Wild Africa Trek. At EPCOT, guests can swim with the dolphins during Dolphins in Depth.
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For those who really want to splurge, Disney also offers private VIP tours. The Disney VIP tour guide will take you around the Disney park (or parks) of your choice, getting you to the front of the line on attractions that are must-dos. However, this is not a cheap experience. Tour guides can cost a group of up to 10 people anywhere between $450 and $900 per hour. The Private VIP Tour must also be a minimum of seven hours.
A lot of people cannot afford one of Disney’s elite private VIP tours. That is why third-party tour companies have exploded in popularity. These tour companies are not affiliated with Disney, but their guides know Disney just as well as the guides and can take your family around the parks for a fraction of the price.
It should be noted that third-party guides are not technically allowed at Walt Disney World, but for decades, Disney has largely ignored them.
Until now.
Banning Guides
Back in October, rumors began swirling that Disney was actively banning third-party tour guides from its park. Then, in November, those rumors were confirmed when tour guides were confronted by the police and told they needed to leave the property or risk arrest. These tour guides were shocked and saddened by Disney’s sudden change of heart.
However, in a statement to The Washington Post, Disney said that it had no choice. While a number of tour companies are respected and follow the rules, there are some guides who are blatant about breaking the rules — going so far as to tell guests to lie about having a disability so they can get a front-of-the-line pass:
Disney said in an emailed statement that they are taking additional steps to enforce their rules that prohibit commercial activities, such as tours provided by third-party operators, because of a “significant increase in these rule violations.” They cited that some operators have sold unauthorized Disney services, including in-park offerings like Genie Plus line-cutting services, the Disability Access Service, and the park’s dining and lodging reservations.
“When this activity happens, it impacts the experience of other guests following the rules — including our guests with disabilities — and impedes our theme park operations,” a spokesperson wrote. “Just like Starbucks would not permit a third party to come into their stores to sell coffee to their customers, Disney does not permit unauthorized commercial activities in its theme parks.”
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While the tour guides understand that there are those who violate the rules, they do not understand why Disney is going after all of them. Some of these guides have been in business for decades, taking hundreds of families through the parks.
Guides Left Disheartened and Worried
One such guide, Melinda Hanks, said that she has always respected the rules while taking clients around the parks, and Disney has never warned her that she could get in trouble:
“I’m not some criminal,” Hanks recalls telling security officers as she pleaded with them to reconsider the ban. She moved to Orlando from Wisconsin with her husband and family to be closer to Disney World, which she has been visiting since she was a child. Her sons celebrate their birthdays at the parks; she and her husband do the same for their wedding anniversary.
“Disney is everything to me; it’s my entire life,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Dedicated guides like Melinda put everything into their business, and they now wonder what will happen. Being banned from Walt Disney World Resort theme parks means that they have no way of making money. This leaves some of them and their families in dire financial straights heading into the holiday season.
Many of the guides are begging Disney for a “seat at the table.” They know that the rules currently state that third-party guides aren’t allowed in the parks, but they are hoping that they can come to some sort of agreement with Disney. Perhaps, like travel agencies, third-party guides could become “Disney certified” and be allowed to operate in the parks once again.
Do you think that Disney should work with these third-party guides and let them back in the parks? Let us know in the comments!