Walt Disney World’s Secret Elite-Level Vacation Experiences Revealed

The keys to the Magic Kingdom are guarded closely. From private club access to custom celebrations, there’s rumored to be an entirely other Walt Disney World for those who can stomach the price. Here are just a few of Walt Disney World’s enchanted extras, the secret elite-level vacation experiences you may want to uncover for your next visit:

Hotel – Elite property stays and custom homes

Sure, there are club-level rooms at nearly all of WDW’s five-star properties, including The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. You can also level up to custom private homes in the exclusive Golden Oak community, located in Lake Buena Vista. These eight-figure mini-mansions, scarce as they are opulent, exude luxury living for Disneyphiles who want to live an uber-Disney lifestyle year-round.

For a shorter stay, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is the ideal luxury hotel. Also located in the Golden Oak community in Lake Buena Vista, a 10-minute shuttle ride to EPCOT, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando offers white-glove five-star amenities such as Explorer Island, a five-acre water park for the family that includes a winding lazy river, two water slides, splash zone, family pool, and a climbing wall. The Four Seasons Resort Orlando also boasts Walt Disney World’s only separate adult-only pool, surrounded by private cabanas. The Royal Suite, which can connect to a 9-bedroom residence, can be booked starting at $19,000 per night. Alternatively, book a buyout of the 16th floor and have all 21 rooms for your guests with your private elevator access. If that isn’t enough to keep you planted on the property, explore the spa, 24-hour fitness center, Movement Lawn for regular yoga classes, and the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando with an 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course.

Character breakfasts are a thing at WDW, so why not book your own private character experience and have breakfast with Anna and Elsa from Frozen? You can do that at the Four Seasons too.

Invitation-Only Perks

Most people don’t know that you might be able to get a tour of Cinderella Castle and even a possible overnight stay in the suite if you are invited. How does one get invited? It’s a Catch-22. As this is an invite-only experience, you’ll know because you are invited. Other ways to gain access might include bidding for charity on a site like Omaze, which ran a sweepstakes to support the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, offering an overnight stay in Cinderella Castle suite.

The highest level of invitation-only membership is Club 33, a private members-only club started by Walt Disney himself. The hideaway is rumored to offer fine dining and the only bar on theme park property. The decor is an homage to Walt Disney’s worldwide travels, accompanied by a small plates menu with a staff waiting to arrange experiences for members upon request. It is said that any perk can be arranged. Club 33’s annual dues are rumored to be in the range of $15,000, not including an upfront initiation fee. The catch here, of course, is that this is an invite-only experience.

The premiere dining experience at Walt Disney World is at Chef’s Table at Victoria & Albert’s restaurant, located in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa within the Walt Disney World Resort. Steeped in Victorian elegance and modeled after Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration in 1897, dining here is a 3-hour culinary journey carefully crafted to your preferences. The Chef’s Table is a 9-course tasting menu at $425 per guest.

Customized experiences

You can create your own Disney dream day with a private VIP tour, which ranges from $450 to $900 per hour for a 7-hour minimum for up to 10 people. You simply tell the tour guide what you want to do, see, eat and experience, and they will make it happen. The customized day will begin when you are picked up from your WDW resort in a private vehicle with a dedicated VIP tour guide, who will share lots of park insider information throughout the day. The experience includes immediate access to most rides and attractions. That means no lines!

Disney also has a program called Enchanting Extras. Among the 68 “extras”: La Cava Experience at EPCOT, a tasting menu led by a Tequila Ambassador of some of the finest tequila in the world for $180 per person. Enchanting Extras also offers a Walt Disney World Specialty Cruise , a private charter from the Walt Disney World marina. Wrap up your stay with a nighttime cruise starting at $399 for up 10 guests for roughly one hour. It offers the most beautiful vantage point as the skies light up with the nightly fireworks displays, in either EPCOT or the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake near the Magic Kingdom.