Anaheim residents and visitors looking for insights into navigating the Disneyland Resort can benefit from the experience of Michael Young, a former VIP Tour Guide. Young, who now serves as the Director of Tourism Development at Visit Anaheim, recently shared details about the specialized training and personalized services offered by VIP Tour Guides, alongside practical tips for all park-goers.
Becoming a VIP Tour Guide involves extensive preparation, according to Young. Training includes mastering a comprehensive tour book detailing attractions, retail shops, food and beverage options, fun facts, and specific locations within the parks. This is followed by a mentor program designed to refine hosting skills and deepen knowledge of the resort. This thorough background allows guides to enhance a visit by sharing the history of attractions, introducing beloved characters, and pointing out little-known facts or hidden gems, thereby adding to guests' sense of wonder, imagination, and nostalgia.
VIP tours are custom-tailored to each group, aiming to create a perfect day. Services include detailed itinerary planning, expedited access to attractions like the classics in Fantasyland, reserved seating for parades and fireworks, assistance with dining reservations, and opportunities for exclusive merchandise. Young noted that beyond these structured benefits, a key aspect of the guide's role is creating unexpected, special moments for guests. He explained that Disney empowers its cast members to achieve this, offering an example of a guide arranging for a guest who enjoys being on the water to go up to the wheelhouse and 'steer' the Mark Twain Riverboat.
Young also provided general tips for all visitors to the Disneyland Resort. For those seeking convenient restroom locations, he highlighted one "tucked away underneath the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree in Bayou Country" at Disneyland Park. At Disney California Adventure Park, he suggested the restrooms located "right across from Soarin’ just because they’re big."
Regarding dining, Young expressed a personal preference for the corn dog, recommending the Little Red Wagon on Main Street, U.S.A., the Stage Door Café in Frontierland, or the Corn Dog Castle in Disney California Adventure Park. For dessert, he pointed to the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor in Disneyland Park and the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain in Disney's California Adventure Park. Other food recommendations include the Count Down Chicken Fusilli at Alien Pizza Planet in Tomorrowland, and Walt's Chili – a favorite dish of the park’s founder – available at Carnation Café.
For guests celebrating a special occasion, Young shared a way to experience a touch of personalized magic. City Hall at Disneyland Park offers buttons for events like a first visit, graduation, marriage, or birthdays. Wearing these buttons encourages cast members to interact with guests, greeting them by name, wishing them well, and cheering on their celebrations throughout the resort.
Reflecting on his time as a VIP Tour Guide, Young described the role as highly rewarding. He noted the joy of "reliving this through new eyes every day," and experiencing the parks through the discoveries made by children. He also recalled moving experiences from his work with Make-A-Wish, witnessing nonverbal children speak for the first time upon seeing a character, describing these as "a front row seat for some amazing moments."
