How Disney Journey Agent Plans Holidays for Celebrities and Extremely-Wealthy

• Greg Antonelle has booked hundreds of Disney holidays for folks via his firm MickeyTravels. 
• Since founding the corporate, he is deliberate journeys for royals, actors, musicians, and athletes.
• The journeys usually contain VIP tour guides that price upwards of $29,750 for a five-day journey. 

Greg Antonelle instructed Insider he by no means deliberate to work with ultra-wealthy purchasers when he and his spouse launched MickeyTravels, a Disney vacation-planning firm, in 2011.

However as the corporate expanded to 250 journey brokers, so did its listing of connections to the skilled sports activities world and leisure trade, Antonelle, the managing director of MickeyTravels, mentioned. Because it was based, the company has deliberate Disney holidays for royalty, musicians, athletes, and actors, Antonelle added.

At the moment, Antonelle estimates {that a} third of his purchasers plan deluxe journeys to Disney parks. These journeys usually contain suites on the nicest Disney resorts and VIP tour guides that price $850 an hour. 

Planning a visit begins by nailing down the specified expertise

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So long as a shopper plans to remain on a Disney property, Antonelle and his staff will ebook their journey. In 2021, he mentioned his staff booked greater than 10,000 Disney journeys. 

“The demographics can go from a younger couple on their honeymoon at a price resort to 25 folks for a household reunion the place they’re staying on the Grand Floridian,” Antonelle mentioned, referencing Disney World’s costliest resort. 

Antonelle mentioned his wealthier purchasers usually know precisely what they need out of their Disney expertise, akin to reservations at widespread, costly eating places like Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios and House 220 Restaurant at Epcot.

In relation to Walt Disney World parks, Hollywood Studios is by far the preferred amongst his purchasers adopted by Magic Kingdom, Antonelle mentioned.

As soon as Antonelle’s staff is aware of what his purchasers are searching for, he mentioned his journey brokers begin locking down particulars like VIP tour guides and reservations in Disney villas.

Antonelle’s rich purchasers usually request the $850/hour VIP tour

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An improve to the normal park expertise, VIP excursions — which are run through Disney — assign visitors their very own private Disney solid member and provides them entry to non-public areas. Plus, they will skip the traces at rides and quick-service eating places, and park-hopping guidelines do not apply, Antonelle mentioned. Sometimes, visitors can’t move between parks until 2 p.m. each day, however on a VIP tour, visitors can go wherever at any time when, Antonelle mentioned. 

Past the perks, VIP tour guides know “the ins and outs of each inch of the parks,” Antonelle mentioned. They supply historical past, tales, and strange Disney details all through their excursions. 

Relying on the season, a VIP tour information prices between $650 and $850 an hour, he mentioned. That does not embody park admission plus there is a seven-hour minimal requirement per day. A single day with a VIP tour information can vary between $4,550 and $5,950, and a few of Antonelle’s purchasers will ebook a VIP information for a whole week, he mentioned, costing upwards of $29,750. 

The ultra-rich splurge on high Disney inns, suites, and villas

Loads of luxurious vacationers ebook the nicest suites at Disney resorts, however Antonelle mentioned that is not at all times the case.

“We have booked sure purchasers that you’d suppose would go all out and that they will spend unimaginable quantities of cash,” he mentioned. “However they do not.”

As an illustration, Antonelle mentioned his staff helped coordinate a trip final December for a well known singer and actor who did not have any particular lodging. As an alternative, they booked a extra primary room in a Disney World lodge. 

Most vacationers who spend massive, nonetheless, splurge on luxurious suites and villas, and sometimes keep on the monorail resorts at Magic Kingdom to allow them to simply get to and from their resort, Antonelle mentioned. 

The highest three resorts are Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the place the nicest suite prices $4,800 per night time throughout peak season, in response to Inside the Magic; Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the place the worth of an evening within the ambassador vice-presidential suite ranges between $2,500 and $4,000, in response to Touring Plans; and Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the place a two-bedroom suite is priced between $2,500 and $4,700 an evening, in response to Touring Plans. 

Antonelle mentioned he has one rich shopper who visits Disney World annually and books a whole flooring on the Grand Floridian for 10 nights. For reference, a single night time in a typical room on the Grand Floridian prices $750, in response to Disney’s website.

Reserving brokers journey to Disney to function assistants to their rich purchasers

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Antonelle mentioned his wealthier purchasers are used to a sure way of life. They count on that customary all through their Disney journey.

To make it possible for’s completed, Antonelle mentioned his company will ship the reserving journey agent right down to Disney to assist the purchasers in individual.

“They will virtually act as their assistant for the week,” Antonelle mentioned, including that they’re going to verify into the lodge on behalf of the shopper, handle eating reservations, and be obtainable on FaceTime if something goes mistaken contained in the park.

Moreover, privateness is an enormous factor for a lot of of his celebrity-status purchasers. 

Antonelle mentioned avoiding crowds is a tricky promise to make, however he added that the VIP excursions’ entry to non-public areas helps hold his purchasers as behind the scenes as potential. 

Antonelle added that the Florida wardrobe requirements — sun shades and a hat — twin as a primary disguise. 

In the end, Antonelle mentioned his purchasers have the identical objective as everybody: They need to expertise the magic of Disney. 

“When celebrities are right here, they only need to be like anyone else,” he mentioned. “They’re simply seeking to have enjoyable.”