( CNN ) -- Walt Disney World is expensive . No two ways about it . Thirty years ago , when I was a kid , you could get into the Magic Kingdom for just $ 18 . Now , tickets cost $ 99 and up . But if you want to take the plunge , you might find that a few splurges are worth it . If you can splurge a bit on the luxury details , you 'll get the luxury benefits , which can really pay off . To Disney or not to Disney ? Check in , stay in . It 's long been the advice of every Disney travel guru on the planet that staying at a Disney World property improves your trip a thousand-fold . You get early access to the parks and easy transportation there , plus you 're eating and breathing Disney 24/7 , that wraparound experience that really makes it feel like vacation . Wan na go the extra step ? Check out Disney World 's newest on-site hotel , the Four Seasons Orlando . Opened in August , the gorgeous property blends Four Seasons luxury style and service with Disney fun . Rooms start at $ 545 , pricey but only a small jump from other luxury Disney properties , and you 're getting a much fancier room and hotel . Plus , the Four Seasons hotel has arguably the coolest swimming pool complex in the resort . Forget paying extra for the water parks . As a guest of the Four Seasons , you can take full , and free , advantage of a family pool , a castle-like kiddie pool with shooting jets of water and other surprises , an 11,000-square-foot lazy river , two water slides and an adult pool . There 's also a supervised kid 's club open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , with a clubhouse , well-thought-out games and activities and almost more staff than kids . My 6-year-old tried out the kids ' program and did n't want to leave . And it 's free with your stay at the Four Seasons . Book a stay before December 19 , and you get your third night free . Certain restrictions apply . The most insane new U.S. roller coasters . Take advantage of valet parking . Maybe you ca n't spring for the Four Seasons or another luxury Disney hotel . But that does n't mean you ca n't sample some of their offerings . If you have a car , you can book a massage at the glorious Grand Floridian hotel ( where room rates start at $ 488 per night ) or maybe even a reservation for the resort 's princess tea party . It costs $ 20 to park for the day with the valet , and then you get the treat you book , plus you can wander around the lush hotel property and enjoy its other wonders . Monorail , kids ? For another window into Disney luxe experiences , you might try dining at Todd English 's high-end bluezoo restaurant at the Dolphin Hotel and then check out the rest of the joint , which is near Hollywood Studios and Epcot ( plus , Swan and Dolphin hotel restaurants will validate your parking , making that part free ) . World 's top 25 amusement parks . Take a private VIP tour . The cost of Walt Disney World is even more exasperating when you realize you 've paid all that money just to wait in line for rides . The always-improving FastPass+ system helps , allowing you to make reservations for up to three rides per day . But who wants to go on just three rides ? Paying for a Disney World VIP tour gives you all kinds of perks : door-to-door transportation from your hotel , preferred seating during select entertainment options and parades , and most important , what amounts to unlimited FastPass+ entries onto rides . Want to go on Splash Mountain six times ? In a row ? At the height of the season ? Well , you can do it with a VIP tour . The various Disney World VIP tour options start around $ 299 per person . But look at it this way : You could pay for theme park tickets for three days ( i.e. , $ 300-plus a person ) to go on only nine FastPass+ rides ( plus wait in interminable lines for whatever else you choose ) . Or for roughly the same amount of money , you could buy a ticket for just one day and , for instance , pay for the `` Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP Tour '' a group experience with a Disney VIP tour guide , lunch at a table-service restaurant included plus automatic FastPass+ admission to 11 of the most exhilarating rides across three Disney World parks . Universal Orlando also has great VIP tour offerings , starting around $ 229 per person . In addition to priority entrance to rides , my family enjoyed having a knowledgeable guide walking us through the park , showing my daughter exactly how to use her wand in Diagon Alley , for instance , or how we could meet the minions without going on the Despicable Me ride . Sally Kohn is an activist , columnist and television commentator . Follow her on Twitter @ sallykohn .
The Four Seasons Orlando offers a new level of luxury . Hide Caption A VIP park tour means breezing through lines for as many rides as you can fit in .