Do V&A meals + Grand I fireworks count for Wishes?

[DisneyMoB]

Hi,

Our wedding is going to be a very small party of 6 in total. For our 'reception' we'd really like to have a meal at the Victoria & Albert restaurant, followed by a cruise on the Grand I to watch the fireworks over Magic Kingdom whilst sipping champagne and eating wedding cake.

My question is, would this expenditure count towards the minimum spend for a Wishes wedding? I ask because, adding these costs - and others we're planning - onto an Escape package starts to bring us close to the price of a Wishes wedding. If they do count, then I'm thinking a Wishes wedding would be best because we could book our venue 12 months out rather than taking what's left at 8 months!!

Advice urgently please.

 

[lurkyloo]

Chartering the Grand 1 should count just as if you were to charter it as show transportation from, say the Wedding Pavilion dock to the reception at the Grand Floridian. Victoria & Albert's is a tough call. Escape brides use their private room for events, so I don't see why you couldn't also book a Wishes event there, unless there's something with the accounts for the restaurant being separate from DFTW. But then California Grill's private rooms are used for Wishes events all the time, so I can't see how this would be any different. I think it's definitely worth asking about.

One other thing to consider - when you say that the Escape costs + extras are adding up to the price of a Wishes wedding, are you also factoring the amount OVER the Wishes minimum expenditure that you must pay in service charges (21%) and tax (6.5%)? For example, with a $10,000 Wishes minimum (which goes up to $12,000 in 2010), you could pay $1,500-$2,000 on top of that just in tax and service charges, whereas the Escape package has neither of these. You would only pay them on elements that you added to the Escape package, like the Grand 1, your meal, etc.

 

[DisneyMoB]

Hi Carrie.

Many thanks for your speedy response and the info.

My daughter (the bride-to-be) and I have been reading the DisBoard and Passporter for many months. We've found both to be endless sources of inspiration and information.

Of particular help has been the posted BEOs, from which we've gradually pieced together rough costings for most of the elements that will be her 'dream wedding'. From these we'd begun to realise that the extras + Escape mount up to over $12,000 on a conservative estimate. We'd assumed a Wishes wedding was tantalisingly out of price-reach until discovering that the min. spend for 2010 will be lower than the $15,000 we'd originally been working on (based on not having the seasons thing).

We know we're OK on the room nights (6 people travelling over from the UK: 4 staying in 2 rooms for two weeks, 2 staying in 1 room for 3 weeks); confident we'll be ok on the minimum overall spend; definitely happy to eat and drink our way through the minimum food/beverage spend(!); so the only doubt appears to be meeting a restaurant venue minimum spend on food/drink - this would be hard to achieve with only 6 people in most places. Hence the question re: whether or not a V&A meal will count.

My daughter will ring Disney on Tuesday (think you have Memorial Day tomorrow right?) and try to get a definite answer re including V&A in the Wishes itinery. Schedule flights from England will be out very shortly (i.e. 11 months prior to required dates). We're really worried that having booked the flights we'll discover at 8 months out that she can't get the venue/date/time of her choice and we'll end up having to take something different so that the ceremony can take place during the time we're all in Orlando. Paying a little extra for the Wishes wedding - assuming we can meet all the minimum rules - will give us huge piece of mind that we can have a confirmed ceremony before booking the flights.

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[lurkyloo]

It sounds like you've got it figured out! The other cool thing about doing a Wishes wedding is the amount of service you get with planning, which sounds like it'll be a big help as you plan from such a distance.

 

[Bride-to-be]

I am very curious to hear what you find out about V&A. I called DFTW last fall and was told that they couldn't do anything there. Then being frustrated as soon as I hung up I called the restaurant directly and was told that they do wedding receptions and rehersal dinners there all the time. So who knows?

Its a really great restaurant - so I hope you guys can make it work.

 

[DisneyMoB]

It sounds like you've got it figured out! The other cool thing about doing a Wishes wedding is the amount of service you get with planning, which sounds like it'll be a big help as you plan from such a distance.

We thought we had it all figured out ... until my daughter made the call to Disney Her choice of time had gone for the date she wanted - but at least she found that out now and not in 4 months time. Disney offered an alternative which she's happy with.

However, Stacey (the assigned co-ordinator who has been very helpful) said a V&A meal for a party of 6 in the main restaurant wouldn't count towards the Wishes minimum spend. She also said the Grand I yacht trip wouldn't, which surprised us.

So, it's back to the drawing board/dis board for inspiration!!

 

[DisneyMoB]

I am very curious to hear what you find out about V&A. I called DFTW last fall and was told that they couldn't do anything there. Then being frustrated as soon as I hung up I called the restaurant directly and was told that they do wedding receptions and rehersal dinners there all the time. So who knows?

Its a really great restaurant - so I hope you guys can make it work.

Hi

Picking through all the Disney fog, I'm assuming what they mean is anyone can book and pay to host a reception at V&A, but the cost won't count towards a Wishes minimum spend. Since food and drinks are a huge cost, it would be a big hole to fill with something else. Hmmm, perhaps we could invite Mickey, Minnie and 4 of their friends round for dinner at the V&A and get out numbers up to 12 for the private room?!

Can't understand why we got a 'no' about the Grand I. As LurkyLoo said, it makes sense for it to be counted as transport even if it will be at anchor for most of the time we had intended to hire it. Think we might push on that one a little further. In the meantime, if you have any better luck, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know.