Timeline, Sunset, Grand 1, too much Dessert?

[Chilly]

Help I need everyones opinions ideas and suggestions. (Sorry this is long.)

Our timeline currently stands like this for our Escape Wedding on December 30th based on Wishes being at 8:30pm as it was last year:

2:30pm>3:00pm Ceremony WP
3:00pm>3:30pm Photos
3:30pm>4:00pm Cake Cutting GF
4:00pm>4:30pm Spill Over/extra photos
4:30pm>6:30pm Reception Key West Room GF
6:30pm>8:00pm GAP
8:00pm>9:00pm Wishes DP

However I don't really want a gap as its not really long enough for anyone to do anything apart from us as we could go to our room in the GF so I thought about this timeline...

2:30pm>3:00pm Ceremony WP
3:00pm>3:30pm Photos
3:30pm>4:00pm Cake Cutting GF
4:00pm>4:30pm Spill Over/extra photos
4:30pm>6:30pm Reception Key West Room GF
6:30pm>8:00pm Grand1 Cruise for 1 hour, 15 mins either side for travel between locations
8:00pm>9:00pm Wishes DP

However on December 30th Sunset is at 5:40pm so it would be pretty dark while we cruised on the Grand1, would we see anything, would it be worth it?

To have a sunset cruise we would have to have this timeline...

2:30pm>3:00pm Ceremony WP
3:00pm>3:30pm Photos
3:30pm>4:00pm Cake Cutting GF
4:00pm>4:30pm Spill Over/extra photos
4:30pm>6:00pm Grand1 Cruise for 1 hour, 15 mins either side for travel between locations
6:00pm>8:00pm Reception Key West Room GF
8:00pm>9:00pm Wishes DP

The downside is that we'd go straight from the Reception to the DP, would anyone want dessert so soon after wedding cake which we are serving at the end of our reception?

Can any lovely DISBride help me with my dilemma?

[disprincessatheart]

We had a 2:30 ceremony at the WP with dinner at Narcoossee's and a Wishes cruise. We thought we would have downtime and there was NONE. In fact we had to rush to finish dinner in time to make the boat.

You havent' allowed any transport time between the WP pictures and cake cutting (it does take about 10 minutes for each round trip the limo needs to make to bring guests over, 8 at a time). Also our cake cutting went until 5.

Where is your reception in relation to the DP? I really think you'll end up with the reception being closer to 5 -7pm and then only an hour between that official end and the DP. If they're not in the same location then make sure you allow travel time, if they are guests will just hang out. I think you're fine with the original timeline.

Oh, my guests also loved hanging out in the GF lobby! By that time of day they're playing live music and the bar is open!

Oops - I forgot your cake/dessert question. We fed our guests TONS of cake, then went off to dinner 45 minutes later. We were at dinner - 4 courses - for 3 hours and they all had the dessert at the end. I knew that MY family could be counted on to eat a second dessert!! I'd say just have some to go containers with you to box up extra cake or desserts for people to take with them incase they are too full for more desserts. We got an extra tier on our cake and brought cheap store brand containers (the biggest ones they had like the ziplock tubs) to box up what we knew would be all the extras. I accidentally managed to have on per couple/family, except for my immediate family of 6 who were all in one condo. We got 2 boxes from Disney to take all the cake that was still left after all the containers were filled, so I sent one box with them and we kept the box with the top tier. ANYWAY, my point is I think you should do the regular size cake, and the DP with a smallish menu, and still plan for containers (disney may tell you officially you cant' take the food, but they dont' seem to stop anyone that does it) for leftovers for those who are interested. That way you don't feel like you've wasted any money and you got to do all that you wanted.

[Chilly]

Thanks for your input.

We've decided to eat the cake at the cake cutting and not at the end of the reception so it won't be too much dessert together, so that takes care of one issue.

The December park times are out next week so we'll find out for definate what time Wishes is on that night which may well be later than i've said which will give us a bit more time between things.