Reception on the Grand 1 Yacht

[Megan_Blair10!]

The fiance and I have been so indecisive on having a wedding or just running to the courthouse (we would much rather spend our money on the honeymoon to Disneyland!!). This was all until we found out about the Grand 1. Its so hard to find recent reviews/info on everything there is to offer, so I'm hoping you lovely ladies can shed some light on the topic. Ideally, it would happen early janurary 2017 with our immediate family (16 & 2 babies), dinner prior to boarding.

My questions are:
Can we actually get married on the cruise?
How many people can fit (I see different numbers everywhere)
What is the cost? (again, I keep finding different prices)
Is 1 hour enough for cake/champgane/fireworks/exploring? (We think maybe doing 2 hours)

Thank you!

 

[lurkyloo]

Can we actually get married on the cruise?

Yes, just don't broadcast it if that's what you're doing. The officiants on Disney's list are not allowed to help you with that, but there are other local officiants who are OK with it.

How many people can fit (I see different numbers everywhere)

18 people total (they don't include the captain and a deckhand in that count).

What is the cost? (again, I keep finding different prices)

It recently went up.
The rate is now $850.94 per hour (including tax), with a 1-hour minimum most of the year. On holidays, trips are limited to 1 hour and cost $2,000.

Is 1 hour enough for cake/champgane/fireworks/exploring? (We think maybe doing 2 hours)

Thank you!

Probably, if your ceremony is just 5 or 10 minutes. But if you can afford it, longer might be nicer.

 

[Megan_Blair10!]

Thank you so much!! A great help We may just not do the ceremony on board, don't wanna get anyone in trouble!

How should I go about booking? The WDWPLAY phone number for the yatch, then catering for cake/champagne? Or could it all be done together, somehow? Also, when could I book?

 

[lurkyloo]

Yes, you have to do them separately. You can book the Yacht up to 180 days in advance, same as dining reservations.

Yacht: 1-407-WDW-PLAY
Grand Floridian Private Dining: 1-407-824-2474

 

[R-Patz]

Hi!

This has helped me so much, I was looking into booking the Grand Yacht 1 to view Wishes after our reception as a nice surprise for our family, but was clueless about how it works. Thanks Lurkyloo! I didn't realise you had to wait until the 180 day mark to book, that is a relief to know that as I can make sure the wedding plans are all in place first

I have heard about people having a dessert party on the Grand Yacht 1, however the only prices I can find are for big groups, and not specifically for the Grand Yacht 1. Does anyone know roughly how much it would be to have a dessert party for about 15 guests?

And is the Wishes tour about 1 hour?

 

[lurkyloo]

For Wishes, the ride lasts one hour. You can order whatever kind of desserts you want from Private Dining—there's no set menu—so what you choose determines the price. I have the Grand Floridian's Private Dining Yacht menu at the bottom of this page: http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/sample-catered-event-menus/

 

[Megan_Blair10!]

Hi!

This has helped me so much, I was looking into booking the Grand Yacht 1 to view Wishes after our reception as a nice surprise for our family, but was clueless about how it works. Thanks Lurkyloo! I didn't realise you had to wait until the 180 day mark to book, that is a relief to know that as I can make sure the wedding plans are all in place first

I have heard about people having a dessert party on the Grand Yacht 1, however the only prices I can find are for big groups, and not specifically for the Grand Yacht 1. Does anyone know roughly how much it would be to have a dessert party for about 15 guests?

And is the Wishes tour about 1 hour?

I called a few days ago trying to reserve in Janurary, but it wasnt available yet! The CM mentioned that park hours for the month have not yet been released, so the time for Wishes has not been set & to try back in a couple weeks. I was so nervous when i heard "...unfortunetly..." that it was already reserved, but there is still hope!!

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

18 people total (they don't include the captain and a deckhand in that count).

I'm sorry Lurkyloo but I think you are wrong. I've recently spoken to the Grand Floridian marina directly and they advised that the max guest count for the Grand 1 is now 12. I've also had this confirmed when I rang Disney water sports.

I wanted to hire the Grand 1 for my son's 21st birthday and we are a party of 18 but I was emphatically told that we would only be able to have 12 guests.

 

[lurkyloo]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/specialty-cruises/

^^ Did some research, and it turns out they just changed the policy about a month ago. The new guest count is actually 13, so I guess we're BOTH wrong! They only cap it at 12 if you want to have a butler ride along with you.

 

[melanieewr]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/specialty-cruises/

^^ Did some research, and it turns out they just changed the policy about a month ago. The new guest count is actually 13, so I guess we're BOTH wrong! They only cap it at 12 if you want to have a butler ride along with you.

Good to know! I didn't realize the booking window had changed and I had my alarm set for the 90 day mark to book. All of my available dates were booked
If anyone is thinking about cancelling any night Oct 12th through the 15th, I would love to know! I will probably be cancelling an extra Boardwalk Villas studio during those dates and I'm seriously considering offering to trade it for just the Grand 1 booking instead of cancelling it! Of course I keep calling almost every day
Still hopeful!

 

[Megan_Blair10!]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/specialty-cruises/

^^ Did some research, and it turns out they just changed the policy about a month ago. The new guest count is actually 13, so I guess we're BOTH wrong! They only cap it at 12 if you want to have a butler ride along with you.

Well, that pretty much ruins our whole plan Now thinking about just about a dinner/dessert party. I would prefer Wishes over Illuminations, but the options seem so limited for that.

Back to drawing board..

 

[lurkyloo]

Wait–why does it ruin your whole plan? You can always book 2 pontoon boats for Wishes and do the same thing. Or do a small party at Sago Cay or the Contemporary to watch Wishes.

 

[Megan_Blair10!]

Wait–why does it ruin your whole plan? You can always book 2 pontoon boats for Wishes and do the same thing. Or do a small party at Sago Cay or the Contemporary to watch Wishes.

I guess "ruin" is a bit extreme of a word, but will take a bit more to find options. I love the idea of being out on the water, but 2 pontoon boats won't have the same gathering & feel of being together.

I just looked up Sago Cay a bit, and it could be an option. Are there any locations at the Poly for Wishes parties?

 

[lurkyloo]

Unfortunately there are none at the Poly. But at the Contemporary there are two patios at the front of the convention center that have a vie of the fireworks across the parking lot. http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2014/01/01/wishes-dessert-parties-at-the-contemporary-resort/

 

[Megan_Blair10!]

Unfortunately there are none at the Poly. But at the Contemporary there are two patios at the front of the convention center that have a vie of the fireworks across the parking lot. http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2014/01/01/wishes-dessert-parties-at-the-contemporary-resort/

After doing even MORE research (and speaking with the fiance), SCP is definitely an option!

Just want to make sure I'm understanding it all okay: $1,250 f&b min, $500 for music, about $75 set up fee, taxes/gratuity (not sure of those percentages). Anything im missing?

Is it possible to have both savory & sweet? Like, small appetizers?
And basically, the cost of food will be per person (depending on whats chosen), but that all must meet/exceed the min. Is that even possible for only, maybe, 20 people? Seems like an awful lot of food! (Seeing as some parties are around $30 pp.)
When could this be booked? And who would be best to contact (DFTW, GF private dining, Disney catering)..so many people, how does one keep track?!?
Speaking of food, which sample menus would be best to look at to get some ideas on offerings?
Because its not in a park, I could wear a wedding-ish dress?
What about photography? I don't have to hire through Disney..and could we take some around the resort before/after the party


Thank you so much for all your help!! & sorry about all the questions..Disney really should make this stuff easier to find!

 

[lurkyloo]

Just want to make sure I'm understanding it all okay: $1,250 f&b min, $500 for music, about $75 set up fee, taxes/gratuity (not sure of those percentages). Anything im missing?

That's it's, unless you want to pay for transportation. Service charge is 23% and tax is 6.5%. If you have the PassPorter, you can plug your estimated amounts into the self-calculating Wishes Budget in Chapter 9 and it'll figure out what gets taxed and service charged for you.

Is it possible to have both savory & sweet? Like, small appetizers?
And basically, the cost of food will be per person (depending on whats chosen), but that all must meet/exceed the min. Is that even possible for only, maybe, 20 people? Seems like an awful lot of food! (Seeing as some parties are around $30 pp.)

All menus are completely customizable, so you can put whatever you want on them: sweet and savory. It is definitely not hard to reach $63 per person if you only have 20 people. Don't forget that the minimums include beverages, so if you have a bar you will easily reach $1,250.

When could this be booked? And who would be best to contact (DFTW, GF private dining, Disney catering)..so many people, how does one keep track?!?

Who you contact depends on whether you're doing a Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding. If yes, then your planner can arrange it. If no, then you would call Disney Catered Events. GF Private Dining is more for parties of 2-6.

Speaking of food, which sample menus would be best to look at to get some ideas on offerings?

You can get pretty much anything you dream up - menus are not location-specific. I have a bazillion of them here: http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/sample-catered-event-menus/

Because its not in a park, I could wear a wedding-ish dress?

Disney cannot stop you from wearing a wedding gown at the resorts, just at the parks. However, lately some Disney Catered Events planners have been telling non-DFTW brides they can't even wear their gowns at resort events. Basically, I would not even bring up what you plan to wear.

What about photography? I don't have to hire through Disney..and could we take some around the resort before/after the party

Yes and yes.

Thank you so much for all your help!! & sorry about all the questions..Disney really should make this stuff easier to find!

That's why I wrote the book!