Transportation Required for Illuminations Dessert Party?

[FawnB]

Hello all!

We are currently reading over our LOA and only have one question/issue: in the LOA it states that we will be required to use Disney transportation to get any guests without park tickets to our DP at UK Lochside. We had previously thought that we would be able to have a guide meet us at the World Showcase entrance and escort guests to UK Lochside--is that no longer the case? The added cost of a charter bus was not in our plans!

Any thoughts?

 

[Kippy52]

You have to use a Charter Bus if your guest count meets the requirement for the bus. The reason why you have to use a bus or van, etc is because Disney runs on a schedule for the event day and if guests drive themselves to the reception or DP, then there is a chance they get lost or show up late etc. Plus they bring the guests and bridal party behind the scenes to get to the location, so you enter from behind the buildings to alleviate walking time through the theme park and they don't want a bride in her gown walking through the main entrance. We are using the bus too for our upcoming wedding so I know the added cost.

 

[WDWLover75]

Hello all!

We are currently reading over our LOA and only have one question/issue: in the LOA it states that we will be required to use Disney transportation to get any guests without park tickets to our DP at UK Lochside. We had previously thought that we would be able to have a guide meet us at the World Showcase entrance and escort guests to UK Lochside--is that no longer the case? The added cost of a charter bus was not in our plans!

Any thoughts?

Hi! I am in the exact same position as you. I strongly suggest you ask your consultant about this (meeting your guests outside the park though, not outside World Showcase). I asked mine and she is updating the wording to be less specific in our LOA. Our consultant probably thinks I am 1. crazy and 2. annoying, but I asked her about everything I read that either appeared to be contradictory to what I had read on these boards or in Carrie's book and as a result, there are a few items that will be changed in our LOA. Good luck!

 

[mb187143]

You don't necessarily have to charter transportation. We had a dessert party at UK Lochside the night before our wedding as a welcome party. Our guests met event guides at the front gate of Epcot or at the Lochside location (some were already in the park enjoying Food and Wine). Those of us coming from the rehearsal dinner came in vans and were brought backstage. We didn't have any transportation for our other guests and it was no issue.


All that said there are different rules depending on location (many who had DPs in Italy were not able to have their guests escorted from an entrance and had to charter). Also if you're going to wear your dress you have to be transported backstage. And always with the DFTW planners, you may get a different answer depending on who you ask. But it's worth asking the question.