$7500 Mininmum for Escape Clarification

[Brit_Jude]

All:

Just thought I would clarify that at the moment meeting the $7500 for an Escape wedding only applies to weekend weddings. If you have a wedding on a weekday you do not have to meet the minimum even if you have a catered event. Please verfiy this with your DFTW coordinator but here is the link to the pricing website and the text from the website that confirms this. I actually had Disney agree to cross this out on my standard LOA as the text about the minimum is in all the LOA's for Escape weddings and it did not apply to my weekday wedding.

http://disneyweddings.disney.go.com/weddings/florida/pricing/escape/detail

* Escape Weddings occurring on Saturday and Sunday must meet a $7,500 minimum expenditure. This minimum can be met through a combination of elements provided by Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings including your Escape Package, food & beverage, floral, décor, entertainment, photography/videography, additional transportation and venue rentals.

Hope this helps those looking to keep the costs down and affords them the opportunity to have a Disney Wedding.

Judi

 

[gemmybear83]

All escape weddings that have a private catered event now have a $7500 minimum, I just signed my contract last week for December. The rule changed a few of weeks ago.

 

[Brit_Jude]

All escape weddings that have a private catered event now have a $7500 minimum, I just signed my contract last week for December. The rule changed a few of weeks ago.

Wish that they would update thier website! It's good that we are having this discussion.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

All escape weddings that have a private catered event now have a $7500 minimum, I just signed my contract last week for December. The rule changed a few of weeks ago.

This is a real bummer for me, although I have known about this rule for some time, I had a glimmer of hope that I may have had it wrong. My VR will be on a Wednesday and I would really love to have a DP. This rule may well force me to re-consider and I am strongly looking in to going with a Swan and Dolphin package and trying to book a dinner/dessert party at SC through disney events. I am assuming that by doing this I will only be required to reach the F&B minimums for that venue. It's a shame, my dream was to have an Escape but I cannot afford to go up to $7500.00 with such a small party (about 12 - 14). I think Disney will be making things extremely difficult for very small ceebrations. It's very sad. I was happy to pay the $4750.00 and then add a DP on top, but I would have to add a lot of extras to reach the minimum and being realistic, I don't think it is going to be affordable for us

 

[Brit_Jude]

I would still talk to DFTW and see what they say.

 

[girli565]

Remember that your Escape package price counts towards the $7500 minimum. So if you were doing an Escape at SBP it would really only be $2750 more, and if you wanted your ceremony at the WP it would only be $1750 more.

I'm having a small DP at SCP and it's running $1100, that's just for 25 people.

And also remember that any upgrades to your cake, flowers or decor apply to that minimum too. And I also believe your MK shoot (if you choose to have one) counts too.

Added: I'm not having an Escape but I wanted to let you all know that things add up quickly and meeting that minimum may not be that difficult.

 

[gemmybear83]

I was going to say the same thing...orginally I was going to have a meal at the Swan and Dolphin and a dessert party but we have switched our plans so they all fall within DFTW to make sure we hit the minimum spend. Were not actually spending anymore than we planned in the first place, as we had budgeted for extra decor.

I very much doubt that DFTW would let a future bride break the rules - they have to be fair to everyone, otherwise there would be a lot of unhappy brides on here!

 

[irishthemeparkfan]

Just to clarify.

Is it now $7,500 for an escape wedding if you add another event for any day of the week?
Also, I assume you then add your service charge and tax to the $7.5k. Out of interest, what is the service charge and tax percentage?

 

[girli565]

Just to clarify.

Is it now $7,500 for an escape wedding if you add another event for any day of the week?
Also, I assume you then add your service charge and tax to the $7.5k. Out of interest, what is the service charge and tax percentage?

It's $7500 if you add a private event on the wedding day, like a dessert party or dinner after your ceremony. If you want a welcome dinner or something like that before the wedding day that does not count towards the $7500 minimum.

Tax is either 6 or 6.5% and service charges are 21%

 

[neener3]

Remember that your Escape package price counts towards the $7500 minimum. So if you were doing an Escape at SBP it would really only be $2750 more, and if you wanted your ceremony at the WP it would only be $1750 more.

I'm having a small DP at SCP and it's running $1100, that's just for 25 people.

And also remember that any upgrades to your cake, flowers or decor apply to that minimum too. And I also believe your MK shoot (if you choose to have one) counts too.

Added: I'm not having an Escape but I wanted to let you all know that things add up quickly and meeting that minimum may not be that difficult.

The Magic Kingdom portrait session DOES count towards the minimum. I've had it confirmed by Disney as of yesterday . We were not going anywhere near the 7500 minimum but once we realized the portrait session counted, and we were going to be spending close to 1300 to pay for a dinner at a restaurant (25 people), our total was close enough to 7500 anyway! (7150) Of course, that's not with the bridesmaid's bouquets or groomsmen's corsages...we'll be at 7500 anyway, so we went for it. It's astonishing how quickly it adds up.