Citrico's for Reception?

[pixie921]

We're still kicking around ideas for our reception after our vow renewal and keep running into Disney roadblocks, LOL! Our group of 13 is either too large for places like Chef's Domain at Citrico's or too small for the GF Marina or most of the Epcot locations.

I was reading Carrie's PassPorter eBook and came upon the idea of using Citrico's for a luncheon instead of having a dinner. It says the minimum is $2500 and the existing furniture can be removed for $500.

But ... on the mouseweddings site (and admittedly the info is a couple of years old), it indicated that you had to do a buyout of the entire restaurant to the tune of $5K to be able to use it.

So now I'm confused! Can you have a reception at Citrico's without having to pay $5K or so to rent the space? And if you can get it for only the food/beverage minimum instead, is there the possibility you might be sharing the space with another party, even though the restaurant is officially closed to the public at that time?

 

[weedee]

We are having our Escape dinner reception with about 20 guests at Citricos next month.

If you want to have the restaurant to yourselves *for dinner*, you will have to buy out the entire place. I'm not sure what the value is as we didn't look at that option since I'm sure it's out of our budget, but I'd imagine it's fairly high. I'm sure with our party of 20 people and with how much we're spending there, if the price to buy out the place was anywhere near that they would have offered the option. Other than that, you can have your reception there among the other diners and there is no food/beverage minimum as you pay for each meal per person from a large group dining menu they have.

Citricos opens at 5:30 pm so if you have a luncheon there, I'd imagine you'd have to buy the restaurant out as you'd have to open it early with staff and chefs for your party. It would make sense you'd have to meet a food/bev minimum, but I'm not sure what the cost would be to open it up early. $5000 sounds about right to me though! I would just call Citricos and ask for their manager. He's been SUPER helpful for our party so I'm sure he's have no problem letting you know about your questions.

 

[lurkyloo]

For dinner, you would have to buy out the whole restaurant if you wanted a private event and had too many guests for Chef's Domain, because it is during the restaurant's regular operating hours.

Because the restaurant is closed during the day, you can have a private event there for just that $2,500 minimum. It is arranged and catered by Disney's Catered Events, not the restaurant staff—you do not have to buy Citricos out for lunch because it is already closed to the public.

 

[pixie921]

For dinner, you would have to buy out the whole restaurant if you wanted a private event and had too many guests for Chef's Domain, because it is during the restaurant's regular operating hours.

Because the restaurant is closed during the day, you can have a private event there for just that $2,500 minimum. It is arranged and catered by Disney's Catered Events, not the restaurant staff—you do not have to buy Citricos out for lunch because it is already closed to the public.

Oh, that's what I was hoping for! That's what it sounded like in your book, but I just wasn't sure. Thanks a bunch!

 

[erin.w]

Oh, that's what I was hoping for! That's what it sounded like in your book, but I just wasn't sure. Thanks a bunch!

I'm in the process of planning my wishes reception at Citrico's. We will be having a lunch time reception and do not need to buyout the restaurant as Carrie mentioned. Although it does have to end by 3:00 pm. I am going to be there in a week and will take photos!

 

[gemmybear83]

Just to give you a couple of more options we are hiring the flying fish cafe for lunch the minimum is only $1000, and I know you can hire out the yachtsman steakhouse for lunch too.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Does anybody know what the minimum for hiring out the Yachtsman steakhouse for lunch is please?
If you hire out one of these restaurants (I believe Carrie said that you go through Disney events and not DFTW), would it be considered a private dining event and trigger the $7500.00 minimum for Escape packages?
Would you be allowed to hire out a restaurant for lunch in the same way if your ceremony was at the Swan and Dolphin and not through DFTW?
Thanks

 

[pixie921]

I'm in the process of planning my wishes reception at Citrico's. We will be having a lunch time reception and do not need to buyout the restaurant as Carrie mentioned. Although it does have to end by 3:00 pm. I am going to be there in a week and will take photos!

Oh, yay! I'm anxious to see them!

Can I ask how many people you're having at your reception? And what kind of menu options you have, if you know?

 

[pezaddict231]

But ... on the mouseweddings site (and admittedly the info is a couple of years old), it indicated that you had to do a buyout of the entire restaurant to the tune of $5K to be able to use it.

I think this was when Citricos was closed one night of the week. It's now open 7 days, so that's why you'd have to do a complete buyout to have an evening reception there.

 

[erin.w]

Oh, yay! I'm anxious to see them!

Can I ask how many people you're having at your reception? And what kind of menu options you have, if you know?

We have 60 adults/children planning on attending. As for the menu, I am clueless, I know what I want to spend but don't know if it is realistic? I might not be able to figure that out until we go for the planning session in October.

Pictures to follow though!

 

[pixie921]

We have 60 adults/children planning on attending. As for the menu, I am clueless, I know what I want to spend but don't know if it is realistic? I might not be able to figure that out until we go for the planning session in October.

Pictures to follow though!

Sounds good. We're not going to do our planning session 'til November, so I'm going to try to find out details on menu offerings before then from our coordinator 'cuz I'm impatient!

And our group is so tiny compared to yours -- I hope that doesn't work against us.

 

[gemmybear83]

Does anybody know what the minimum for hiring out the Yachtsman steakhouse for lunch is please?
If you hire out one of these restaurants (I believe Carrie said that you go through Disney events and not DFTW), would it be considered a private dining event and trigger the $7500.00 minimum for Escape packages?
Would you be allowed to hire out a restaurant for lunch in the same way if your ceremony was at the Swan and Dolphin and not through DFTW?
Thanks

It is booked through dftw and does count towards your minimum. I think the yachtsman is also $1000, but I am not 100%!!

If you can book through Disney events and don't have a dftw I am guessing that you can't wear your wedding dress etc...?

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Oh!!
Now I thought you could wear your wedding dress in the resort restaurants etc but not in the parks!!

 

[weedee]

I'm allowed to wear my dress to Citricos for our evening dinner reception! And we're not even renting out the restaurant so I'm SURE you can wear yours!

 

[pixie921]

Just got off the phone w/my coordinator ... we are penciled in for our ceremony on Commander's Terrace and lunch following at Citrico's.

My coordinator says we will use the banquet menu to plan the meal and that we can customize it, so we're all set.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I'm allowed to wear my dress to Citricos for our evening dinner reception! And we're not even renting out the restaurant so I'm SURE you can wear yours!

Good news!!!
Did you book through the restaurant? I would like to do a similar thing to you next May at Citrico's and love the idea of the cocktail hour at Mizzners first. Do I just book it as a normal ADR and then speak with the restaurant manager after it is all booked? Are you bringing favors etc to lay out and are you doing your own menus? Will you pay on the day or beforehand? Sorry for all the questions but what you are doing is so similar to what I want to do!!

 

[weedee]

Good news!!!
Did you book through the restaurant? I would like to do a similar thing to you next May at Citrico's and love the idea of the cocktail hour at Mizzners first. Do I just book it as a normal ADR and then speak with the restaurant manager after it is all booked? Are you bringing favors etc to lay out and are you doing your own menus? Will you pay on the day or beforehand? Sorry for all the questions but what you are doing is so similar to what I want to do!!

No problem! We booked through the restaurant, not through any ADRs. Any large party reservations usually have to be done through the actual restaurant anyway (they had us call a special number that put us directly in contact with the manager at Citricos).

The cocktail hour at Mizner's works out perfectly for us especially because the manager there is the same manager at Citricos! He will come for our party at the cocktail hour to escort us to our dinner reservation.

We aren't doing favors but are bringing place cards (we're using real flowers as place cards) and menus that we've made ourselves. The managers have already told us they'd put all the place cards and menus out on the tables for us so we're giving them a seating chart when we meet with them the day before our wedding! I"ll probably ask them to put my and my MOH's bouquets in water for us as centerpieces too.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Thank you so much
This is all excellent info
Do you still have the number which you have to phone for the reservation?
How far out did you book?
Are you picking certain options from the menu to print onto yours and thus restricting your guests choices to a few choices from each course, or are you using the whole menu?
Thanks again!!