Dessert parties

[jojoandhb]

Can anyone give me more info on the dessert parties at Epcot to see Illuminations? I am considering having everyone go there after our reception dinner. I saw some pictures of the buffet, and it looked ok. Can it be made a little more upscale? Does anyone know the different locations available?

 

[twojo21]

for intimates there are only 3 locations available: morocco terrace, japan & uk lower. there are also restrictions on wedding attire unless you rent a private bus for entrance & there is a small party fee for intimates.

i was a custom bride & we had a dessert party after our reception to end the evening, it was awesome, i completely recommend it, our guests were blown away & the photos are so nice. we had the child in you dessert menu with a few extras, it was all very good. we paid a rental fee, table set up, menu pp, host & some nonticket guests $12.50 viewing fee. in all it was about $2000 for 50 guests.

i saw in another post you were looking for menu info, there are fancier desserts & dinner entrees available. there is a link here for adobe with the epcot menu: http://www.yourfairytale.com/epcoteventscatering.pdf

best of luck with your plans!

 

[DisneyFairy19]

This helped me as well.. I would like to have a dessert party in Epcot, I hear that it is breathtaking

 

[jojoandhb]

Thank you so much for that menu! I really appreciate it!

 

[liberty]

I'm having a dessert party at epcot, just havn't quite agreed on which area yet!.lol

 

[i*heart*villains]

I just talked to my coordinator and asked about the illuminations dessert party. The only location i was given was morocco for party of 15. She said that I could add highboys? for additional $75, (no seating other than benches) and is emailing menus, no photos available. She didn't mention a small party fee that I've heard about from others, maybe it'll be on the menu though.

 

[Laurafoster]

We are having one to end our evening and i cant wait! i saw someone elses on my planning visit in May and it looked fab!!

 

[jojoandhb]

When you have the dessert party is there a fee to get into the show and a fee for the food? When it says, "20 person minimum" does that mean you pay for 20 people or does it mean you have to have 20 people show up?
Thanks guys.

 

[twojo21]

if you have less than 20 people thats how the small party fee kicks in for intimates.

there's a viewing fee for guests without tickets that day, its $12.50 pp.

 

[mhcueball2]

This is what we have figured out for our dessert party at the lower UK for 35 guests:

440 - viewing fee
875 - food (about $25pp)
275 - site fee
75 - setup fee
600 - bus transportation
100 - junk fees
-----
2365

 

[Janet2k]

Does anyone know the different locations available?

Jojoandhb, just thought I’d mention another option that might be available to you. If you’re interested in it, please discuss it with your FTW Sales Manager or Event Manager.

On the night prior to my custom vow renewal, I hosted a Welcome Party at the Grand Floridian’s marina. I had hosted a party there earlier that year (it was held in conjunction with my Summerhouse Party) and had fallen in love with the location. Since I wanted a place where my guests could relax as they got to know one another, a party inside a theme park wouldn’t do. I needed something more intimate and thus chose the marina. I didn’t regret it. My event was flawless and oh-so relaxing. Everyone truly had a magical night.

Here are two links to photographs of that event. The photos were taken by my Disney photographer. He did a beautiful job with them: click here to view a slideshow, or click here to view the photo album.

I recently returned from a Walt Disney World vacation with my young daughter (it was a girls only trip this year). I hosted another private event at the Grand Floridian’s marina, and the Grand Floridian’s Convention Services staff did another beautiful job. I hope to share photos of that event soon (I hired a Disney photographer to photograph it). As with my prior events in that venue, I paid a fee to have the Wishes fireworks soundtrack piped into the venue so that my guests could enjoy the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks show. Watching the fireworks is always a wonderful way to cap off everyone’s evening.

So, if you're looking for another venue for a party, talk to your FTW Sales Manager or Event Manager about the locations that may be used. They're a wealth of information.

 

[chipscinderelly]

Just an fyi that we were discouraged from having a party at the GF marina by our coordinator and I have heard others have been as well. We are happy with an Illuminations party but wanted you to be aware that at times they do discourage this type of party.

 

[Cinderella_68]

We were told that the GF is no longer doing Wishes parties at the marina. We were also told that we could only have Morocco for an IDP due to our party size of 12. When I offered to pay the minimum number despite a smaller number of people, I was told no. (We really wanted UK lower.) The rationale is that "Epcot thinks of their day guests and that the space could be used to hold 50 day guests instead of just 12." Whatever. Somehow I find it hard to believe that money doesn't figure into the equation. I inquired about paying a fee for having a smaller number of people, as well. The answer was still no.
We had first wanted to do a Fantasmic! party, but was told no, as well.
If they don't want our $$, then I guess they won't get it. We are having Randy do our photos, instead.

 

[jojoandhb]

Why do they discourage that? Her party looked really nice. I love the pumpkin with the bride and groom's faces on it.

 

[Janet2k]

I stated in my post the following:

…just thought I’d mention another option that might be available to you. If you’re interested in it, please discuss it with your FTW Sales Manager or Event Manager...

I also stated the following:

So, if you're looking for another venue for a party, talk to your FTW Sales Manager or Event Manager about the locations that may be used. They're a wealth of information.

My wish for this board is that people share their ideas, experiences, and opinions. However, I also hope that no one here is ever discouraged from asking Disney what can and cannot be done. Had I not asked the questions that I did, I never would have had the vow renewal of my dreams, nor would I have had a very fun party at the marina just a few weeks ago with a bunch of my Internet friends.

The moral of the story? Ask Disney your questions because you’ll never know what their answer will be until you do. Only they know your entire wedding / vow renewal story, and only they know what can and cannot be done on property. No one here can answer those questions.

 

[Janet2k]

jojoandhb, I cannot answer your prior question. That is between Disney and the folks who were turned down. I can only offer you the advice that you should speak with your Sales Manager or Event Manager to see what can be done for your wedding. They are a wealth of knowledge and will not lead you astray. Never be afraid to ask them questions.

 

[chipscinderelly]

We were not told no, our Coordinator (names have changed from SM and EM to Coordinator and Planner) indicated that we would probably have a better time at Illuminations given our party size, the type of party etc. We originally requested the MK Train Station - like on the Disney Wedding Website real weddings - but they won't do that one right now.

There are other locations at the GF than the marina - Summerhouse is also a location.

 

[jojoandhb]

Thanks. It's good to know there are more options. I really liked the marina idea because we are staying at GF, my finace loves boats and fishing and all of that, plus the fireworks add a nice touch.
I will ask about it.

 

[Skylarr29]

Janet2k this is a little OT but can you tell me if you had to use Disney photographic services for your vow renewal reception since it was in park, or were you allowed to use an outside vender had you chosen to?? TIA

 

[Janet2k]

...our Coordinator (names have changed from SM and EM to Coordinator and Planner) ...

There are other locations at the GF than the marina - Summerhouse is also a location.

When I was planning my custom vow renewal, they were called Sales Managers, Event Managers, Planners, Coordinators, and a few other names. It's the same with my parents -- I call them Mother, Father, Mom, Dad, and a few other names.

Yes, there are other locations at the Grand Floridian for private events. In my original post I mentioned the Summerhouse.

It's good to know there are more options… I will ask about it.

Jojoandhb, I don't know if you're hosting an intimate or custom affair. Depending upon your answer to that question, the FTW folks will give you different answers. I'll leave that up to them, of course, but I thought I would at least share with you a few locations at the Grand Floridian that I know are possible for private events because I asked about them when I was planning my private party there this summer.

The Summerhouse venue is a lovely place for a private event. I hosted a party there in May of 2004. I wrote about it in detail in a trip report here on the Dis: click here. If you read that trip report, you'll see what sort of party Disney planned for me. (Please note, this was not a part of my custom FTW vow renewal that happened in October of that year; this was simply a private party for my family and friends.) In my trip report you'll also find links to a myriad of photos of the venue. Photos that my Disney photographer took during my event, plus photos that I took of the venue either prior to or after the event. The photos should give you a good idea as to what the Summerhouse venue looks like.

The usual locations for private events at the Grand Floridian, of course, are located in the Convention Center. There are rooms there both big and small. The FTW folks should be able to share photos of the rooms with you if you're interested in them.

Probably the Convention Center’s prettiest room is the Whitehall Room. Its patio area is nicely landscaped, too, and perfect for an outdoor party. The Whitehall Room and Patio was actually the backup location for one of my events (I didn’t have to use it, though). I don’t have any photos of the room itself, but I do have three photos of the patio area that were given to me by my Event Manager: Photo 1, Photo 2, and Photo 3. Others here on the Dis have shared much better photos, so do a “search” to find them.

As to the Convention Center’s ballrooms, I only have a few photos of the St. Augustine ballroom since that was the “getting ready” room for my vow renewal: click here. In the background of those photos, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the room. I wish I had better photos to share with you, but I didn’t want my Disney photographers in there taking photos while we were getting ready (I was too shy). The photos in that photo album were taken with a digital camera that I brought along with me that afternoon. Not the greatest photos, I know, but it did the trick of capturing my daughter and niece as they were getting all dolled up for the evening.

Another location for a private event is found on the beach area between the resort’s Beach Pool and the Wedding Pavilion. That is a lovely expanse of beach and would be wonderful for a party, however, I was told that it can be quite pricey just to light the area and run power to it. The pricing that was mentioned to me, well, “Ouch!” was the first word that popped into my mind. I was told that the “globe” lights (excuse me for forgetting their proper name) that float in the air are expensive and that is where a lot of the cost goes. As an aside, I was at a private event on the Yacht/Beach Club’s beach a few years ago and saw those lights up-close-and-personal. They cast some decent light as they hovered over the beach. I think there were at least two “globe” lights in use at the Yacht/Beach Club’s beach party. I have no idea how many would be needed for the Grand Floridian’s beach, but the FTW folks could easily find out that information for you if you are interested in it.

I’m sure there are other locations at the Grand Floridian (and the other resorts too) that may be used for private events. If you’re interested, definitely discuss them with the Fairy Tale Weddings folks. They’ll let you know what can and cannot be done for your wedding / vow renewal. Have fun planning, and if you have any questions, don't forget to ask.