Dessert Party Experts.. . . . Help Needed!

[mickeymommy3]

I am in process of trying to gather information to plan a dessert party for next June after our Shades of Green wedding. I'm a little confused, and my need for Disney Perfection is slightly stressing me out. Can anyone answer a few questions for me?

What time can we start the dessert party? Do they have a set time for all the parties to start? How long are they usually?

Also, how confined do the keep the guests? I was told that under the 12.95 viewing fee my guests would have to stay in our party area. But how resisited is that? Are they escorted from the entrance, or IG?
I keep reading about private charter transportation, but my planner did not mention that need at all. I am wondering if they will allow my guests to enter at IG, and be escorted to dessert party?

I really want to be able to give this experience to our guests, some of them are not going to the Disney parks, only our wedding. And I would really like them to experience a little piece of that Disney Magic that my fiance and I love so much. Thanks for all your help, and any advice you can offer is welcome. Send your suggestions, please.

 

[lurkyloo]

What time can we start the dessert party? Do they have a set time for all the parties to start? How long are they usually?

It depends on which fireworks show you're interested in seeing, since Wishes and IllumiNations have different start times. Generally they are scheduled to start 30 minutes before the show and end an hour later. You can add time for free, but requesting more than an hour of food service will result in a pro-rated charge.

Also, how confined do the keep the guests? I was told that under the 12.95 viewing fee my guests would have to stay in our party area. But how resisited is that?

Guests are free to come and go as they please. Usually the spot is so good that no one really wants to leave except to use the restroom. I believe you're referring to an Epcot IllumiNations party here, since there is no viewing fee for Wishes (cuz it's not inside a park!).

Are they escorted from the entrance, or IG?

Usually the International Gateway, although I have heard of people making arrangements to have their group met at the front of Epcot. Certain DP locations require you to charter transportation, though—Disney won't let your guests walk to them from the entrance.

I keep reading about private charter transportation, but my planner did not mention that need at all. I am wondering if they will allow my guests to enter at IG, and be escorted to dessert party?

If the planner isn't mentioning it, then go with it! It could be that only DFTW has the rule about chartering transport, whereas Disney Catered Events may not care.

You may find this post of mine helpful—it details the entire planning process of a non-wedding dessert party inside Epcot, complete with costs and policies: http://disneytravelbabble.com/how-to/private-party/epcot-dessert-party/

 

[mickeymommy3]

Guests are free to come and go as they please. Usually the spot is so good that no one really wants to leave except to use the restroom. I believe you're referring to an Epcot IllumiNations party here, since there is no viewing fee for Wishes (cuz it's not inside a park!).

Lurkyloo,
Thank you so much for your help. I was hoping you would lend your expertice. I was under the impression though, that since guests don't have park admission ( less the need for viewing fee) that they were pretty much resistricted to the party area. I thought I even had to pay for a guest services cast member to help keep a watchful eye that they stayed their. Am I wrong?. . . I would love to be.

 

[Candlz]

I have been a guest at 3 of these parties and had no part in planning them - but from a guest perspective - I never felt stuck or trapped. They were so much fun and it was really an amazing experience. Even my grouchy brother remembers the one he had been invited to fondly. The CM's made us feel more like honored guests than don't-step-foot-in-the-park.

On a side note - at the end of the last one we were at - they were encouraging us to take the food (it was paid for) because otherwise it had to be thrown out. There weren't many options for carrying the yummy (YUMMY) little cakes out though.

Congratulations to you!

 

[disprincessatheart]

Lurkyloo,
Thank you so much for your help. I was hoping you would lend your expertice. I was under the impression though, that since guests don't have park admission ( less the need for viewing fee) that they were pretty much resistricted to the party area. I thought I even had to pay for a guest services cast member to help keep a watchful eye that they stayed their. Am I wrong?. . . I would love to be.

The cm is really there more or as much to keep other people OUT of your party than keep your guests in. Otherwise you would have strangers eating your food and filling up all your space. Really since the par starts so close to park close, there's not much need to keep your guests from wandering.

 

[mickeymommy3]

I have been a guest at 3 of these parties and had no part in planning them - but from a guest perspective - I never felt stuck or trapped. They were so much fun and it was really an amazing experience. Even my grouchy brother remembers the one he had been invited to fondly. The CM's made us feel more like honored guests than don't-step-foot-in-the-park.

On a side note - at the end of the last one we were at - they were encouraging us to take the food (it was paid for) because otherwise it had to be thrown out. There weren't many options for carrying the yummy (YUMMY) little cakes out though.

Congratulations to you!

The cm is really there more or as much to keep other people OUT of your party than keep your guests in. Otherwise you would have strangers eating your food and filling up all your space. Really since the par starts so close to park close, there's not much need to keep your guests from wandering.

Were you a guest on a theme park ticket? or the viewing fee admittance? I just don't want my guests being told, you can't walk over to the next country to take a picture or something.

 

[lurkyloo]

No, don't worry about this. The CMs will not do that. As the previous posters have said, they're really there to protect *you* from intrusions from others.

Think of it this way: That $12.95 viewing fee is like pro-rated admission to the park for each of your guests for the last hour of operation that day. You've paid for them to be in the park, so they can do whatever they want once they're inside. Yes, they will be escorted straight to your party location, and at the end of the night they will be escorted out as a courtesy, but no one's taking a head count after the show or anything.

 

[Candlz]

We have always had AP - but we weren't 'carded' or anything like that if anyone did try to leave.

 

[mickeymommy3]

We are down to deciding between UK Lochside, which I know if fabulous, and Sago Cay at Grand Floridian. I have only seen Sago Cay in pictures, and since you can't hear Wishes, unless you pay a pretty price to have it piped in, I'm afraid I'll be disappointed.

Anyone who has used these have any pro's and con's. Sago Cay is will be quite a bit less in price, without the venue fee, and viewing fee. But I just don't know if it will still give that "Disney Love" as I call it. I want our guest's to feel and experience that magic that keeps my fiance and I going back time after time.

So Ladies, what do you think?

 

[Candlz]

I can only speak for the UK site. It was AMAZING! Like I said previously, even my grouchy brother still refers to it as 'his favorite location to watch his favorite show' and that is 10 years later.

I have nothing negative to say about that location or event. I could rave on and on about how much I loved it and how special it felt...

 

[lurkyloo]

I second that! To me, nothing beats being right up close to the action of IllumiNations. Wishes is so far away from the Grand Floridian, and it's a side view. I've watched from the Sago Cay end of the resort several times now, and it's just not the same as being right in front of the fireworks.

That said, plenty of brides have had dessert parties at Sago Cay and enjoyed them. And I'm sure your guests will have a good time either way.

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

We were originally going to do a DP at Sago Cay because our reception was held at the Whitehall Room. I am SO glad we switched to Illuminations. We did not use UK, we held ours at Italy West and I thought it was fantastic.

The reasons I switched: better show in the sense that we were right on the water, didn't have to pay to hear the music, and it was just a different feeling being in the park. More exciting, I think, for our guests. They thought it was the coolest thing when we walked into the park and every park guest started cheering for us. We wouldn't have gotten that feeling at Sago Cay, and I don't think it would have been nearly as thrilling for our guests. Another big reason for switching was that Illuminations is held the same time every night, and our planner warned us that Wishes wasn't scheduled far enough out to put the time on our invites, and the time can change at the last minute due to various reasons. I was much more comfortable knowing that the times wouldn't change in Epcot.

The only con I can think of is that we could not bring our photographer. If you have a very large party, you'd have to charter a bus which is expensive, but we only had 30 guests so we got away with using 1-way vans for $25 each so that was a non-issue for us money-wise.

The food was excellent. They refilled everything twice without us asking, and technically we were only supposed to have food from 8:00-9:00, but they kept it out until we left at 9:30.

 

[FutureMrsF]

How many people can fit in the 1 way vans. Just trying to work out what would be cheaper for us. We will only be between 20 and 25 people
Thanks

 

[lurkyloo]

A van holds 11 and costs $173.25 one way, and you'd need at least 2. Cheaper to do a minibus, which holds 25 and costs $288.75 one way.

 

[mickeymommy3]

As far as the transporation goes, we were told that our guests could met at the International Gate way and be escorted to the dessert party. So I shouldn't have to charter any transporation.

Thanks for all your information. Everything the you have all said about how fabulous the Illuminations parties are, is exactly what I have imagined. I have seen Illuminations dozen's of times, but each time I feel the magic and the message.

Thanks for helping to confirm what I already thought. . . . UK Lochside is the winner!

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

A van holds 11 and costs $173.25 one way, and you'd need at least 2. Cheaper to do a minibus, which holds 25 and costs $288.75 one way.

Our vans held 8 people and cost $25 one way. We had 32 people, so we had four vans each way and it cost us $200 total for the dessert party, since we had our guests taken back to their resorts afterwards.

I do want to mention that I thought it was well worth the money to bring our guests to and from the park. It made things much easier for them and it was great for our older guests, because we came in through backstage America and there was minimal walking involved.

 

[FutureMrsF]

Wow thank you that is going to save me a lot of money and may mean if I can cut down on some other bits I can afford cindys coach

 

[lurkyloo]

Our vans held 8 people and cost $25 one way. We had 32 people, so we had four vans each way and it cost us $200 total for the dessert party, since we had our guests taken back to their resorts afterwards.

Perhaps things have changed since your wedding—these prices and capacities were quoted to me last week.

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

Perhaps things have changed since your wedding—these prices and capacities were quoted to me last week.

Wow, things change quick! I just got married in May!

 

[nokaoi5]

The Epcot dessert party I went to in the viewing area of France was just perfect. There was no need to leave. The food was amazing, and the view was even better.

Jennifer Ginn
Hyperion Travel Company