Disney Wedding Pavilion Disappointment

[jamesr001]

On a recent trip to Disney, I took some time to investigate the Wedding Pavilion, and Disney Weddings in general. I had been considering a Disney Wedding for quite some time, and I must say that I came away quite disappointed. There has been a lot of talk about how Disney has gone downhill in the past few years, and apparently this isn’t just limited to the theme park attractions.

Starting right from the bridge used to enter the Wedding Pavilion, I was surprised at the poor upkeep. There is peeling paint on the bridge. There are paint chips on the walls and ceilings inside the pavilion. The wood floor had marks on it from where planters used to sit, and was in need of a waxing. There were stains, faint but noticeable, on the inside walls. And, note that I was viewing the pavilion just before a wedding was about to commence – it wasn’t as if some maintenance was going to be done before the pavilion was to be used.

Then there is the decor. This is a matter of opinion, but I was disappointed to find that the inside of the Disney Wedding Pavilion is fairly informal. The carpet and bench upholstery are light pastel tones, and the bench wood is quite light as well. It is not unattractive, but is says “Casual” to me. I pictured a rich, formal setting that would do justice to an evening wedding with tuxedos with full tails and such.

All in all, the Wedding Pavilion was neither appointed with the splendor I would have expected from Disney, nor kept up in a manner that would make me want to have a wedding there.

I have read many happy stories about Disney Weddings, but most of them come from years ago. I am glad that so many people have had enjoyable experiences, but I would advise you to be cautious – this lack of attention to detail at Disney has probably started just within the past few years. I think people may find that the Disney of years ago is not the Disney of today.

 

[amw5g]

Originally posted by jamesr001

Then there is the decor. This is a matter of opinion, but I was disappointed to find that the inside of the Disney Wedding Pavilion is fairly informal. The carpet and bench upholstery are light pastel tones, and the bench wood is quite light as well. It is not unattractive, but is says “Casual” to me. I pictured a rich, formal setting that would do justice to an evening wedding with tuxedos with full tails and such.

All in all, the Wedding Pavilion was neither appointed with the splendor I would have expected from Disney, nor kept up in a manner that would make me want to have a wedding there.

We just returned from a visit to the WP in April as well (planning session for our August wedding). I can't say that we saw any of the poor upkeep that you saw. I took a good 25 minutes of video footage from the area and in reviewing it don't remark upon anything like what you saw.

As for the decor, remember that what you envision as your wedding style might not fit the mold of the other 99% of Disney's wedding constutuents. You might want ulta-elegant, whereas I might want a casual, intimate ceremony for which a "rich, formal setting" would be well out of place. I think of the WP as a blank canvas on which each couple adds their own touches. If you want a themed wedding, that can be done. If you want iconography, that can be done. Sparseness is in keeping with many traditionalist ceremonies. Hence, WDW keeps it simple and uncluttered since it's easier to dress up infrastructure than dress down.

I wouldn't say it's the most sumptuous place in the world to have a wedding, but Disney's ability to adapt and cater to personalities is definitely a premium service.

Regards,
Andrew

 

[hmp2z]

Hi! I have to say that I disagree strongly with you about the Wedding Pavilion. We were there in September 2000, took one look at the pavilion, and fell in love with it. We knew right away that we would be married there and nowhere else! We recently took a trip to WDW (April 4-7) to meet with our wedding coordinator, and were again shown around the Pavilion. I couldn't have been more impressed. Since we had been there last, I had forgotten just how lovely it is. The light colors give a wonderfully airy, open feel to the pavilion. There is a big domed skylight that increases the amount of light in the room, as well as the big window at the front of the pavilion, which has special glass so that the castle appears closer than it is.
As far as an evening wedding goes, we have seen the lights dimmed in the pavilion, with candles flickering in all of the windows, and it is just beautiful. For those couples there considering a Disney wedding, I would definitely say to look at pictures of the pavilion or try to make a site visit to see it yourself. The photos don't do it justice - when we saw it again a few weeks ago, I was once again awed by the pavilion's beauty. If you're looking for something dark and gothic, the wedding pavilion is definitely not your style, but if you want something airy, light and beautiful, then it is worth looking into.
I don't know about stains or paint chips, but none of that was in evidence when we were shown the pavilion, and we were allowed to wander around not only the ceremony area, but also the Bride's Vestibule and Groom's Vestibule. I am on the Disneymooners list as well, and have heard nothing but rave reviews from Disney brides, particularly their compliments to Disney on the attention to detail. Little things like the beautiful moulding near the ceiling make the pavilion a wonderful place to say your marriage vows.
We have some pictures posted that we took when we were at the Pavilion this month. Again, I have to say that photos don't really do it justice, particularly since the window in the front causes a glare for most cameras. Here is the link to our photos:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=75878048303&n=957628809
I also wanted to mention that if the pavilion is not your style, Disney does offer many other ceremony sites. There is the Yacht Club Gazebo, Seabreeze Pointe by the Boardwalk, Sunset Pointe at the Polynesian, and Sunrise Terrace at the Wilderness Lodge.
Cheers!
Heather P

 

[CastMemberTinkerbell]

My husband and I love the wedding pavilion! We got married there in Feb of this year. The colors in the wedding pavilion are neautral because of the brides. Each bride has their own wedding colors and flowers. I used ivory, pinks and purples. If there was one strong color in the pavilion it would clash with colors that brides took a long time to pick out. If you want to see current pics visit our web page www.mebweb.com/wedding. As for the disrepair of the bridge.... Late last year they repainted the bridge. You may have been there when they were doing the prep work for painting the bridge (they took the old paint of prior to paining). They contantly are working on the Pavilion. My husband and I went to the wedding pavilion several times during the year of planning our wedding. They carpets were replaced and rooms painted. We loved it and were not dispointed. Our guests loved it. We love the openess with the windows...the pavilion just glowed on our wedding day!

 

[ellieb]

amw5g -

That was nicely put and I must agree with that statement.

"I think of the WP as a blank canvas on which each couple adds their own touches."



WDW Wedding Date
May 3rd, 2003 -12:00 noon

I can't wait!!!

 

[Cinderella4ADay]

No need to be disappointed

 

[gradtchr]

Out of sheer and utter curiosity why dredge up a post that is 5 years old?

 

[audisight]

Out of sheer and utter curiosity why dredge up a post that is 5 years old?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[HolyCowImADisneyBrde]

gradtcher and audisight - I'm so glad you guys pointed that out! I hadn't noticed it and I admit, I got a big sinking feeling when I read that. I think I'm just overly anxious and nervous about all this planning. But thanks for pointing that out for all of us that weren't paying that much attention!

 

[allisonswonderland]

I thought the same thing, my wedding was last Nov and thought - heck I did not nptice anything like that ANY time I was there

 

[theantibride]

I was like, huh? We were just there a month ago and everything looked perfect. Then I read the one that this is from 5 years ago and I was like "ooohhhhh....that makes snese." But then it didn't. Why reply to something that old?! As for the color scheme I agree that it needs to be fairly light in order to be so customizable. That and darks would not look right in a Florida setting. I don't think I have been in a single church in Florida that has dark carpets and woods and such -- everything is fairly light and airy.

 

[Cinderella4ADay]

I don't know why you were disappointed the wedding pavallion is amazing

 

[disneyheaven]

We were married there last August and I thought the wedding pavilion was breathtaking. It is right out of the pages of a fairytale. The arched bridge, the entryway, the stainglassed windows that overlook Cinderella's Castle. It is a true dream. I am sorry you had those opinions (although it is SUCH an old post?!? ) but rest assure current and future brides....you will be nothing but pleased with Disney's Wedding Pavilion How lucky you are to be married in a place so beautiful! I know I STILL feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! Best Wishes to All who choose this beautiful location!!

 

[Keira1387]

Yes, I agree with you girls. It is the most beautiful wedding sight that I have ever seen. I can't comment on what it looked like 5 years ago, but everything is perfectly manicured and I can't wait to get married there!

 

[ITmickey]

Out of sheer and utter curiosity why dredge up a post that is 5 years old?

Not only that... look at the OP post count... only 1 in 5 years... sounds to me it was just Of course I might be wrong.

 

[dee slack]

it's 5 years since our last visit to WDW and I just had to look around the WP as I knew it's where I wanted our VR and it was unlikely we'd be back before then (now just a few weeks away!) - I CRIED when I walked in, it was so beautiful! I must admit that I don't much like the carpet, but hey, with so many beautiful features it pales into insignificance to me.