DJ vs iPod vs In-House or Out Source

[gibsi53]

SO-

I think I've read that there's a hefty fee for bringing in an outside DJ. Can anyone verify this fee for next December? Do you get anything for the fee? Lighting or Equipment and own DJ spins the tunes? or is it ONLY a fee so the outsider can bring their own equip onto the campus?

With a smaller party (no more than 65) do we need a DJ?
Did anyone that brought the iPod and used the Disney set-up encounter problems? How did you set up the playlist? Was there a mother board the iPod went into or just a speaker that attached to a wire. (I'm a techy moron..)

Lastly,
Can anyone recommend an outside DJ? I've looked at the local rescources on theknot.com and made prelim contacts, but I think something simple is what we're looking for- not exactly the dancers and crazy stuff that wins awards...

Thanks girls!!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I think I've read that there's a hefty fee for bringing in an outside DJ. Can anyone verify this fee for next December?

The fee for bringing in an outside DJ is $950 no matter what month you do it. (However, it may be raised before next December - prices change all the time at Disney.)The fee that increases in December is the one Disney charges for hiring a DJ through them. I think someone just posted that they were told $3,000, whereas usually it's $1,500 or less to get a DJ through Disney.

Do you get anything for the fee? Lighting or Equipment and own DJ spins the tunes? or is it ONLY a fee so the outsider can bring their own equip onto the campus?

The fee covers lighting and staging - basically everything you need to have a DJ except the DJ.

With a smaller party (no more than 65) do we need a DJ? Did anyone that brought the iPod and used the Disney set-up encounter problems?

I don't know if it depends on the size of your party so much as what you want to do with it We brought an iPod because we didn't do dancing (except for the first dances) and I wanted to make my own playlists of background music for the reception. We had 34 people, so we didn't really need anyone making announcements, although the cousin who ran the iPod got people's attention when needed.

That's the big thing Disney will point out if you say you don't want a DJ - "Who's going to do the announcements?" What we said was "Who needs announcements?"

How did you set up the playlist? Was there a mother board the iPod went into or just a speaker that attached to a wire. (I'm a techy moron..)

This is going to sound complicated, but if you're techy maybe you won't mind: I created five playlists, one for each section of the reception - pre-reception, first dance song, brunch, parents’ dances, rest o’ the reception – so that we wouldn’t have to search around for the first dance songs in the middle of the reception. I timed them with enough music in each to cover each section of the reception.

We asked DH’s extremely overqualified cousin (he’s a sound engineer) to cue up each of our playlists at the appropriate time, and it all ran like clockwork. I made him a little cheat sheet of which playlist to play when, but he didn't really need it - he just went in order.

They give you a mini-plug for the headphone jack that runs into a mixing board that's connected to the speakers.

Lastly,
Can anyone recommend an outside DJ? I've looked at the local rescources on theknot.com and made prelim contacts, but I think something simple is what we're looking for- not exactly the dancers and crazy stuff that wins awards...

This thread was started the other day - it might be helpful:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2024194

 

[JenandJosh2009]

Hi! I was the one who started the previous DJ thread after being told of the increased December prices. I ended up contacting Jay Edwards who was voted #1 in Orlando. He seems really nice and got back to me pretty quick. He charges $950 for 4 hours but if you are a member of the Knot or saw him on one of the website he's on, then he charges $850. Here is his website:

http://liquidentertainmentdj.4t.com/

He is also an approved Disney DJ.

Good luck!

 

[gibsi53]

There is a list of approved outside DJs?

If they're approved, does that mean they are Disney? or they're still out sourced?

I have no idea how this works...

PS what credential do they have to have to be approved? weird.
What if they're not approved?