Escape Packages dinners?

[hogwartsdropout]

We were originally looking at a Wishes wedding with 5pm Wedding Pavilion and a dinner reception venue like American Adventure Parlour, however now we are thinking our guest list may be as small as 18 guests - so we are not sure if Wishes wedding is worth all that money for such a small number of guests.

So we were wondering, what Escape brides have done as a sort of reception?

We are looking for a place for our wedding party to have dinner which is private enough to do speeches. Is it possible to hire a private room somewhere for our party? I know California Grill have private rooms, but can we book those if we are not in a Wishes wedding package?
And what happens with cake cutting ceremony at Escape weddings?

Any advice would be great, thank you.

 

[bigr3ddog]

Guest count makes up a big portion of wishes cost. True, wishes will still cost a lot more than an escape, but the only way you can end up with a less expensive wishes at dinner is low guest count.

That being said, you can have dftw assist you with private rooms for a reception after an escape wedding. California grill is an option, as is American adventure parlour, the attic, and Ariel's. You will still have to meet the food and beverage minimum for the venue. As for cake cutting, maybe someone with more escape knowledge can chime in.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Assuming the guest count remains the same (18 people or below for Escape*) and you book your reception/dinner at California Grill, is there any savings in booking it via the Escape Package rather than the Wishes Package?

*Sorry in the post above I said 20 to 30 but forgot that for Escape it is limited to 18.

 

[Turn the Page]

Assuming the guest count remains the same (18 people or below for Escape*) and you book your reception/dinner at California Grill, is there any savings in booking it via the Escape Package rather than the Wishes Package?

*Sorry in the post above I said 20 to 30 but forgot that for Escape it is limited to 18.

Probably not. The only differences between Escape and Wishes weddings are the guest count and the minimum expenditures. The Escape package does not include a reception so any reception you add on to the Escape package is subject to the same food and beverage minimums that a Wishes wedding is subject to. Wishes weddings are not packages. They are completely customizable events that do not include anything at all in the initial package. You basically pick and choose which elements you do and do not want.

The only difference would be, as a PP mentioned, is that since the Escape wedding has fewer guests than a Wishes wedding the cost of the reception would be lower simply due to the lower guest count. The price for an Escape reception for 20 people total versus the price for the same reception with a Wishes wedding for 21 people total would be virtually identical. Only difference being Wishes weddings not only have to meet the food and beverage minimums of the venue but also have to meet event minimums based on day of the week and such I believe.

 

[Turn the Page]

Assuming the guest count remains the same (18 people or below for Escape*) and you book your reception/dinner at California Grill, is there any savings in booking it via the Escape Package rather than the Wishes Package?

*Sorry in the post above I said 20 to 30 but forgot that for Escape it is limited to 18.

Also, if your guest count is less than 18 you will not have the option to convert to a Wishes wedding. As far as I know DFTW used to allow that for a surcharge but no longer do.

With 18 or fewer guests there would be absolutely no difference in price between an Escape reception and a Wishes style reception because at that guest count they are identical.

 

[Chilly]

We had an escape wedding, followed by the cake and champagne reception as normal, we then added on a private dinner and private DP all booked through DFTW.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Thanks for all the advice! To be honest we are thinking of just sticking with the Wishes wedding now after considering everything and adding everything up.

 

[Dignity]

You are able to do your toasts/speeches at the Cake/Champagne reception.

We booked our dinner for our Escape wedding at Yachtsman Steakhouse. We were seated with everybody else. IF you wanted to, you could probably have toasts/speeches at a Dessert Party if you're planning on having one.

 

[purecyn]

Hi there!

I'm in the same boat. We'll be at the Boardwalk for our wedding this upcoming April and had the same dilemma. We're expecting only 14 guests and the minimum expenditure for California Grill and some of the other private dining areas was just too much for our small group. I was able to visit with the manager at the Wilderness Lodge's Artist Point when I last visited. He took me on a quick tour of the restaurant and stated that we could use the outdoor terrace which overlooks the waterfall/pool area for our group dinner since it's not quite a reception. They're able to print out customized menus for your guests if you decide to do prix-fixe. It also doesn't require any type of min. expenditure, and it's private. Plus the food is outstanding and the atmosphere is wonderful.

I also checked out some surrounding restaurants that offered private dining for groups. The best one I found was Moonfish off of West Sand Lake Rd, less than 7 miles from the DW resort area. They have a beautiful private room that's surrounded by an aquarium. The menu is extensive and the food we had was truly on par with the DW greats. They only had a $2000 min. expenditure.

Hope this helped!

 

[Doodlebug25413]

purecyn-- thank you!!! I am looking at a Memories/Escape Wedding & was wondering about Artist's Point. Since we are really looking at Sunrise Terrace at the WL, this would be perfect for a dinner!!
Would you do this thru DFTW or just thru Disney Dining/ Special events? Or just butt ahead of everyone & call the restaurant directly?