Escape Wedding 2014 - booking

[sheldo]

Hi guys,

First time post guys, take it easy on me..

I am looking to get married in August 2014 at the wedding pavilion with an escape package. I just called Disney to enquiry about it all and was told that I could only book a wedding 9months in advance. Is that correct and will availability be good with only 9 months to go?

Just slightly worried that because in the UK we need to book things years in advance that I won't get my date and if I'm having a party back in the UK I will need to book and pay for it all before I even book my wedding..

Thanks for any help in advance...

Shell

 

[Fonz86]

Hi and welcome!

I, too, am from the UK and i am having an Escape wedding at the pavillion in October. You can book an escape package at 8 months out, but you can call at 12 months to be "pencilled in".

We went ahead and booked everyones flights / accommodation before the wedding was even booked. We figured we would get atleast one of the days during our 2 week holiday! As it turned out we didnt get our first choice date but we got the day after which is just fine.

If you are a little flexible with the date / time you want you wont have a problem. Disney weddings have lots of locations several times a day so chances are you will get what you want! The only frustrating thing is waiting until the 8 month mark, i always thought it seemed very late in the day to have things confirmed!

Hope that helps a little

x

 

[sheldo]

Hi & thanks for the reply
Yes we are really wanting the end of August 2014 ( as this is when we first met) AWWW! But any days out of the 2 weeks is fine. Iam more worried about my guest booking flights & hotels etc next year and finding out there's no wedding :-(
It seems strange that in the UK people are booking weddings up to 2015 !! But DIsney only want 8-12 months. We are planning to book our reception back here this weekend and iam scared to incase we can't get anything . But Disney assures us that they "deal with international customers regular " and this is common practice .
Your wedding sounds amazing !! Congrats to you both did you find it hard to plan the wedding from this side ? Also did you do a trip over there before , as they suggest ?
Thanks so much
Shell. X x x

 

[tracey1302]

Hiya and welcome to the board

Don't worry, Disney are amazing at planning and even though the booking times over here in the UK are ridiculous, and this will probably make you feel uneasy, don't worry about it. It's just because they have a load of Wishes brides to juggle at the same time and the Escape ceremonies won't take as much planning as these which is probably why there is the delay. The organisation over in the States (not just in Disney!) is amazing and everything will go smoothly I'm sure. While 12 months may seem an age away when you're planning, I'm gonna have to wait another 3.5 years before I can book mine think about all you can get done in the meantime, and your guests would be advised to book flights and things anyway. As has been said, chances are, you will get a date and time that you're happy with and your wedding is in Disney, it will be amazing

 

[Fonz86]

Dont worry about not getting a date in the 2 weeks you will definitely get something, probably on the day you want you might just have to have a different time (we also wanted 2.30pm but settled on 5pm).

We booked our families packages with virgin (not sure if thats classed as advertising - whoops!) we actually changed the date a couple of times with them and it didnt incur an extra charge so you have some flexibility there. Personally, i couldnt wait until 8 months out to book packages, i wanted it sorted right then!!lol Do you plan on staying at disney?

Organising from here has been spot on. We didnt hear much from our planner until a month or so ago, they have everything under control and can sort a wedding in a very short time. Hence the booking only at 8 months out!!

We havent been over to view the pavillion but we have been to Disney once before (yep just once!!) I remember we were on the monorail and i said to him "wow that looks like a wedding place how cool, not sure i would want my wedding at disney though"hahaha how things change!!!! Have you been over before? How many of you plan to go to the wedding?

Dont worry it will work out perfect x

 

[Fonz86]

Oh p.s

We also booked a reception venue in the UK before we had booked the wedding. I knew roughly which 2 weeks in October we wanted to go over so i just booked the reception for the Saturday after. It limited us abit in terms of booking our packages because we then had to make sure we are home by atleast the Thursday but we still had lots of options.

I say go ahead and book, everything will slot into place x

 

[sheldo]

Thanks soo much you really have put my mind as ease
Yeah I've been 12 times and euro Disney as well as the California one . Iam a total Disney geek !! Love it
We are planning to fly with British AIrways then staying at a Disney hotel due to we have seen if you book a wedding at Disney you need to stay in one of the hotel at least 4 days ....??? Is this correct???
I'm planning to book my reception for the 4th of october as my dad works offshore and I want him to be there and that's when he's next home after the wedding . Plus this time of the year its classed as a winter wedding so it's slightly cheaper
I am sure Disney will pull it out the bag for us just like they did on our engagement
Positive mental thoughts
X x x

 

[sheldo]

Ops meant to say ... I really want late morning incase they are afternoon thunder storms . X x

 

[Chilly]

We had our wedding back in Dec 2009 and had no problems booking it from the UK. We had our party in the UK 2 months after the Disney wedding. We booked our flights and hotels and even vendors in Florida before we booked the wedding.

The wedding timeslots are 10am, 12 noon, 2:30pm and 5pm for Escape if I remember rightly.

Good luck with the wedding.

 

[Fonz86]

For an escape wedding you dont have to book any nights at a Disney hotel, that is only if you are having a wishes wedding. Therefore you are free to stay where you like
I think the only condition Disney have is that you are in Florida 2 or 3 days before the ceremony date.

We have booked the 5pm slot in October so hopefully the afternoon storms will stay away that day

Good luck with all your planning! x

 

[lurkyloo]

Escape weddings require a 4-night minimum stay at a Disney owned-and-operated resort for the bridal couple. But they don't require you to set up a room block for your guests to stay on property the way a Wishes event does.

 

[sheldo]

Thanks guys yeah I seen that online that we have to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney hotel . Does anyone have a suggestion which one we should pick ? As I have never stayed at any of the hotels at Disney only on IDrive . That's us picked and booked our reception back in the UK ! seems crazy as I haven't even booked my wedding yet :-/
X x x

 

[Chilly]

Thanks guys yeah I seen that online that we have to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney hotel . Does anyone have a suggestion which one we should pick ? As I have never stayed at any of the hotels at Disney only on IDrive . That's us picked and booked our reception back in the UK ! seems crazy as I haven't even booked my wedding yet :-/
X x x

All the Disney hotels have pros and cons. Cost is the first factor as the Deluxes are pretty expensive but you can save money on booking them with rented DVC points.

 

[lurkyloo]

I would pick the one closest to where your ceremony will be held!

 

[sheldo]

We were looking at the grand Floridian hotel however it's wayyyyy out the box but am hoping to hire out Cinderella's coach and thats at the gran hotel. All the hotels look lovely tho . X x

 

[Chilly]

We were looking at the grand Floridian hotel however it's wayyyyy out the box but am hoping to hire out Cinderella's coach and thats at the gran hotel. All the hotels look lovely tho . X x

The GF is very nice but soooo expensive. The coach was one of my best moments from the day. You don't need to stay at the GF though to have the coach.

 

[Katiebugg14]

You can also get the Coach at the boardwalk when's your wedding?

 

[sheldo]

The coach looks amazing !! Much better than a car ha !! Think it's around $2400 ?? Getting married August 2014 !! Cant wait . X x

 

[Katiebugg14]

Do you already have all your vendors picked out, if you don't message me andnill send you who I recommend? What day in August?

 

[Chilly]

The coach looks amazing !! Much better than a car ha !! Think it's around $2400 ?? Getting married August 2014 !! Cant wait . X x

I'm trying to remember it might even be $2800, I don't regret it though.