Escape Wedding Dining Options & Question

[suprgrlx]

I was just talking to a lady at, I believe, Group Dining and she told me that you're not allowed to wear your wedding dress at any of the resort restaurants, and none of the parks.

I knew about the parks, but I had thought it was possible to wear my dress to dinner at a resort hotel. Can any one confirm either way?

Also, I was wondering if there were any options aside from a restaurant available for an Escape wedding? In particular, I had been hoping for a private room at one of the resorts, or something similar. I was told that as soon as I did that, I had to upgrade to a Wishes wedding.

She told me that the difference between an Escape and a Wishes wedding was that the Wishes had a reception. Honestly, I thought the difference between a Wishes and an Escape was more like $8000, which sounds like a pretty big reception to me. Is this really the only option?

Thanks!

 

[ForKeeps]

Hi,

I would recommend you talk to a wedding coordinator. Disney is so big that many of the other areas (Group Dining etc) don't know all the rules.

I can tell you that I was an intimate and I wore my dress inside Citricos' Chef's Domain. Unless they've change things (and I doubt they would change being able to wear your dress at a resort restaurant) I would think you'd be fine in a resort restaurant.

 

[TinkerFairy]

I'm wearing my dress to lunch at the Grand Floridian Cafe and the lady I made my ADR's with assured me it is not a problem.

She told me just not inside the parks.

 

[JaxTeach]

You can have a meal at a private room. We are eating in a private room at the California Grill. We are still having an Intimate wedding and we will be wearing our wedding attire. Definitely talk to a DFTW coordinator. CMs aren't necessarily cross-trained to know about other areas.

 

[poohface]

We have booked O'Hana and were told we could wear our wedding attire.

 

[lurkyloo]

You are definitely allowed to wear your wedding attire in the resort restaurants. If the private rooms at Jiko, CA Grill and Narcoossee's are out of your budget, check out the restaurants at Downtown Disney.

Fulton's has private rooms, and Portobello Yacht Club and Raglan Road have semi-private areas with no minimums - you just pay the cost of your meal. Plus, if you go at lunchtime, the restaurants are usually empty enough that you may as well be eating in a private room!

 

[minnienurse01]

I'm excited to hear that you can wear your wedding dress in O'Hana. We're looking at getting married at Sunset Pointe, then having a small reception there. That's good news!

 

[MistressOfAllEvil]

We're having an Escape wedding February 4, 2008 and we are having a dinner reception in the wine room (half the room, max 20ppl.; min $2500) at Jiko. Not only am I wearing my dress, my planner has helped with the booking of the location and has sent me the menus, etc... Can't wait. The food sounds soooo yummy!

 

[sajilunni]

This might help from a former thread I started:

Here are some things that I've learned if anyone else is just starting to plan:

1. The 2008 price for an Escape wedding is $4000. This includes all the old amenities (location, bouquet, boutanierre, one cake that feeds 20 with your choice of filling, Mickey cake topper, 1 bottle of champagne, a violinist, 4 consecutive hours of an 8 person limo, 20 4x6 photos) plus 2 annual passes. The maximum allowed is 18 guests plus the bride and groom (children are counted as guests). The Wedding Pavilion location is $1000 extra.

2. Locations can be held by Disney at exactly 12 months in advance. You call and they pencil in the date and send you a contract. You mail back the signed contract with a $750 deposit and they confirm the date. The times available are M-F: 10AM, 12PM, 2:30PM and 5PM.

3. Sunset Pointe (Poly Resort) is only available Oct-March. It is a beach with a 10 person capacity. Sunrise Terrace (Wilderness Resort) is on the 4th floor and overlooks the mountain stream, but it has a 10 person capacity. The Wedding Gazebo (Yacht Club) is in a rose garden and holds a large capacity. Sea Breeze Point (Boardwalk Resort) overlooks Crescent lake and holds a large capacity.

4. Wedding attire is not allowed in the parks at all, but they are allowed at the resorts (hotels). If you book an Illuminations dessert party, you can be specially escorteed by a CM in your wedding attire to Epcot Park. Otherwise all dinner/reception venues are at the resorts.

5. Fireworks cruises: all private boats available have capacities of 12 or less. Grand1 yacht holds 12. Pontoon boats hold 10. Breathless holds 4 at most. Grand Gatherings offers a Magical Fireworks Voyage for large parties with visits from Peter Pan and Hook (I'm not sure if it leaves from the park, whether wedding attire would be permitted on board).

6. Post-wedding dinners for large parties (over 8 I believe) have to be when the restaurant first opens for dinner, usually around 5-5:30PM. I've heard that a few restaurants will give large parties the last seating too, around 9:30PM. So if you book a 5PM wedding, you are unlikely to get a standard dinner time, unless you book a private room.

7. Private dinner rooms available are: Citrico's Chefs Domain (capacity 12, $650 minimum), California Grill Sonoma Room (capacity 40, $2000 minimum) and Napa Room (capacity 60, $3000 minimum), Jiko's Wine Room (capacity 20, $2500 minimum), Victoria and Alberts (capacity 21, $1750 for first 10 guests), DTD Fulton's (capacity 40 , $2000 minimum).

8. Here are pictures of the reception venues:
http://www.tazfoto.com/webhtml/wdw_locations.htm

9. Here are ALL the phone numbers at Disney:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....+contact+snail

If anyone else has some efficient info to add or edit, feel free!

Jil


I think that Group Dining gave you the wrong information, you should talk to your wedding coordinator. Almost everyone who had an Intimate package have had a post-wedding meal in their wedding attire at a resort or downtown Disney. And if you get an Illuminations dessert party, you can even wear it into the park (with an escort).

Jil

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

This might help from a former thread I started:

Here are some things that I've learned if anyone else is just starting to plan:

1. The 2008 price for an Escape wedding is $4000. This includes all the old amenities (location, bouquet, boutanierre, one cake that feeds 20 with your choice of filling, Mickey cake topper, 1 bottle of champagne, a violinist, 4 consecutive hours of an 8 person limo, 20 4x6 photos) plus 2 annual passes. The maximum allowed is 18 guests plus the bride and groom (children are counted as guests). The Wedding Pavilion location is $1000 extra.

2. Locations can be held by Disney at exactly 12 months in advance. You call and they pencil in the date and send you a contract. You mail back the signed contract with a $750 deposit and they confirm the date. The times available are M-F: 10AM, 12PM, 2:30PM and 5PM.

3. Sunset Pointe (Poly Resort) is only available Oct-March. It is a beach with a 10 person capacity. Sunrise Terrace (Wilderness Resort) is on the 4th floor and overlooks the mountain stream, but it has a 10 person capacity. The Wedding Gazebo (Yacht Club) is in a rose garden and holds a large capacity. Sea Breeze Point (Boardwalk Resort) overlooks Crescent lake and holds a large capacity.

4. Wedding attire is not allowed in the parks at all, but they are allowed at the resorts (hotels). If you book an Illuminations dessert party, you can be specially escorteed by a CM in your wedding attire to Epcot Park. Otherwise all dinner/reception venues are at the resorts.

5. Fireworks cruises: all private boats available have capacities of 12 or less. Grand1 yacht holds 12. Pontoon boats hold 10. Breathless holds 4 at most. Grand Gatherings offers a Magical Fireworks Voyage for large parties with visits from Peter Pan and Hook (I'm not sure if it leaves from the park, whether wedding attire would be permitted on board).

6. Post-wedding dinners for large parties (over 8 I believe) have to be when the restaurant first opens for dinner, usually around 5-5:30PM. I've heard that a few restaurants will give large parties the last seating too, around 9:30PM. So if you book a 5PM wedding, you are unlikely to get a standard dinner time, unless you book a private room.

7. Private dinner rooms available are: Citrico's Chefs Domain (capacity 12, $650 minimum), California Grill Sonoma Room (capacity 40, $2000 minimum) and Napa Room (capacity 60, $3000 minimum), Jiko's Wine Room (capacity 20, $2500 minimum), Victoria and Alberts (capacity 21, $1750 for first 10 guests), DTD Fulton's (capacity 40 , $2000 minimum).

8. Here are pictures of the reception venues:
http://www.tazfoto.com/webhtml/wdw_locations.htm

9. Here are ALL the phone numbers at Disney:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....+contact+snail

If anyone else has some efficient info to add or edit, feel free!

Jil


I think that Group Dining gave you the wrong information, you should talk to your wedding coordinator. Almost everyone who had an Intimate package have had a post-wedding meal in their wedding attire at a resort or downtown Disney. And if you get an Illuminations dessert party, you can even wear it into the park (with an escort).

Jil

Jill,
Great summary of information. I do believe that Escape weddings are only available Monday through Thursday. If you desire Friday, Saturday or Sunday wedding. you must choose the Wishes wedding option. Maximum guest count is rigid at 20 people. If you bring your own officiant that will count against your 20 people.

 

[RangerPooh]

Jil, that is a very complete list that you have put together. I'm sure that it will be helpfult o other brides in their planning.