Escape Weddings and Dessert Parties

[polynesianbride]

DF and I have our hearts set on Sunset Pointe so are therefore limited to an Escape wedding and 8 guests. However we have some extra tagalongs that will be spending the week at Disney with us (even though it was made clear to them from Day 1 that they won't be able to be at the wedding) and wanted to do something special that would include them.

We were thinking about throwing a dessert party that would include all of our guests the night of our wedding (~25 people total) but was told by my WC that any additional events that we do at Disney will be limited to the same # of guests as our wedding It just doesn't make sense to me since I know you can have a dessert party and not even get married at Disney Has anyone run into this issue before? Any advice?

 

[Lorelei528]

This is a REALLY good question!!

I mean, you do pay per person, so I don't see why they wouldn't let you bring a few more people to the DP...hmmm...

I'm hoping Carrie comes around shortly to help...I think she might have good info...

 

[beatlesblonde]

That doesn't sound right to me...we're having 15 people at our wedding but 18 at our DP that night

 

[Bridie1996]

That doesn't sound right to me either. We are having 23 people at our ceremony, but 30 at the dessert party. And at our lunch in the Attic as well.

 

[honey2741]

I'm not sure who your WC is but that is totally INCORRECT! At the time I was having an Escape wedding, I was going to have a Dessert Party that night. I was having more people at the Dessert Party because we were maxed out for the wedding. You can have as many people as you want at the Dessert Party. I was going to have 40 people (friends and others not able to come to wedding were coming to celebrate) and this includes children etc.

I would go back to the WC and tell her she needs to check again. If she continues with the same rhetoric I would tell her to consult with the Sales Consultant (they seem to always have up-to-date rules).

In any event you can have as many people at the Dessert Party

 

[polynesianbride]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I am glad to hear that a DP may still be an option for us but am getting really frustrated with the whole ordeal. My WC seems like she is VERY by the book... I know she's been with Disney a long time and she is very knowledgable but I just feel like I keep hitting walls like this with her. Originally we had wanted to 'upgrade' to a Wishes wedding but were told that we couldn't hold a wishes wedding at Sunset Pointe bc it's not an "option" for Wishes wedding- even if we kept the 8 guest limit at the ceremony (we were thinking of having the live web cam to have it played at the reception site where the rest of our guests would be). Then I had heard that Disney was helping brides to book dinners after their Escape weddings, etc. so I thought she could maybe help us book Ohana but again was told that they would only handle the ceremony and cake cutting She did mention that we could book a private dinner through the wedding dept but it was made clear that it could only be for 8 guests along with the other stipulations that I knew about (2 hr limit, meal only, no dancing, etc)- she said after I contract my wedding date that my planner could go over the details with me and it could be booked at 6 months out. I know that DFTW doesn't like using Sunset Pointe as a site- are they just trying to discourage me from using SP or do you think it will improve once I am able to book and get my planner?

 

[Bridie1996]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I am glad to hear that a DP may still be an option for us but am getting really frustrated with the whole ordeal. My WC seems like she is VERY by the book... I know she's been with Disney a long time and she is very knowledgable but I just feel like I keep hitting walls like this with her. Originally we had wanted to 'upgrade' to a Wishes wedding but were told that we couldn't hold a wishes wedding at Sunset Pointe bc it's not an "option" for Wishes wedding- even if we kept the 8 guest limit at the ceremony (we were thinking of having the live web cam to have it played at the reception site where the rest of our guests would be). Then I had heard that Disney was helping brides to book dinners after their Escape weddings, etc. so I thought she could maybe help us book Ohana but again was told that they would only handle the ceremony and cake cutting She did mention that we could book a private dinner through the wedding dept but it was made clear that it could only be for 8 guests along with the other stipulations that I knew about (2 hr limit, meal only, no dancing, etc)- she said after I contract my wedding date that my planner could go over the details with me and it could be booked at 6 months out. I know that DFTW doesn't like using Sunset Pointe as a site- are they just trying to discourage me from using SP or do you think it will improve once I am able to book and get my planner?

You could always ask for a different Coordinator.

I can't really say it got better for me after booking since my experience was good from the first phonecall.

I had Bill Barchick(sp?) before I got my planner, Kathleen. Bill was great in answering some basic questions we had and reassuring us on concerns (like having more than 18 guests). When getting into receiving "permission" to do things, the WP is the one though. Kathleen has gone to bat for us and been very helpful in coordinating things and even suggested ideas when I was confused or at a loss on something.

As for Ohana - when I was looking into having a dinner at one of the restaraunts I was told I'd have to coordinate that myself, but Kathleen told me how to do it, and said that we'd discuss it again when I was able to book the dinner. We later decided to have a lunch in the attic instead, but the point is even though she couldn't book something in a restaruant for us, she was still trying to be helpful instead of just saying that I was on my own.

 

[malibustacey]

We was told that we couldnt have a few extra guests at SBP for the ceremony!- which was going to be a few teenagers that wouldnt participate in the rest of the day, and perhaps a few disers or that might be there when we get married- i made it CLEAR that all i wanted was a few extra chairs at the ceremony only-and im talking like 4 chairs!!!, and that they would not be involved in the rest of the day. My planner said no, its not possible- guests must be involved in the whole day only. That upset me a bit. I am well under my guest limit for SBP with 35 guests or less, and im not having any chair covers or anything, just the normal set up and all i wanted was a few extra chairs. But im not allowed! So now, i have to tell these teenage cousins that will possibly be with my aunt and uncle, that they cannot come at all. All they wanted was to watch the ceremony and go off and do thier own thing because they knew it would cost a lot to have them for the whole day.

Grrrr.

But i do know for sure that you can have as many people as you want at a DP- (depending on DP location size).

 

[polynesianbride]

You could always ask for a different Coordinator.

I can't really say it got better for me after booking since my experience was good from the first phonecall.

I had Bill Barchick(sp?) before I got my planner, Kathleen. Bill was great in answering some basic questions we had and reassuring us on concerns (like having more than 18 guests). When getting into receiving "permission" to do things, the WP is the one though. Kathleen has gone to bat for us and been very helpful in coordinating things and even suggested ideas when I was confused or at a loss on something.

As for Ohana - when I was looking into having a dinner at one of the restaraunts I was told I'd have to coordinate that myself, but Kathleen told me how to do it, and said that we'd discuss it again when I was able to book the dinner. We later decided to have a lunch in the attic instead, but the point is even though she couldn't book something in a restaruant for us, she was still trying to be helpful instead of just saying that I was on my own.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't think I need to ask for a new coordinator bc she is probably just giving me the by the book answer now so that I'm not disappointed later. I am just going to hope that once I get my WP that I get more positive "yes" answers.

We was told that we couldnt have a few extra guests at SBP for the ceremony!- which was going to be a few teenagers that wouldnt participate in the rest of the day, and perhaps a few disers or that might be there when we get married- i made it CLEAR that all i wanted was a few extra chairs at the ceremony only-and im talking like 4 chairs!!!, and that they would not be involved in the rest of the day. My planner said no, its not possible- guests must be involved in the whole day only. That upset me a bit. I am well under my guest limit for SBP with 35 guests or less, and im not having any chair covers or anything, just the normal set up and all i wanted was a few extra chairs. But im not allowed! So now, i have to tell these teenage cousins that will possibly be with my aunt and uncle, that they cannot come at all. All they wanted was to watch the ceremony and go off and do thier own thing because they knew it would cost a lot to have them for the whole day.

Grrrr.

But i do know for sure that you can have as many people as you want at a DP- (depending on DP location size).

I think we have the same planner Stacey if I remember right I shouldn't laugh but misery loves company. I think she must just be very by the books. Your situation REALLY makes no sense to me though... you are having a WISHES wedding so it it supposed to be able to be CUSTOMIZED I hope once we get our WP's things will seem a little more flexible