Help with wedding rehearsal dinner

[dbogen]

We just bought last year and will take our first visit this May. You guys always have great advise so I am hoping for some ideas. My Son and his Fiance have decided to get married at WDW, which is great, but I'm not sure how to plan the rehearsal dinner without taking out a second mortgage.

Do we go off site, Disney springs, or do I get a 3 bedroom villa and just have food brought in? I am open to all suggestions.

 

[CarolMN]

Might get some good ideas if you post this on the Disney Weddings Forum.

 

[dbogen]

Might get some good ideas if you post this on the Disney Weddings Forum.

Thank you, I will. They just don't seem to have as much activity as here. I am planning both our first welcome home visit for May, and now a wedding.

 

[Toolulu22]

I recommend this guide. Lots of helpful information about Disney Wedding planning from an expert. I had my wedding and pre-wedding events at WDW- there are other groups out there dedicated to planning- mostly brides though.

You should find what you are looking for here though.
https://fairytaleweddingsguide.com/

 

[Toolulu22]

If you end up working with Disney Catering- they will work with you to stay at whatever your budget is. If you want the whole fairytale, they can give it to you and it’ll cost you. But if you tell them your budget is x and you’d like to stay at that - they’ll give you choices of what they can provide and then will work with you from there.

Depending on how many people are coming to the rehearsal dinner, you have options of different locations you may not be aware of/or realize are available and are nicer and possibly in the same price range as a three-bedroom villa w/catering.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I got married @ WDW & were DVC Members but DVC came after wedding. Has your son & his fiancé been in contact with Disney Fairytale Weddings yet? Their wedding coordinator should have some ideas & suggestions. We had 2 dinners leading up to the wedding. One @ The Yachtsman which was just family, his side & mine, which my MIL paid for. The other was the rehearsal dinner st The Polynesian which was a Laua that we paid for. It was a lot of fun for everyone. I got married in 2001 & from I understand now, there are a lot more rules. I don’t think I would take on a rehearsal dinner in a villa. That’s just me. Too much to take on. Any restaurant should be able to handle a rehearsal dinner. But, as you know, nothing at Disney is cheap.

 

[dbogen]

I got married @ WDW & were DVC Members but DVC came after wedding. Has your son & his fiancé been in contact with Disney Fairytale Weddings yet? Their wedding coordinator should have some ideas & suggestions. We had 2 dinners leading up to the wedding. One @ The Yachtsman which was just family, his side & mine, which my MIL paid for. The other was the rehearsal dinner st The Polynesian which was a Laua that we paid for. It was a lot of fun for everyone. I got married in 2001 & from I understand now, there are a lot more rules. I don’t think I would take on a rehearsal dinner in a villa. That’s just me. Too much to take on. Any restaurant should be able to handle a rehearsal dinner. But, as you know, nothing at Disney is cheap.

They have a wedding planner who has been in contact with Disney and is coordinating everything. I guess I was thinking if they were home the planing would be up to us. I will give them a call and ask them to ask the Disney rep. Thank you for the recommendation.

 

[Meliechick]

We were married at WDW 15 years ago. We are not ones to stick with tradition. We had our “rehearsal dinner” in our home city a few weeks before the wedding. We figured that it was easier and less expensive to coordinate. Plus it gave our bridal party a chance to meet before traveling out of state for the wedding. Then once at WDW we had dinner after the rehearsal with our parents. Then that evening, I went out with the girls & my husband went out with the guys.

 

[Disney_Alli]

I did mine at Garden Grove in 2015. We just paid their dinner prices per person and they reserved an area for us under the Tree and let me drop of some schedules I'd made a few days before. They were amazing and easy to work with and offered to help me order a cake or anything else I wanted.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

They have a wedding planner who has been in contact with Disney and is coordinating everything. I guess I was thinking if they were home the planing would be up to us. I will give them a call and ask them to ask the Disney rep. Thank you for the recommendation.

It was actually my wedding planner who suggested The Polynesian laua. My MIL picked the Yachtsman and just called and made a reservation, she took care of that.

 

[emilymad]

We had ours at Ohana. Our guests enjoyed it but it was the one "regret" about our wedding. We should have let Disney plan a private event. We had been looking at doing a BBQ at the dock at the Grand Floridian. It would have only been slightly more money and Ohana and I think a much nicer experience. It was hard in a restaurant for people to talk.

 

[SheriBerry]

I got married at WDW in 2011. There is a wonderful DisBrides facebook group that can help you and offer suggestions (It's just called DisBrides). Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!

 

[dbogen]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I just booked 1900 Park Fare for the rehearsal dinner, and I am so excited. 144 days to go.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

I am not sure of your time of year but you may consider having the rehearsal dinner at Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. It is a very large and open space with beautiful views - especially around sunset. I think the food is on the better side for Disney and there is a bar if that is something you plan on making available.

 

[dbogen]

I am not sure of your time of year but you may consider having the rehearsal dinner at Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. It is a very large and open space with beautiful views - especially around sunset. I think the food is on the better side for Disney and there is a bar if that is something you plan on making available.

Thank you, it's December and I thought about Geyser Point because I hear it's beautiful for the holidays, but I love the interaction from Lady Tremaine, and Anastasia and Drisella. Plus knowing the price up front helps with the budgeting.