How do you go about making your first call

[lpizzuro123]

We are hoping for a Custom in May of 2008. I have been readling these boards and checking the Disney website. My question is for a Custom, how do you go about making your first call and what type of information do you need to give them. Is a Custom reserved 12 months out. When you make your call do you need to provide location of ceremony (we are hoping for Italy) and location of reception (either ADH or Ariels - not sure if Ariels will be available next year). We also want an IllumiNations Desert Party that same evening.

We are hoping to have between 60 and 70 invited - not sure how many would come but I would imagine 40 to 50. I thought I read that they will put a hold on the location and confirm 8 months out. When do you need to start payment on the wedding? Do you need to put down a certain amount to hold the date and if so how much? Also, what is the cancellation policy. If you need to cancel or change the date?

I know this is alot of information but I would like to get the above information ready before we make the call.

Thanks,
Linda

 

[Janet2k]

My question is for a Custom, how do you go about making your first call and what type of information do you need to give them.

Lpizzuro123, you honestly don't need a lot of info before you place that initial phone call. I actually clicked on the link on the FTW website and that is how I first placed my call to them (they called me back within minutes of my clicking on their hypertext link). I actually began as an Intimate and moved into the Custom category as my planning unfolded over the next couple of months.

When I first spoke with the FTW folks, the only thing I knew for certain was that my husband and I wanted to renew our wedding vows. We kinda wanted to renew them on our anniversary date but honestly that wasn't very important to us. However, for that first phone call, I gave Disney our names, our date, and told them that we wanted the Wedding Pavilion. I think that's pretty much how things began for me.

I know this isn't much help, but I have to run out the door to pick up my daughter from school. I'll try to catch this thread later on today. If no one else has chimed in, I'll try to answer the rest of your questions.

Congrats on your upcoming marriage!

 

[Janet2k]

…I thought I read that they will put a hold on the location and confirm 8 months out. When do you need to start payment on the wedding? Do you need to put down a certain amount to hold the date and if so how much? Also, what is the cancellation policy.

Lpizzuro123, I’m not sure if the rules have changed so please verify everything that I say with the FTW folks.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, I will share my experiences. Here goes…

When I was planning my custom vow renewal a few years ago, a FTW couple could put in a request for a particular venue in advance of the 8-month mark, however, they wouldn’t get confirmation for their venue until they signed their contract at the 8-month mark.

Prior to the 8-month mark, if there was more than one couple who wanted a particular venue for a particular date and time, a lottery would be held to determine who would get it. Fortunately, it didn’t happen too often, but it's always wise to have a few backup locations / dates / times picked out just in case you’re interested in holding your event during a popular time of year.

There was at least one exception to the 8-month contract rule. If someone was planning an event inside a theme park, they could sign their contract at the 12-month mark. I actually held my reception inside a theme park (Disney-MGM Studios), however, I didn’t choose a venue until approximately three or four months prior to my event (I was a late bloomer). Fortunately for me, no one else had picked the same date / time / venue that I wanted so there was no issue with securing it at such a late date.

When I signed my contract, I had to put down a deposit. That deposit had to be paid either via check, money order, or wire-transfer. I chose the wire-transfer method. After that, the rest of my bill could be paid by check, money order, wire-transfer, or credit card.

Disney’s cancellation policy is spelled out in the FTW contract. The policy is straight-forward, but if you find that it isn’t, please discuss it with the FTW folks until you understand completely how it works.

I’ll share below what the cancellation policy was for my event:

- - - - - - -
180+ days = deposit

91-180 days = 30% of the Room charges (including, without limitation, taxes) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred plus $X,XXX

31-90 days = 50% of the Room charges (including, without limitation, taxes) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred plus $X,XXX

0-30 days = 90% of the Food and Beverage, Room, Entertainment and all other charges (including, without limitation, taxes and gratuities) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred
- - - - - - -

I hope this helped. Again, please verify everything with the Fairy Tale Wedding folks. Only they can answer your questions definitively.

 

[lpizzuro123]

Thanks so much for all your answers. I'll be doing some more research in the next few weeks.

By the way, in the past I have read alot of your planning and wedding posts and checked out your pictures and let me say it looks like you had the ultimate party/vow renewal. You went into so much detail and everything was just great. Every once in a while I will reread some of it when I come across it.

Thanks to all the wonderful brides to be and brides on this board - they make planning so much more fun and easier for everyone. If I reach that step I will pass along my information also.

Linda

 

[DisneyFairy19]

Lpizzuro123, I’m not sure if the rules have changed so please verify everything that I say with the FTW folks.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, I will share my experiences. Here goes…

When I was planning my custom vow renewal a few years ago, a FTW couple could put in a request for a particular venue in advance of the 8-month mark, however, they wouldn’t get confirmation for their venue until they signed their contract at the 8-month mark.

Prior to the 8-month mark, if there was more than one couple who wanted a particular venue for a particular date and time, a lottery would be held to determine who would get it. Fortunately, it didn’t happen too often, but it's always wise to have a few backup locations / dates / times picked out just in case you’re interested in holding your event during a popular time of year.

There was at least one exception to the 8-month contract rule. If someone was planning an event inside a theme park, they could sign their contract at the 12-month mark. I actually held my reception inside a theme park (Disney-MGM Studios), however, I didn’t choose a venue until approximately three or four months prior to my event (I was a late bloomer). Fortunately for me, no one else had picked the same date / time / venue that I wanted so there was no issue with securing it at such a late date.

When I signed my contract, I had to put down a deposit. That deposit had to be paid either via check, money order, or wire-transfer. I chose the wire-transfer method. After that, the rest of my bill could be paid by check, money order, wire-transfer, or credit card.

Disney’s cancellation policy is spelled out in the FTW contract. The policy is straight-forward, but if you find that it isn’t, please discuss it with the FTW folks until you understand completely how it works.

I’ll share below what the cancellation policy was for my event:

- - - - - - -
180+ days = deposit

91-180 days = 30% of the Room charges (including, without limitation, taxes) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred plus $X,XXX

31-90 days = 50% of the Room charges (including, without limitation, taxes) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred plus $X,XXX

0-30 days = 90% of the Food and Beverage, Room, Entertainment and all other charges (including, without limitation, taxes and gratuities) to which Disney would have been entitled if no cancellation had occurred
- - - - - - -

I hope this helped. Again, please verify everything with the Fairy Tale Wedding folks. Only they can answer your questions definitively.

THIS INFO HELPS ME ALOT THANKS FOR POSTING THIS

 

[stitchfan18]

Thanks for the info, it's really good to know. The whole lottery thing kind of makes me nervous though, I already have a pretty good idea of how I want my wedding day to look, so I hope no one else wants the same date/time/locale as me... I had no idea that when you couldn't officially book your location until 8 months out, does this mean that calling exactly 12 months out is pointless if I want the wedding pavilion?