I need ammo!!!!!

[mystiichell]

Here's the challenge should you choose to accept:

I am having cake "issues" with my planner Jennifer O'Leary. I am requesting the same size cake as all intimate/escape brides normally receive. I am requesting that the icing be changed to fondant because number one I don't like butter cream & number two it just looks better. I am not requesting any special decor or anything like that. Jennifer told me that to make that change I would HAVE to upgrade to a custom cake starting @ a minimum of $450.00. This is ridiculous!!!!! There are only a total of 16 of us at our wedding & I know other brides have been able to make similar requests.

So, here's what I need:

If you were an intimate/escape bride & had these types of changes could you please post a pic of your cake, your wedding date, your first name & your planner's name. Also, if there was a charge to make any changes if you could please post that as well. I am not opposed to paying a small upgrade charge but paying for a full custom cake is ridiculous.

 

[Lynn5700]

How much would the cake cost with the butter cream? I know that fondan cost a little more than buttercream but I don't see how had it is to just switch the frosting,why does switching it make it a custom cake?

 

[mystiichell]

That's what I was told - that switching to fondant makes it a custom cake - like I said I wouldn't even mind a small upgrade charge - but to pay for a full custom cake

 

[Lynn5700]

Is that a lot more expensive than the original? How much is the cake with the buttercream?

Did you ever see Maggie's cake on here,I think that is the intimate cake right?
If it is and you just want fondany I think that almost 500 dollars is a bit much imo. and for only 16 people.

 

[mystiichell]

Yes maggie's cake is the standard cake & I LOVE maggie's cake - I just don't like butter cream

Maybe if any of you guys have other frosting suggestions......

 

[Tabetha]

I'm not a big frosting person. I usually just end up not eating the frosting, so I don't think it would be worth it to me to upgrade to fondant.

I'd reconfirm with her. It seems to me that while you ARE upgrading to a custom cake, they should also credit you for the intimate cake you're not taking. So you'll have to pay something, but I can't imagine it being $500.

 

[Skylarr29]

Yes maggie's cake is the standard cake & I LOVE maggie's cake - I just don't like butter cream

Maybe if any of you guys have other frosting suggestions......

Maybe you are misunderstanding... If the customs cakes start at 450 you get a 'credit' of what the intimate cake costs (I believe around 300 or something) so maybe the charge will only be about 100? Or is the 450 additional?

 

[dee slack]

I've only ever heard from brides saying that fondant is waaay more than the standard/included cake, nothing official. I don't like buttercream either (I HATE butter!) but I just plan to scrape mine off as no way am I paying any more money to Disney, especially for cake! Good luck in your quest, and do keep us informed (BTW I have Jennifer too)

 

[mystiichell]

You do get a $200.00 credit for your intimate cake - the $450.00 is the price after your credit.

 

[TexasCourt]

You do get a $200.00 credit for your intimate cake - the $450.00 is the price after your credit.

WOW! As an intimate bride who is also interested in upgrading my cake, I can hardly believe this! It seems pretty ridiculous, IMHO. I wanted to mention, can you actually eat fondant? I think it is more for decoration, and I think you have to peel it off, as it is not really edible. Anyway, keep me updated on the cake drama.....and don't even get me started on the PB cup filling drama. All I have to say is they BETTER let me have that!

OH! And get this....awhile back, I read here that if you were an intimate, you could get a cake tasting for $75 fee. Well, when I asked my planner this, she said no. I then mentioned to her that I had heard that you could do this for a fee. She replied that "that was a one time thing for a very special exception." WHAT?!?!?! Ug, I think that is SO unfair. I mean, if I am willing to pay an extra fee, I do not think they should be so about it. Poo.

 

[Laurafoster]

WOW thats a lot just to make one change!

The only thing i can say though is that IF you are getting a custom cake, when i had my custom wedding (not sure if things have changed) the smallest cake size was for 50ppl! and i think the cheapest option was like $9pp. So that would make it $450 plus then the serving fee.

I only had 26 people at my wedding and so had to pay for the 50 portions of cake which sucked!

 

[mystiichell]

POO is exactly right Courtney.

I have been keeping track of our expenses on a spreadsheet (becuase I have nothing else to do ) & this little fairytale is going to end up costing us around $30,000. Not to mention what are families are spending. I would think for that amount of money I could get an icing that I would actually enjoy for MY wedding cake.

I am not trying to be unreasonable & I really like Jennifer she has been really great. I guess this is just a little frustrating & I think that is becuase Disney's big down side is CONSISTENCY with the planners.

 

[DVCGirl49]

I do think that the no cake tasting thing for intimates is a little silly. Afterall, you ARE paying for a pretty expensive cake, why can't they make arrangements for intimate couples who request it to be able to try the standard cake types and fillings for a fee? I think that for the time involved by the bakery to assemble and deliver a tasting tray, and the time involved for the WP to meet with you to do so , $75 is a very reasonable price.

As to the pending question though about upgrading to a fondant cake, I can't provide any personal experience as I am a custom and the only other Disney bride I know outside of the DIS was a custom too. ....But, I do have a copy of the current price list for custom wedding cakes. It is dated revision 7-29-06. It quotes the smallest Destination Castle, standard, ivory/white fondant cake for 65 people as $8.50/per person. (BTW, that is also the least expensive custom cake with fondant on this list.) That comes out to $552.50. The price may have gone up since this price list was published. If they give you say a $200 credit for the cake you are NOT getting, towards the pruchase of this custom one....you should only be paying about $350 for the difference for the cake itself. The extra $100, may be the cake cutting fee. I'm not sure how much that is though, but it is my understanding that it is assessed based on how many people the cake is designed to serve, not necessarily how many people are actually eating it .

HTH

 

[marywdw]

As others have said, I think that's about right - as unfortunate and as expensive as it may be! Anything outside the "norm" for the intimate cakes (i.e., with fondant) has to be upgraded to a custom and the smallest custom they will make serves 50 ppl. Also, if you get a custom cake, you usually get charged a fee to deliver the cake since I think all custom cakes are made at the GF bakery and intimate cakes are made at the resort where the wedding will take place.
BTW, the fondant is mostly for decoration - you can eat it, it's very sweet but (correct me if I'm wrong ladies) when a cake is made using fondant, it usually has buttercream underneath the layer of fondant to hold it on. So basically, even if you have fondant, you get buttercream anyway!

 

[Tabetha]

Wait. Your intimate wedding is costing you $30,000? Why aren't you changing it to a Custom? You're well beyond the minimums required, then you can get whatever the heck cake you want, no?

 

[mystiichell]

Wait. Your intimate wedding is costing you $30,000? Why aren't you changing it to a Custom? You're well beyond the minimums required, then you can get whatever the heck cake you want, no?

The $30,000 is for everything, lodging, airfair, attire, etc. We are over the $10,000 in Disney expenditures but under the $15,000 required for November. I did initially inquire about a custom wedding becuase I was intrested in some of the options but I was told our guest count was too low.

 

[Lynn5700]

That's what I thought, I thought that intimates are under 10000,I am not even paying that much for my custom wedding.

I don't get why they can't just make a cake that will be big enough for 20 people.

 

[Lynn5700]

The $30,000 is for everything, lodging, airfair, attire, etc. We are over the $10,000 in Disney expenditures but under the $15,000 required for November. I did initially inquire about a custom wedding becuase I was intrested in some of the options but I was told our guest count was too low.

Oh ok I'm sorry.

 

[dmslush]

WOW! As an intimate bride who is also interested in upgrading my cake, I can hardly believe this! It seems pretty ridiculous, IMHO. I wanted to mention, can you actually eat fondant? I think it is more for decoration, and I think you have to peel it off, as it is not really edible. Anyway, keep me updated on the cake drama.....and don't even get me started on the PB cup filling drama. All I have to say is they BETTER let me have that!

Yes, you can definately eat fondant. It is made from powdered sugar, syrup, and water. Some people put glucose in it, some don't. It doesn't always taste that great, because people tend to leave it unflavored. So, it just tastes like gooey sugar. However, you can flavor it with candy flavorings and make it taste like whatever you want, it can be very good.

 

[mystiichell]

That's what I thought, I thought that intimates are under 10000,I am not even paying that much for my custom wedding.

I don't get why they can't just make a cake that will be big enough for 20 people.

From what I understand the intimate cake will feed well over 20 people I just can't get them to make any changes to it.