Illuminations Vs. Fantasmic Dessert Party

[SRUAlmn]

My fiance and I are considering doing a dessert party the night of our wedding in lieu of a rehearsal dinner the night before. Money is VERY tight (thanks to his father ) and we have quite a few guests that will just be getting into town the afternoon/night before the wedding. To better include everyone we thought having an event the night of would be better (plus, then we can include it in our minimum ) Is this tacky?

Anyway, I'd like opinions about the two options. I've read trip reports and some financial info regarding both. I 'think' I saw sample menu options somewhere, but now I can't find it. Anyone? What are the viewing areas in MGM like for Fantasmic? Thanks for any help you can give us!!

 

[Skylarr29]

I prefer the Illuminations because you are right there front and center watching the show and I feel it is more exclusive.

Here is the viewing area for Fantasmic.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks so much for the pictures! The only thing that bothers us about Illuminations is that we aren't real big fans of it. The whole globe thing is a little odd and you can never really see it very well, especially from the World Showcase. However, from the looks of it, the locations and ambiance are better for Illuminations.

 

[ItGirl753]

For me, it has to be Illuminations, but to be honest I have not seen Fantasmic. We loved Illuminations, and I loved the globe and the pictures. I could see them. In fact when we were there in November we saw a party being escorted down and thought that was the COOLEST thing! I am hoping we can convince his parents to pay for a DP in lieu of a rehearsal dinner, since the RD falls on the groom's parents right?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Then here is my question. Maybe we were just watching it from a bad part of the World Showcase. We were right in front of France (which I believe is a dessert party location,) but we were up top, not down in any of those things. Are the views really that good for the dessert party locations? Which ones are better? Probably the ones that cost more

 

[liberty]

I was wondering is the Uk show case, a good dessert party location?

 

[pixie08]

There are many locations for dessert parties. It all depends on how many people you have not so much $$$ the sites that accomadate more people cost more. For example we are using the upper French Island (which i happen to love esp. because of the beautiful flower fixtures) has a min of 50 people. Italy Isola has a min of 100 people. There are other locations like lower french island, french arm, upper or lower UK and I believe for small parties Morrocco and maybe Japan? (not sure on those) I think it is a personal prefernc e to what you like...if you love fantasmic than that is what you should do. Personally I perfer Illuminations so that is why I chose that. In terms of price I believe they are very similiar.


Here are some pics from our site visit:

looking at lower UK from France

going down the ramp to the lower UK

upper french island

left view of lake from french upper

 

[ItGirl753]

DBF and I just pulled out the Epcot map. We must've been near the Italy Isola. All I remembered was that we had just come from buying candy in Germany!

 

[Doodles13]

How much do these desert parties cost? I would want one for just the 2 of us at Fantasmic. Would this be possible?

 

[hmp2z]

How much do these desert parties cost? I would want one for just the 2 of us at Fantasmic. Would this be possible?

If you want something for just the 2 of you, you could always do a Wishes event. Get the Grand One yacht, and have private dining provide whatever you want in advance. We did this & had chocolate covered strawberries & bottled water on the yacht. We boarded right before Fantasy in the Sky (the show before Wishes) began, and the driver got prime positioning to see the show (he actually kind of bumped some of the pontoon boats away!).

After the show was over, we were able to cruise on the lake for a while, and see the Electric Water Parade twice. It was just a lovely ending to our day. Since the MK fireworks are our favorite fireworks show, we enjoyed this more than if we'd done an Illuminations or Fantasmic event.

Also, if you wanted to make a full dinner, you could do that, too, on the Grand One. This was one of the options we looked at; Private Dining would provide a server to serve you dinner at the table on the boat. We decided against it, because we were a party of 10, and seating for dinner would have been cramped. Plus, we really wanted our reception at V&A's private room, which is what we ended up going with.

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[liberty]

Thanks for the pictures!...great help!

 

[Doodles13]

How do you go about organising this and how much does it cost. I have just read on another thread that DFTW don't want intermiate weddings to have butler service at the GF, would they stop this too?

If you want something for just the 2 of you, you could always do a Wishes event. Get the Grand One yacht, and have private dining provide whatever you want in advance. We did this & had chocolate covered strawberries & bottled water on the yacht. We boarded right before Fantasy in the Sky (the show before Wishes) began, and the driver got prime positioning to see the show (he actually kind of bumped some of the pontoon boats away!).

After the show was over, we were able to cruise on the lake for a while, and see the Electric Water Parade twice. It was just a lovely ending to our day. Since the MK fireworks are our favorite fireworks show, we enjoyed this more than if we'd done an Illuminations or Fantasmic event.

Also, if you wanted to make a full dinner, you could do that, too, on the Grand One. This was one of the options we looked at; Private Dining would provide a server to serve you dinner at the table on the boat. We decided against it, because we were a party of 10, and seating for dinner would have been cramped. Plus, we really wanted our reception at V&A's private room, which is what we ended up going with.

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Skylarr29]

How do you go about organising this and how much does it cost. I have just read on another thread that DFTW don't want intermiate weddings to have butler service at the GF, would they stop this too?

It's not that you can't have it... I guess they don't brides to use this a reception. If they think it is a reception in anyway they will transfer you to DFTW. The Grand One is somewhere around $400.00 an hour and are normally an hour for a Wishes cruise plus whatever food options you add.

Private dining at the Gf will run around $200.00 and includes the butler service. You can lessen that price if you chose cheaper food options.

 

[hmp2z]

To book the Grand One, you just have to call Recreation & you can book it. Then call Private Dining to arrange for anything you want to eat on the yacht. You don't have to mention that you are having a wedding, even; this is completely separate from FTW, so you don't book through them. If you choose to, you can tell them that you are getting married through Fairytale Weddings earlier that day, and that you would like this fireworks cruise for you & your DH after the ceremony. They cannot legally refuse to serve you, since you are not violating Disney policy. They might try to, because certain FTW cast members have the idea that an intimate wedding is not as valuable as a custom wedding. What you have to do is just be firm with them. I was very firm with my EM's, and I got every single thing I wanted for my wedding day.

We booked our cruise through the GF private dining manager directly, not through FTW. And yes, you can definitely book it for your wedding day - you don't have to wait until the day after!

We just got back from WDW & saw a bride in wedding gear eating at the California Grill. As long as you were married that day through FTW and aren't in the parks, they allow you to wear your wedding dress. That is and always has been the FTW rule. They cannot stop you from doing something that doesn't violate the rules. You will see brides running all over the GF in wedding gear, eating at the tea room, at Citricos, at V&A's.

I think they made the rule because they just didn't want the FTW intimate coordinators to be bothered with arranging receptions for these brides. We pay less, so we have to do a bit more work. It is definitely worth it, though. You will love the Grand One fireworks cruise!

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[ljhayes]

We're going to be doing a Fantasmic dessert party the night of the wedding. While I agree that you may have a more private feeling at a lot of the Illuminations viewing areas, Fantasmic is absolutely our favorite show, while Illuminations is something we could take or leave. Also, we're having a 10am ceremony, so we didn't want to schedule anything too late the night before. You can definitely do some cool stuff even on a budget, and I think it will be a great way to wrap up the day. I have menus for both Epcot and MGM dessert parties, so let me know if you're still looking for those!

 

[SRUAlmn]

We're going to be doing a Fantasmic dessert party the night of the wedding. While I agree that you may have a more private feeling at a lot of the Illuminations viewing areas, Fantasmic is absolutely our favorite show, while Illuminations is something we could take or leave. Also, we're having a 10am ceremony, so we didn't want to schedule anything too late the night before. You can definitely do some cool stuff even on a budget, and I think it will be a great way to wrap up the day. I have menus for both Epcot and MGM dessert parties, so let me know if you're still looking for those!

I am absolutely still looking for menus! Thank you so much! We have actually never seen Fantasmic because the last time we were there the lines were SOOOO LONG and we were on a limited time schedule and didn't want to waste it standing in line. We could take or leave Illuminations too, so I'd love to see the menus. Maybe that would help us decide

I wish they had Wishes dessert parties or Spectromagic dessert parties

 

[ljhayes]

Epcot Dessert Party Menus

For the Child in You
Florida Lemon Bars, Double Chocolate Brownies
White Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nut Cookies and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy Rice Crispy Treats and Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea and Lemonade

$19.50++ per person
(Based on 1 hour of service, 20-person minimum)


Old World Classics in Miniature
Pastries in Miniature to include:
Chocolate and Pistachio Cannoli
Fresh Fruit Tartlet, Vanilla Cream Filled Pastry Horns
Chocolate Éclairs, Raspberry and Cream Roulade
Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecake, Chocolate Pecan Pies
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea and Lemonade

$24.50++ per person
(Based on 1 hour of service, 20-person minimum)


Build your own Desserts
Freshly Baked Shortcake, Vanilla Ice Cream, Seasonal Berries and Fresh Fruits,
Fruit Sauce, Whipped Cream, White and Dark Chocolate Sauce,
Chopped Nuts, Crushed Cookies, Colorful Sprinkles and Broken Candies
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea and Lemonade

$27.00++ per person
(Based on 1 hour of service, 20-person minimum)


Deluxe
Stemware Glasses Filled with Classic Tiramisu,
English Trifle, Fresh Fruit and Berries
Pastry Selections in Miniature to include:
Fresh Fruit Tartlet, Vanilla Cream Filled Pastry Horns, Chocolate Éclairs
Chocolate and Pistachio Cannoli
Raspberry and Cream Roulade
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea and Lemonade

$29.50++ per person
(Based on 1 hour of service, 30-person minimum)


Supreme
Classic Tortes to include:
Sacher, Dobos, and Chambord
Stemware Glasses Filled with Classic Tiramisu,
English Trifle, Fresh Fruit and Berries
Pastry Selections in Miniature to include:
Chocolate and Pistachio Cannoli, Fresh Fruit Tartlet
Vanilla Cream Filled Pastry Horns
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea and Lemonade

$39.50++ per person
(Based on 1 Hour of service, 50-person minimum)


Cordials & Liqueurs
Select Premium Cordials, Liqueurs, Flavored Syrups and Port Wine
Served in Chocolate Liqueur Cups
1 Hour $12.00++ per person
1 ½ Hours $15.00++ per person
2 Hours $18.00++ per person
2 ½ Hours $21.00++ per person


A La Carte Dessert Party Enhancements
The Following Dessert Party Enhancements are Available:

Champagne Toasts
Billed on Consumption, according to brand.
Prices range from $35.00++ per bottle and up

Bananas Foster
Bananas Sautéed with Rum Sauce
Vanilla Ice Cream
$15.00++ per person (25 person minimum)
(Add to any existing dessert party menu for $9.00 ++ per person)

Crepes Suzette
Crepes Flamed with a Grand Marnier Butter Sauce
$15.00++ per person (25 person minimum)
(Add to any existing dessert party menu for $9.00++ per person)

Flaming Cherries Jubilee
With Vanilla Ice Cream
$15.00++ per person (25 person minimum)
(Add to any existing dessert party menu for $9. ++ per person)

Chocolate Fondue Station
White and Dark Chocolate Fondue
Angel Food Cake, Pound Cake, Pretzels, Strawberries,
Pineapple, Honeydew, Cantaloupe and Marshmallows
$15.00++ per person (25 person minimum)
(Add to any existing dessert party menu for $9.00 ++ per person)

(All the above items are based on a 25-person minimum and 1 Hour of service)

 

[ljhayes]

MGM DESSERT PARTIES

Create Your Own Dessert Party

Minimum 20 guests

Any 2 Items $16.50++ per person
Any 3 Items $18.50++ per person
Any 4 Items $20.50++ per person
Any 5 Items $22.50++ per person

Includes Coffees with Whipped Cream, Shaved Chocolate,
Cinnamon Sticks, Orange Peel, and Flavored Coffee Syrups

Assorted Petit Fours
Assorted Pate des Fruits
Assorted Ice Cream Novelties
Chocolates and Truffles
Fruit Filled Crepes with Vanilla and Chocolate Sauce
Chef Selection of Miniature Pastries
Cheesecake with Fruit Toppings
Seasonal Fresh Fruit and Pound Cake with Fondue Sauces
Assorted Cakes and Pies
White and Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Myer’s Rum Anglaise
Apple Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream
Baklava with Caramelized Walnuts
Seasonal Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Sauce
Seasonal Fresh Fruit Station
Angel Food Cake with Seasonal Fruit
Assorted Fresh Cookies
Assorted Brownies and Rice Krispy Treats


On–Stage Action Stations
Additional $9.00pp++ per station
Crepes Suzette
Bananas Foster
Cherries Jubilee
Strawberries Sambuca


Add a Celebration Cake to Your Dessert Party
(48 Hours Notice Required)

Decorated Celebration Cakes
with Custom Inscription

10” Round Cake Serves 16 - $48.00++ each
Quarter Sheet Cake Serves 25 - $75.00++ each
Half Sheet Cake Serves 50 - $125.00++ each
Full Sheet Cake Serves 100 - $225.00++ each

Choice of Cake
Chocolate, Vanilla, Marble

Choice of Icing
Buttercream, Chocolate, Whipped Cream

Choice of Filling
Fruit Mousse, Custard with Strawberries,
White or Chocolate Mousse, Buttercream


Add a Cordial and Liqueur Package to Your Dessert Party
(Served in Chocolate Liqueur Cups)

1 Hour $15.00++ per person
1 ½ Hours $18.00++ per person
2 Hours $21.00++ per person
2 ½ Hours $24.00++ per person


Studios Dessert Party

Assorted Miniature Cakes and Bar Cakes
Double Chocolate Brownies, Blondies, Rice Krispy Treats, Assorted Freshly Baked Cookies
Seasonal Fresh Fruit Display
White and Dark Chocolate Pretzels

Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Hot Teas

$18.50++ per person
Minimum 25 guests


Fantasmic! Desserts

White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and Caramel Fondue
with Angel Food Cakes, Pound Cake, and Meringues
Assorted Petit Fours, Éclairs, and Cream Puffs
Seasonal Fresh Fruit Tartes
Cheesecake with Assorted Toppings

Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Hot Teas

$23.50++ per person
Minimum 25 guests


Kid Stuff

Hand Dipped Ice Cream Sodas
“Twinkie” Fresh Fruit Trifle with Lemon Pastry Cream
Caramel Fondue with Red and Green Apple Skewers
Assorted Classic Boxed Candies
Deep Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches with Powdered Sugar
Gourmet Oven Fresh Cookies
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Crushed Oreos and Heath bars, Candy Sprinkles, Chopped Nuts, Berries, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream, Maraschino Cherries, Butterscotch,
and Chocolate Chips

Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Hot Teas

$28.50++ per person
Minimum 50 guests

 

[ljhayes]

I've heard that MGM will work with you to add some things from the Epcot menu that they don't list on their menu, but we haven't come to that bridge yet, so I can't report for sure on that one. Good luck with your decision!!!

 

[SRUAlmn]

I've heard that MGM will work with you to add some things from the Epcot menu that they don't list on their menu, but we haven't come to that bridge yet, so I can't report for sure on that one. Good luck with your decision!!!

Thanks so much! It looks like you are doing our exact wedding, but 2 months early. We are also doing WP/Napa room/Fantasmic or Illuminations. Let us know how it goes