Is a Disney wedding ridiculously priced?

[DJ Disney Kid]

I see that its about a $10,000 minimum, but how does that compare to having a wedding in your own neighborhood?

 

[Swmhc]

I think most people have found that if you are actually comparing similar services (apples to apples, so to speak) that Disney comes out pretty reasonable. Mind you, if you start adding the specialties, dessert party, Cindy's coach, etc... you can easily overspend. We would have spent less if we had gotten married at home, rather than Disney, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We had an Escape ceremony and it was perfect. I still wish we would have added the carriage, but being a second wedding and middle-aged, I just couldn't justify the cost. Just like marrying anywhere, you can add or leave out whatever elements you want or need to and hit almost any price range.

The 10,000 minimum was for the Wishes weddings (21+ guests), If you have 20 or less (including bride and groom), you can do the Escape ceremony, which starts out around $4500, I think. It's been a couple years since I was in the planning mode and the prices have increased, but I am sure Carrie (aka Lurkyloo) will come along and clarify the new prices !

 

[BlovesC]

My sister held her wedding at a hotel in NJ. It was a rather conventional (read: "boring"), non-extravagant affair with just under 100 guests. Total cost was around $16,000...and that was back in 1999.

Though I have no personal plans for a wishes wedding, I don't think Disney's prices seem too out of par with industry standards.

 

[Skylarr29]

It really depends on how many guests and what you want for your day. You can stick to the minimum 10K or you can spend 100K. I think for the service and quality you get with Disney it is a better value than the national average. Food and service is phenomenal and it is such a unique experience to have a Disney wedding.

There are plenty of ways to cut costs and save money, it just takes some research.

 

[CharacterFan]

the min for 2010 is $12000 and when I was looking at sites I'd like in the Atlanta area. Disney wasn't much more. I loved the idea of a weddding on Lake Lanier but the min was about $8000 plus 14 nights at the resort. (we'd all be local and it would be hard to meet that) The catering was about the same prices as Disney, but the food isn't anywhere as good. So for us, Disney wasn't much more, and overall it might be cheaper.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

Another thing to consider - if you stick with everything Disney - like photography, music, etc. - you don't have to deal with a bunch of vendors.

We are having an Escape wedding, and even though $4500 seems like a lot for what we're getting, I also don't have to coordinate with a cake vendor, limo company, venue rental, musicians, photographer, florist, etc. I think of it as a "convenience fee" - I pay a little more to have a planner take care of the details.

 

[dakcp2001]

I think the actual prices are pretty reasonable so to speak as far as services, although they do add a lot of little fees etc, but who doesnt.

There are some things that ARE def overpriced. Cindys carriage is cost prohibitive, and the MK photo shoot is a little steep for what you get. I also think that the dessert parties are a lot of money for such a short amount of time, but ALAS, those are all of the things that make a Dis wedding special, and all of the things I really want. Their photography is not a very good value and the quality is a bit of a crap shoot. You pay more, and have to hope for the best in that area.

What makes it less of a great deal is all of teh restrictions that keep getting added, no outside photog, no outside floral, there are some areas where they sort of have you over a barrel to pay their prices. They virtually eliminate the need to compete. Luckily their services are usually high quality, the floral I have seen ahs all been beautiful.

What makes it so expensive for us is that we have to factor in travel costs & accomodations. ANd also the guest list, I think the Escape package is a really good deal, but the guest list is too restrictive for our family.

 

[lurkyloo]

In my neighborhood (L.A.) the price of an Escape wedding gets you a room and a security guard and that's about it!

Disney weddings can be very reasonably priced, considering all the services they provide for you (no hassling with chair and table rental, cutlery rental, separate caterer and cake baker, valet parking, etc.) and that a lovely Disney wedding can be had for far less than the national average for weddings, which is about $30,000. On the other hand, people have lovely home and church weddings for less than the $4,500 price of an Escape wedding every day. It kind of depends on what kind of experience you're looking for.

If you do choose a Disney wedding, take heart in the fact that it is possible to stick to the minimum expenditure requirements (which only come into play if you choose the Wishes wedding) - lots of us have done it!

 

[beach bride 2010]

Where you live makes a big difference. At first I wasn't even considering a Disney wedding due to the cost but when I started pricing other venues around Orlando I discovered that Disney's prices are actually comparable (unless you want a typical hotel ballroom reception at a hotel on I-drive). I've had several frinds get married in other locations around Orlando recently and they all spent between $18-28,000. When DF started questioning why our wedding is getting to be so much more expensive than his sister's I looked into the costs of a wedding in his hometown (a small town in Ohio) and yes, compared to a wedding in his hometown the price of a Disney wedding is outrageous. My brother, however, got married in CT and we will probably end up spending a lot less $ on our wedding than he spent on his. Although the price is a big sticker shock at first for what they give you and the quality I don't think Disney weddings are that outrageously priced at all. You can keep it very reasonable if you stick to the minimums and don't add a lot of extras.

 

[Angela0917]

It definately makes a difference where you live. I'm getting married in my hometown of Pittsburgh, but looked into a Disney wedding. If I would have gotten married in Disney World, it would have been alot cheaper, but only because I would have invited less than 1/3 of the guests that I am now inviting to my home wedding. But if you price compare indivual things, Disney is a good bit more expensive.

 

[dakcp2001]

It definately makes a difference where you live. I'm getting married in my hometown of Pittsburgh, but looked into a Disney wedding. If I would have gotten married in Disney World, it would have been alot cheaper, but only because I would have invited less than 1/3 of the guests that I am now inviting to my home wedding. But if you price compare indivual things, Disney is a good bit more expensive.

The guest list thing DEF makes a difference! If we get married at home the guest list would be filled with "have to" invites, and would be WAY bigger.

 

[rcortese711]

I agree with everyone else's response in that it makes a huge difference for where you live. Me, I'm from Chicago. Everything here is over priced. The taxes alone are double in Chicago compared to Disney so we're saving a lot for having a disney wedding. The average wedding cost up here in Chi-town run from 35-40k. With a budget of 30k, Disney was perfect.

That $10,000 minimum is only for Monday-Thursday for 2010. Don't pay attention to the online pricing. We just had our first consultation with a disney consultant and he said the online pricing isn't exactly up to date. For Friday and Sunday, the minimum is $15,000 and Saturday has a minimum of $20,000.

And yes, everything that you add on inflates the cost. For example, we can't justify spending $2500 for Cindy's coach. In fact, if you're getting married at the wedding pavilion, it's strictly for looks and doesn't actually get you anywhere. They take you around the parking lot.

Hope this helps!

 

[SailorsPrincess]

That $10,000 minimum is only for Monday-Thursday for 2010.

I believe the minimum for Monday-Thursday 2010 is now $12,000.

 

[rcortese711]

I believe the minimum for Monday-Thursday 2010 is now $12,000.

Good catch. Sorry for the mix up.