Just spoke with Doreen, need advice

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Hi, everyone!

Just got a callback from Doreen. She informed me that for the outdoor venues can be booked 1 year in advance and the indoor venue could be booked 8 months in advance. Doreen said she's not the wedding coordinator - what is her role in this whole thing?

We don't have a particular date or time of year in mind. We were aiming for Summer 2008 but then someone brought up a good point that the theme parks are kinda crowded since we plan to honeymoon there. Doreen said September is a good time and October tends to be busy (why?)

So, I guess I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't start the process soon. We still want to go in December to pick up some cute things for welcome bags and maybe I could schedule a hair trial while I'm there.

Any other suggestions? What's the next step aside from waiting?

 

[curiouser]

Hi, everyone!

Just got a callback from Doreen. She informed me that for the outdoor venues can be booked 1 year in advance and the indoor venue could be booked 8 months in advance. Doreen said she's not the wedding coordinator - what is her role in this whole thing?

We don't have a particular date or time of year in mind. We were aiming for Summer 2008 but then someone brought up a good point that the theme parks are kinda crowded since we plan to honeymoon there. Doreen said September is a good time and October tends to be busy (why?)

So, I guess I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't start the process soon. We still want to go in December to pick up some cute things for welcome bags and maybe I could schedule a hair trial while I'm there.

Any other suggestions? What's the next step aside from waiting?

I can't help with the other items, but I can tell you October is busy because of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Food & Wine Festival. Also, mid October almost all of the Florida schools have time off, so many families just take extra days and make it a vacation. We encountered this last year. HTH!!

 

[ForKeeps]

Jessi,

I'm not sure what Doreen's official title is, but I can tell you that she seems to be the go to gal when the WCs are away. When I originally booked my date my WC was away on vacation, so Doreen reserved my date and everything. Also, my WC decided to take holidays the week of my wedding, so I was given Doreen's contact info if I had any questions. SHE IS AMAZING. I had a last minute request that she took care of, so she knows her stuff and will be able to answer all your questions.

It is true that you have to wait a year out to reserve your date for the outside locations and 8 months for the WP. This is REALLY frustrating, especially when you're excited and you want to start planning.

Right now, I think you need to figure out which time of the year works for you, and decide the types of things you want for your wedding (i.e., do you want Mickey & Minnie, which location, which restaurant, are you interested in a fireworks reception, and most importantly -- do you want outside vendors for photography or videography (often they book VERY far in advance)

HTH!

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Thanks for the quick replies! I guess I'm kinda upset here a little so this made me feel better.

I did the Wish Book thing - but Doreen said they have a list of all the stuff but you don't get that until the contract.

Ugh, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do next. I was considering Randy Chapman for photography but I don't know if I should be calling him now if I don't even know what my date is yet for the wedding.

How does this work?

 

[ForKeeps]

Thanks for the quick replies! I guess I'm kinda upset here a little so this made me feel better.

I did the Wish Book thing - but Doreen said they have a list of all the stuff but you don't get that until the contract.

Ugh, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do next. I was considering Randy Chapman for photography but I don't know if I should be calling him now if I don't even know what my date is yet for the wedding.

How does this work?

I booked Randy months before I had my wedding date. He was the most important element of my wedding. If you decide on your ideal date, even though you don't have it secured through DFTW you can call Randy and ask him if he's available. If he is you can secure him by putting down a deposit. The great thing about Randy is, that he does DFTWs all the time, and so he knows about the quirks of not having your date yet. If you don't get your date when it's all said and done he will try to swap the date. If he has a conflict he will refund your deposit.

The good news is that pretty much everything that is on those lists that Doreen is talking about is available on the wishbook. Frankly the planning pages that they give you are a bit of a letdown. By the time you get them, you'll have already made all your choices from the information on the DFTW site, and from hearing about things on the DIS.

One of the best things you can do is spend too much time on here and read about all the different possibilities It really is the BEST source of info I found.

 

[princess110607]

Last year we visited Disney from October 23-28. It wasn't crowded at all...at least we didn't think so. I mean it wasn't like it was a ghost town...but it wasn't super busy. There was probably maybe two rides that there was a huge line for. Compared to the summer months...it's definitely less crowded.

We wanted to get married in October but our dates didn't work out so we are getting married in November. We loved going in October last year...but that's only my opinion

 

[jenny08]

Doreen's signature in her email says Escape Wedding Coordinator. She books the weddings and handles the letter of agreement. Once I signed that contract and sent it back to her she told me I will be assigned a wedding coordinator within 2 weeks.

September is probably slow because its still hurricane season but all the teachers and kids are back to school and there arent any special events going on yet.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Thank you very much for all of the replies! I appreciate every single one of them. I'm trying not to bite all my nails off here!

 

[theantibride]

The parks aren't super-busy in October but there are a lot of conventions held then as well as weddings. October is a good time to get married in Florida cause it's not too hot but it's still warm enough to wear summer-y clothes. Make sense? We originally thought about getting married in September cause it costs less (and the parks won't be even close to crowded since school will just have gone back in up North and been in for several weeks in the South), but want to get married on our anniversary in October and it also coincides with the fall break of my bridesmaid who is my cousin still in college. So if you are really flexible in timing I'd go with September cause the minimums are less (for a custom wedding) and there are next to no crowds.

 

[aprincess72]

We were married at the end of April and I have to say it was a great time! It was hot but not nearly as humid as it is here in the summer / fall. Also, at the end of April it's not terribly busy. Spring Break is wrapping up so the lines were no problem at all!
We go to WDW many times over the year. If I had to do it all over again I would have chosen February!

 

[Vayleen]

I worked down at Disney from August - December one year and the day after Labor Day, Disney turned into a ghost town! It was incredible. I was so used to seeing crowds but that day there was no one was around! It was refreshing! Everyone is back in school in September so no one wants to take their kids out of school so early in the school year.

 

[orangetiggs]

We have been speaking to heidi at DFTW since march time for our sep 2008 wedding. we are now 4 weeks today till we get a contract at 12 months, we are looking at the WP and either airels or the napa room. as these are not convetion sites we can contract at 12 months