Less than 20 at Napa room, CG

[Sarah84]

I understand that the Napa room at the California Grill has a minimum $3000 food & wine spend after 5pm but im in love with it espcially with the view of MK and Wishes in the evening, but with only around 15 guests even having the most expensive dinner menu will only come to about $1500 so that's $1500 to reach on drinks how much per person are the drinks packages. And has anybody with a low guests numbers hired it and not quite reached the minimum, have they still let you hire the room?

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

I understand that the Napa room at the California Grill has a minimum $3000 food & wine spend after 5pm but im in love with it espcially with the view of MK and Wishes in the evening, but with only around 15 guests even having the most expensive dinner menu will only come to about $1500 so that's $1500 to reach on drinks how much per person are the drinks packages. And has anybody with a low guests numbers hired it and not quite reached the minimum, have they still let you hire the room?

I am currently using both rooms, and as of my first BEO, I was $200 under the combined minimum. My WC said we wouldn't loose the room, but we would be charged the minimum. No exceptions. I wasn't worried because we low-balled our guest count, and I'm going to be fine because we have more guests than we originally guests. So, I don't have a low guest count per say, but I do have some ideas on how to spend your money

$1500 seems like a lot to spend on drinks - but you know your guests. The bar menu can be found here if you want to take a look.

Today my WC sent me the new 2010 menus and there was a new (well at least to me) thing called enhancements. These are little take away favors and center pieces (edible so they would count toward your f&b minimum) you can check those out here I think they're way cute! And that could help too.

Also, have you can add appetizers for the pre-reception.

...and.... have you thought about the Sonoma Room? It's right across the hall from the Napa Room, but it's smaller with a $2,000 F&B min. after 5. The view is of Bay lake, but you still have the use of the catwalks. That could save you from stuffing your guests and forcing drinks on them just to spend money

 

[kmg148]

With a party under 20, you could always just eat in the restaurant. No minimums!

 

[acwinsett]

Thank you SO MUCH for the info on the "enhancements". We have a group between 25 and 30 for dinner, and we've chosen one of the lower priced menus because it seemed more crowd-pleasing. We may find ourselves having to add a few things to make the minimums, but there will be SO MUCH FOOD already! At least with the enhancements, they can take a little something home with them

 

[malibustacey]

can these enchancements be made for any venue!? Or is there different enchancements for different venues?

I would love to do something like this if we had some money spare for a surprise!

Do you know if there are any other enchancment things to wow our guests?

 

[Ann117]

I could be wrong about this but I think the lighted ice sorbet sculptures go towards the F&B minimum. I think they are something really different to add. I have heard they have all kinds of shapes to choose from. Below is the glass slipper.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Thank you SO MUCH for the info on the "enhancements". We have a group between 25 and 30 for dinner, and we've chosen one of the lower priced menus because it seemed more crowd-pleasing. We may find ourselves having to add a few things to make the minimums, but there will be SO MUCH FOOD already! At least with the enhancements, they can take a little something home with them

We are in the exact same boat, the lower priced menu seemed best for our group, then we cut out the dessert and app. too, so it got too cheap. (My dad would die if he knew I was saying that ) The little truffle boxes are cute, and then they're providing the favor, so it's a bonus!

can these enchancements be made for any venue!? Or is there different enchancements for different venues?

I would love to do something like this if we had some money spare for a surprise!

Do you know if there are any other enchancment things to wow our guests?

Stacey - I believe these favors are California Grill specific. But, there are chocolate favors available at any venue through Disney floral. There is always the slipper dessert - that's a great wow factor

 

[Sarah84]

I am currently using both rooms, and as of my first BEO, I was $200 under the combined minimum. My WC said we wouldn't loose the room, but we would be charged the minimum. No exceptions. I wasn't worried because we low-balled our guest count, and I'm going to be fine because we have more guests than we originally guests. So, I don't have a low guest count per say, but I do have some ideas on how to spend your money

$1500 seems like a lot to spend on drinks - but you know your guests. The bar menu can be found here if you want to take a look.

Today my WC sent me the new 2010 menus and there was a new (well at least to me) thing called enhancements. These are little take away favors and center pieces (edible so they would count toward your f&b minimum) you can check those out here I think they're way cute! And that could help too.

Also, have you can add appetizers for the pre-reception.

...and.... have you thought about the Sonoma Room? It's right across the hall from the Napa Room, but it's smaller with a $2,000 F&B min. after 5. The view is of Bay lake, but you still have the use of the catwalks. That could save you from stuffing your guests and forcing drinks on them just to spend money

Thank you so much, that was very helpful. I deffiently don't want to be forcing food & drink on everyone till they possibly can't take no more
I did think about the Sonoma room but for some reason i'm so much more drawn to the Napa room. Its has the bar in there which i like the idea of and the view of MK, is the balcony thats attachted to the Napa room private?

What do they do in regards to table clothes, napkins etc? do you provide them? if they do are there certain colours to pick from?
and i've seen pictures of peoples menus looking very pretty, do you provide them yourselves?

my wedding isn't for another 2 years as we have to save for it, we would have it sooner but we also have to pay for my DF whole family to come over too I'm so excited i can't help looking into everything already though.

I could be wrong about this but I think the lighted ice sorbet sculptures go towards the F&B minimum. I think they are something really different to add. I have heard they have all kinds of shapes to choose from. Below is the glass slipper.

OMG those are gorgeous, i hope they do go towards the F&B minimum as i'd love those

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Thank you so much, that was very helpful. I deffiently don't want to be forcing food & drink on everyone till they possibly can't take no more
I did think about the Sonoma room but for some reason i'm so much more drawn to the Napa room. Its has the bar in there which i like the idea of and the view of MK, is the balcony thats attachted to the Napa room private?

What do they do in regards to table clothes, napkins etc? do you provide them? if they do are there certain colours to pick from?
and i've seen pictures of peoples menus looking very pretty, do you provide them yourselves?

my wedding isn't for another 2 years as we have to save for it, we would have it sooner but we also have to pay for my DF whole family to come over too I'm so excited i can't help looking into everything already though.

You are correct the bar in the Sonoma room is a fixture. They can (and do at no extra charge) bring in a "portable" bar into the Sonoma room for you. But your view is of the lake and Fort Wilderness, not the MK. The catwalks off both rooms are open to the entire resturant. So either room you'd book, you'd have other people out there with you.

You can have any table cloths and napkins you'd like as long as your willing to pay Included (no extra cost) are white or black linens. The white ones say "California Grill" on them in green. The black ones are plain.

To save some money, we're using the black linens, and then having colored overlays over them to go with our scheme. The linen choices that you pay for can be found here.

As for the printed menus, you can have Disney do them for a cost, or you can do them yourself. We're doing them ourselves to save some $.

We started planning around 2 years as well, and now I'm 3 months away . Believe me the time flies! It's fun to look around and gather info.

 

[Sarah84]

You are correct the bar in the Sonoma room is a fixture. They can (and do at no extra charge) bring in a "portable" bar into the Sonoma room for you. But your view is of the lake and Fort Wilderness, not the MK. The catwalks off both rooms are open to the entire resturant. So either room you'd book, you'd have other people out there with you.

You can have any table cloths and napkins you'd like as long as your willing to pay Included (no extra cost) are white or black linens. The white ones say "California Grill" on them in green. The black ones are plain.

To save some money, we're using the black linens, and then having colored overlays over them to go with our scheme. The linen choices that you pay for can be found here.

As for the printed menus, you can have Disney do them for a cost, or you can do them yourself. We're doing them ourselves to save some $.

We started planning around 2 years as well, and now I'm 3 months away . Believe me the time flies! It's fun to look around and gather info.

You have been extremely helpful, thank you sooo much
I'm going to keep the Sonoma room in mind aswell i think. For soem reason i thought the Napa room balcony was private too. And i know theres a $1000 differance in the F&B minimums for the room so quite a lot.

It's justs o exciting getting engaged and knowing you can really start planning the wedding now and it isn't all just a dream

 

[kmg148]

I like the Napa room better as well, but there is nothing wrong with the Sonoma room.

The Sonoma room actually has something the Napa room doesn't, a curtain that goes lengthwise along the far wall which exposes large windows out onto Bay Lake. It's a beautiful sight, and you can see the Electrical Water Pageant from here.

To watch the fireworks, you just head out of the room and to the right (it's across from Napa) and view them from the back observation deck. You still have a great view of Wishes from here, it is directly behind the other observation deck. Both get pretty crowded though!

If the difference is $1000 (I should have known), I would go with Sonoma. Service will be the same. Napa is a little nicer, but Sonoma has its own perks!