Magical Gatherings/Grand Gatherings

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

The fireworks cruise is awesome! We've done it 3 times now. There just is no better view of Wishes, and the Pirate Captain is a hoot! The cost of the cruise will be added to your package, so you can pay on it with everything else. You also get a highly collectible pin (it's your "ticket" to get on the boat after the dessert reception). It's collectible because you can only get them if you take the cruise.

 

[exwdwcm]

we are hoping to do the illuminations or WISHES cruise on our Dec 09 trip (not this dec, but next). i read up on them and found some good reviews. I heard they serve things like fajitas, chicken parmesan etc. at the dinner- basically food from china, mexico, germany and italy. i heard Minnie and Goofy are typically the two characters that show up and dance/conga. I read the dessert buffet is incredible and you can't beat the VIP viewing of Illuminations. sounds great to me.

my only question and concern is if they offer these during early December or not- given all the holiday special events going on- they might need the Odyssey restauarnt venue (where the Illuminations one is held- between mexico and test track) for special events. i know when i was a CM during the holidays, we had a special CM holiday event going on there for a few weeks- basically you could go in for snacks and free pics with characters for CMs and their families. so i worry it won't be offered.

anyone do any of them in early dec?

 

[martih]

Anyone do this and how was it??
Marti

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

we are hoping to do the illuminations or WISHES cruise on our Dec 09 trip (not this dec, but next). i read up on them and found some good reviews. I heard they serve things like fajitas, chicken parmesan etc. at the dinner- basically food from china, mexico, germany and italy. i heard Minnie and Goofy are typically the two characters that show up and dance/conga. I read the dessert buffet is incredible and you can't beat the VIP viewing of Illuminations. sounds great to me.

my only question and concern is if they offer these during early December or not- given all the holiday special events going on- they might need the Odyssey restauarnt venue (where the Illuminations one is held- between mexico and test track) for special events. i know when i was a CM during the holidays, we had a special CM holiday event going on there for a few weeks- basically you could go in for snacks and free pics with characters for CMs and their families. so i worry it won't be offered.

anyone do any of them in early dec?

The fireworks cruises for Grand Gatherings are always Wishes, and there is a dessert reception at the Contemporary with Capt. Hook and Mr. Smee. You can rent pontoon boats for Illuminations. The dinner is actually a seperate event, not tied in with a cruise at all. It is called the International Dinner and Illuminations Dessert Reception. This is held in the Odyssey Restaurant, with a preferred viewing of Illuminations, but not a cruise.
Hope that helps!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

We've done them both ways, the pontoon boats and the Grand Gatherings in both May and Sept., but never in Dec. A good friend of mine has done the pontoon boats during Thanksgiving. The only time there is a different price for the pontoon boats is for the night of 4th of July, when the Grand Gatherings one isn't offered anyway. You can call the Grand Gatherings number and ask which nights both of these will be offered during your visit, and then plan around them if they are something that your group really wants to do.

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

Anyone do this and how was it??
Marti

I've done 3 of them, and yes, they are worth every penny!

 

[AARCLUKSCH]

I'm interested in some of these gathering events...I believe the International/Illuminations dinner is equal to 2 sit down meals. Am I right? And - are the others included in the plan also? If so - how many meals do they equal?

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

If the experience includes a breakfast or dinner you can exchange 2 TS credits for them. The fireworks cruise does not include a meal, so that one would have to be paid for OOP. The cost will be added on to your vacation package, so you can pay on it with everything else.

 

[AARCLUKSCH]

Thanks K's Mommy!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

You're very welcome!

 

[Bobsdisneymoney]

A few more questions...
What sort of boat do you take on the cruise? How many people does it hold? What sort of food is served? AND... any other details that you would think that I should know. We are very excited!!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

As far as the boat, it is bigger than the launches that go to the resorts, and probably holds 30 or so people. There are bench seats on both sides, and we were sitting 3 to a bench, while some of the kids had 4. There was room in the back for wheelchairs and strollers to be stowed away, and they didn't have to fold them up.
The dessert reception had soft drinks, coffee, hot tea and bottled water, along with some pre-packaged snacks (which was better than the first time we did it, which was shortly after the GG stuff began. It was difficult for the kids to wrap things up in a napkin to take along on the boat). There were brownies, fudge, some granola/trail mix kind of bars, chocolate "coins", and a few more things that escape me at the moment. Capt. Hook and Mr. Smee spent a lot of time there with us, and posed for plenty of photos.
You also receive a special pin that you cannot buy unless you take the cruise, so I hear they are pretty collectable (we have about 6 of them, lol).
Once you board the boat, the pirate captain "Patch" leads sing a longs, and acknowledges any special occasions. You then get to watch the Electrical Water Pageant on Bay Lake, followed by getting in position for Wishes. The music is piped onto the boat, and they "park" so that you're looking right down Main St. to the castle. After Wishes, Patch plays Disney trivia with the kids on the way back to the Contemporary dock, giving away prizes for correct answers. Once you arrive at the dock, Peter Pan and Tink are there to pose for pics and sign autographs.
Hope that helps!

 

[Tiggsntx]

The fireworks cruise is awesome! We've done it 3 times now. There just is no better view of Wishes, and the Pirate Captain is a hoot! The cost of the cruise will be added to your package, so you can pay on it with everything else. You also get a highly collectible pin (it's your "ticket" to get on the boat after the dessert reception). It's collectible because you can only get them if you take the cruise.

I am so new to this whole message board thing. But thanks for the great info. We have a "Magical Gathering" coming up in April 2009 and are really hoping to do this cruise. My son is a HUGE Captain Hook fan and so this post of yours just sold me! Thanks

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

Oh good! I hope you guys have a wonderful time and enjoy as much as we did!

 

[unixadm]

We are planning a Grand Gathering for April 2009 for 16 of us.

With the Wishes Cruise for the Grand Gathering, does anyone have any pictures of the boat? I've done the Pontoon boats in the past, but they only hold either 8 or 10 people. I was told by Grand Gatherings today that the boat for Grand Gatherings has plenty of room...she said it held "at least 100 people" Is that correct? Sounds bigger than any boat I've seen on 7 seas lagoon. Are there other Grand Gathering groups on the boat with you?

Apparently for next year, they raised the prices...from $43.99/adult to $53.99/per adult.....and $24.99/child to $30.99/child.

That comes to $725.84 for all of us (10 adults,6 children)

I could rent two 8 person pontoon boats for $250@, so $500 for all of us (although we would have to split up into two groups)

Is the "Grand Gatherings" cruise worth the $225 more for our group?

Need to book soon, so any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

We've done it both ways. We did the GG cruise twice, and the pontoon boats twice. Once with the pontoons we were split into two boats as well, it really wasn't a problem. One advantage with the pontoon boats is you can be picked up at any of the resorts on Bay Lake, so if you guys wanted to have dinner at one of the resorts before your cruise, you can be picked up at that resort afterwards. With the GG one you must leave from the CR. Also, next year the GG cruise will be available to everyone, not just groups of 8 or more, so they may be a little more crowded. It's fun with the Pirate, the meet and greet with Capt. Hook and Peter Pan, but if $$ is a concern for some of your group, the pontoons are a lot of fun as well, and you see the same fireworks, you just wouldn't have the dessert reception.

 

[Mrsdennison]

So with the dining package is that all it would cost us?

So new to all of this.

Mariah

July 6-13
Three sisters and families going.