Meryll83's SBP/Citrico's/Morocco PJ - Update: Trip Report now underway!!

[meryll83]

Ok, so we still don't know EXACTLY when half term is, but we have a pretty good guess, and based on what would seem to be a total party of 11, this is the new plan (for now!)

Ceremony at Sea Breeze Pointe:

Followed by some nice piccies round the Boardwalk area:

Then we go on to the GF beach area for yet more piccies:

With a meal at Citrico's (hopefully bagging the Chef's Domaine private room!):
http://www.tazfoto.com/webhtml/chefsdomain.htm
Sorry, can only do a link to this one due to copyright!

With the evening ending watching IllumiNations from Epcot's Morocco:

Voila! My plans in pictures!

I have just noticed something about 6 courses at Citrico's so I might have to investigate this, as I don't want everyone to be too full for the dessert party!
The other option is to not have desserts but do a Wishes cruise on the Grand 1, but having seen pictures, I don't see how the whole group can stand out on deck to watch the fireworks, plus I think I'd still end up wanting to do an Illuminations dessert party anyway, probably following a welcome meal at Le Cellier, so this would just end up costing us even more!

One more problem is that I thought the Chef's Domaine sat 14 people, but I've now read 12, now if there are 11 of us, + Misty and her assistant, how do we deal with that? Is it rude to ask if they can bring their own lunch We were going to pay for them a vendor plated meal when we were having a Wishes wedding, but what do we do now?
Do you think we should just hire Misty until before the meal, have our meal alone (we can get our own candid shots), and then see about getting a Disney photographer to do the dessert party? That would solve the problem wouldn't it?
Anyone know how much a photographer for a Dessert Party only with Disney would be? I know we can't sub them from the ceremony package that's inlcuded with Escape coz I asked that, but presumably we could pay them seperately??
I think this may our only way round the problem without being rude to Misty and her helper (actually, if we hire her just up until the meal I don't think the package will be long enough for her to have an assistant (8 hr min for an assistant I think she said...)

 

[Chilly]

You don't have to pick the 6 course meal you can just pick off the normal menu as long as you spend $650 plus tax and tip.

 

[orangetiggs]

misty usually works with ehr husband, we have her for 6 hours at the moment and her husband is coming along

 

[DigitalLove]

Your plans looks great Hun! As for The Chefs Domaine...We are just eating from the regular menu... They have made me personalised menus up with our names at the top and then the choices underneath. Basically starters, soup and salad, and main courses with a wine pairing underneath each choice. If you send me your email I can send you it if you like. The only thing i've requested is that they remove the prices from the menu. I know that you can have additional courses added because I asked about a sorbet course but then decided against it anyhow as there is pretty much only me who was bothered about it!! I'm also pretty sure that they advertise it as seating 12, but will squeeze 14 in at a push.

I'll let you know about the space on The Grand when we get back... I'll make sure we get loads of pics but I agree... the space on the bridge of the yacht doesn't look like 11 of you would be able to stand there comfortably along with a photographer etc etc but I might be wrong and it might be tons bigger in reality.

LOVE your bridesmaid dresses! The colour is gorgeous!!!

 

[meryll83]

You don't have to pick the 6 course meal you can just pick off the normal menu as long as you spend $650 plus tax and tip.

That's good - and can drinks be included within this minimum do you know?

misty usually works with ehr husband, we have her for 6 hours at the moment and her husband is coming along

I'm trying to recall, I think she said for her Gold and Platinum packages there would be 2 of them, any of the more basic packages just herself I think.

Your plans looks great Hun! As for The Chefs Domaine...We are just eating from the regular menu... They have made me personalised menus up with our names at the top and then the choices underneath. Basically starters, soup and salad, and main courses with a wine pairing underneath each choice. If you send me your email I can send you it if you like. The only thing i've requested is that they remove the prices from the menu. I know that you can have additional courses added because I asked about a sorbet course but then decided against it anyhow as there is pretty much only me who was bothered about it!! I'm also pretty sure that they advertise it as seating 12, but will squeeze 14 in at a push.

I'll let you know about the space on The Grand when we get back... I'll make sure we get loads of pics but I agree... the space on the bridge of the yacht doesn't look like 11 of you would be able to stand there comfortably along with a photographer etc etc but I might be wrong and it might be tons bigger in reality.

LOVE your bridesmaid dresses! The colour is gorgeous!!!

That would be fab if you could send me a copy of the menu! (I'll PM you my email address)
Mmmm sorbet.....
I'm thinking perhaps starter, salad/soup, sorbet, entree, cake, then we should still have room for dessert party food I would hope!
Or perhaps miss out the salad/soup course, or maybe the sorbet
I guess I'll have to have a look at the prices and decide....

How many do you have in your group? I'd love to know how you get on with the Grand 1!

In case I don't speak to you before you go - have an awesome time!!!

 

[DigitalLove]

Check your email Ladies!

There will be 7 of us in total so hopefully there should be tons of space on the Yacht, and if there isn't, I'll just kick a couple of guests overboard!!

 

[meryll83]

Check your email Ladies!

There will be 7 of us in total so hopefully there should be tons of space on the Yacht, and if there isn't, I'll just kick a couple of guests overboard!!

That's one way to solve the issue

 

[Chilly]

Check your email Ladies!

There will be 7 of us in total so hopefully there should be tons of space on the Yacht, and if there isn't, I'll just kick a couple of guests overboard!!

I've got the e-mail thanks!

We will be 10 people so waiting with hope that you say there is enough room aboad!

 

[Chilly]

That's good - and can drinks be included within this minimum do you know?

I think drinks are included in that but not sure. Christina do you know???

I can't for the life of me find the website I read about it on.

 

[DigitalLove]

I think drinks are included in that but not sure. Christina do you know???

I can't for the life of me find the website I read about it on.

Oooo, I feel like I'm all clever today!!

Yep... $650 minimum spend is for food AND booze... sorry, I mean drinks!! It doesn't include sales tax or gratuity though, so you need to add on another 6% tax and 18% gratuity. I'm actually not too sure whether you could add a slipper dessert to meet the minimum... I mean, i'm sure you COULD add it... I'm just not sure if it would go towards the $650 or whether private dining would bill you seperately

They also have some set price menus that they use for bigger gatherings, and you can have those if you like. (I think I have some copies of those in my email account somewhere that you are quite welcome to) We just decided to go with the regular menu instead then there is a wider range for people to pick from. I don't know whether they charge a cutting fee for cake as we aren't having one (Actually, thats a lie... I'm currently waiting on a call back from Private Dining because I think we'll have some sort of cake on the Yacht).


If you eat at the 6-00pm sitting, then you'll be done for about 8ish as the next sitting is 8-30. They do allow buy-outs for the whole evening and I think that was about a $1300 minimum which might be worth considering if you have a bigger party than I do and you're going to drink lots of champers. You could possibly just walk down on to the GF beach to watch Wishes then at the end of the evening?!

 

[sunsh1ne]

that seems great! and you could not have picked a better date- that is my wedding date also!

 

[lurkyloo]

Disney charges $350 for a Dessert Party photo shoot - that's 1 hour of photography (as I was told - others have been told 2 hours) and all images on disc but no prints.

Why don't you ask Misty to shoot a few pix at the beginning of dinner and then come back? Chef's Domain is tiny - Misty and her husband would be sitting at the table with you like guests (not that that's a bad thing - they'd prolly be really fun guests!) if they wanted to eat, and there's not a lot of room for them to stand anywhere else.

We had the Roots take a break between our wedding and the DP, and that was no problem. Maybe Misty could do the same!

 

[meryll83]

Oooo, I feel like I'm all clever today!!

Yep... $650 minimum spend is for food AND booze... sorry, I mean drinks!! It doesn't include sales tax or gratuity though, so you need to add on another 6% tax and 18% gratuity. I'm actually not too sure whether you could add a slipper dessert to meet the minimum... I mean, i'm sure you COULD add it... I'm just not sure if it would go towards the $650 or whether private dining would bill you seperately

They also have some set price menus that they use for bigger gatherings, and you can have those if you like. (I think I have some copies of those in my email account somewhere that you are quite welcome to) We just decided to go with the regular menu instead then there is a wider range for people to pick from. I don't know whether they charge a cutting fee for cake as we aren't having one (Actually, thats a lie... I'm currently waiting on a call back from Private Dining because I think we'll have some sort of cake on the Yacht).


If you eat at the 6-00pm sitting, then you'll be done for about 8ish as the next sitting is 8-30. They do allow buy-outs for the whole evening and I think that was about a $1300 minimum which might be worth considering if you have a bigger party than I do and you're going to drink lots of champers. You could possibly just walk down on to the GF beach to watch Wishes then at the end of the evening?!

Thanks for all this information, and for sending me your menu - I love that it's personalised!
Is 6pm the earliest sitting do you know, we need to get back over to Epcot for our dessert party, but with only 11 of us, I would think we could be done in 2 hours anyway.
I'm still torn between Citrico's Chef's Domaine and the Cali Grill a bit. We'd have to be in the main dining room there though, as we couldn't meet the minimums required for a private room there, but the view and the food
Where about's is Citrico's located in the GF? Is the Chef's Domaine in the centre of the building, ie no windows or view?

that seems great! and you could not have picked a better date- that is my wedding date also!

Cool - I'll be 2 years after you though, still feels like a looooooooong wait ahead......

Disney charges $350 for a Dessert Party photo shoot - that's 1 hour of photography (as I was told - others have been told 2 hours) and all images on disc but no prints.

Why don't you ask Misty to shoot a few pix at the beginning of dinner and then come back? Chef's Domain is tiny - Misty and her husband would be sitting at the table with you like guests (not that that's a bad thing - they'd prolly be really fun guests!) if they wanted to eat, and there's not a lot of room for them to stand anywhere else.

We had the Roots take a break between our wedding and the DP, and that was no problem. Maybe Misty could do the same!

The Disney price doesn't seem to be too unreasonable I suppose (more so if it is 2 hours!)

My worry is, if we go with the Chef's Domaine, there is still the possibility we may get a couple more guests come out of those who haven't really been definite yet, and then we'd have no room for Misty and/or husband/assistant.
How did you politely ask the Roots to go away and then come back? later
It might be that it's actually cheaper to hire Misty for a 4 hour package (1.30-5.30) then have a gap and have Disney do the dessert party, then it would be to have Misty come back later on (depends whether we pay for the gap or have to pay a minimum number of hours), and certainly cheaper than having her stay over the dinner period (sorry I sound tight now don't I - but unfortunately budget does end up being the dictator in a lot of this wedding planning lark!)

 

[meryll83]

In case any of you are interested, here is our location for the possible blessing and definite reception back home:

If we have a blessing it will be in this room, the Vitadome, which is the little arc shaped room that you can see sticking out of the above picture, it's actually up on balcony level and chairs will be laid out "theatre style" for our second ceremony!:

And our reception will be held in the suncourt suite. This actually comprises an indoor reception room (can't find a picture of this) and the suncourt itself, unfortunately it may be a wee bit chilly in November to make use of the outdoor area, but if we can suck it up and bear the cold for a few minutes it should make for some good photo opportunities!:

I don't know if any of you have seen the film Little Voice, but this area is featured in that film.
With it being right by the sea, we're looking into personalised sticks of rock as favours with our tables decorated by red rose petals and sea shells.
Looking through the windows at night we'll be able to see the lights from the seafront arcades, promenade and lighthouse glistening away!

 

[Chilly]

Great location!

 

[meryll83]

Great location!

We figured that we're used to living by the sea, but it'll be nice for people travelling to see how pretty it can be.

here's another nice picture of the suncourt, shame I can't find one of the suite inside - will have to go down and take some myself!:

Oh, and we just need to hope that this doesn't happen:

 

[Chilly]

Well it would make for some dramatic photos!

 

[lpizzuro123]

As far as Misty taking a break, you need to speak with her about this. We are also using her for our November 2008 wedding and as our ceremony is early morning in Epcot and then our reception right after at ADH, we will have a 4.5 hour break in time and Misty said we would need to book her for the unlimited time - that we would be charged for her break time as well. We were considering not getting her for our DP and hiring a Disney photographer but the difference between the 8 hour package and Unlimited Time package was not that different to stop her at the end of our reception and then hire someone else. Definately check with her.

By the way, the photos of the location for your at home party are wonderful.

Linda

 

[meryll83]

As far as Misty taking a break, you need to speak with her about this. We are also using her for our November 2008 wedding and as our ceremony is early morning in Epcot and then our reception right after at ADH, we will have a 4.5 hour break in time and Misty said we would need to book her for the unlimited time - that we would be charged for her break time as well. We were considering not getting her for our DP and hiring a Disney photographer but the difference between the 8 hour package and Unlimited Time package was not that different to stop her at the end of our reception and then hire someone else. Definately check with her.

By the way, the photos of the location for your at home party are wonderful.

Linda

Thanks for the advice,
I'm definitely thinking now that the best option is using Misty on her 4 hour package (from an hour before the ceremony up until when we will go for our meal), taking some of our own photos at the meal, and then having Disney come for the dessert party.
I think.
I mean, are we really gonna want that many photos of us eating? It would be nice to get some good shots of the meals, but we can certainly have a go at getting some ourselves for the limited amount we would probably need at this stage of the day.
We will already have done a staged cake cutting at SBP so we don't have to worry about getting good shots of the cake at the meal, I just think it'll cost us about $400 more to keep Misty for the whole time on a package + food for her & her assistant if she stays with us, then if we did it separately.
I'll have to email her and see if she's ok with us downgrading the package. We haven't even officially booked with her yet, she's just told me she's available but I already feel bad that I need to tell her we don't want her as long

 

[Chilly]

I'm sure she'll understand and be used to it as people may have to tighten their budgets etc as weddings are so expensive.