Minniespal
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- Joined
- Jan 14, 2003
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Great reports ~ Thanx for sharing.
My PC, GF, VWL, BCV, VWL, and SSR vacation
- Thread starter Janet2k
- Start date
This is brilliant and you aren't even there yet LOL.
With the party planning well underway, I started to feel pangs of guilt, but not about keeping any secrets from my dinner guests. I was feeling guilty about the wonderful treatment that I had been receiving from the Grand Floridian. I sent messages to both Floridafam and Bonzie1 and mentioned the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cant wait until we meet. If you only knew how wonderfully the GF was treating me in regards to this dinner party, you would be amazed. I am feeling very guilty for not staying there. They have been superb. I will definitely be spending a few days at the GF during my vow renewal vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I began to feel a little guilty that I wasnt staying at the Grand Floridian. The staff of the resort was being so kind to me. They were helping me plan a beautiful dinner party and yet I wasnt even staying at their resort. But I took comfort in the fact that I was going to try like heck to fit in at least a one- or two-night stay during my upcoming Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal vacation in the Fall.
Then my leg began bothering me. A lot. I began to grow concerned that I really had no idea how my leg would hold up under the high heat and humidity of the Florida sunshine. I live on the West Coast where heat and humidity are rare. If my leg was bothering me this much out here, I wondered how it would hold up in Florida. I discussed the situation with my husband. He told me not to worry; I would manage somehow. He said I could always rent a wheelchair in Florida if I needed to. That sounded reasonable to me. Then I realized that we never have a car while on vacation in WDW we prefer to use Disneys transportation system. I considered the fact that maybe we should rent a car this time, but I really didnt want to go that route (I honestly prefer using Disneys vast transportation system because I like seeing other folks enjoying their own vacations as our families share boats/monorails/buses together). What was I to do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cant wait until we meet. If you only knew how wonderfully the GF was treating me in regards to this dinner party, you would be amazed. I am feeling very guilty for not staying there. They have been superb. I will definitely be spending a few days at the GF during my vow renewal vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I began to feel a little guilty that I wasnt staying at the Grand Floridian. The staff of the resort was being so kind to me. They were helping me plan a beautiful dinner party and yet I wasnt even staying at their resort. But I took comfort in the fact that I was going to try like heck to fit in at least a one- or two-night stay during my upcoming Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal vacation in the Fall.
Then my leg began bothering me. A lot. I began to grow concerned that I really had no idea how my leg would hold up under the high heat and humidity of the Florida sunshine. I live on the West Coast where heat and humidity are rare. If my leg was bothering me this much out here, I wondered how it would hold up in Florida. I discussed the situation with my husband. He told me not to worry; I would manage somehow. He said I could always rent a wheelchair in Florida if I needed to. That sounded reasonable to me. Then I realized that we never have a car while on vacation in WDW we prefer to use Disneys transportation system. I considered the fact that maybe we should rent a car this time, but I really didnt want to go that route (I honestly prefer using Disneys vast transportation system because I like seeing other folks enjoying their own vacations as our families share boats/monorails/buses together). What was I to do?
I debated the topic of resorts for a few weeks before I finally came to a decision. As much as I hated to do it, I sent an e-mail to my Dreams Unlimited Travel agent, Cathy. I asked her if it would be possible to change my Animal Kingdom Lodge reservation into a Grand Floridian one. She e-mailed me back and said it was possible, just say the word. I gave her the go-ahead to change things around for me.
Part of me was very sad to do that. I cant tell you folks how much I had been looking forward to my Animal Kingdom Lodge stay and seeing my favorite CM again. But part of me was slightly relieved. If my family was staying at the Grand Floridian for our dinner party, and if my leg was bothering me, it would be easier for me to go back and forth between my resort room and the dinner party location. Once I realized that, I knew my decision to switch resorts was the right one. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I panicked when I realized that I had to let the Animal Kingdom Lodge know of my change in plans. But then I relaxed because my favorite CM, Don, already knew about my Grand Floridian dinner party. I knew he would understand why I switched resorts, and so I sent him an e-mail informing him of such.
I should probably include an excerpt from an e-mail that I sent to Floridafam regarding this topic once my resort reservations had been changed around:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My daughter is happy that well be at the GF; however, she is sad that we wont be at the AKL. I told her that I am going to try very hard to squeeze in an AKL stay during our October vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you forget about the little people (a.k.a., my young daughter) whose vacation experiences are also affected when you change your plans around. But once I explained to my daughter why I felt I had to change our resort reservations, she was okay with my decision, bless her little heart.
But heres an excerpt from a different e-mail that I sent to Floridafam:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My family will be in a garden view room. Upgrades never happen for us. But it was rather funny when my daughter thought we were going to be in concierge at the GF (probably because she knew we were in concierge at the AKL). I told her that we didnt need a concierge room at the GF so I didnt bother booking one. She said, But I want to be in concierge. I told her all the rooms looked the same, the concierge ones were no better. She said, But I want to go to the lounge. I told her, You rarely went to the lounge last year and we were there for eight days. She said, But I want the free food. I said, You didnt eat the lounge food last year, what do you care? She said, But I liked the bagels in the lounge in the morning-time. I told her Id put a bag of bagels in my suitcase and take them with us to Florida, and she could eat them in the room and pretend that she was eating them in the lounge. She said, But I want cream cheese. At that point I laughed. Kids, sheesh! Shes too funny!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you forget how grown-up the little people can be (I swear my daughter thinks shes 21). I got a big kick out of my daughter and her longing for the Royal Palm Club concierge lounge. What I should have done was ask her to pony-up her allowance money so that I could have upgraded our room to concierge. I bet that would have stopped her whining.
The next thing on my list was to inform the Grand Floridian of my sudden change in resort plans. I sent them a funny e-mail informing them that their favorite guest was going to be staying there after all. I withheld from them the recent problems with my leg. I knew that if I informed them of my health issues, they would be all over themselves in an attempt to make sure that my familys stay in their resort would be even more magical than it already was going to be. I did not want that kind of attention believe it or not, I prefer to fade into the woodwork. So I made the conscious decision to keep mum about my leg. I just told them that my family was looking forward to staying in their fine resort again. They responded that they were looking forward to our return. That put a smile on my face.
Part of me was very sad to do that. I cant tell you folks how much I had been looking forward to my Animal Kingdom Lodge stay and seeing my favorite CM again. But part of me was slightly relieved. If my family was staying at the Grand Floridian for our dinner party, and if my leg was bothering me, it would be easier for me to go back and forth between my resort room and the dinner party location. Once I realized that, I knew my decision to switch resorts was the right one. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I panicked when I realized that I had to let the Animal Kingdom Lodge know of my change in plans. But then I relaxed because my favorite CM, Don, already knew about my Grand Floridian dinner party. I knew he would understand why I switched resorts, and so I sent him an e-mail informing him of such.
I should probably include an excerpt from an e-mail that I sent to Floridafam regarding this topic once my resort reservations had been changed around:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My daughter is happy that well be at the GF; however, she is sad that we wont be at the AKL. I told her that I am going to try very hard to squeeze in an AKL stay during our October vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you forget about the little people (a.k.a., my young daughter) whose vacation experiences are also affected when you change your plans around. But once I explained to my daughter why I felt I had to change our resort reservations, she was okay with my decision, bless her little heart.
But heres an excerpt from a different e-mail that I sent to Floridafam:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My family will be in a garden view room. Upgrades never happen for us. But it was rather funny when my daughter thought we were going to be in concierge at the GF (probably because she knew we were in concierge at the AKL). I told her that we didnt need a concierge room at the GF so I didnt bother booking one. She said, But I want to be in concierge. I told her all the rooms looked the same, the concierge ones were no better. She said, But I want to go to the lounge. I told her, You rarely went to the lounge last year and we were there for eight days. She said, But I want the free food. I said, You didnt eat the lounge food last year, what do you care? She said, But I liked the bagels in the lounge in the morning-time. I told her Id put a bag of bagels in my suitcase and take them with us to Florida, and she could eat them in the room and pretend that she was eating them in the lounge. She said, But I want cream cheese. At that point I laughed. Kids, sheesh! Shes too funny!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you forget how grown-up the little people can be (I swear my daughter thinks shes 21). I got a big kick out of my daughter and her longing for the Royal Palm Club concierge lounge. What I should have done was ask her to pony-up her allowance money so that I could have upgraded our room to concierge. I bet that would have stopped her whining.
The next thing on my list was to inform the Grand Floridian of my sudden change in resort plans. I sent them a funny e-mail informing them that their favorite guest was going to be staying there after all. I withheld from them the recent problems with my leg. I knew that if I informed them of my health issues, they would be all over themselves in an attempt to make sure that my familys stay in their resort would be even more magical than it already was going to be. I did not want that kind of attention believe it or not, I prefer to fade into the woodwork. So I made the conscious decision to keep mum about my leg. I just told them that my family was looking forward to staying in their fine resort again. They responded that they were looking forward to our return. That put a smile on my face.
When I next heard from my Convention Services Cast Member, his e-mail message was filled with all sorts of wonders. I felt like I was holding the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factorys Golden Ticket. My head was spinning. I will reprint excerpts from that e-mail message below:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please review and let me know what you think.
1.) The first attachment is the entertainment proposal. It has a timeline and a brief overview of the evening from an entertainment perspective. Please see it included the magician and Andimation. We also have a character meet and greet proposed. We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Recreation is doing a trial run on the trip this weekend. The float boat will drive the characters over and drop them off. It's a very unique way to get them over to your party. The Recreation team is excited to try this out. I should hear back by Monday if the trial run worked.
2.) Please see the proposed menu from our chef. We went with a BBQ theme since it's shore side and the location matches a menu with grilling.
3.) Someone is drafting your invitation. We will scan it in so you can see the colors. It has a plaid background with "Picnic" style items around the border. It's quite cute and I think the writing should be in Mickey's Handwriting. What do you think about the script? I plan to have the invitation tied in colored raffia. It will be placed in a small picnic basket. We have pretty bandanas and will include fruit, bottled water, bread baguettes, and waxed covered cheeses. I am waiting for the pricing from my room service.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Im going to start with the simplest aspects of that e-mail message and work my way up to the more complex ones. Youll soon see why.
Item Number 3 mentioned the dinner invitation. As Disney always has a habit of doing, they were taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. The invitation would be placed inside a picnic basket that was filled with food and drink. That sounded wonderful. But what I think completely put me over-the-moon was the following: " the invitation has a plaid background with 'Picnic' style items around the border. It's quite cute and I think the writing should be in Mickey's Handwriting. What do you think about the script?"
What do I think about Mickeys handwriting being used for the font on the invitation? Are you kidding? I LOVED IT! Once again Disneys attention to detail took my breath away. I felt like a giddy schoolgirl. I couldnt wait to see the invitation written in Mickeys handwriting. I knew it would be too cute for words. I must admit that I was jealous that only my guests were going to receive this unique invitation and its packaging. I said a silent prayer to the Heavens above that one of my guests would take a photo of it to share with me. It killed me not to be able to ask them to do this for me, but as you folks already know, this was one of the secrets that I was keeping from them. I tell you, keeping secrets was getting tougher by the minute.
Item Number 2 mentioned the dinner menu. The Cast Member and I hadnt discussed the menu yet so I was curious to see what he suggested. Please take a look, but only on a full stomach. If your stomach is empty, I guarantee it will growl with hunger. You have been warned:
Janet2ks Family
Summerhouse Party
Custom All American BBQ Menu
Mixed Garden Greens with Assorted Dressing & Toppings
Grilled Spicy Peeled Shrimp
Vegetable Kabobs
Blackened Chicken Salad with Orchetta Pasta
Traditional Southern Cole Slaw
T-Bone Steaks Grilled to Order
Roasted Chicken
Smoked BBQ Ribs
Baked Potatoes with all the Fixins
Three Bean Salad
Roasted Corn on the Cob (Pulled Husk still attached)
Corn Bread
Baked Beans with Cured Bacon
Apple and Blueberry Cobblers with Fresh Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Home-style Raspberry & Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Assorted of Hot Teas, Iced Tea
When I first read the menu, I wondered if all that food could possibly be for my dinner party. It appeared to be enough food to feed an entire nation of Its A Small World dolls. I immediately sent a copy of the menu to Bonzie1 and Floridafam. I had hoped the food would be okay with their families, and that no one would be allergic to anything on the menu. Please note: I am allergic to seafood so I already knew that I wasnt going to touch the shrimp but yet I wanted to keep it on the menu because my husband and daughter enjoy shrimp. However, if anyone else at my party was allergic to shrimp, I was prepared to have it removed from the menu. I did not want to ruin anyones vacation by their accidentally eating something they were allergic to. Luckily for me, when I heard back from my guests, they said they loved the menu and there were no allergies to anything on it. As you can imagine, I kept the menu exactly as it was. That is, except for the dessert.
A few weeks prior to receiving the dinner menu, during the discovery phone conversation, I had mentioned to the Cast Member that I wanted the Cinderellas Slipper dessert on the menu. Since it wasnt listed on the menu that had been sent me, I needed to inquire about it. That item was the only one that Floridafam had specifically requested. I did not want to let her down.
Item Number 1 mentioned the entertainment proposal. This document was attached to the Cast Members e-mail message. The proposal was a professional document, and as much as Id like to share the entire document with you folks, I dont dare do so because Floridafam and Bonzie1 regularly read the Dis boards. Id hate for them to learn the cost of the dinner party, and this proposal lists quite a bit of that information (not all of it, but quite a bit). I did take a few of the proposals pages and post them in an on-line photo album just so you could see what a Disney Event Group proposal looks like:
Click Here To View Proposals Cover
Click Here To View Proposals Timeline
Click Here To View Proposals Entertainment
I hope that helps. I know that I was curious to see what the document looked like. I must admit that I really liked the cover it showed all four of the Disney theme parks as well as a few of the convention resorts, the Grand Floridian included.
As you will learn, my event proposal contained details about my dinner partys entertainment, lighting, and pricing. Since my party would be lasting into the evening, I had been told that additional lighting was needed for two main reasons: 1) safety and 2) ambience. My proposal stated the following:
Technical Services
Audio Package: (BGM)
Portable Lighting System:
This portable lighting package will enhance and emphasize your
Entertainment with a splash of color. Package includes par lights,
ultimate stands and technician setup and strike.
Technicians: Set/Strike Technician
20 Amp 120 Volt Duplex
Temporary Power Installation
Temp Drop Permit Fee
Electrician
I had no idea what par lights and ultimate stands were, but they sounded interesting. I was certain that whatever Disney deemed appropriate for the event would be used. Like many things regarding my party, I was leaving certain aspects of it completely up to the professionals. I had no idea how to throw a party. I wasnt even going to pretend that I did.
When I took a closer look at the Technical Services items, I noticed Audio Package: (BGM). I didnt know what that meant and thus asked my son about it. He said, Mom, BGM stands for BackGround Music. I laughed at my naiveté. Im sure my son was correct, but until that point I had no idea that my party would have music. That subject never came up during the party-planning process. Nevertheless, I was happy to see it stated on the list. Music would definitely add to the ambience of the evening.
My event proposal also listed the timeline for the dinner party. Ill state it below:
DISNEYS GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa, Summerhouse
LOAD IN - Sunday, May 23, 2004
4:30pm - Drop Power
4:30pm - Resort Ops set Audio, Lighting
6:00pm - Talent/Character call time
EVENT BEGINS
6:30pm - Doors open
6:30pm - 7:00pm - Character Set Time
6:30pm - 7:10pm - Andy Mation set time
7:00pm - 7:40pm - Magician set time
7:30pm - 8:10pm - Andy Mation set time
8:00pm - 8:40pm - Magician set time
8:30pm - 9:10pm - Andy Mation set time
9:00pm - 9:30pm - Magician set time
EVENT ENDS
9:30pm - Room cleared
STRIKE
9:30pm - All Elements
The proposal also gave some details about the entertainers, Andy Mation and the Magician:
Andy Mation: Feature Balloon Artist
Andy Mation will magically create balloon sculptures of popular Disney characters while telling the classic tales of Disney animation. Andi takes the art of balloon sculpting to awe inspiring levels. His humor and Disney anecdotes keep Guests wanting more.
Magician - (Sleight-of-Hand Magician)
This strolling magician performs everything from card tricks to sleight-of-hand magic, dumbfounding and delighting your Guests with every new surprise.
As I viewed the proposal, I thought the entertainment looked wonderful. Then I began to panic that it would be too much. As lovely as all that entertainment sounded, I feared there would be no downtime for my guests to chitchat or to enjoy their scrumptious meals.
I knew I needed to quickly decide what to do about the entertainment aspect of the dinner party. There were only two weeks left before the party was to begin. Time was definitely not on my side. Should I have only the magician? Should I have only the balloon artist? I knew from personal experience how entertaining the balloon artist was, and I knew the children would love his creations he makes the most realistic Disney characters out of ordinary balloons. If I kept only one entertainer, should I have him/her perform one set, maybe two, and then release them for the evening? (Note: I would still have to pay the entertainers three-hour minimum fee.) I had a tough decision facing me.
As I sat in front of my computer staring at my partys timeline, my eyes suddenly darted back to the Cast Members original e-mail message, in particular, the following part:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.) The first attachment is the entertainment proposal. It has a timeline and a brief overview of the evening from an entertainment perspective. Please see it included the magician and Andimation. We also have a character meet and greet proposed. We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Recreation is doing a trial run on the trip this weekend. The float boat will drive the characters over and drop them off. It's a very unique way to get them over to your party. The Recreation team is excited to try this out. I should hear back by Monday if the trial run worked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Cast Member was offering me the opportunity to have Disney characters at my party. We hadnt discussed that before. I was completely taken aback by the idea. I knew in my heart that the children would love to spend a little one-on-one time with a Disney character, plus, it would make for the most adorable photos.
I quickly went back to my event proposal and read that Disney was offering me the Fab Five: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald. Oh, my goodness! Five characters? I couldnt believe my eyes. Should I have all five of them attend the party? Should I have both the characters and Andy Mation? Would that be too much? I found myself in a real dilemma.
To complicate matters further was the mention of the characters arrival float boat. And this arrival was so unique that Disney was doing a special trial run just to see if it could be done. To say that I was blown away at this point would be the understatement of the year. My head was reeling.
We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Talk about an entrance. That would definitely be one for the books. It hadnt been done before at the Grand Floridian and it would be fun knowing that we would be the first to have the Disney characters arrive by float boat. I could easily imagine the looks upon my guests faces as they saw the characters boat approaching the beach. And I could easily imagine the cute photos that we would have of the Fab Five walking ashore to greet everyone. As they say in show business, that would be a real showstopper.
I found myself in a real quandary regarding how to give my guests a memorable evening a night to remember without completely overwhelming them. Theres a tough balance to strike with a dinner party. I needed to make sure that I could find it.
I think what I was worried about the most was the following: Would five characters be too much? I was only going to have nine guests at my dinner party. I was concerned that having the entire Fab Five there would hinder the original goal of my
a simple evening spent with friends as we got to know each other a little better. If the Fab Five were there, that would give almost a two-to-one ratio of guests to Disney characters. As tempting as that sounded, I just wasnt sure if I wanted that many characters at such an intimate dinner party.
I composed the following message and sent it to the Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have no idea how much I have been looking forward to hearing details regarding the dinner party. Everything looks wonderful in the proposal. I will read through it carefully this evening and discuss it with my husband. My only concern right now is the timing of things - I don't want the dinner party to be too action-packed that my guests don't get the chance to relax.
Regarding the character element in Item 1 in your e-mail message, it sounds incredible. I can't wait to hear how the trial run goes. Two questions come to mind - must all five characters be booked, or may only two or three be booked? Also, I understand that the characters have various "outfits" that they wear. Do I have the option of selecting their attire?
Regarding Item 2, the barbeque menu sounds like fun. Will the food be prepared on the beach or inside the resort (and then brought out to the beach)? Also, one of my guests wanted the Cinderella's Slipper dessert; may that be substituted for the dessert?
Regarding Item 3, Mickey's handwriting sounds perfect for the script on the invitations. I am anxious to see what gets put together. The picnic basket idea is wonderful.
I'm sure I'll have more questions after I've closely reviewed the proposal. Right now I am just so doggone excited knowing that things are finally falling into place. Yahoo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I sent that e-mail message, I spent hours trying to decide what to do about the entertainment. I couldnt ask Floridafam or Bonzie1 for help with my decision because I had kept the entire entertainment aspect a secret from them.
And so I spent a few sleepless nights that weekend as I tried to decide what to do. Isnt that silly I was losing sleep over entertainment? What had my world come to?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please review and let me know what you think.
1.) The first attachment is the entertainment proposal. It has a timeline and a brief overview of the evening from an entertainment perspective. Please see it included the magician and Andimation. We also have a character meet and greet proposed. We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Recreation is doing a trial run on the trip this weekend. The float boat will drive the characters over and drop them off. It's a very unique way to get them over to your party. The Recreation team is excited to try this out. I should hear back by Monday if the trial run worked.
2.) Please see the proposed menu from our chef. We went with a BBQ theme since it's shore side and the location matches a menu with grilling.
3.) Someone is drafting your invitation. We will scan it in so you can see the colors. It has a plaid background with "Picnic" style items around the border. It's quite cute and I think the writing should be in Mickey's Handwriting. What do you think about the script? I plan to have the invitation tied in colored raffia. It will be placed in a small picnic basket. We have pretty bandanas and will include fruit, bottled water, bread baguettes, and waxed covered cheeses. I am waiting for the pricing from my room service.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Im going to start with the simplest aspects of that e-mail message and work my way up to the more complex ones. Youll soon see why.
Item Number 3 mentioned the dinner invitation. As Disney always has a habit of doing, they were taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. The invitation would be placed inside a picnic basket that was filled with food and drink. That sounded wonderful. But what I think completely put me over-the-moon was the following: " the invitation has a plaid background with 'Picnic' style items around the border. It's quite cute and I think the writing should be in Mickey's Handwriting. What do you think about the script?"
What do I think about Mickeys handwriting being used for the font on the invitation? Are you kidding? I LOVED IT! Once again Disneys attention to detail took my breath away. I felt like a giddy schoolgirl. I couldnt wait to see the invitation written in Mickeys handwriting. I knew it would be too cute for words. I must admit that I was jealous that only my guests were going to receive this unique invitation and its packaging. I said a silent prayer to the Heavens above that one of my guests would take a photo of it to share with me. It killed me not to be able to ask them to do this for me, but as you folks already know, this was one of the secrets that I was keeping from them. I tell you, keeping secrets was getting tougher by the minute.
Item Number 2 mentioned the dinner menu. The Cast Member and I hadnt discussed the menu yet so I was curious to see what he suggested. Please take a look, but only on a full stomach. If your stomach is empty, I guarantee it will growl with hunger. You have been warned:
Janet2ks Family
Summerhouse Party
Custom All American BBQ Menu
Mixed Garden Greens with Assorted Dressing & Toppings
Grilled Spicy Peeled Shrimp
Vegetable Kabobs
Blackened Chicken Salad with Orchetta Pasta
Traditional Southern Cole Slaw
T-Bone Steaks Grilled to Order
Roasted Chicken
Smoked BBQ Ribs
Baked Potatoes with all the Fixins
Three Bean Salad
Roasted Corn on the Cob (Pulled Husk still attached)
Corn Bread
Baked Beans with Cured Bacon
Apple and Blueberry Cobblers with Fresh Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Home-style Raspberry & Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Assorted of Hot Teas, Iced Tea
When I first read the menu, I wondered if all that food could possibly be for my dinner party. It appeared to be enough food to feed an entire nation of Its A Small World dolls. I immediately sent a copy of the menu to Bonzie1 and Floridafam. I had hoped the food would be okay with their families, and that no one would be allergic to anything on the menu. Please note: I am allergic to seafood so I already knew that I wasnt going to touch the shrimp but yet I wanted to keep it on the menu because my husband and daughter enjoy shrimp. However, if anyone else at my party was allergic to shrimp, I was prepared to have it removed from the menu. I did not want to ruin anyones vacation by their accidentally eating something they were allergic to. Luckily for me, when I heard back from my guests, they said they loved the menu and there were no allergies to anything on it. As you can imagine, I kept the menu exactly as it was. That is, except for the dessert.
A few weeks prior to receiving the dinner menu, during the discovery phone conversation, I had mentioned to the Cast Member that I wanted the Cinderellas Slipper dessert on the menu. Since it wasnt listed on the menu that had been sent me, I needed to inquire about it. That item was the only one that Floridafam had specifically requested. I did not want to let her down.
Item Number 1 mentioned the entertainment proposal. This document was attached to the Cast Members e-mail message. The proposal was a professional document, and as much as Id like to share the entire document with you folks, I dont dare do so because Floridafam and Bonzie1 regularly read the Dis boards. Id hate for them to learn the cost of the dinner party, and this proposal lists quite a bit of that information (not all of it, but quite a bit). I did take a few of the proposals pages and post them in an on-line photo album just so you could see what a Disney Event Group proposal looks like:
Click Here To View Proposals Cover
Click Here To View Proposals Timeline
Click Here To View Proposals Entertainment
I hope that helps. I know that I was curious to see what the document looked like. I must admit that I really liked the cover it showed all four of the Disney theme parks as well as a few of the convention resorts, the Grand Floridian included.
As you will learn, my event proposal contained details about my dinner partys entertainment, lighting, and pricing. Since my party would be lasting into the evening, I had been told that additional lighting was needed for two main reasons: 1) safety and 2) ambience. My proposal stated the following:
Technical Services
Audio Package: (BGM)
Portable Lighting System:
This portable lighting package will enhance and emphasize your
Entertainment with a splash of color. Package includes par lights,
ultimate stands and technician setup and strike.
Technicians: Set/Strike Technician
20 Amp 120 Volt Duplex
Temporary Power Installation
Temp Drop Permit Fee
Electrician
I had no idea what par lights and ultimate stands were, but they sounded interesting. I was certain that whatever Disney deemed appropriate for the event would be used. Like many things regarding my party, I was leaving certain aspects of it completely up to the professionals. I had no idea how to throw a party. I wasnt even going to pretend that I did.
When I took a closer look at the Technical Services items, I noticed Audio Package: (BGM). I didnt know what that meant and thus asked my son about it. He said, Mom, BGM stands for BackGround Music. I laughed at my naiveté. Im sure my son was correct, but until that point I had no idea that my party would have music. That subject never came up during the party-planning process. Nevertheless, I was happy to see it stated on the list. Music would definitely add to the ambience of the evening.
My event proposal also listed the timeline for the dinner party. Ill state it below:
DISNEYS GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa, Summerhouse
LOAD IN - Sunday, May 23, 2004
4:30pm - Drop Power
4:30pm - Resort Ops set Audio, Lighting
6:00pm - Talent/Character call time
EVENT BEGINS
6:30pm - Doors open
6:30pm - 7:00pm - Character Set Time
6:30pm - 7:10pm - Andy Mation set time
7:00pm - 7:40pm - Magician set time
7:30pm - 8:10pm - Andy Mation set time
8:00pm - 8:40pm - Magician set time
8:30pm - 9:10pm - Andy Mation set time
9:00pm - 9:30pm - Magician set time
EVENT ENDS
9:30pm - Room cleared
STRIKE
9:30pm - All Elements
The proposal also gave some details about the entertainers, Andy Mation and the Magician:
Andy Mation: Feature Balloon Artist
Andy Mation will magically create balloon sculptures of popular Disney characters while telling the classic tales of Disney animation. Andi takes the art of balloon sculpting to awe inspiring levels. His humor and Disney anecdotes keep Guests wanting more.
Magician - (Sleight-of-Hand Magician)
This strolling magician performs everything from card tricks to sleight-of-hand magic, dumbfounding and delighting your Guests with every new surprise.
As I viewed the proposal, I thought the entertainment looked wonderful. Then I began to panic that it would be too much. As lovely as all that entertainment sounded, I feared there would be no downtime for my guests to chitchat or to enjoy their scrumptious meals.
I knew I needed to quickly decide what to do about the entertainment aspect of the dinner party. There were only two weeks left before the party was to begin. Time was definitely not on my side. Should I have only the magician? Should I have only the balloon artist? I knew from personal experience how entertaining the balloon artist was, and I knew the children would love his creations he makes the most realistic Disney characters out of ordinary balloons. If I kept only one entertainer, should I have him/her perform one set, maybe two, and then release them for the evening? (Note: I would still have to pay the entertainers three-hour minimum fee.) I had a tough decision facing me.
As I sat in front of my computer staring at my partys timeline, my eyes suddenly darted back to the Cast Members original e-mail message, in particular, the following part:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.) The first attachment is the entertainment proposal. It has a timeline and a brief overview of the evening from an entertainment perspective. Please see it included the magician and Andimation. We also have a character meet and greet proposed. We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Recreation is doing a trial run on the trip this weekend. The float boat will drive the characters over and drop them off. It's a very unique way to get them over to your party. The Recreation team is excited to try this out. I should hear back by Monday if the trial run worked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Cast Member was offering me the opportunity to have Disney characters at my party. We hadnt discussed that before. I was completely taken aback by the idea. I knew in my heart that the children would love to spend a little one-on-one time with a Disney character, plus, it would make for the most adorable photos.
I quickly went back to my event proposal and read that Disney was offering me the Fab Five: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald. Oh, my goodness! Five characters? I couldnt believe my eyes. Should I have all five of them attend the party? Should I have both the characters and Andy Mation? Would that be too much? I found myself in a real dilemma.
To complicate matters further was the mention of the characters arrival float boat. And this arrival was so unique that Disney was doing a special trial run just to see if it could be done. To say that I was blown away at this point would be the understatement of the year. My head was reeling.
We are still researching the idea that the float boat comes ashore with characters to welcome you to the dinner! Talk about an entrance. That would definitely be one for the books. It hadnt been done before at the Grand Floridian and it would be fun knowing that we would be the first to have the Disney characters arrive by float boat. I could easily imagine the looks upon my guests faces as they saw the characters boat approaching the beach. And I could easily imagine the cute photos that we would have of the Fab Five walking ashore to greet everyone. As they say in show business, that would be a real showstopper.
I found myself in a real quandary regarding how to give my guests a memorable evening a night to remember without completely overwhelming them. Theres a tough balance to strike with a dinner party. I needed to make sure that I could find it.
I think what I was worried about the most was the following: Would five characters be too much? I was only going to have nine guests at my dinner party. I was concerned that having the entire Fab Five there would hinder the original goal of my
a simple evening spent with friends as we got to know each other a little better. If the Fab Five were there, that would give almost a two-to-one ratio of guests to Disney characters. As tempting as that sounded, I just wasnt sure if I wanted that many characters at such an intimate dinner party. I composed the following message and sent it to the Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have no idea how much I have been looking forward to hearing details regarding the dinner party. Everything looks wonderful in the proposal. I will read through it carefully this evening and discuss it with my husband. My only concern right now is the timing of things - I don't want the dinner party to be too action-packed that my guests don't get the chance to relax.
Regarding the character element in Item 1 in your e-mail message, it sounds incredible. I can't wait to hear how the trial run goes. Two questions come to mind - must all five characters be booked, or may only two or three be booked? Also, I understand that the characters have various "outfits" that they wear. Do I have the option of selecting their attire?
Regarding Item 2, the barbeque menu sounds like fun. Will the food be prepared on the beach or inside the resort (and then brought out to the beach)? Also, one of my guests wanted the Cinderella's Slipper dessert; may that be substituted for the dessert?
Regarding Item 3, Mickey's handwriting sounds perfect for the script on the invitations. I am anxious to see what gets put together. The picnic basket idea is wonderful.
I'm sure I'll have more questions after I've closely reviewed the proposal. Right now I am just so doggone excited knowing that things are finally falling into place. Yahoo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I sent that e-mail message, I spent hours trying to decide what to do about the entertainment. I couldnt ask Floridafam or Bonzie1 for help with my decision because I had kept the entire entertainment aspect a secret from them.
And so I spent a few sleepless nights that weekend as I tried to decide what to do. Isnt that silly I was losing sleep over entertainment? What had my world come to?
Alicnwondrln
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2003
- Messages
- 17,605
All I can say is that your amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jennymouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2001
- Messages
- 4,175
Janet2K, I just discovered your trip report this morning and am truely enjoying "listening" to you plan another private event at WDW. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford one of my own so I'll happily experience one through you and your guests eyes. I think it's so totally UNSELFISH of you to share with other DIS members how to go about planning a special event. Again, I'll repeat myself, you're truely an asset to the DISboards. Looking forward to more, and thanks again! 
Credit Man
<font color=teal>Love the shark reef<br><font colo
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2000
- Messages
- 4,814
WOW!!! You sure can plan a party! Can't wait to read more.
DisneyDreamer2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2002
- Messages
- 627
I loved your last trip report and I am so excited you are once again reporting on your amazing planning process. I love the details. Please keep them coming quickly. And again thank you- its almost as great as being there with you.
Annie&Hallie'sMom
<font color=deeppink>Things turn out best for peop
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2001
- Messages
- 3,054
All I can say is WOW!
You folks are too kind. You have no idea how good you're making me feel right now. It is hard writing anything, let alone a trip report. I haven't had much sleep since I began putting my fingers to keyboard (I do have a full-time job, after all). I still have more pre-planning party details to post, Im just not sure when I'll find the time. I'm hopeful that it will be very soon, as I definitely don't want to lose the momentum.
I know that I have been fortunate to have seen a side of Walt Disney World that others have not had the opportunity to experience just yet. That's why I want to share as much as I can so that when you folks go through this yourselves, you'll understand a little bit about how the process works. My intent with all of my posts is just to share my love of Walt Disney World in all of its many facets, nothing less, nothing more.
Again, thank you so much for your words of kindness, both those that you have posted here and those that you have e-mailed & PMed me with.
I know that I have been fortunate to have seen a side of Walt Disney World that others have not had the opportunity to experience just yet. That's why I want to share as much as I can so that when you folks go through this yourselves, you'll understand a little bit about how the process works. My intent with all of my posts is just to share my love of Walt Disney World in all of its many facets, nothing less, nothing more.
Again, thank you so much for your words of kindness, both those that you have posted here and those that you have e-mailed & PMed me with.
TwingleMum
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2002
- Messages
- 6,775
Janet2K - WOW!!! I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this trip report. I think you were right to have it all on this thread. It makes for great continuity. I don't need to search all over to read it , its all here. You think of everything. Your parties sound so over the top. People must stalk you to be your friend and get an invite. I bet your DD has the best and most unique birthday parties. I hope your leg is better and your feeling up to par. Thanks again.
I had a lot to think about that weekend, but only when it came to the entertainment aspect of the dinner party. Luckily, another one of my concerns had been put to rest weeks before.
As you probably remember, when the party planning first got off the ground, I was concerned about the weather. Try as they might, Disney cannot control Mother Nature. If Mother Nature wants to rain down from the heavens, by George, she is going to rain down; there would not be one thing that Disney could do to talk her out of it. And so I worried about the weather.
In my initial e-mail to the Convention Services Cast Member, I voiced my concern:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I only have one concern regarding an outdoor event inclement weather. If the dinner party must be moved indoors due to weather conditions, are there any locations inside the Grand Floridian that could accommodate us? Please let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week after posing that question, I was told that the Grand Floridian Convention Centers Whitehall Room and Patio had been blocked for me. I have paraphrased what was sent to me regarding this topic by the Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was able to arrange a meeting with someone in-house in order to discuss your request for a backup location in case of inclement weather. I explained that you were looking for a place where you could dine and see the Seven Seas Lagoon even if it rained. As we discussed your event, we realized that your dinner would require some extensive set up behind the scenes and we needed a location that had adequate staging areas near it. With that in mind I was able to block the Whitehall Room and Patio for your backup. Although its in the convention center, the covered patio does provide a view of the illuminated Cinderellas Castle in the Magic Kingdom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later, I received the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These photos should give you an idea of the space for Whitehall. I still think with poor weather you could sit under the overhang. I think its pretty protected. I will say the only thing that may stop us from using the covered patio is strong winds or driving rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Cast Member had attached a few photos to his message. One photo showed the Whitehall Rooms overhang where we could dine outdoors if we chose to (he knew how much I wanted to dine outdoors). Since there were only going to be nine people at my dinner party, the area shown in the photograph appeared to be more than adequate.
Another photo showed the monorail track that borders the patio (there was even a monorail whizzing by when the photo was taken). Beneath the monorail track I could see the top of Cinderellas Castle. Since the photo was taken at dusk, the castle was illuminated. Before I had viewed that photo, I did not know that the top of Cinderellas Castle could be seen from the patio area. That was a pleasant surprise. My hope was that if we could see the top of the castle, we might be able to see a portion of the Wishes fireworks show, too.
Over the years I had seen many photos of the Whitehall Room. In my humble opinion, it was by far the prettiest room in the Convention Center. I was tickled pink that this location was blocked as a backup location for my dinner party. I couldnt believe my luck. Strike that. It wasnt luck that got me that room, it was pure pixie dust. Thanks, Tinker Bell, wherever you are. Im a true believer in the Disney ~magic.~
As you probably remember, when the party planning first got off the ground, I was concerned about the weather. Try as they might, Disney cannot control Mother Nature. If Mother Nature wants to rain down from the heavens, by George, she is going to rain down; there would not be one thing that Disney could do to talk her out of it. And so I worried about the weather.
In my initial e-mail to the Convention Services Cast Member, I voiced my concern:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I only have one concern regarding an outdoor event inclement weather. If the dinner party must be moved indoors due to weather conditions, are there any locations inside the Grand Floridian that could accommodate us? Please let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week after posing that question, I was told that the Grand Floridian Convention Centers Whitehall Room and Patio had been blocked for me. I have paraphrased what was sent to me regarding this topic by the Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was able to arrange a meeting with someone in-house in order to discuss your request for a backup location in case of inclement weather. I explained that you were looking for a place where you could dine and see the Seven Seas Lagoon even if it rained. As we discussed your event, we realized that your dinner would require some extensive set up behind the scenes and we needed a location that had adequate staging areas near it. With that in mind I was able to block the Whitehall Room and Patio for your backup. Although its in the convention center, the covered patio does provide a view of the illuminated Cinderellas Castle in the Magic Kingdom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later, I received the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These photos should give you an idea of the space for Whitehall. I still think with poor weather you could sit under the overhang. I think its pretty protected. I will say the only thing that may stop us from using the covered patio is strong winds or driving rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Cast Member had attached a few photos to his message. One photo showed the Whitehall Rooms overhang where we could dine outdoors if we chose to (he knew how much I wanted to dine outdoors). Since there were only going to be nine people at my dinner party, the area shown in the photograph appeared to be more than adequate.
Another photo showed the monorail track that borders the patio (there was even a monorail whizzing by when the photo was taken). Beneath the monorail track I could see the top of Cinderellas Castle. Since the photo was taken at dusk, the castle was illuminated. Before I had viewed that photo, I did not know that the top of Cinderellas Castle could be seen from the patio area. That was a pleasant surprise. My hope was that if we could see the top of the castle, we might be able to see a portion of the Wishes fireworks show, too.
Over the years I had seen many photos of the Whitehall Room. In my humble opinion, it was by far the prettiest room in the Convention Center. I was tickled pink that this location was blocked as a backup location for my dinner party. I couldnt believe my luck. Strike that. It wasnt luck that got me that room, it was pure pixie dust. Thanks, Tinker Bell, wherever you are. Im a true believer in the Disney ~magic.~
Over that weekend I sent e-mails to both Bonzie1 and Floridafam. Since I had entertainment planned for the party which was a secret to them (heck, it was a secret even to me), I wanted to make sure that both of their families arrived as closely to the starting time of the party as possible. I did not want them to miss out on a thing. I sent the following message to each:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dinner menu sounds scrumptious, doesn't it? And with an All American theme, too, how cute! I am happy that I am staying at the GF -- I will be able to waddle myself back to my room after I've gorged myself on all that food.
The dinner party starts promptly at 6:30 PM on that Sunday night. Will your family be able to be there at that time? Please let me know.
What follows is what was sent to me on Friday:
Schedule of Event
DISNEYS GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa, Summerhouse
LOAD IN - Sunday, May 23, 2004
4:30pm - Drop Power
4:30pm - Resort Ops set Audio, Lighting
EVENT BEGINS
6:30pm - Doors open
EVENT ENDS
9:30pm - Room cleared
The lighting technicians will be setting things up for our party at 4:30 PM. I have no idea what the lighting is, I just know that there are two technicians and one electrician on my proposal. I'm also not sure what time the food will be served, nor do I know where the food will be prepared -- will the steaks be grilled on the beach or back inside the resort? I e-mailed those questions and others to my Convention Services CM on Friday night. I'm hopeful I'll have a response early this week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I sent that, I checked the fireworks schedule on the official Walt Disney World website. It had been awhile since I had done that. I discovered that things had changed slightly and alerted Floridafam to it:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just checked the Wishes schedule for the 23rd -- it is now scheduled for 9:00 PM. That is 15 minutes later than when I last checked on April 25th.
Daily Schedule for May 23, 2004:
Magic Kingdom® Park
Park Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm
Parades and Fireworks
Share A Dream Come True Parade
3:00pm
Wishes nighttime spectacular
9:00pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I waited to hear back from both Floridafam and Bonzie1 regarding the partys 6:30 PM starting time and whether or not that time was okay with them, I decided that I could no longer stand the stress of deciding which entertainment package to use for the party and thus composed another e-mail message for the Convention Services Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I left you a few telephone messages on Friday night and Saturday morning. I hope you received them.
I've been giving a lot of thought to my dinner party and what I hope to accomplish with it. My objectives for the party are the following: (1) relaxing conversation with new friends, (2) a beautiful venue, (3) wonderful food, and (4) at least one special touch that is slightly out of the ordinary.
With the proposal that was sent to me on Friday afternoon, you have definitely accomplished those objectives (and more). For objective Number 2 (venue), the Summerhouse patio area is gorgeous. For objective Number 3 (food), the dinner menu is scrumptious. For objective Number 4 (special touch), the entertainment suggestions are definitely out of the ordinary. However, when it comes to objective Number 1 (relaxing conversation), I fear the entertainment aspect is a little overwhelming. And that is the one objective that I have given much thought to this weekend. I have come to the conclusion that having only one entertainment element would better suit my objectives for the dinner party.
I didnt realize that I had the option of having any of the Disney characters in attendance at my dinner party. When you listed that option in your e-mail message on Friday, I was completely taken aback. Since I am a kid at heart, the idea of having any of the characters make an appearance just thrilled me to pieces. And when you mentioned that there might be a unique way to spice up their arrival via the float boat, well, you should have seen the goofy grin upon my face. Before I had received your e-mail message, I had already decided upon having only Andy Mation at my party; but after I received your e-mail, I was suddenly faced with a decision to make and I wasnt sure what to do.
After much discussion with my young daughter over the weekend, I have narrowed things down in the way of entertainment. My main dilemma was whether to have both Andy Mation and Mickey Mouse at my dinner party. Both would be fun, but I was afraid that having both would still be too overwhelming and conflict with object Number 1 (relaxing conversation). My family has seen Andy Mation at a beach party that we attended a few years ago at the Beach Club Resort. Andy was wonderful and my daughter still remembers him. I asked her if she wanted Andy Mation or Mickey Mouse at the party, and she chose Andy Mation. I didnt expect that response. However, since I am a much bigger kid than she is (and am paying for the party), I want Mickey Mouse. I am thinking a Disney character might better fit my objectives for the party. The character would arrive at 6:30 PM, as stated in your proposal, and would leave at 7:00 PM. That would leave the rest of the dinner party free for conversation and dining. If I chose not to have Mickey Mouse, then I would definitely have Andy Mation. Andy Mation would arrive at 6:30 PM, as stated in your proposal, and his show would last until 7:10 PM. Of course, I would have the option of having him perform at least once more during the dinner party, and that is a lovely option to have.
So, right now I sit here with two wonderful choices either Mickey Mouse or Andy Mation. Im not sure if having just Mickey Mouse is an option since you listed the Fab Five in the proposal and they might be a package deal. If the Fab Five must be purchased en masse, then I will have to choose Andy Mation. (I would like to save the option of the Fab Five for my Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal this Fall.) Please let me know the answer. Also, please let me know if Mickey Mouse can arrive by float boat. That sounds like such a great way to make an entrance.
I know that were getting down to the final hours in regards to my dinner party and its schedule, and I want to give you my decision as quickly as possible. I am hopeful that sometime by the end of Monday or Tuesday, Ill have your answer and I can give you the okay as to what entertainment aspect to book for my party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cant tell you how relieved I felt once I had come to my decision regarding the dinner partys entertainment. I slept well that night. Finally.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dinner menu sounds scrumptious, doesn't it? And with an All American theme, too, how cute! I am happy that I am staying at the GF -- I will be able to waddle myself back to my room after I've gorged myself on all that food.
The dinner party starts promptly at 6:30 PM on that Sunday night. Will your family be able to be there at that time? Please let me know.
What follows is what was sent to me on Friday:
Schedule of Event
DISNEYS GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa, Summerhouse
LOAD IN - Sunday, May 23, 2004
4:30pm - Drop Power
4:30pm - Resort Ops set Audio, Lighting
EVENT BEGINS
6:30pm - Doors open
EVENT ENDS
9:30pm - Room cleared
The lighting technicians will be setting things up for our party at 4:30 PM. I have no idea what the lighting is, I just know that there are two technicians and one electrician on my proposal. I'm also not sure what time the food will be served, nor do I know where the food will be prepared -- will the steaks be grilled on the beach or back inside the resort? I e-mailed those questions and others to my Convention Services CM on Friday night. I'm hopeful I'll have a response early this week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I sent that, I checked the fireworks schedule on the official Walt Disney World website. It had been awhile since I had done that. I discovered that things had changed slightly and alerted Floridafam to it:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just checked the Wishes schedule for the 23rd -- it is now scheduled for 9:00 PM. That is 15 minutes later than when I last checked on April 25th.
Daily Schedule for May 23, 2004:
Magic Kingdom® Park
Park Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm
Parades and Fireworks
Share A Dream Come True Parade
3:00pm
Wishes nighttime spectacular
9:00pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I waited to hear back from both Floridafam and Bonzie1 regarding the partys 6:30 PM starting time and whether or not that time was okay with them, I decided that I could no longer stand the stress of deciding which entertainment package to use for the party and thus composed another e-mail message for the Convention Services Cast Member:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I left you a few telephone messages on Friday night and Saturday morning. I hope you received them.
I've been giving a lot of thought to my dinner party and what I hope to accomplish with it. My objectives for the party are the following: (1) relaxing conversation with new friends, (2) a beautiful venue, (3) wonderful food, and (4) at least one special touch that is slightly out of the ordinary.
With the proposal that was sent to me on Friday afternoon, you have definitely accomplished those objectives (and more). For objective Number 2 (venue), the Summerhouse patio area is gorgeous. For objective Number 3 (food), the dinner menu is scrumptious. For objective Number 4 (special touch), the entertainment suggestions are definitely out of the ordinary. However, when it comes to objective Number 1 (relaxing conversation), I fear the entertainment aspect is a little overwhelming. And that is the one objective that I have given much thought to this weekend. I have come to the conclusion that having only one entertainment element would better suit my objectives for the dinner party.
I didnt realize that I had the option of having any of the Disney characters in attendance at my dinner party. When you listed that option in your e-mail message on Friday, I was completely taken aback. Since I am a kid at heart, the idea of having any of the characters make an appearance just thrilled me to pieces. And when you mentioned that there might be a unique way to spice up their arrival via the float boat, well, you should have seen the goofy grin upon my face. Before I had received your e-mail message, I had already decided upon having only Andy Mation at my party; but after I received your e-mail, I was suddenly faced with a decision to make and I wasnt sure what to do.
After much discussion with my young daughter over the weekend, I have narrowed things down in the way of entertainment. My main dilemma was whether to have both Andy Mation and Mickey Mouse at my dinner party. Both would be fun, but I was afraid that having both would still be too overwhelming and conflict with object Number 1 (relaxing conversation). My family has seen Andy Mation at a beach party that we attended a few years ago at the Beach Club Resort. Andy was wonderful and my daughter still remembers him. I asked her if she wanted Andy Mation or Mickey Mouse at the party, and she chose Andy Mation. I didnt expect that response. However, since I am a much bigger kid than she is (and am paying for the party), I want Mickey Mouse. I am thinking a Disney character might better fit my objectives for the party. The character would arrive at 6:30 PM, as stated in your proposal, and would leave at 7:00 PM. That would leave the rest of the dinner party free for conversation and dining. If I chose not to have Mickey Mouse, then I would definitely have Andy Mation. Andy Mation would arrive at 6:30 PM, as stated in your proposal, and his show would last until 7:10 PM. Of course, I would have the option of having him perform at least once more during the dinner party, and that is a lovely option to have.
So, right now I sit here with two wonderful choices either Mickey Mouse or Andy Mation. Im not sure if having just Mickey Mouse is an option since you listed the Fab Five in the proposal and they might be a package deal. If the Fab Five must be purchased en masse, then I will have to choose Andy Mation. (I would like to save the option of the Fab Five for my Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal this Fall.) Please let me know the answer. Also, please let me know if Mickey Mouse can arrive by float boat. That sounds like such a great way to make an entrance.
I know that were getting down to the final hours in regards to my dinner party and its schedule, and I want to give you my decision as quickly as possible. I am hopeful that sometime by the end of Monday or Tuesday, Ill have your answer and I can give you the okay as to what entertainment aspect to book for my party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cant tell you how relieved I felt once I had come to my decision regarding the dinner partys entertainment. I slept well that night. Finally.
floridafam
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,804
Janet,
I have really enjoyed reading about the entire planning process for the party.
I laughed when Janet e-mailed me asking me if it was okay for Bonzie1 and her DH to join the party. I thought to myself "Uh, Janet, it's your party and your asking ME if it's okay to invite someone?" That's just the type of person Janet seems to be-always concerned about other's feelings.
To be honest folks, when I first started conversing with Janet2k by PM and e-mail, I didn't want her or her family to think that this is what I was doing. I noticed they were traveling at the same time we were and I had always been a big fan of her trip reports. It was clear that she was the most unselfish person on this earth and always willing to share. I explained to my DH what a nice person I thought she was and asked if it was okay if we invited her and her family to join us on the Grand One and the VIP Tour. As mentioned, those things didn't work out and we became Janet's guests.
Janet and her family are as nice as they come. Any nervousness we had about meeting new people quickly went away as soon as we met up for the tour and at the BBQ. My DS said when we returned from the tour "I love meeting new friends but the worst party is knowing you'll never see them again."
He must have forgotten that we would see them again at the BBQ the following evening.
He celebrated his birthday on Tuesday and I told him he could do anything he wanted. He jokingly said he wanted a circus in the backyard and he wanted to invite Janet's daughter (I'm not using her name because I don't know if Janet does on these boards).
He is hoping to meet up with her again next time we are at WDW together.
We feel very fortunate to have been a part of this wonderful evening. I hope we get to see more of Janet, her family and Bonzie1 and her husband.
I have really enjoyed reading about the entire planning process for the party.
I laughed when Janet e-mailed me asking me if it was okay for Bonzie1 and her DH to join the party. I thought to myself "Uh, Janet, it's your party and your asking ME if it's okay to invite someone?" That's just the type of person Janet seems to be-always concerned about other's feelings.
To be honest folks, when I first started conversing with Janet2k by PM and e-mail, I didn't want her or her family to think that this is what I was doing. I noticed they were traveling at the same time we were and I had always been a big fan of her trip reports. It was clear that she was the most unselfish person on this earth and always willing to share. I explained to my DH what a nice person I thought she was and asked if it was okay if we invited her and her family to join us on the Grand One and the VIP Tour. As mentioned, those things didn't work out and we became Janet's guests.
Janet and her family are as nice as they come. Any nervousness we had about meeting new people quickly went away as soon as we met up for the tour and at the BBQ. My DS said when we returned from the tour "I love meeting new friends but the worst party is knowing you'll never see them again."
He must have forgotten that we would see them again at the BBQ the following evening. He celebrated his birthday on Tuesday and I told him he could do anything he wanted. He jokingly said he wanted a circus in the backyard and he wanted to invite Janet's daughter (I'm not using her name because I don't know if Janet does on these boards).
He is hoping to meet up with her again next time we are at WDW together. We feel very fortunate to have been a part of this wonderful evening. I hope we get to see more of Janet, her family and Bonzie1 and her husband.
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