Need to set up Site Visit

[nkkilala]

I'm excited! I finally get to set up my DFTW site Visit!
Does anyone have the number that I should call. I know I could find it on the web site but I love talking with all of you that have had experiance!
What was the best thing about your site visit? What should I be prepared with?

Thank you!!

 

[JonetteA]

You set up your site visit through your SM. Are you having a custom or intimate? I am not sure if they do site visits for intimates or not. Maybe someone else can help you with that one. The planning session you set up with your EM.

I hope this helps!

 

[nkkilala]

THanks Jonette!
I am having a custome wedding. From the sound of it I need to get a SM! My wedding date isn't a year out ( will be in may) but the only time I have to get down there is in Feb.
Does anyone think it will be a problem having a site visit more than a year out?
The vibe I've gotten from everyone one here is that DFTW is pretty accomodating.

 

[WDWbride2007]

I recently called the FTWD, and they indicated you can be assigned the SM 18 months out from your wedding date. You can do the site visit at any point after that, so you should be fine. I would call now to set-up your site visit for February. They told me they only need a few weeks notice, but I am an obsessive planner. Good luck with your plans!

 

[JonetteA]

I just want to make sure that you understand that a site visit and a planning visit are 2 different things. The site visit is to look at the locations, the planning session is to actually plan things out. We are going in December and are going to do our site visit and our planning session at the same time. I just wanted to make sure you knew that so that you didn't expect one thing and run into something else and were dissappointed! =)

 

[Laurafoster]

We had our site visit in September which was more than a year out! we had booked the hol before we decided to get married lol! They assign you a SM and they can help with any questions you have untill you book and get assigned an EM!

 

[nkkilala]

Thanks everyone!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is having/had a long engagement.

Jonette; I do know that the visits are two separte things. I don't know if I'm going for a planning session or not. I think I could do all of that over the phone/e-mail. I know that I can't pick out a place for a reception without seeing it!! My fiance doesn't know what he wants, and I know want I want but won't know it until I see it.....if that makes sense.
Thanks for all of the help I'll be calling DFTW on Monday!!

Yippee only one more day!!

 

[Laurafoster]

Hmmm, i was meant to be going to Egypt next year for my bday (as its a milestone bday lol) but im now soooo tempted to go back to Disney - i can use the excuse that its for a planning visit

 

[JonetteA]

Good Luck Nikki, let us know what you find out and where you are thinking about!

 

[tinkerbell7801]

Dumb question, but I'm new and confused...I don't know the terms on this site yet. What are an SM and an EM? And what if you can't go on a site or planning visit -- we live in NJ where I'm a full time undergrad *year 4 out of 5*, and FH is a full time grad student and a full time intern with an architecture firm -- can we ask Disney to send us pictures and specs of the sites we're interested in, and then when we're a year ahead of the date we want to book, we can book the sites?

 

[hiwaygal]

Dumb question, but I'm new and confused...I don't know the terms on this site yet. What are an SM and an EM? And what if you can't go on a site or planning visit -- we live in NJ where I'm a full time undergrad *year 4 out of 5*, and FH is a full time grad student and a full time intern with an architecture firm -- can we ask Disney to send us pictures and specs of the sites we're interested in, and then when we're a year ahead of the date we want to book, we can book the sites?

An SM is your sales manager...that's one of the first folks you will talk to when scheduling your wedding.

An EM is your event manager, aka wedding coordinator. This is the person you will really work with to plan and coordinate your wedding.

And don't worry too much about not going to WDW before your wedding for a planning visit or a site visit. Many Disney brides were not able to go down before the wedding and were able to totally plan their weddings from home. There's a thread here about that here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=947798

I'm not sure about Disney sending pics and specs of the different sites...but I'm sure they will do whatever they can to help you make a decision. And you can always come back here and ask former brides if they have any pics of the different locations.

Booking the sites for a reception won't be as challenging as booking the wedding ceremony location (at least I don't think so). There are a very limited number of places to have your ceremony, but there are LOADS of places to have your reception, so there are more options and availability for that.

If I were you, I would call Disney and tell them the date you are considering. This will "put you on their radar" and while you can't actually book it until a year out, this will let you know if someone else is looking at your same date and location.

Here's the thing...BE FLEXIBLE with your location and time and you will most likely get the date. Disney does wedding ceremonies at least 4 times a day (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm) and for custom brides there may be more options (someone else can confirm that). So, that greatly increases your odds of getting that date, especially if you are FLEXIBLE with the location.

Good luck!

 

[tinkerbell7801]

LOL thank you! Now I'm in the know

 

[2BWEDDNDIS]

I had my site visit at the end of august. My SM was Heidi (im now on to my EM, Karen!!). Heidi is so sweet and great to work with. She trys to get an idea of how much you are wanting to spend and what you vision for your wedding day. She then asked what date we were looking for (mine is june 20 2006). From there she suggested the wedding pavilion because june can be so HOT!! I already wanted the WP so that worked fine, she then took us to the yacht and beach club reception sites and the boardwalk reception sites that would be good for our number of guests (40). I feel in love with the boardwalk site (st james and marvin garden rooms)!! She then drove us back to francs (the planning site right next to WP). Since we were pretty flexible we knew we wanted a late june date she looked at the times/days/and site we wanted and found june 20 to be perfect for everything we wanted!! We then set the date and took a ton of pics!! I had so much fun heidi was a blast!! We werent actually planning on going to a planning session but after our site visit experience we knew we had to come again for the planning session where we can iron out all the details, and have a test test for menu and cakes (so excited looking at a march date)!! Well that was my experience hope that helps some. Another tip is you can only have 4 people at the site visit if you want to go visit the sites (weird i know) but they take you around in a town car they have and only 4 people plus the EM fits in the car so i guess it makes sense!
Have fun planning and visiting enjoy every minute!!
Kammie

 

[Ember]

I just want to make sure that you understand that a site visit and a planning visit are 2 different things. The site visit is to look at the locations, the planning session is to actually plan things out. We are going in December and are going to do our site visit and our planning session at the same time. I just wanted to make sure you knew that so that you didn't expect one thing and run into something else and were dissappointed! =)

I thought these had to be two seperate things and that you couldn't do both in one go? If they can be combined then that is totally what I want to do!

When is your wedding in relation to your site visit/planning trip? And how did you go about arranging to do both at one? TIA