post your ideas for free or cheap meet&greets or welcome parties

[chryscrazy]

I love the idea of a welcome party but I don't think I could swing it and stay in budget. I'd like to compile a list of ideas.

 

[chryscrazy]

I think if there are a fair amount of kids the Wilderness lodge campfire sing-a-long would be fun. You can take your own marshmellows to roast, but they do also sell them there. Chip and Dale make an appearance, and then you can sit on benches or spread out a blanket and they play an outdoor movie.

 

[Bethany66]

We have planned an "Optional Welcome Dinner" at Raglan Road. We are not paying for the dinner, but wanted people to have the chance to get together and meet, if they wish. So our Guests have the option of attending or not, as they may be busy in the Parks and this is their vacation too. We are hosting a "Thank You" dinner the night before the wedding at Wolfgang Puck's for around $50.00 pp.
For those guest who are in town, we are all meeting at Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party Thursday before the wedding. That might be an idea depending when your wedding is scheduled.
If your wedding is during the Food & Wine Festival you could give each guest a small gift card and all eat & drink your way around the World; as a matter of fact, you can do this any time of year. The gift cards can be purchased in as small as $5.00 increments.
A fun breakfast gathering is dining at the Wilderness Lodge-can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it is served family style and lots of fun.
I am sure you will get LOTS of other ideas!

 

[helloirishkitty]

We are doing a "morning after" breakfast at our 2 Bedroom Villa at BLT. Just juice, bagels, pastries and coffee from publix.

We might do a scavanger hunt for a welcome "event" but I haven't planned it yet... we'll see what the budget lets me do.

 

[geek+nerd]

We are inviting everyone over for pizza at my parents' condo at Cypress Pointe (5 mins from Disney entrance). We just figured out how to fit a dessert party in our budget, so we MUST keep the night before low cost.

 

[lurkyloo]

I think if there are a fair amount of kids the Wilderness lodge campfire sing-a-long would be fun. You can take your own marshmellows to roast, but they do also sell them there. Chip and Dale make an appearance, and then you can sit on benches or spread out a blanket and they play an outdoor movie.

This is a great idea—they do something similar at the Grand Floridian and the Yacht & Beach Club now too. No sing-along, but they show a movie and sell s'mores kits.


We had a No-Pressure, Come-If-You-Want-To Meet-and-Greet in one of the public spaces at Beach Club Villas. It was from 4pm-6pm and we all just chatted and caught up with/got to know each other. We didn't serve any food cuz it wasn't at a mealtime, but most people made plans to eat together afterward. And the no-pressure part meant that people who didn't want to leave the parks (or miss the Super Bowl ) didn't feel obligated to attend.

 

[chryscrazy]

Helloirishkitty- I love the idea of a group scavenger hunt...you could even do a free hidden mickey hunt.
Geekynerd- The reason I want a very low cost welcome is because I must have a dessert party!
Lurkyloo- I downloaded your book today and the campfire idea came to me when I read your suggestion of hotel common areas or pools.

I'm not even officially engaged yet, and don't even know if I can swing a WDW wedding for sure, but you would think I've signed a contract the way I'm obsessing.

 

[DisneyLeah]

Hi - We are thinking of doing an informal Meet n Greet at one of the restarants/bars (maybe even TRex) at DtD. We figured this was easier for people to get to via Disney transportation than a resort would be and offers them some other things to do before/after they stop by. This isn't in stone, just trying to figure out the logistics so if anyone else has more ideas, please post!

 

[vlkleinh]

We booked two tenting sites at Disney Fort Wilderness (ages ago..it was our first reservation...just to get our feet wet!). We are planning a bbq at one of the sites. The Chip and Dale campfire and the aquatic parade are all happening at night...so we are hoping it all sort of flows together. The campsites were roughly $40 each a night. We'll buy groceries at a grocery store and see how it goes! We booked 2 sites just in case anyone harasses on maximum number of people on a site...which I think is 10.

Another thing we did is rented DVC points to get our parents a 2 bdroom villa at Saratoga Springs. They are hosting a drop in breakfast one morning...a good way to start the day before heading off to the parks! Groceries from a grocery store. We might even get a mickey waffle iron or have mickey shaped pancakes!

I think these are going to be two of the best parts of our trip!

 

[sodashopsunshine]

I love all these ideas, going to have to do something free with a large group! I saw where someone did the Chip 'n Dale thing...could be packed though with other guests.