Private Dinner Party?

[barney4liz]

Has anyone ever arranged a small private dinner party at one of the resorts? We are staying at the Dolphin for the weekend right before Christmas, and I am looking into arranging a holiday dinner for our family (6 people). Just curious whether anyone else has done this, what the cost was, etc.

 

[Brier Rose]

We are having a private dinner party at the Grand Floridian next week for our DD's 16th Birthday.

When we started planning the one thing I found out quickly was that each location has a food and beverage minimum...with some locations being much higher than others.

For instance..the Key West room at Grand Floridian had like a $750.00 minimum (I believe) and the Summerhouse, also at Grand Floridian has an $1,800 min.

All that basically means is that you HAVE to spend AT LEAST that much on your food and beverages. Decor, lighting, entertainment, etc. does not count towards meeting the minimum.

So basically is just deciding what you budget is, and then finding a location that meets that, and you go from there. There are lots, and LOTS of menus to choose from, or you can customize your own to fit into your price range.

You can even have a private dinner party while you watch Fantasmic, or Illuminations! Both of those locations had minimums of under $1000!

 

[barney4liz]

We are having a private dinner party at the Grand Floridian next week for our DD's 16th Birthday.

When we started planning the one thing I found out quickly was that each location has a food and beverage minimum...with some locations being much higher than others.

For instance..the Key West room at Grand Floridian had like a $750.00 minimum (I believe) and the Summerhouse, also at Grand Floridian has an $1,800 min.

All that basically means is that you HAVE to spend AT LEAST that much on your food and beverages. Decor, lighting, entertainment, etc. does not count towards meeting the minimum.

So basically is just deciding what you budget is, and then finding a location that meets that, and you go from there. There are lots, and LOTS of menus to choose from, or you can customize your own to fit into your price range.

You can even have a private dinner party while you watch Fantasmic, or Illuminations! Both of those locations had minimums of under $1000!

Wow, what a wonderful Sweet Sixteen that will be!! Happy b'day to your DD!

Did you contact the resort directly to arrange that? I was thinking on a much smaller scale for our little group. I haven't heard back from the Dolphin yet.

 

[Brier Rose]

I actually contacted Disney Catering and Conventions first, and them they put me in touch with an Event Planner at the Grand Floridian.

I do know that for small groups, they can arrange things in different locations through Private Dining. That just wasn't an option for us because our group is so large.

My EP told me that they have done things from $250.00 all the way up to WAY WAY more!!

She even told us all about one party they did last year that a guy had for his sister's birthday. It was a Haunted Mansion theme, and the price tag was somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000!!

Don't give up! No matter what the budget you're working with, I'm sure they could come up with something to fit your needs!

If you have a particular resort in mind, I would call and ask to speak to someone in the Catering and Conventions department.

Oh..and do it SOON! It has taken me MONTHS to get through the whole planning process.

 

[barney4liz]

I actually contacted Disney Catering and Conventions first, and them they put me in touch with an Event Planner at the Grand Floridian.

I do know that for small groups, they can arrange things in different locations through Private Dining. That just wasn't an option for us because our group is so large.

My EP told me that they have done things from $250.00 all the way up to WAY WAY more!!

She even told us all about one party they did last year that a guy had for his sister's birthday. It was a Haunted Mansion theme, and the price tag was somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000!!

Don't give up! No matter what the budget you're working with, I'm sure they could come up with something to fit your needs!

If you have a particular resort in mind, I would call and ask to speak to someone in the Catering and Conventions department.

Oh..and do it SOON! It has taken me MONTHS to get through the whole planning process.

I know, I'm afraid I may be too late already! This whole trip has been a last-minute plan -- my folks don't quite understand the advance planning that is required to create make magic happen!

And I am definitely more in the $300 range than $60K. We are looking for a traditional holiday menu, so think turkey and not fois gras.

 

[lynninpa]

You could look into Dinner at The Chef's Table at Victoria & Albert's.

 

[barney4liz]

You could look into Dinner at The Chef's Table at Victoria & Albert's.

I would love for DH and I to do that sometime, yum. For this dinner, my mom really wants a traditional holiday meal. I'm also guessing it's probably too late for the Chef's Table anyway; don't people book that really far in advance?