Private parties in parks- any park?

[cgh]

I was wondering when companies have private meals in parks are there normally only certain parks that do this? Or does each park have these opportunities? I'm talking about for several hundred people- like the 500-1000 person range. Anyone been to anything?

DH is going to work conference (families invited) and I found out one night is a dinner in a park. That day, they are paying for everyone to go to the park of their choosing and they didn't say where dinner would be. DS had a conference in January and they did a dinner at Hollywood studios.

 

[maltdizzy]

Opportunities vary from exclusive after-hour access to just evening-only passes to a park already open to the public. A "paid dinner" could be a corporate tent with catering or a meal voucher. Many conventions end with evening access to Epcot (in part because the S&D and Yatch Club convention centers are right there within walking distance).

 

[hakepb]

Some basics:

https://www.disneymeetings.com/disneyworld/networking/

 

[DisneyWishes14]

There are event spaces throughout the parks and resorts. We once went to a company dinner for a few hundred on an upper floor in the Living Seas pavilion. The company also hosted a breakfast in the prop shop in DHS plus dessert parties in the American pavilion and an upper floor in the festival center between Universe of Energy and Mission Space.

 

[adear11]

I'll be there in about 3 weeks for a convention that my company is hosting for roughly 200 people.

One night we are having a dessert party in Epcot in the Illuminations viewing area across from the Italy pavilion. Also that night, before the desert party, we're having a private ride on Soarin'. The next night, we are doing an event in Magic Kingdom (I can't remember the specifics of this one off the top of my head).

 

[scrapquitler]

I was wondering when companies have private meals in parks are there normally only certain parks that do this? Or does each park have these opportunities? I'm talking about for several hundred people- like the 500-1000 person range. Anyone been to anything?

DH is going to work conference (families invited) and I found out one night is a dinner in a park. That day, they are paying for everyone to go to the park of their choosing and they didn't say where dinner would be. DS had a conference in January and they did a dinner at Hollywood studios.

They can do it in a lot of different places, both in and out of the parks. My husband's company did a dinner at one of the restaurants in Epcot (I think it was Flying Fish, maybe? I didn't go, so I don't know). They brought the whole group (about 70 people) into the back of Epcot on a bus, then they ate dinner and had a special viewing area in the World Showcase for Iluminations along with deserts.

Another day they had breakfast in the conferenc room and some characters came in to visit them (I don't remember what characters)

 

[mountdew1]

Not to sound to cynical, but it comes down to money. If you have the cash, WDW can make it happen (as long as it's legal). Most conventions usually use DHS or Epcot. Plenty of space for events in those two parks, they sell alcohol, have themes that tend to favor adults, and unlike AK (until recently) have things to do at night. (Also convenient for conventions at Swolphin and Yacht Club) But it's not unheard of for groups to do things at MK, but those tend to be identifiable by hours well in advance (park wide closure) and the groups needs to have alot of cash (MK ain't cheap).

 

[HopperFan]

EVERYWHERE!!!

Once leaving the AK they had set up tables all throughout the Oasis with fancy settings on tableclothes. It was beautiful.

Unless a park is closing early on your date, I would imagine it's being set up somewhere not conflicting with normal operations.

I just went to a private party at UO. Diagon Alley with about 1000 folks. Ride and train open, dinner and more, entertainment, Mummy and Transformers. It was AWESOME!!!!

 

[cgh]

Okay, great thanks. I guess I'll just have to see. There will be lots of kids on this one. The conference is at the four seasons. There should definitely be a full dinner. I'll see what my husband can find out. I have a 2 year old so we'll have to figure out if we should leave him at home or if it is something extra fun for a kid that is almost 3. (he will have plenty of other time at Disney) I'm leaning towards leaving him at the hotel. These dinners they normally have lots for even the youngest kids. (ie. kid activities, food etc.)

When DH went to one in HS in January he got to ride Star tours and see the stunt show and they had a dinner somewhere. I was itching to go to that. (not invited!) Happy to have one to go to that I am invited to.

That party in Diagon Alley sounds like so much fun!

 

[DisBuckMan]

EVERYWHERE!!!

Once leaving the AK they had set up tables all throughout the Oasis with fancy settings on tableclothes. It was beautiful.

They had it set up this way last Tuesday as we were leaving AK. Park closed at 6, and we had 6:15 reservations at RC there at the gate. When we were exiting after dinner, probably around 7:45, everything was set up out front and people were pouring in...most dressed fairly nattily. I figured it might be something to do with some type of "Rivers of Light" preview party, but it could have also been a private company function.

 

[HopperFan]

They had it set up this way last Tuesday as we were leaving AK. Park closed at 6, and we had 6:15 reservations at RC there at the gate. When we were exiting after dinner, probably around 7:45, everything was set up out front and people were pouring in...most dressed fairly nattily. I figured it might be something to do with some type of "Rivers of Light" preview party, but it could have also been a private company function.

Probably private party ... especially since Rivers of Light is just a rumor.

 

[katethegreat24]

Attending a special event at EPCOT next month and they're telling us we'll have the park to ourselves from 9-11pm. Has anyone been to something like this? Any idea what attractions might be open late? (Trying to prioritize my FPs for the other days I'm there!)

 

[mountdew1]

Attending a special event at EPCOT next month and they're telling us we'll have the park to ourselves from 9-11pm. Has anyone been to something like this? Any idea what attractions might be open late? (Trying to prioritize my FPs for the other days I'm there!)

Really would depend on the size of the group, and how much cash the organizers were willing to lay down. Some parties will be limited to only two or three attractions, as a PP mentioned, while others may have a whole land, or potentially most of the park open.

 

[subtchr]

Not exactly the same thing, but I am a tour director for high school bands and choirs. With those groups, I have done pre-park opening breakfasts in DHS (Usually in Backlot Express), then a ride or two on TSMM before park opening. Or a dinner on the patio above Fantasmic!, leading into watching the show there. That's not my favorite, because the view of the show isn't great. Also many dinners in Epcot that include private Illuminations viewing. Those are most often on the patio below the bridge between the UK and France, but have also been on the patio in front of Italy and once up on the Canada pavilion, moving to a roped-off area for the Illuminations viewing. Those dinners often include a private ride on Soarin' or Test Track on our way out of the park. I love doing these activities with my groups; they make the kids feel so special! They're not cheap, but really not much more per person than any other table service dinner in the parks.

 

[DebbieB]

I've seen private dinners in the American Pavillion. They make you enter the show through the exit.

 

[pearlieq]

One of DH's conferences (Microsoft something, I think?) did a full rent out of DHS last year. It started at 7pm and all major attractions were open. Several CS restaurants were open and we could order anything off the menu. In addition, there were food stations and bars set up by Echo Lake and along Sunset. There was a concert and fireworks, but I don't think they ran Fantasmic. It was an awesome night!