Room Blocks

[dislovr]

Ok I am no where near the point of talking to a wedding coordinator. But I did want to know a little more about the room blocks. It says on the DFTW web site that it will be determined once you speak with your WC and know how many people will be attending. So I was thought maybe those of you who have already spoken to WC about the room blocks could tell me your experience.

Lets just say approx. 30 people would come. Anyone know how many nights we would need booked. What is the reason that the require this anyway? Also how does it work if your guests are using DVC. Do those rooms count toward the block or do the rooms need to be payed for OOP? Most of my family has DVC. Auctually my mother along with my aunt will probably be getting a Grand Villa and invite some other family members to say with them which could cause a problem with meeting min. room requirements.

Like I said I am no where near ready to talk to a WC but my mom has recently been asking and reading up online herself. She is going to be paying for the wedding and I guess she wants to be able to call herself an expert by the time planning comes. (that might really get annoying)

Anyway...any help would be appreciated. And I hope this all makes sence because I was kind of rambling!

 

[hiwaygal]

I can't answer the question about how many will be required, but I do know that many hotels require a room-night guarantee for certain events, so this isn't just a Disney thing.

The DVC reservations do count as part of your room block guarantee.

 

[Kristen14]

Even if you're not ready yet, you can still call and talk to a coordinator... Ask for Joe DeMattei, he's great! Theres wasnt a question I asked him that he couldnt answer... and I had a list of about 30 questions! I actually called before we'd even gotten engaged because I knew I was in a time crunch to pick a location and get the date I wanted. He wasnt pushy and didnt try to upsell me, just effortlessly answered everything. Then a month or so later I called back after we got engaged and started asking how to move forwards with everything.

Disney has "suggested room blocks", but it doesnt really matter how many people you have coming, the absolute minimum you have to meet is 25 nights. I'm having about 100 guests, but since we all live 2 hours away from Disney, I told Joe that it would be next to impossible for me to guarantee more than 25 nights. Again, he was very nice and didnt have a problem with that at all.

Have your mom call if you want to, I'm sure that wont be a problem since she's paying for your wedding. That way you wont have to repeat everything to her. My mom talked Joe's ear off when we went for our site visit. She likes to ask completely random and pointless questions that drive me nuts, but Joe didnt seem bothered at all and answered everything without even thinking about it.

 

[Kristen14]

Another bit of advice... Just because Wishbook says the minimum food/beverage expenditure is $100 or $75 doesnt mean thats how much you can expect to pay. There are very few dinner menus that fit into this price range. I'm well over that (without even trying!) and it's a little upsetting because we created our budget expecting to pay $100/pp. However, if you have a breakfast or brunch theres a lot more choices that let you stay under budget.

 

[pooh98378]

Another bit of advice... Just because Wishbook says the minimum food/beverage expenditure is $100 or $75 doesnt mean thats how much you can expect to pay. There are very few dinner menus that fit into this price range. I'm well over that (without even trying!) and it's a little upsetting because we created our budget expecting to pay $100/pp. However, if you have a breakfast or brunch theres a lot more choices that let you stay under budget.

I totally agree!! DF and I have come to the conclusion that the give you the minimums so you realize the general ballpark of what you will be spending. It is difficult to stay close to the minimum. That being said, I remember there was one bride on here that did stay very close to the minimum.

For the room block, I believe the OP was right in that you will have to guarantee 25 room nights. I'm almost positive that DVC counts, but check with a planner to make sure. I think the main requirement is that it is on Disney property (Disney owned hotels -- not the Downtown Disney area hotels or Swan/Dolphin). Although Pop is excluded from the room blocks.

HTH!

 

[caryndisneydiva]

i think i'm really close to the minimum, my menu is only 72/pp, my pre-reception is 13/pp...which is still under the 100/pp min...did i do something wrong?

 

[PrincessBrideKatie]

The recommended room requirement are just that... recommended. I just talked to my WC about this very issue, today in fact. She said that the very minimum for a Wishes wedding is 10 rooms, it doesnt matter the amount of people being invited. I was freaking out about it cause my FFIL booked rooms at Shades of Green for the Groom's entire family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) so I was having a major crisis about getting the 50 room night minimum I thought was required for my 75 person wedding.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lisacope]

My husband and I own DVC and have about 18 of our room nights booked at BWV. Even if someone books a room at one of the WDW hotels which aren't one of the hotels in your room block they count toward fulfilling your minimum. I was stressing out about the room block too, but from what I have read there is not a bride out there that has had to pay for unused room nights.

 

[lurkyloo]

The recommended room requirement are just that... recommended. I just talked to my WC about this very issue, today in fact. She said that the very minimum for a Wishes wedding is 10 rooms, it doesnt matter the amount of people being invited.

Whoa - really? Then why does the contract say that if you don't meet the "recommended" minimum (25 nights for up to 30 guests, 50 nights for 40-75 guests, etc.) you'll be charged for the remaining nights at the cost of the lowest-priced hotel in your block? They scared the beejeepers outta me with all this stuff, and I've been white knuckling it hoping I don't get more than 40 guests cuz it'll bump me up to filling 50 room nights...

Also, to the OP, DVC does count toward your minimum, as do nights at other Disney hotels not in your room block.

 

[linzwylie]

25 nights for up to 30 guests, 50 nights for 40-75 guests, etc .

Whats the number of nights required for between 30 and 40 guests because that is where our numbers will be?
Please let it be 25 because this has already been causing me stress, I couldn't deal with having to fill 50 room nights

They scared the beejeepers outta me with all this stuff,.

Yep, me too

LINZ XXX

 

[Kristen14]

Caryn, the minimum for brunches (events starting before 2) is $75, which as you can see is still hard to stay below. Once you add cake and alcohol the total goes way over. I'm using a rehearsal dinner menu which is $55/pp, then adding the antipasto $13, cake $9, and open bar $40. Total $117/pp. And that's sorta cheating... using a rehearsal dinner menu! The actual wedding dinner menus start around $99/pp and that doesnt yet include coctail hour, cake or drinks.

 

[PrincessBrideKatie]

Whats the number of nights required for between 30 and 40 guests because that is where our numbers will be?
Please let it be 25 because this has already been causing me stress, I couldn't deal with having to fill 50 room nights




Yep, me too

LINZ XXX

As long as you stay at or below 40 people it will be 25 nights that are recommended. 41-75 is 50 room nights.

 

[linzwylie]

As long as you stay at or below 40 people it will be 25 nights that are recommended. 41-75 is 50 room nights.

Thank the lord for that

LINZ XXX

 

[dislovr]

Caryn, the minimum for brunches (events starting before 2) is $75, which as you can see is still hard to stay below. Once you add cake and alcohol the total goes way over. I'm using a rehearsal dinner menu which is $55/pp, then adding the antipasto $13, cake $9, and open bar $40. Total $117/pp. And that's sorta cheating... using a rehearsal dinner menu! The actual wedding dinner menus start around $99/pp and that doesnt yet include coctail hour, cake or drinks.

How did you get this menu and pricing information? Seems like something I want to look at just to get an idea. Also when it says lunch is before 3 or dinner after 5 or however it goes. Does that mean if you want to use lunch minimums that your reception has to end by 3 or has to begin before that but can last longer? Does that question make sense? Are there certain time blocks for certain reception sites like the wedding sites? It seems like they would want to try to do this to fit in several receptions in one location in a day if need be.

 

[PrincessBrideKatie]

Whoa - really? Then why does the contract say that if you don't meet the "recommended" minimum (25 nights for up to 30 guests, 50 nights for 40-75 guests, etc.) you'll be charged for the remaining nights at the cost of the lowest-priced hotel in your block? They scared the beejeepers outta me with all this stuff, and I've been white knuckling it hoping I don't get more than 40 guests cuz it'll bump me up to filling 50 room nights...

Also, to the OP, DVC does count toward your minimum, as do nights at other Disney hotels not in your room block.

I think that its if you don't get the amount of room nights that you guarentee with your room block, they you have to pay for the rest of the room nights that you guarenteed. Like I blocked 33 rooms so I have guarenteed 28 rooms will be used, so if for some reason only 25 are booked, I have to pay for 3 more.

 

[Kristen14]

How did you get this menu and pricing information? Seems like something I want to look at just to get an idea. Also when it says lunch is before 3 or dinner after 5 or however it goes. Does that mean if you want to use lunch minimums that your reception has to end by 3 or has to begin before that but can last longer? Does that question make sense? Are there certain time blocks for certain reception sites like the wedding sites? It seems like they would want to try to do this to fit in several receptions in one location in a day if need be.

I have a list of menus that my EM emailed to me when we first started planning. PM me with your email and i'll send them to you if you want. Technically you're not supposed to use them for your wedding dinner, but as long as you meet the minimums theres really not much they can do about it. We modified ours a bit and it came out more than the listed price, but we still did pretty good.

Lunch is for ceremonies that start before 2. My ceremony starts at 2:30, and I have to do dinner because I missed it by a half hour. YEs, there are certain time blocks for each location. At the Wedding Pavilion it's 10am, Noon, 2:30, 5 & 7:30.