Wedding Planning Help!

[helloamber]

Hello, I am trying to plan an intimate wedding at the Disney Polynesian resort from the 'Escape Wedding' package. Has anyone done the escape wedding package here before?

If so, can I really only have 18 people? I have about 25 including three 2-year old kids.

Any other details you can give me would be great. I would like have an intimate disney wedding for cheaper than $4000, if anyone has any tips on that I would love to hear. Thanks!

 

[hiwaygal]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!

And to the DIS!

When are you planning on getting married?

Sunset Pointe at the Poly has become more and more restricted over the past few years. The biggest one is availability - you can only get married there between October and March and you are only allowed 10 guests total there (including you and your DH2B).

The other thing to consider is that Disney's Escape packages start at $4000 so you probably couldn't do anything cheaper than that through Disney. But you might be able to do something through the Swan/Dolphin or one of the hotels at Downtown Disney or even something off property.

If your budget will allow you to go to $4000 you can do a Disney Escape wedding for the minimum - the basic "rack rate" package with no extras, but you would have to choose one of the other locations (Sea Breeze Point or Yacht Club Gazebo) for the number of guests you have. And yes, you can only have 18 guests (20 including you and your DH2B).

That's probably not what you wanted to hear...there are alternatives and ways to make your dream come true...you just have to decide what features are the most important to you.

 

[BaBeeCee14]

I am having a Wishes wedding so I'm not going to be much help. But one thing about the Escape weddings is that the guest limit is 18. If you even have 19, it will no longer be considered an Escape wedding. I believe children also count towards the 18. Take a look at the planning journals as there are a lot of brides that are also having Escape weddings & you can get some ideas through them. Good luck with your planning.

 

[Lindsay22]

Ditto what everyone else said.
If you are on a budget like that you might want to look at Swan/Dolphin weddings (I think someone here has a TR with one) They are much more reasonably priced and still a "disney" wedding.

 

[PhilHarMaestro]

Just wanted to add that the escape package has gone up to $4500 for 2009.

 

[snow_white725]

I just wanted to add the the 2 year olds do not count towards your guest number. Two and under do not count but 3 and above will count.

 

[Lynn5700]

Well with the excape it is a set price,they can't get any cheaper. In 09 the price is going up to 4500. You can only have 18 guests and yes 2 year olds count as your guest total. If there is a body regardless how old the person is,they count. It's stinks but it's the rule. At the POLY I think you can only have 10 guests.

If you have your heart set on Disney,Swan and Dolphin does weddings and I believe they are cheaper so I would look into that too if I were you.

 

[snow_white725]

Well with the excape it is a set price,they can't get any cheaper. In 09 the price is going up to 4500. You can only have 18 guests and yes 2 year olds count as your guest total. If there is a body regardless how old the person is,they count. It's stinks but it's the rule. At the POLY I think you can only have 10 guests.

If you have your heart set on Disney,Swan and Dolphin does weddings and I believe they are cheaper so I would look into that too if I were you.

I guess you should talk with your wedding planner. I talked to mine and was told that 2 and under do not count towards the guest total.
But even with that you would still be over the max with 25 guests. Good luck!

 

[Lynn5700]

Oh they must have changed that because I just got married in May and was told different....I know for a wishes wedding that the kids under 2 you would not be charged for a plate of food,so they don't count for your food minimum.

 

[PhilHarMaestro]

Yeah, the def. count towards your guest min. For escape even infants count!!! (which is a little silly if you ask me) They don't even need a chair!!!

 

[Lynn5700]

That's what I thought...It is silly that infants count in an escape wedding lol.

 

[Lindsay22]

I was told that for my Wishes wedding anyone out of the womb counted as a person, but that we didn't have to pay for anyone under 3. I think it was something about fire codes, which makes sense.
(Our ring bearer and flower boy are officially our fav guests, they help us towards our min people amt but we don't have to pay!!!)