Are you wondering if a Disney Cruise Line Wedding or Vow Renewal might be the right choice for you and your partner? Check out the positives and negatives of a Disney Cruise Line Wedding or Vow Renewal.
The holiday season is upon us once again, and a wonderful side effect of the holidays is often lots of proposals and newly engaged couples. I’m looking forward to hearing about all the new engagements as we head into the end of the year…but in the meantime, knowing that we will have some new brides and grooms entering in the mix got me thinking about wedding planning, and one of the questions I’m hearing more often these days:
Could a Disney Cruise Wedding be Right for Me?
In today’s fast past world of WAY TOO BUSY to breathe, let alone plan a wedding, a Disney Cruise Wedding may in fact be the perfect solution for many couples who are wanting a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, but aren’t really wanting to do much planning or coordinating.
I just added a pretty detailed article to the Disney Weddings & Proposals section of the site about Disney Cruise Weddings, you can check it out here if you are looking for details and pricing. I go into this topic in lots of depth there, but here are some brief highlights:
Potential Positives:
Picture courtesy of David and Vicky Arndt Photography, in my opinion, some of the BEST Orlando area photographers–and VERY experienced at working with Disney and Disney couples.
Disney Cruise Line is consistently rated one of the top large cruise lines in the world.
The Disney Cruise Line Wedding package is just that–a package, with most details pre-planned. There are a few categories where you make a few choices, and that’s all you need to do. Everything else is taken care of.
You are assigned an onboard wedding coordinator that you will meet with on Embarkation Day and they will work with you to ensure your wedding goes smoothly.
This is a great way to combine your wedding (or vow renewal) and your honeymoon and/or family vacation into one trip and one budget.
Of all the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, this is one of Disney’s most affordable Wedding packages, so if a “Disney” wedding is important to you, this might be an avenue worth exploring if budget is an issue. Of course, a cruise reservation is required.
A Disney Cruise Line wedding is classic, elegant, simple and a little glamorous–without breaking the bank or costing you your sanity as you try to plan lots of details.
There’s no real “reception” in a Cruise Line wedding. You have a cake and champagne celebration, and then everyone goes back to enjoying their cruise. No first dance, no uncomfortably standing around wishing you could get back to the beach.
You can get married on the beach or dock on Castaway Cay, or on the ship in a few different locations. (Getting married on Castaway Cay is more expensive than getting married on the ship).
You are a “Disney Fairy Tale Wedding” couple, and can book a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Bridal Portrait shoot in one (or more) of the parks within one year of your wedding (for an extra fee).
While photography packages are available for additional fees, the services themselves are not provided by Disney Fine Art Photography–they are provided by Cruise Line Photographers.
There is no real “reception” in a Cruise Line wedding. There is a cake and champagne celebration following the ceremony; however, it’s not a long event–time enough for toasts, cake cutting, some pictures and enjoying some cake and then it’s over. I have this as both a pro and a con—where it falls for you will be a matter of your personal preference and priorities.
Disney Cruise Line is a high end cruise line, and priced accordingly.
If you are someone who likes to plan every detail and be in constant contact with your planner, a cruise line wedding will not be a good fit for you.
Your onboard ceremony is not actually legal, so you are married in a civil ceremony in Port before the ship departs on your cruise.
Every guest you want to attend your wedding will need a cruise reservation and a passport.
I think Disney Cruise Weddings are actually perfect for a lot of couples, and even more perfect as a vow renewal. If you would like more information, please check out my more detailed article on Disney Cruise Weddings in the Disney Weddings and Proposals section of the site.
Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of Disney fans that played the #ShareYourEars game in Disney’s November campaign to celebrate 90 years of Mickey? If so, YOU ROCK!!!
I had so much fun posting my pictures, and seeing everyone else’s pictures…but the best thing? As a result of the incredibly high number of “ear photos” that were shared, Disney is donating three million (US) dollars to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help them grant even MORE wishes for critically ill children and their families!
The #ShareYourEars campaign brought Disney fans together from all over the world to show their ears, but also to show their warm hearts and compassion for others. It was so wonderful to see so many people responding to the campaign and finding creative ways to share their ears.
I am such a dork, I love wearing my Disney ears on Disney trips, and I’m always sad to pack them away…it was really fun to dig out lots of “ear” pictures to help Make-A-Wish…and I know many in my family also played along.
The Make a Wish Foundation is a terrific institution, and Disney has been working with them since 1980 to help grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses and their families. Currently, approximately 10,000 Disney wishes are granted EVERY YEAR with Make-A-Wish, helping wish kids replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope.
You can learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation here.
I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t ALSO mention the amazing Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Give Kids the World is a very special resort that works with many different “Wish” organizations from around the world that cater to critically ill children and their families, including the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Give Kids the World Village is a non-profit resort that covers 84 acres and provides week-long, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families. The Village partners with various organizations to provide children and their families with accommodations in fully furnished villas, transportation, tickets to theme parks, meals, daily entertainment, and much more.
Since 1986, more than 165,000 children and families have had their wishes and dreams fulfilled in this very special Village.
Give Kids the World is consistently rated among the top twenty fiscally responsible charities nationwide by Charity Navigator, who has awarded GKTW their highest designation, the four star rating, ever year since 2005. Of every dollar donated, 93.1 cents goes directly to programs for the children and families that GKTW serves. This is something that is really important to me, so when I donate to charity, this is where my funds go.
I was really hoping that we would get a firm opening date for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios for next year during the D23 event two weeks ago, especially since it seemed like Disney was in the mood to announce ALL kinds of good stuff at that event.
Unfortunately, they didn’t come any closer to announcing actual dates or pinning potential dates down to even a month or two month window. Currently, the best we have is “Late Summer” for Disneyland and “Late 2019” for Hollywood Studios.
However, even thought we didn’t get the firm dates I was hoping for, we did get a lot of Galaxy’s Edge information, which WAS very exciting.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek announced the names of the two major attractions that will be part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens next year (?) at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios.
We’ve known for awhile that one attraction would involve the beloved Millennium Falcon, but we didn’t know what it would be called or much about it. Now, we know. This attraction will be called Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Check out the teaser trailer Mr. Chapek presented at the event below:
Doesn’t this look like fun? In this attraction, you’ll be behind the controls of the most famous starship in the galaxy in one of three unique flight crew roles.
The second opening day attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This attraction will put you right in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order.
Bob Chapek also brought a trailer for THIS attraction as well:
Based on the VERY limited information we have so far from these trailers, and, let’s face it, the way theme park ride technology trends have been going, I suspect both of these attractions will be motion simulators. Normally, I am not a big fan of motion simulators; however, the Imagineers really worked some amazing magic with Flight of Passage at Pandora in Animal Kingdom–it’s quickly become one of my favorite attractions of all time–so I’m hoping that the Star Wars motion simulators will be the latest and greatest and just as good (or better) than Flight of Passage and will NOT make me queasy. Fingers crossed. We all know I’m riding anyway. But it would be NICE if these attractions didn’t make me ill.
Guess what? After all this amazing attraction news, Mr. Chapek still wasn’t done with his update about Galaxy’s Edge. And honestly, I’m just about as excited about this news as I am about the attractions: John Williams, who composed and orchestrated the original iconic score for Star Wars is composing new and original music for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. You guys know how much I love Disney’s attention to theming and how there are so many tiny details that many guests never even notice that help make the overall experience so enjoyable….MUSIC is a big part of that. The music is different in every Disney park Land; the music is different at the holiday parties and special events. Certain attractions have their own memorable music, and these musical themes all contribute to your experience.
Getting John Williams to create new music, exclusively for these lands at the Disney parks is a HUGE part of ensuring that Galaxy’s Edge will be as immersive as they are planning for it to be, and it shows that no detail is being ignored. They could easily just use music already in the existing library of films and shows—there’s a lot of it, and I’m sure some familiar themes will be present…but to have the original composer create new music to add to the new world they’re creating? I LOVE THIS!!!!
In the video below, you can see and hear some of this new music being recorded…and even better, you will see scenes of the construction project for Galaxy’s Edge…much of this footage we have not seen before!
They are officially now setting our expectations that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be a multi-day experience. If this is the case, this will take Hollywood Studios from usually a one day visit to potentially a 3 -4 day visit. Which may mean that future trip planning may require either skipping one (or more) theme parks on your one week vacation–or that your typical one week vacation may need to be longer.
A dilemma that we will spend much time talking about and planning for in future months, I assure you.
Mr. Chapek shared a few more highlights about Galaxy’s Edge:
Galaxy’s Edge is an Outpost called Black Spire Outpost (we knew that already, but we’re summarizing the good stuff here)
You’ll be able to visit the Cantina
Someone you may remember from Star Tours, Rex, will be a familar face in the Cantina
There will be other familiar creatures and characters in the Cantina
There is a street market in Black Spire Outpost
The street market has food stalls–you can buy unique delicacies like blue milk
Mr. Chapek also briefly mentioned the previously announced Star Wars resort coming to Walt Disney World resort. It sounds like they are really trying to tread new territory here. The resort will be connected to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios, and Disney is calling it a fully immersive Star Wars adventure. Mr. Chapek says resort guests will be aboard a “luxury starship” that will have high-end dining, space-view cabins and all of the exciting action that we’d expect from a Star Wars experience.
Lots of good stuff to look forward to, right? I can’t wait for more information to come out. I want ALL the information! And of course, as soon as I have it, so will you!
Happy Dreaming,
Brooke
P.S. – It’s not too soon to start planning your first visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Late 2019 should be safe for Disneyland and early 2020 should be good for Hollywood Studios. Contact me today and we can start building your plan! brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.
Exciting news! Disney has finally shown us one of the Skyliner Gondolas!
Under construction since summer 2017, Disney has been very slow to release much information about the coming Skyliner transportation system that will connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Epcot, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the proposed new DVC resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Last week, Disney announced that the new system will begin transporting guests in Fall 2019. And now, finally, we have our first glimpse of a Gondola.
Disney has also released a brief video clip of the presentation last week, where the Gondola was first presented.
I’m really happy they have finally released a “real” (although probably still a prototype) Gondola. It was hard to tell from the sketches how big they would be, overall look, etc. I’m psyched to now be able to see something physical and three dimensional instead of a sketch!
What do you guys think? Are you any more excited to ride the Skyliner system next fall now that you have seen a Gondola?
Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
You guys, I am so excited about this update. This morning, Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, announced that Disney Skyliner will be ready to begin transporting Guests at the Walt Disney World® Resort beginning fall of 2019!
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Disney’s latest addition to it’s transportation system has been under construction for more than a year now, and until today, Disney has not given any hints as to when guests would be able to begin using the system. And now it’s official: Fall 2019. Just in time (we hope) for Galaxy’s Edge opening at Hollywood Studios–currently scheduled to open “Late 2019”, although there is much speculation that Late 2019 may mean VERY late 2019…as in the last week or two of December 2019. I’ll keep you posted on that, as soon as I know more!
But back to SKYLINER: This new state-of-the-art gondola system will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios® and Epcot® to four resort hotels- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as well as the proposed 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s Riviera Resort. Which immediately makes all four of these resort properties more attractive, as far as I’m concerned. An alternative to bus transportation, and a really cool one at that?? Sign me up! Of course, I’m completely ignoring my fear of heights at the moment. You all can laugh at me when I take my first trip on the Skyliner and report back.
Even with my fear of heights, I’m very excited about this new way to not only move from the resorts to the parks (and back), I’m excited that we’ll have a whole new way to experience Walt Disney World with amazing views only available from the sky – with great photo opportunities! You all KNOW how I am about photo opps!! For example, Disney says that when you arrive at the International Gateway station, you will travel through the trees and be welcomed into Epcot with remarkable, never before-seen views across World Showcase. I cannot WAIT to see these views. I may be scared, but I am definitely eager to check it out.
Mr. Chapek’s announcement indicated that workers have installed the last support tower at the Resort and are beginning to thread the series of reinforced cables to carry guests in the stylish themed gondolas.
I will update you again as soon as I have more information!!
If you haven’t had a chance to visit Disney’s Art of Animation Resort yet, you should really try to squeeze an hour or two out of your schedule to go visit. It’s really pretty spectacular, especially if you have little ones who are fans of Pixar and Disney favorites like Cars, Finding Nemo, the Lion King and the Little Mermaid. One of Disney’s most colorful resorts, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (DAAR for the balance of this article) is chock FULL of great places to take pictures–so if you’re looking for some different places to take family pictures, DAAR is a terrific location for some really fun backgrounds and props–and the bright colors really POP.
We used DAAR as one of the locations for our engagement pictures, and loved the resort! It was so much fun to wander around! Some of our favorite shots come from ones we took there. Here are some of them. Photographs were taken by David and Vicki Arndt Photography.
Art of Animation Engagement Pictures David and Vicki Arndt Photography
Art of Animation Engagement Pictures David and Vicki Arndt Photography
See what I mean? FUN. And this is only from PART of the Cars section!! I’ll show you some more later…
Here’s a quick video tour of the resort from Disney:
DAAR falls in the category of Disney’s Value Resorts, which are priced more affordably than the moderates or the deluxe resorts, but also tend to be limited in amenities, room size, and dining options. Most of the value resorts have two double beds in each room and there are a few rooms at each value resort that have one king size bed. While the two double beds option works for small families, as the kids get a little bigger, or a third child joins the family, the value resorts end up not being a great solution for families–which is bummer, because families are exactly who the Values were originally designed for! Room capacity is limited to 4, and in most value rooms, once all four are bigger than 4′ , it can be very cramped in those rooms. Of course, for many people, values remain an ideal solution, even if not the most comfortable one–if the intention is to spend the majority of your time at the parks and not at the resort or in your room, it may not really matter much to you. But one bathroom can also be a limitation, especially if your family includes one or more of those challenging and wild creatures–the teenage girl!
Potential solutions have included booking two rooms (putting older kids in a room by themselves, and younger kids in with mom and dad), or staying off property to get more space without spending a lot more money–but then incurring additional costs for rental cars and parking–and missing out on benefits exclusive to resort guests like extra magic hours and package delivery.
With DAAR, Disney attempted to offer a solution that was still affordable enough to belong in the value resort category, but had more space and some more of the Disney “specialness” that some of these families were looking for.
Here’s a map of the Art of Animation resort that you would get upon check in:
The Little Mermaid buildings, 7, 8, and 9 are very similar to what you would be used to if you’ve stayed at a Value resort before. The rooms are designed for no more than 4 people, ideally 1-2 adults and 2 children. These rooms are priced pretty closely to what you would find for value rooms at other value resorts, like Pop Century or All Star Movies. However, because the resort is newer and more popular, the Little Mermaid rooms are often excluded from any “special offers”, and these rooms tend to sell out early–they’re more economical than the Family Suites, and they’re at the most popular of the value resorts, with arguably the best food court (more on that later)–so if you want a Little Mermaid room, be prepared to plan and book as early as possible, and know that you may not get any discounts.
Here’s what a typical Little Mermaid room looks like:
The other sets of buildings, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars are comprised exclusively of what Disney is calling their “Family Suites”.
In the family suites, the room layout is bigger and a bit creative to accommodate families a little more comfortably. The most noticeable differences are that the Family Suite contains one bedroom with a queen size bed with a door that closes–AND the Family Suite has two bathrooms. One, off the bedroom with the queen size bed, and the other off the main “living” area.
The secret sauce is that main “living” area can be cleverly converted at bedtime into sleeping spaces for the kids. The sofa is a double-size sofa sleeper–I guess that’s not too surprising by itself. But the dining area houses a double-size murphy bed that folds down into another sleeping space. The Family Suite can sleep up to six! Disney says up to 6 adults, but I think you’d have to be pretty friendly adults to be cozy in that double murphy bed :-)!
Here are the standard amenities in a Family Suite (some of these are common to all values, and some are unique to Family Suites):
Kitchenette with Microwave, Coffeemaker and Mini-Fridge
Telephone with Voicemail
Alarm clock with Radio
Hair Dryer
Iron and Ironing Board
Complimentary WiFi Service.
Here’s a look at the Finding Nemo Family Suite:
Photo: Disney Parks
Family Suites at DAAR are not priced as economically as the regular value rooms, for obvious reasons–at 520 square feet, they’re about double the size of a standard value room (260 square feet). And that extra bathroom is worth its weight in gold to a lot of people. Add in the microwave and the mini fridge (most of the values have a limited number of mini fridges available–but it can be difficult to make sure you get one) and you’ve added more than double the value without doubling the price. The Family Suites at DAAR are priced in some cases than some standard moderate resort rooms…but here again, a second bathroom and an additional 200 square feet add a lot of value. We’ve seen the same challenge with standard moderate rooms that we see with value rooms–moderate rooms are slightly bigger, but they still have a max capacity of 4 persons–very occasionally 5 can be accommodated in special themed rooms, but usually that fifth person needs to be pretty small. So, for some families, it makes sense to consider the Family Suites at DAAR–especially when considering the other benefits of the overall resort as a whole. It just depends on your individual needs and priorities. Interestingly enough, while the Family Suites are pretty popular, they do not sell out as quickly as the Little Mermaid rooms, so are usually included in Disney promotions and specials–you might be surprised at what a great deal your travel agent can find for you on one of these rooms. *
Here’s a look at a Cars Family Suite:
Photo: Disney Parks
Photo: Disney Parks
Here’s a walking tour of the Lion King Family Suite that Destinations in Florida, the travel agency I’m affiliated with, provided me.
Dining Options
Landscape of Flavors
All value resorts are somewhat limited in the dining options available, and DAAR is no exception to this rule. You will NOT find a table service restaurant at DAAR. However, you will find one of the best quick service options available at any of the Disney resorts. All the values have a “food courts” sort of design…at DAAR, it’s called the Landscape of Flavors, and it’s five “mini-restaurants”, all quick service, of course. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you’ve been reading me for awhile, you’ve most likely picked up on the fact that I don’t LOVE quick service. I much prefer table service. I like to sit down with my family and take a break and order. I think quick service is stressful and I think the whole hunting for a table thing dredges up bad high school lunchroom memories or something….
But, Landscape of Flavors does at least have some unique items and a bit more variety available than you generally find at quick service places…and many, many people that stay at DAAR frequently rave about how good it is. Lines can be long in the mornings, as with most places as guests are scrambling to get to the parks, so if you can get moving earlier and pack your patience, you’ll be happier.
Disney Resorts In-Room Dining
DAAR also offers in-room dining (room service) at this resort from 4 p.m. to midnight. You can order from a limited menu and get sandwiches, salads, wings, etc. You can even get pizza! I’m not much of a pizza person, and at Disney, that’s probably the LAST thing on my wish list, but I know there are many of you that would rather stay home than go without pizza for a week, so I promise you can get it here. You can also order beer and wine, as long as you are 21 years of age or older. Typical exorbitant room service prices and delivery charges apply, as with room service at any hotel or resort.
The Drop Off Pool Bar
What’s an afternoon in the sun by the pool without a wonderful poolside bar where you can pickup beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and some tasty snacks?
Recreation
Can we talk about the POOLS?? Of which there are SEVERAL, including The Big Blue Pool, which just happens to be the LARGEST pool at any Walt Disney World resort. It’s the “main” pool, right at the center of the resort, and did I mention, GIANT? It’s pretty hard to miss, I think you’ll be able to find it. It’s got a zero entry, and plays Disney songs and characters on speakers underwater to entertain swimmers. The Big Blue Pool is themed to Finding Nemo, and is surrounded by giant colorful set pieces featuring characters from that movie.
Nearby is the Schoolyard Sprayground for the little kids to run around and get sprayed by pop-up jets and gushing water. Note: LOTS of screaming is generally heard in this vicinity. Do not panic. They apparently LIKE getting wet…and then screaming to make sure you know that.
For the days you don’t have time for them to get wet, there is also a DRY playground nearby, Squirt’s Righteous Reef. I know his name is Squirt, but he doesn’t, I promise.
At the Cars end of the Resort, we have the Cozy Cone Pool, which is so cute…there are cone shaped “cabanas” around the pool! Lots of Cars characters around the pool too, so tons of great photo ops, and not as big or as busy as the BIG main pool.
The other end of the resort is the Little Mermaid area. The Flippin’ Fins pool is at this end. While it is larger than the Cozy Cone pool, it’s still about 1/3 the size of the GIANT Big Blue Pool.
Art of Animation Engagement Pictures David and Vicki Arndt Photography
Yes, I know, these aren’t actually pool pictures. I realized too late I didn’t have Flippin’ Fins pool pictures but these were taken in that area, so hey, more engagement pictures. Aren’t you excited? I figured.
Movies Under the Stars
I think all the resorts are doing this now, and it’s a pretty fun idea, especially if you have a non-resort day on your calendar. Disney puts up a big projection screen in the evening on the grassy area between the Lion King building and the Finding Nemo building, and will show a Disney movie on it. All resort guests are welcome to come hang out, watch the movie, enjoy the atmosphere.
Pixel Play Arcade
Another standard feature at most Disney Resorts, an Arcade is located in the Animation Hall at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Called Pixel Play Arcade, the DAAR Arcade features both classic games and new video games.
Jogging/Running/Walking Trail
There’s a scenic 1.38 mile trail that goes around Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is consistently rated highest among Disney’s Value Resorts. Trip Advisor currently has more than 7,800 reviews for Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and averages a score of 4.5 (Excellent is 5.0).
Overall, I think this resort has been a great addition to the Disney resort family. I think the Family Suites fill a much needed gap, and I’m hopeful that Disney will include more Family Suites in future resorts going forward.
The new Skyliner will have a station located between Pop Century and Art of Animation (these resorts are walking distance apart; originally, Art of Animation’s property was planned for an expansion of Pop Century). I think that will make this resort even MORE appealing. As with all Disney resorts, Magical Express and Disney bus transportation is free from this resort to the Parks, Disney Springs and the Airport. Note: If you bring a car, they do charge $13 per day for parking.
I want to hear from YOU…Have you ever stayed here? What did you think? Would you want to stay here again? Would you recommend it to a friend? If you haven’t stayed here yet, was it on your radar?
Happy Dreaming,
Brooke
* In addition to being a lifelong Disney fan and a self confessed Cinderella Castle junkie (it IS so a thing), I am also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and Travel Agent. I can help you book a vacation to this or any other Disney resort or destination–there are no fees to you, and I will make your trip planning SO much easier! Please email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com today to learn more. You can also reach me on Instagram HERE or on Facebook HERE . Hope to talk to you soon!
If you are in the midst of planning a trip or event for a large group of people at a place like Disney, for example a wedding, family reunion, vow renewal, or milestone birthday celebration, you are likely to discover some unique challenges. Disney travel with a group is really fun, but can also have dangerous potholes you will want to look out for.
Transportation & Logistics Challenges
For example, is everyone staying at the same resort? If not, transportation may be a challenge. When we were planning our wedding, we ended up with people staying at four different resorts. Planning transportation for wedding events ended up being one of our biggest challenges! Depending on the size of your group, your travel agent (or planner for your group) may be able to work with Disney to get discounted rates for your group. This tends to work for large groups, or groups who are also using Disney catered events, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, etc. But it’s always worth a try! Try to choose one or two resorts that will work for your group. The best scenario is one resort. However, depending on your group, you may want to offer resorts in different financial tiers to accommodate different budgets.
Of course, sometimes, people will just do their own thing, regardless of what you plan for your event. If that happens, you then have to decide if you’ll include their transportation needs in your planning, or if you’ll make it their responsibility to get to the planned events. But know there’s a good chance it will happen, and be prepared and decide early how you will handle this if it happens.
Group Composition Challenges
The composition of the group can also present some challenges. Is your group a mixture of families with kids and young singles or couples? Or perhaps a mix of adults and children of all ages and interests? Does everyone know each other already, or does anyone know each other at all?
SONY DSC
Depending on what you are planning, you may just have specific events to worry about, and outside of that, everyone will be on their own. For example, you can plan a wedding and wedding reception for your guests and then leave on your honeymoon. Or you can plan a Family Reunion that is all about one specific afternoon or evening event.
Alternatively, you may have a situation where you will have some “official” events, usually paid for by the planners, but you may want to spend more time with everyone outside of the “official” events. You may want to plan a “Get to Know You” casual event near the beginning of the trip, if your group involves a lot of people that don’t know each other.
For example, very large families, traveling to a reunion; corporate events with multiple branches coming together; even weddings often face the challenge of lots of invitees who don’t know each other. A casual ice breaking event is often a great way to get everyone to get to know each other and start talking before the more “official events” begin. Again, this will depend on your group, your budget, and the purpose of your gathering.
Do NOT Bring a Stick and a Pole or a Megaphone!
The first thing you have to accept is that in a place like Disney, it is going to be impossible to try and keep large groups together for any substantial period of time. In a daydream, it can be lovely to imagine your group of 40 people joyfully going from attraction to attraction, stopping for Mickey bars and Photopass pictures along the way. However, the reality? Doesn’t really work that way. We’ve all seen the tour groups following the guide with flag on a pole, marching gleefully through the park chanting first thing in the morning…but have you seen them later in the day? They usually look lost, miserable, and frustrated…and those chants? Not so cheery.
The reality: Trying to move even a small group of 5 -7 people all together is like herding cats. (For those of you who don’t have cats, it’s REALLY REALLY INSANE). Throw in another 10+ people and you will all lose your minds and end up hating each other. Honestly, I swear it’s true. So, please trust me on this. Let the idea of all staying together for long periods of time GO.
Playing in line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Instead, plan specific activities to try and do together, and tell everyone up front that you’ll meet for these specific activities, but the rest of the time is their own. Some of the group may naturally end up staying together for chunks of time, but I think you will find, for the most part, the large group will break up into much smaller groups of 2 – 5 people.
Something Important to Consider…
(Or: How to avoid having your group plot your murder…)
Is your group going on vacation to Disney and attending your event(s) while they’re there, or are they attending your event(s) and visiting Disney when there’s time after/around your event(s). It’s a good idea to know the basic perspective that the majority of your group will have. If everyone is viewing this as their vacation, and they’re fitting in your event(s), you will need to be super careful about how much time you try to “take” from their vacation—or you are likely to run into resistance and push back.
Even though your wedding or Grandma’s birthday may be the most important thing in the world to you (and probably Grandma), not everyone in your group will have that same perspective. It’s important to know your group, and what their goals and wishes for the trip are—this will help minimize disappointment and hurt feelings on all sides. And ideally, keep the death threats to a minimum.
[Note: the author assumes no liability, expressed or implied for any actual death threats, actual or implied that may or may not arise from any of the advice provided on this blog.]
Optional Get-Togethers
When we were planning our wedding weekend, we really wanted to try and spend as much time with all of our guests as possible. We had “official” events, of course—the welcome dinner, the wedding, the reception and the dessert party that we knew everyone would be attending, but we hoped to get more time with everyone than that.
So, we decided to plan some optional “extra” meet-ups, in hopes that everyone would come to at least one or two of these and we would get more time with everyone. For our group, we focused on meals. We booked large group Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for one or two meals each day, depending on the day, at favorite restaurants we wanted to share with people we loved, and invited everyone to join us.
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Chef Mickey Character Breakfast at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
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Character greetings have been canceled. Character meals are most likely canceled, too. (Unconfirmed)
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Via Napoli, Italy, Epcot
Chef Mickey’s Character Breakfast Photo: Brooke Hudson
Sci Fi Dine In
Logistically, this is a bit of a headache, as with Disney’s cancellation fees, you have to plan ahead for this, and get people to commit at least 36 hours ahead of the meal, so you have time to cancel…but we ended up with 10-20 people at several of our meals and it was AWESOME. In our case, everyone did separate checks, but there are lots of different ways to handle this. If everyone is on the dining plan, you can use table service credits.
Alternatively, to help everyone budget (and confirm those commitments!), you could have everyone prepay a fixed amount toward the meals they’re joining before the trip, and have one person responsible for paying the bill and collecting any overages. If you need help brainstorming ideas, reach out to me, I’m happy to help!
Attraction Meet-Ups
Another idea is to plan a particular attraction at a particular time, and all meet up and do that together. This can be challenging for more popular attractions that need Fastpasses. However, you can coordinate everyone’s Fastpass reservations to schedule them into the same range, or at least try and get them to overlap for at least a 30 minute window. Attractions that are “shows” are good for this, like Mickey’s Philharmagic, Muppets, Carousel of Progress, etc. You want to make sure you’ve picked something that everyone in your group can enjoy. If anyone is too little to ride, or won’t be comfortable or won’t enjoy it…maybe think about doing something else instead.
Wedding Trip: Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke and Frank)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the rain Photo: Linda Harkness
Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
I’ve planned for some groups that had success meeting at slow moving rides with lots of other stuff going around it, so the group stayed together for a while. For example: One group I worked with had 17 people, including several small children, and a senior in a wheelchair. They met at Finding Nemo at the Living Seas in Epcot at 9:15 am, and then explored the Livings Seas Pavilion more or less as a group, attending Turtle Talk with Crush as a group, and then went to Lunch at Coral Reef as a group. After that, they split off into smaller groups or families until the next day. This worked for them, and they managed to get a big group PhotoPass picture by the fish near the entrance of the Finding Nemo attraction (all part of my plan, haha).
Photo Meet-Ups
Still another idea is just to meet for a Photopass picture periodically. For example, suggest everyone meet at the Partner’s statue at 1:15pm to check in. You take a big group picture, see how everyone is doing, and then everyone goes on about their day.
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Epcot! (Photo: Disney PhotoPass)
Your meetups don’t have to be in the parks, either. You can plan a group pizza party around the pool at your resort for everyone to unwind at the end of a busy park day. Or even just plan to meet at the resort at 2pm by the pool for everyone to go swimming or enjoy some relaxation time.
Ideas for Group Meet-Ups or “Extra” Events:
Hoop-de-do Revue
Photopass location meet-up for a group picture
Meet at an all-ages attraction. Some great choices include:
Walt Disney World Railroad
It’s a Small World
Carousel of Progress
Finding Nemo (the attraction)
Living with the Land
Muppet Vision 3D
Finding Nemo the Musical
Resort activities. For example:
An afternoon pool party
Participate in the Disney movie night at your resort
Plan a resort photo shoot, either with a Disney Fine Arts photographer, or your own photographer (I have recommendations, if you need help with this).
Parks/Resorts/Disney Springs or All of the above: Plan a game or activity for the whole group that people can help each other with, talk about, etc. I’ve had a lot of success with customized Photo Scavenger Hunts. They can be short: targeting one afternoon, and one park or resort. Alternatively, they can span several days, and include several sections and some scheduled meetups for pictures etc. One obvious benefit is that you, as the planner, will end up with a lot of great “extra” pictures from the Photo Scavenger Hunt that you might not have gotten otherwise. Your guests will have so much fun trying to complete the tasks, they won’t even notice they’re suddenly in a lot more pictures than they might have otherwise been in. It’s sneaky, but it works!!
Click HERE if you’d like to visit my Etsy store to contact me about designing something specific for your group.
Work together to “make a gift” or “create a basket” for the guest or guests of honor if your event revolves around a birthday party, anniversary party, wedding etc.
For example, for Aunt Edie’s 85th Birthday, you could have a scrapbooking party. You could set up tables with paper and photos and scissors and decorations, and have each table make a couple of pages for a scrapbook to be presented to Aunt Edie at her party.
For a wedding, you could have everyone contribute a recipe and make a recipe book with family pictures as a scrapbook type project, similar afternoon or evening gathering.
Ride Mix-In: One of the highlights for our guests for our wedding weekend was a ride mix-in we planned after our dessert party ended at Epcot. Our guests were treated to a surprise ride on Soarin’ right at the end of the night. They rode with other park guests (they were “mixed in”), but our group got their own row. It was a fairly economical option for us, and a big hit for our guests. Check with your event planner or travel agent if you think that’s something you may want to consider.
Soarin’ Post-Dessert Party Ride Mix In
There are lots of ways to get together, without trying to walk lockstep, 10 people across, through the Magic Kingdom for 8 hours straight. Everyone vacations differently. Some people like to GO GO GO, and basically run from attraction to attraction. Others like to meander, looking at all those special details, perhaps without any destination in mind at all. Many of us fall somewhere in between. The point is, you won’t be able to make ANYONE happy if you try to make EVERYONE happy.
Key Considerations for Planning Group “Extra” Events or Meetups:
How many? Decide how many group “meet ups” you want to plan.
A good general rule of thumb is 1 or 2 events per day, maximum.
Take into consideration your specific group and the reason for your trip.
Get Input: Talk to other members of the group to get their input before you finalize your plans.
Maybe the majority of your group has no interest in getting together very often.
Find out what expectations people have, and what they’d like to do.
Budget: Make sure you know what kind of budget you are working with. If you’re planning attraction or photo meet ups, budget isn’t an issue, as long as everyone has a park pass. However meals have budgetary impact. And don’t assume that everyone will have a park pass—find out.
Where: Decide whether your meet ups will be in the parks or at the resort, or a mixture.
For Whom: Try to consider what is important to MOST of the group. Remember this meet up isn’t about YOU, it’s about the group getting together. You want to be sure you aren’t just choosing something that YOU like without considering if everyone else would really like it. (Even if it’s an event around your wedding. Unless it’s actually a wedding event, try and make the other events more about the group and togetherness, rather than just about you and your fiancé).
Prioritize Guests of Honor: If you are celebrating someone’s birthday or anniversary, keep THAT person in mind. If it’s a family reunion, keep the most senior members of the family in mind. Reunions tend to be more for the grandparents and the great grandparents than for the kids—even at Disney!
Take Pictures: wherever you meet up, how often you meet up, whatever you end up doing…make sure there are a couple of different people in charge of taking pictures. After the trip is over, and everyone has returned home to their regular lives, perhaps in different parts of the country or even the globe, you will have these pictures. These pictures will be special memories that will instantly bring all of you back together. Try to make sure that you have some casual pictures of as many people in your group as possible. Even if you are waiting in line for an attraction, try to take pictures of people being together. Have a couple different people in charge of this, so that no one person ends up in NO pictures because they are always taking pictures of everyone else.
Heading to Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
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Outside the Voyage of the Little Mermaid theater. Photo: Brooke Hudson
It’s All About the Attitude!
DECIDE You are Going to Have a Great Time
Group events and Family reunions can sometimes be fraught with tension and drama. Even in happy places on vacations, there are sometimes hurt feelings or someone behaving badly or someone who missed their nap and is crabby, etc. You have to decide that no matter what, you are going to have a great time. Don’t let the little irritations get you down.
If there’s a Guest of Honor, try and help them have that same perspective if you can. So much of what happens to us in life is a direct result of our attitude and our expectations. If you EXPECT to have a great time, most of the time—you will. When you EXPECT to get in a fight with you father’s second cousin over Saturday’s football game…you probably will. DECIDE to have a good time, no matter what…and you WILL!
Disney travel with a large group can bring you magical memories that will last a lifetime. As long as you plan ahead, and have the right attitude, traveling to Disney with friends and family may be the best vacation of your lives. If you need any help planning your trip, or would like my advice on herding cats, please contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.
Do you have a favorite nighttime show that you MUST SEE every trip? For Frank and I, it was always Wishes. While we enjoy Happily Ever After a lot, I’m not having quite the same emotional response to it that I used to have with Wishes…but I suspect that may come in time…Happily Ever After is SO spectacular and there is SO much going on…I think my brain stays super active, and my heart just doesn’t have time to catch up!
I also have a soft spot for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, and am sad that I most likely won’t be seeing it before that show is over forever to make way for whatever the next extravaganza will be…
I have seen Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom several times now, and I really like it. It’s different from the other shows, but really pretty.
And of course, Fantasmic. I’ve always loved that one…but it occurs to me I haven’t made time for it in a few years….Hmmmm….Maybe next trip….
Check out the video below for Disney’s brief summary of the nighttime shows at Walt Disney World currently:
Which show is a MUST NOT MISS? Or would you rather ride attractions during the shows, or get to bed early to be raring to go for the next day? I’d love to hear what your approach is to nighttime entertainment!
If you’ve been on property in the last year, you have probably seen signs of this new transportation system, currently under construction.
Announced last summer, construction got started right away, and has continued pretty aggressively ever since. Disney still hasn’t announced a completion date, or a date when this new system is expected to be LIVE for us to try…but they have announced that they are starting to run the cable for the new system, and most of the stations and support structures are either already in place or pretty far along in the construction process.
Check out this cute video that Disney released a few days ago to get people excited about the Skyliner:
Doesn’t that look like fun? Well, I’m afraid of heights so it looks a little terrifying…but also fun.
For decades, may people have mourned that the Monorail system was never beyond the original two lines for the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I think the Disney Skyliner is Disney’s 21st century way to address this issue, as well as bring something new and exciting to resort guests.
While of course the bus system serves every park and every resort, and will continue to do so, the Skyliner will offer guests an alternative and unforgettable high-flying mode of transportation that will feel like an attraction, add value to your resort stay and make your visit feel even more magical.
The new gondola system will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as well as the planned 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Some Disney Skyliner cabins will have iconic Disney characters incorporated into their exterior design to give the appearance that a Disney pal is riding along with guests, such as characters from the ‘Fab Five,’ figures from Disney attractions, fan favorites from movies, and more.
I think this will be a super fun addition, and I can envision special wraps to promote coming attractions—do any of you remember stalking the Avengers monorail a few years to try and get pictures of it? I followed that quest through TWO separate vacations!
According to Disney, the design of the Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot will be inspired by the park’s nearby European Pavilions, and will be covered with metal and glass canopies, hand-painted murals and ornamental steel structures that harken back to the early Art Nouveau style. Guests traveling to Epcot via the Disney Skyliner will be welcomed to the park with a rare birds-eye view of World Showcase.
The Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station will be the hub of activity for Disney Skyliner. This station is inspired by the open-air village marketplaces of the Caribbean and will showcase the nearby resort’s architectural detailing and color schemes. At this station, passengers will be able to transfer gondola routes to reach their destination, or are invited to sit and admire the waterfront resort setting.
The design style of the station at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will fit with that of the park’s main entrance and bus stations. Passengers traveling here from the Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station can expect a new aerial perspective of the park’s iconic attractions, like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will share a Disney Skyliner station that feels whimsical and contextual with both resorts. Upon departing the gondola station, Skyliner passengers will ascend over Hourglass Lake and enjoy a panoramic view of these two colorful resorts.
Finally, cabins will slow down at the Disney Skyliner turn-station along Buena Vista Drive, where guests can see the mechanical and aerial components that make up the Disney Skyliner.
I’m really looking forward to this particular “Coming Attraction”. Are you planning to check it out once it opens?
My mom is such a good sport!! I think she could have quite happily gone her whole life without ever posing for a picture with Mickey and Minnie mouse, but one of the joys of traveling with me? If the opportunity presents itself and the line is short…it’s happening! So as a result, I have quite a number of pictures of my mom with Mickey Mouse and various other characters–and to be honest, these are some of my very favorite pictures of my Mom.
My husband has (luckily for me, since he’s my traveling partner most often) pretty much embraced the Character Greeting experience. I don’t know that he LOVED it initially, but he loved making me happy, so he faked it pretty good…but now he usually gets a pretty big kick out of it.
Our favorite character greeting (so far) was at a Star Wars weekend in May 2014. We were at Disney that weekend primarily for our Disney Wedding planning session, but were OF COURSE not going to miss out on some park time 😉! Before the trip, I’d made some shirts with some iron on decals (I learned from this project that I am not really a fan of the iron-ons, I must be honest) specifically for our Hollywood Studios day, in honor of Star Wars weekend. Mine featured Princess Leia Vinylmation, and said “I love you” and Frank’s featured Han Solo Vinylmation, and said “I know”. We did the Character Greeting with Star Wars Minnie and Mickey and they really played up our shirts which was awesome, and then Minnie saw my ring and went a little crazy and the whole thing was just hysterical. She was pretending to be mad at Mickey because she didn’t have a ring, and Mickey was hiding behind Frank at one point…at any rate, it was a really memorable greeting, and we both loved it!
Sometimes, as adults, we can feel kind of silly interacting with characters because we are so conscious of who’s behind the experience–it’s easier when you’ve got your kids (or someone else’s kids—thank goodness for nieces and nephews!) to pose with, or if you can enjoy the experience through the kids’ eyes.
But something that I think is really important about getting the most out of your Disney experience is giving yourself permission to let go of some of your “grown up” when you’re at Disney. If you ARE traveling with kids, take some queues from them. Kids are so good about playing ALL the time. If not, use your imagination. It might be a little rusty–but it’s there, I promise! Forget about the bills, and the mortgage, and the 4,000 things you have to do when you get home and whether anyone might see these pictures (hint: when your daughter or wife has a blog and is a Disney travel agent, the answer is YES! 😉) Don’t worry about what people might think, and just HAVE FUN.
Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
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PhotoPass Magic Shot Minnie Mouse with Linda
It’s so hard for us to do these days–just let go of all the baggage and have fun, but I think it’s even more important in these days of stress and drama and fast paced craziness–we all need a chance to just HAVE FUN.
So whether it’s a character greeting, or riding DUMBO, or riding Space Mountain just so you can scream—or maybe even just planning to take a Disney vacation in the first place–remember, we all DESERVE a little time to have FUN, to PLAY and to be SILLY. It is a CRITICAL part of the human experience. And if you do have kids? (Young or old!) They will have so much fun seeing you play, I promise. Few things make me happier than seeing my mom crack up laughing!
Some tips to avoid lines for Character Greetings:
Use a Fast Pass+ reservation: This depends a lot on your priorities—If you want a really hard to get Character Greeting, like Anna and Elsa from Frozen, you may want to consider using one of your Fast Pass + reservations for it. Personally, I don’t usually use Fast Pass + reservations for character greetings in the pre-vacation scheduling; however, I have used them in the park after I’ve used my first three—especially if we got in the park right when it opened and have tackled most of our Must-Do’s fairly early in the day. If there’s a FP+ for a character greeting that you want available and the window is relatively soon—I say grab it, unless there is an attraction that you want to do MORE.
Pay attention to the character greeting schedule: Often characters, especially located in more remote areas of a park, will have very short lines or no lines when they first come on stage. Then, as people realize they are there, the line will grow. If you are alert, and try to be at the location a few minutes before the greeting is scheduled to start, you should be among the first few people in line for the character.
Assess the wait time BEFORE mentioning the possibility of meeting a character in front of little ones: My personal maximum wait time for a character greeting is 15 minutes—there have certainly been exceptions to that, but generally that’s my rule of thumb. If it looks like the wait is 30 minutes or more, I won’t even get in line. I have seen (and heard) giant tantrums from kids that believed they were going to see Mickey Mouse, but mom and dad decided the line was too long (and they were absolutely right—it WAS too long and the kids would have been MISERABLE) – but the drama could have been avoided completely. Just don’t even say where you’re going, or tell them you’re headed to a shop or something so you can check. In two adult situations, let one adult run and check out the line situation while the other one distracts the kids. I’m a big fan of wonderful surprises without the harrowing risk of dramatic disappointments. Know how long you are willing to wait before you go.
Consider a Character Meal: At all character meals, characters make their way from table to table for pictures and autographs, so you are guaranteed to get pictures with which ever characters are at that meal with no waiting in line. A couple things to consider:
Chef Mickey Character Breakfast at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Character Breakfast at the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom
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Pictures are more challenging: No photopass photographers go around with the characters, so any pictures are those taken by you or someone at your table—if you’re lucky, maybe a neighboring table or a cast member might volunteer—but usually, it’s you.
Be prepared to act quickly: the visits are short, so if you have a large group, it’s unlikely you’ll have time for lots of individual or small group pictures, especially if there are autographs involved. Assume you’ll have time for two to four pictures.
Timing: character meals are almost always buffets—so there is a risk you (or your entire party) will be at the buffet when a particular character visits your area—and generally, if you miss them, you may not get another chance. Usually if you pay attention or ask your server, you can figure out who is coming next and how long it may be before they reach your table—but pay attention. Last trip we sat next to a table that had 3 kids and 3 adults—the adults were all at the buffet when the characters came; I offered to take pictures but the kids had been taught NOT to talk to strangers so that was a no-go. I felt so bad!! Luckily, that particular character DID make it around again, so all was well!
Cost/Benefit: Character meals are pricey, especially if you have kids (or other family members) that don’t eat much at meal times. I usually recommend Breakfasts, as they are a more economical option, generally, but we’ve also done lunches and dinners. Just make sure you look at the pricing and the menus before you decide to go this route to make sure there is value here for you. For bigger eaters or picky eaters, buffets can be a wonderful option, so consider your group when planning. Of course, part of what you are paying for is access to the characters. So try not think of it as a $60 buffet; it’s a $40 buffet with a $20 floor show, where your kids get autographs and pictures with the “stars”.
Reservations are necessary and can be challenging to get: Character meals absolutely require reservations 180 days before your trip, and even then, can often be difficult to get. I’ve been trying for a few years to do a meal in the castle for one of my spring trips with my mom, and have been unsuccessful so far. It’s worked out for some of the trips with my husband, but it’s been more difficult during the spring, which is a busier time. 6)
Know before you go: Most meals feature 4-5 Characters max. Different meals in different locations will feature different characters. Many meals do NOT include Mickey or Minnie Mouse. Make sure you know WHICH characters are at the meal you are planning. You don’t want to have your heart set on seeing Mickey Mouse only to discover that the only characters at the Character Breakfast you are attending are Disney Playhouse Junior characters. Know before you go!
Look for character greeting opportunities in the WILD. Sometimes, characters don’t have a standard “on stage” spot, with a queue line and Fast Past + reservations. Sometimes, they’re just out walking around in the parks. Pay attention, and you may find an opportunity for a character greeting without any of the challenges of waiting in line or getting a FP+. NOTE: Characters heading to and from their scheduled “on stage” appearance are generally NOT allowed to stop and chat with guests as they are on a schedule; I’m not talking about characters en route to an appearance…I’m talking about characters “milling about” or in general, working the crowd. For example, you’ll often find Green Army Men in Toy Story Land. Or, you may find Mayor Donald wandering around Hollywood looking for unsuspecting strollers operating without a license 😉.
Heading to Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Do you have any really memorable Character Greeting experiences you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about them!
Happy Dreaming,
Brooke
Reminder: If you book your Disney vacation with me, one of the services I offer is that I can help you plan your Advance Dining Reservations, and even make your reservations for you. I can also help with Fast Pass + planning, and even help you evaluate different options for special experiences, based on what’s important to your group. Email me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com today for more information!
