Lou... 3,118 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Disney buses would be at those selected resorts at a pre-determined time, outside the main lobby. After the wedding, a Cruise Line bus was waiting outside the wedding pavilion for all of the people who were either brought to the wedding by Disney bus, It sounds like they hired an outside company, Mears in this case, to provide the transportation, which makes sense as the WDW Transport buses are a little crude for such a formal event. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 It sounds like they hired an outside company, Mears in this case, to provide the transportation, which makes sense as the WDW Transport buses are a little crude for such a formal event.You're right Lou. Since they were the Cruise Line buses, it would have been Mears. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Thanks for writing such a unique trip report!The whole wedding day sounds so nice. (and the pictures are great!) My question is: did guests need to have park tickets to get into Epcot for the dessert party, or was that all part of the cost of the wedding?If the guests had a ticket, they would use it. Otherwise it was a low cost per person. I think it was $4-$5. The guests didn't pay it, it was part of the wedding cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ok Grumpy AKA Cindy~~ 9 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 WOW Love the pictures and the different resort hopping! djsamuel 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
disney4dan 68 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Great report. The wedding looked like fun and that photo of you and your wife is very nice. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Great TR Doug!I agree with your resort hierarchy for the three resorts...Fort, BW, GFYou did a good job and should feel free to write more TRs in the future. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 More wedding pictures! Please post more!!Looks like a lovely wedding! Pretty awesome you stayed in 3 places on one trip! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 More wedding pictures! Please post more!!Looks like a lovely wedding! Pretty awesome you stayed in 3 places on one trip!OK, here's a few more pictures: At the rehearsal: More Rehearsal: All the dresses at the Grand: After the wedding: Reception: In the Boardwalk's Lobby: My wife and son-in-law: Father/Daughter Dance: Mother/Daughter Dance (my daughter's request) to "Baby Mine" from Dumbo: And, another shot of Illuminations from the dessert party. You can see the gondolas in the foreground: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I've never seen the inside of the wedding chapel (or pavilion....not sure what they call it?) before. It's beautiful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I've never seen the inside of the wedding chapel (or pavilion....not sure what they call it?) before. It's beautiful. The acoustics in there were excellent too. During the ceremony, Disney provides the sound techs, so that was perfect. They also provide a person to play the organ. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 The acoustics in there were excellent too. During the ceremony, Disney provides the sound techs, so that was perfect. I assume it is designed in a way not specific to any particular faith? Do you bring your own Clergy (or whomever you want to perform your ceremony)? Does Disney have people who perform ceremonies? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Very cool!! However, the length of the reception really surprised me (or is that the total length of time blocked off for you?) Most of the weddings I'm used to are 2 maybe 3 hours tops from the time the bride walks down the aisle till they drive off in the car. (and I've been to a quite a few weddings as a teenager, as my dad did wedding photography as a side business, and I went along as his helper). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I assume it is designed in a way not specific to any particular faith? Do you bring your own Clergy (or whomever you want to perform your ceremony)? Does Disney have people who perform ceremonies? Dave, you are correct. There is nothing in the wedding pavilion geared to any particular faith or denomination, nor is there anything in it that would be contrary to any faith (that I know of). It is really very well done. You have the option of using your own clergy or other officiant, or Disney has some they can recommend. Our daughter and son in law used the pastor from the church in Orlando they go to. He also ran their pre-marital class as well. He was excellent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Very cool!! However, the length of the reception really surprised me (or is that the total length of time blocked off for you?) Most of the weddings I'm used to are 2 maybe 3 hours tops from the time the bride walks down the aisle till they drive off in the car. (and I've been to a quite a few weddings as a teenager, as my dad did wedding photography as a side business, and I went along as his helper). The reception was supposed to be an hour shorter. However, that would have left a longer gap between the end of the reception and the Illuminations dessert party. Extending the reception allowed the guests to relax until it was time to make their way to Epcot. The start time for the dessert party was also moved earlier as well, at no charge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 So so pretty!!!! Thanks for posting more! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lou... 3,118 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I assume it is designed in a way not specific to any particular faith? While the pavilion is non denominational, if you have a photographer that is familiar with the room, and this is a heads up for all the weddings you'll be paying Disney for Dave, they can frame shots where there appears to be a cross in the background. This photo below almost got it right.The best one I've seen is a very low angled shot with the couple at the very edge of the steps. Do you bring your own Clergy (or whomever you want to perform your ceremony)? Does Disney have people who perform ceremonies? Does a bear sxxt in the woods? Of course, Disney will supply people to do everything, for a price. Weddings come in 3 pricing structures, low, medium, and, whatever your little heart desires. Prices start, and I mean start, at about $2,500, 4 guests plus the couple, $5,000, 18 guests plus the couple, and $12,000, minimum of 18 guests. To me, it appeared that most were in last category. And strangely enough, there were more Japanese weddings than any other. I was told at that time by a Disney wedding planner that after all was said and done, it was cheaper for Japanese couples to come to WDW to get married instead of a traditional Japanese wedding. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Weddings come in 3 pricing structures, low, medium, and, whatever your little heart desires. Prices start, and I mean start, at about $2,500, 4 guests plus the couple, $5,000, 18 guests plus the couple, and $12,000, minimum of 18 guests. Wow! Prices have unbelievably increased since 2004 when Matthew and Erica were married there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
djsamuel 322 Posted April 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Wow! Prices have unbelievably increased since 2004 when Matthew and Erica were married there!Really depends on what you add. The minimum for the larger weddings is now $15,000, but that includes food, including the wedding cake. We had about 100 people at the wedding and even with the dessert party it came on at less than what others paid in the area and the whole day was great. Figure mid $20k's for a very nice wedding for over 100 people. However, if you add Cinderella's coach, characters at the reception, or choose to have your wedding in a park, then you're talking $$$$$$. Otherwise the prices are competitive with other venues in the area as long as you are comparing apples to.apples. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Just curious... How much is the coach? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 I have to say, those prices aren't nearly as bad as I anticipated. Nobody say a word about this to my girls though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 When the wedding is being planned, three Disney hotels are picked. Disney then places some room blocks on those hotels and offers a discount at those hotels for guests of the wedding. Then, for a fee of course, but really not bad (surprisingly low), Disney buses would be at those selected resorts at a pre-determined time, outside the main lobby. They met the guests and transported them to the wedding pavilion. After the wedding, a Cruise Line bus was waiting outside the wedding pavilion for all of the people who were either brought to the wedding by Disney bus, or those who may be staying on the monorail or at the Grand and got there without a car in the parking lot. They then transported all of those guests to the Atlantic Dance Hall. The bus then returned to the pavilion to transport the wedding party (who were having pictures taken) to the reception as well. After the reception, guests could choose to walk through the International Gateway to Italy for the dessert party, or they were directed by cast members to a waiting bus that took them back stage and let them out behind American Adventure. They then were walked by cast members to the dessert area along the lake across from Italy (across those bridges where the gondolas are). After Illuminations was over, the guests could walk back to the Boardwalk, or there were buses back stage, one going back to the Boardwalk, and the other heading to the other hotels in the room block. They really handled the transportation really well. The guests at the wedding raved about it, saying everything was so clearly marked and the cast members so helpful nobody had any problems at all. Doug Thanks for explaining how the transportation worked. It sounds like it was well planned. What a fun day! It sounds like they hired an outside company, Mears in this case, to provide the transportation, which makes sense as the WDW Transport buses are a little crude for such a formal event. Mears must employ a lot of drivers. As far as I know, they handle transportation for DCL and the Magical Express. Apparently, they must also partner with the wedding operations at WDW. I wonder what would cause a driver to choose to work for Mears as opposed to Disney? Do these employers compete to hire drivers? TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lou... 3,118 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Mears must employ a lot of drivers. The last report I saw said that they had just over 200 buses. So a rough estimate would be between 600 and 700 bus drivers. As far as I know, they handle transportation for DCL and the Magical Express. They are one of two companies, but Mears does the majority. Apparently, they must also partner with the wedding operations at WDW. Disney and Mears are very cozy. I wonder what would cause a driver to choose to work for Mears as opposed to Disney? More money.Mears drivers can accept tips and it can be substantial. Do these employers compete to hire drivers? Mears doesn't outwardly try to steal drivers from Disney, that's like killing the goose, but they will hire ex Disney drivers.Mears is actually stricter than Disney when it comes to bus drivers driving records. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 The last report I saw said that they had just over 200 buses. So a rough estimate would be between 600 and 700 bus drivers. How does that compare to Disney? How many buses/drivers does WDW employ? They are one of two companies, but Mears does the majority. I didn't know about the other company. What company is that? What do they do? Disney and Mears are very cozy. Obviously. Mears operates buses that the public would think are owned by Disney. The contract between Disney and Mears must be very lucrative. What else does Mears do? Disney isn't their only customer, right? More money. Mears drivers can accept tips and it can be substantial. That's interesting. Are tips expected for Magical Express rides? DCL rides? I've never done either, so I don't know. Mears doesn't outwardly try to steal drivers from Disney, that's like killing the goose, but they will hire ex Disney drivers. Mears is actually stricter than Disney when it comes to bus drivers driving records. Very interesting. Is the extra money enough to make WDW drivers leave and sign-on with Mears? TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lou... 3,118 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 How does that compare to Disney? How many buses/drivers does WDW employ?The last published number of buses I saw was 319, but I think it's more now, maybe 340The number of bus drivers is 1660, 350 part timers, and 1310 full timers. BTW, I'm 97 on the PT seniority list. I didn't know about the other company. What company is that? What do they do?Not that long ago I posted a photo showing a DME bus with that other company's name on it, but I can't recall the name right now. I believe they're out of Jacksonville.They're a good size transportation company, similar to Mears.The reason I know this, is that a couple of years ago I saw a DME bus and noticed that it didn't say operated by Mears on the side. I thought they were all operated by Mears.I did a search on the web and found the second company's website with a photo of a DME bus on it. Obviously. Mears operates buses that the public would think are owned by Disney. The contract between Disney and Mears must be very lucrative.I would guess it's very lucrative.Disney thought about having Mears also operate the internal buses, but it never went anywhere. What else does Mears do? Disney isn't their only customer, right?They operate the WDW authorized and exclusive taxi and limo services.They have their own yellow and black, or white and black, buses that operate from the attractions to other attractions or Florida locations.Are tips expected for Magical Express rides? DCL rides? I've never done either, so I don't know. Yes Is the extra money enough to make WDW drivers leave and sign-on with Mears?Yes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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