Walt Disney World Fairytale Weddings - Escape Collection Package

Escape Collection Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies and Vow Renewals are small, simple, highly standardized events limited to a maximum of 18 guests, plus the bride and groom. 2009 prices start at $4500.

Getting Started

If you are interested in having an Escape Collection Walt Disney World Fairytale Wedding, Commitment Ceremony or Vow Renewal, you need to investigate DisneyWeddings.com. That is the official site, which will give you the basics on the Escape Collection package. (By the way, the wedding, vow renewal and commitment ceremony packages are identical. As far as Disney is concerned, they are interchangeable.)

To get the most out of DisneyWeddings.com, you should register and create a Wishbook (an online "shopping cart" of wedding options). This costs you nothing, and don't worry -- Disney won't call and try to sell you anything!

Once you have access to a Wishbook, you can view prices for some of the most popular Escape Collection options. The Escape Collection Wishbook includes pricing for ceremony locations, floral, entertainment, transportation, photography and videography. The Wishbook doesn't list all the available options, and the pricing isn't always totally accurate. However, it will give you a good general idea of how much things will cost.

All prices on this page are subject to change at any time. Rates for the basic packages include taxes and fees. A 20% service charge plus 6.5% tax applies to any additional catering (such as a bigger cake or extra beverages). 6.5% sales tax is added to any optional "enhancements."

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The Basics

Escape Collection Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies and Vow Renewals are the least expensive option for those who want to be married at Walt Disney World Resort. For a fairly reasonable cost, you get a small ceremony in a lovely location, followed immediately by cake cutting and champagne toast. The whole event lasts approximately one hour (about 1 1/2 hours at the Wedding Pavilion).

Escape Collection events can include up to 18 guests plus the couple, for a total of 20 people. (Two locations, Sunset Pointe and Sunrise Terrace, can only accommodate 10 people total, however.)

There is no reception included in Escape Collection events. If you'd like to extend the festivities, it is common to host a lunch or dinner afterward at one of the many restaurants on property and/or treat your guests to a fireworks cruise.

The Escape Collection "Magical Amenities Package" includes:

• Your choice of ceremony locations: Wedding Pavilion, Sunset Pointe, Wedding Gazebo, Sea Breeze Point or Sunrise Terrace.

• A fresh floral bouquet for the bride and a fresh flower boutonniere for the groom, selected from a limited menu of options.

• A two tiered wedding cake with keepsake cake topper and one bottle of Fairy Tale Cuvee.*

• A violinist for your ceremony and reception. (Organist is included for ceremonies in the Wedding Pavilion.)

• A limousine charter (up to four consecutive hours) for transportation on your wedding day for you and your guests. Multiple trips are allowed within that time frame.

• A professional Disney photographer to capture your ceremony and cake cutting, and an album of twenty 4x6 prints chosen by you.**

• Two half-hour telephone planning consultations with an event coordinator.

• A personalized wedding website.

• Two Walt Disney World Annual Passes for the couple.

*The package includes a cake that will easily serve 20 people, plus one bottle of Fairy Tale Cuvee champagne. The included bottle of champagne can be exchanged for two bottles of sparkling cider at no additional charge. If you will have more than about 6 guests, you will need to add additional bottles of champagne and/or sparkling cider in order to have enough to serve everyone. An extra bottle of champagne costs about $64 (including service charge and tax); a bottle of sparkling cider costs about $31 (including service charge and tax).

**The photo package includes up to two hours of photography coverage. Disney will also provide you with a contact sheet of all the images taken during your event, so that you can order additional copies or enlargements if you wish (see below for a list of prices for additional prints).

Review: What to Expect

There is very minimal personalization for Escape Collection events. You pick your location, floral design and cake flavors from a limited list, and you can choose music, within limits. There are some specific "enhancements" you can purchase. That's really about it.

If you push it, the Disney Weddings staff will allow you to "upgrade" your cake to other designs (for a large upcharge), or change your flower colors, but they aren't crazy about doing anything "outside the box" for Escape Collection events. If you want flexibility or very specific things at your wedding, you'll really have to shell out for a Wishes event.

We did an Escape Collection (then called "Intimate") vow renewal in January 2007 and frankly found the experience somewhat disappointing. The Disney Weddings people were pleasant but impersonal. There was an element of being "treated like a princess," but it seemed very pre-fabricated and standardized.

I will say, it was very low-stress to plan our event, because I hardly had to make any decisions. I pretty much just showed up and they walked me through the whole thing, somewhat assembly-line fashion. Everything was on Disney's timeline - stand here, walk there, do this, do that. For some people this is a positive. It just didn't do it for me.

Escape Collection Locations and Times

Locations can be held tentatively 12 months in advance. They can be confirmed 8 months in advance. A $500 deposit and signed contract are required within about 2 weeks of booking your date and location.

Escape Collection events are held Monday through Friday at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:30 pm, and 5:00 pm. One exception is the Wedding Pavilion; Escape Collection events are only held there on Monday through Thursday.

Disney's Wedding Pavilion - For 2009, the basic package at this location starts at $5500, including service charge and tax. You are also required to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney owned-and-operated Walt Disney World Resort.

The Wedding Pavilion has the atmosphere of a Victorian chapel overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon, with the Castle in the background. The Pavilion will actually seat up to 300 people, so you may feel a small number of guests would seem "lost" in such a large space, though many Escape Collection events are held here. It is the most elegant, the most private and the only location for Escape Collection events that has air conditioning. Unlike the other Escape Collection locations, there are private waiting areas for the bride and groom, should you wish to be traditional and not see each other before the ceremony.

Events held at the Pavilion last a bit longer than those at the other locations (about 1 1/2 hours total). After your ceremony, you pose for pictures in the Pavilion, then head over to the Grand Floridian Resort, where your cake cutting will be held on a second-level balcony called Commander's Terrace.

If you want to add videography to your package, this location is pre-wired with cameras that cover everything, so there will be no videographer underfoot.

Cinderella's Carriage can be used at this location.

Sunset Pointe (Disney's Polynesian Resort) - For 2009, the basic package at this location starts at $4500, including service charge and tax. You are also required to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney owned-and-operated Walt Disney World Resort.

If you've always wanted a beach wedding, this is the one for you. On a little hill above the Polynesian's beach, with a view of the Castle behind you and swaying palms above you, you'll feel as if you've been transported to a magical tropical island. This location has a very small guest capacity (10 people maximum, including the bride and groom) and it is located right off a public sidewalk, so it is not terribly private.

Disney is now restricting this location to October through March weddings because there is minimal shade, making it uncomfortable during the warm months of the year. MouseSavers.com reader Allison M was married at this location in early April and reports, "The weather was beautiful and sunny, and about 80 degrees... The actual ceremony location was shaded because of the palm trees, but where the cake is served, etc, which is just to the side of the paved walkway, there is NO shelter or shade. So, be prepared to be quite warm, and don't wear a really hot dress!"

A backup rain location is available at Polynesian Resort, but it is not the most attractive. Disney will make every effort to find you a great location. When our Vow Renewal at Sunset Pointe was rained out, we were lucky enough to be moved to the Wedding Pavilion because it wasn't in use at the time. Too bad we were barefoot and wearing leis and Hawaiian shirts!

Wedding Gazebo (Disney's Yacht Club Resort) - For 2009, the basic package at this location starts at $4500, including service charge and tax. You are also required to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney owned-and-operated Walt Disney World Resort.

If you want "Victorian" surroundings but don't want to spend the extra money for the Wedding Pavilion, you may like this location. Set in a rose garden, the gazebo is located in a quiet area of the resort, surrounded on three sides by the hotel building. (Due to the location, guests in the rooms surrounding the gazebo can observe your wedding from their balconies.) The fourth side faces the lighthouse and marina of the resort.

A backup rain location is available in the Yacht Club Convention Center. Cinderella's Carriage can be used at this location.

Sea Breeze Point (Disney's BoardWalk Resort) - For 2009, the basic package at this location starts at $4500, including service charge and tax. You are also required to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney owned-and-operated Walt Disney World Resort.

The backdrop is the beautiful Crescent Lake and Disney's Yacht Club resort. It's a phenomenal view, particularly if you can get the last time slot of the day during the winter (thus taking advantage of the early sunset and the lights coming on around the lake).

This location is quite large (it is also used for events of up to 80 people), so it may feel a bit oversized for an Escape Collection event. Also it is just off a busy walkway between the International Gateway of Epcot and the BoardWalk Resort, so it has zero privacy. It's perfect for anyone who enjoys being the center of attention, because you can expect lots of random people to stop on the sidewalk and watch your wedding. As the name of the location indicates, it can get windy here.

A backup rain location is available in the BoardWalk Convention Center. Cinderella's Carriage can be used at this location.

Sunrise Terrace (Disney's Wilderness Lodge) - For 2009, the basic package at this location starts at $4500, including service charge and tax. You are also required to stay at least 4 nights at a Disney owned-and-operated Walt Disney World Resort.

Other than the Wedding Pavilion, Sunrise Terrace is the most private location for an Escape Collection Wedding. The location has a maximum of 10 guests allowed. This small terrace on the 4th floor of the hotel opens out over the "mountain stream" that runs from the lobby to the pool, with Bay Lake in the distance. The terrace is somewhat shaded, making it a good choice if you plan a daytime wedding during the hot months between May and September. It's a beautiful setting, and fairly quiet due to the height of the terrace, despite the sounds of rushing water in the stream below and kids playing in the distant pool.

In case of rain, the event would be moved just inside, into a relatively quiet seating area on the 4th floor of the hotel.

Additional Costs

In order to book an Escape Collection package, a 4-night minimum advance reservation is required at a Disney owned and operated Walt Disney World resort. This can be at any resort (Value, Moderate, Deluxe or DVC) and can be booked directly with Disney, or through a travel agent. You can use any available resort discount (such as AAA, Annual Passholder, Florida resident). You can even use DVC points to book the room if you wish. No special room rate discount is offered in conjunction with Escape Collection events.

The officiant is not included in the package and must be separately booked by the couple. Disney will provide a list of "preferred" officiants. If you choose to use your own officiant (not someone from the "preferred" list), that person will be added to your guest count.

The following items are also not included: invitations, personal items like your wedding dress, tux rental/purchase, hair/makeup, and travel expenses such as the cost of getting to Orlando and your honeymoon costs.

Additionally, you may choose to add various options to enhance your wedding celebration, including additional/upgraded floral, entertainment, photography, videography, transportation, post-wedding dining at various Disney World restaurants or a fireworks cruise.

Escape Collection "Enhancement" Options

If you just plan to do the basic package (ceremony and cake cutting), an Escape Collection event can be fairly inexpensive. It is the "options" that really drive up the price! You can easily spend over $10,000 on an Escape Collection event if you add a lot of extras, in which case you might as well select a custom Wishes Collection event. The options listed below can be arranged through your Coordinator, or in some cases through outside vendors.

Extra flowers. The package only includes flowers for the couple. If you will have attendants, Disney's floral department charges around $125 for each bridesmaid's bouquet and $10-$12 for each boutonniere (plus 6.5% tax). If your parents will be attending and you want them to have corsages and boutonnieres, count on about $12 apiece for those, plus tax. There are no decorations provided with the package (such as flowers to decorate the seats, "altar" area or cake table). Disney will be glad to sell them to you, at very high prices! You are allowed to use an outside florist for any additional floral items, and there is no set-up fee. I highly advise this -- you can save a lot of money that way.

Alternate entertainment. Your package includes a violinist (plus an organist if you have your ceremony in the Wedding Pavilion), but if you hate the violin or just want something different, you can opt for a flutist, guitarist, "Major Domo" or English Butler character. This will cost about $425-$600. You can also get a Disney character to attend your cake cutting (NOT your ceremony) for up to 30 minutes at a cost of $800. Personally I think this is overkill, since normally the cake cutting (including posing for pictures, doing a champagne toast and eating the cake) is about a 20-minute event. But if your heart is set on having Goofy there, it's an option.

Alternate transportation. The package includes 4 hours of limo service. You can choose a vintage car, a horse-drawn coach, or even Cinderella's Coach instead, if you're willing to shell out the big bucks. Cinderella's Coach will cost you $2750 (plus 6.5% tax). If you choose alternate transportation, you'll be allowed to use the limo service that is included with the package at another point during your stay at Disney World.

Additional photo packages. You are already getting 2 hours of professional photography and 20 prints. Disney's photographers do a great job and will try to make sure you get all the shots you want. There are extra photo packages offered by Disney, but I don't feel they are worth the money. If you really want a huge number of photographs, or your heart is set on full journalistic coverage of the event, from "getting ready" right through the moment you get in the limo afterward, I recommend you hire a local photographer instead of using Disney's official photographer.

If you use an outside photographer, Disney reserves the right to charge you an "escort fee" of $90 for up to 3 hours, plus $30 an hour for any additional hours and Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings will not give you any credits or substitutions for the photographer you're not using. (You may not have both a Disney photographer and an outside photographer present at the ceremony, as it causes too much confusion.) Thanks to Jackie and Laura for updates.

While in general I think the add-on photo packages from Disney are overpriced, there are two optional Disney photo package options that are worth considering because they are unique to Walt Disney World:

• By booking a Disney Wedding or Vow Renewal, you get access to a much-coveted privilege: for $800, you have the option of having photographs taken at the Magic Kingdom in your wedding attire. (The only time you'll ever be allowed to enter the Magic Kingdom in a wedding dress is through this photo package, or by paying a huge amount to host your actual wedding there.) The Magic Kingdom Portrait Session package is shot by a Disney photographer very early in the morning, before the park opens, and focuses on the Castle and Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. The package includes twelve 4x5 inch prints in a folio. I've seen a number of photos from these sessions and they are beautiful. If you can afford it, I think having pictures taken in your wedding dress in front of the Castle would be a very memorable option for any Disney fan.

• If you don't really care about wearing your wedding clothes in the Magic Kingdom but you would like some nice photos there, Disney offers a Honeymoon Portrait Session at any of the theme parks for $295 (includes twenty 4x6 prints in an album). You can't wear a wedding dress or tux for this session, but you can wear "dressy casual" clothing, such as a white sundress for the bride and linen trousers with a nice shirt for the groom. Of course, for that much money you may prefer to buy a digital camera and have a talented friend take your picture in front of your favorite theme park attractions.

Costs for ordering additional prints from Disney Photographic Services

It takes 4-6 weeks to get your prints. There is a flat rate shipping charge of $5.00. No tax on orders shipped out of Florida.

Videography. It's insanely expensive if you go through Disney ($800 for two VHS tapes or $1065 for one DVD). If you really want a video of your wedding, why not buy a decent camcorder for $300-$500 (or borrow a good one from someone) and have a trusted family member or friend do the shooting? I highly recommend renting lavalier mikes for the bride and groom to wear. Without these clip-on microphones, it's unlikely that your vows will be audible on the video.

Extra Celebrations

Since the Escape Collection Wedding package does not include a reception and really only lasts about an hour, many people do add additional events such as a dinner, fireworks cruise or Gardenview Tea Room Party with their guests, because this extends the festivities considerably.

Restaurant Meals

The Fairy Tale Weddings program won't book restaurant meals for you, so you're on your own if you want to organize a lunch or dinner after your wedding. However, it's not all that difficult, and there are lots of great options.

Be aware that if you want to wear wedding attire to a post-wedding dinner, you should pick a restaurant at one of the Disney resort hotels, and have the dinner on the same day as your wedding. You cannot wear wedding clothes into the theme parks. Also, bear in mind that if you choose a restaurant location in a theme park, all of your guests will need admission tickets.

• To book a private party in a Walt Disney World restaurant, click here for details, including costs, rules and menus.

• If you want to offer favors for your guests at a special dinner, click here for ideas on those.

• For some great romantic restaurant suggestions (perfect for honeymoons and small group events), click here.

Fireworks or IllumiNations Cruises

A special and romantic option is to book a private boat for your party to watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom or IllumiNations at Epcot.

To learn more about the various boats and options, click here.

Gardenview Tea Room Party

If you're looking for a daytime location to have a party for your guests, consider a group event at the Gardenview Tea Room in the Grand Floridian Resort.

For a relatively reasonable cost you can even do a "buy out" of the entire Gardenview Tea Room and treat your guests to a lovely Victorian-style formal tea. This location is perfect for attendant teas and other "girly" events.