LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Walt Disney Attractions is supporting
agents with commissions and other services after clients they refer
to Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings staff actually sign to hold the
nuptials at Walt Disney World.
In 1999 some 2,300 couples did just that, including some who
chose to repeat their vows.
The weddings staff is housed in Franck's Studio, where brides
come to plan nearly every aspect of their weddings, including
floral designs, menus, cake design, photography, the ceremony
locale, bridal party and main meals, the reception and special
services. The latter can include arriving in Cinderella's coach or
having the ceremony performed during the Tower of Terror's two
13-story drops.
About the only ingredient that Disney cannot supply is the
person conducting the ceremony, but referrals are available.
Franck's is across a footbridge from the 250-seat Wedding
Pavilion. The pavilion is on a tiny island, houses an organ and
offers a view of Cinderella's Castle when looking toward the
stage.
While agents are aware of commissionable honeymoon packages,
some may not realize the potential income in booking an entire
wedding, noted Rebecca Grinnals, senior sales development director
for the Fairy Tale Weddings department.
The Deluxe Intimate Wedding packages, fully commissionable, are
priced from $3,269 per couple; the Premium version, from
$3,869.
The Deluxe plan covers four nights at a choice of on-site
hotels: Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Contemporary, Yacht Club,
Beach Club, Polynesian Resort, Wilderness Lodge or BoardWalk.
Also covered for the bride and groom are unlimited admission to
the major parks, the smaller parks and Pleasure Island; a wedding
coordinator; flowers for the bride and groom; a wedding reception
with a two-tier cake serving up to eight guests plus the bride and
groom; a champagne toast; a choice of a violinist, flutist or
guitarist for the ceremony and cake-cutting; a four-hour limousine
charter for transfers; a romance basket filled with treats; a
wedding gift, and a wedding certificate signed by Mickey and Minnie
Mouse.
The ceremony can be held at Sea Breeze Point or a gazebo, both
near the BoardWalk Hotel; the gazebo at the Yacht Club; the Sunrise
Terrace (four stories up) at Wilderness Lodge overlooking gardens
and Bay Lake; a grassy hill overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon with
a view of Cinderella's Castle, or Sunset Pointe at the Polynesian
Resort.
The Premium plan, also commissionable, includes the same
components, except that the ceremony is held in the Wedding
Pavilion and accommodations are in a lodgeview room at Disney's
Wilderness Lodge.
Effective Aug. 1, at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., similar
commissionable wedding plans will be available along with larger
Fairy Tale Weddings with numerous options.
Also, weddings on Castaway Cay, where Disney Cruise Line vessels
call, are available.
While Disney does not pay commissions on its larger Fairy Tale
Weddings or the Castaway Cay ceremony, the agent still retains a
major role.
In fact, Disney works with the referring agent to send out Save
That Date notices to prospective wedding guests, referring them to
the bride and groom's agent for Florida, California and cruise
travel arrangements.
Thus, there is the potential to book commissionable packages for
wedding guests involving transportation, hotel rooms and theme-park
tickets; if clients opt to divide a week at Disney World with a
cruise, that segment is commissionable. The earnings can be
considerable, added Joann Rahill, wedding-honeymoon director for
the Fairy Tale Weddings department.
Of course, weddings need not be Disney-themed, she said. The
characters and Disney trappings all are optional.
Couples who compare the cost of a traditional wedding in a hotel
or banquet hall in their hometown with a similar affair at Disney
World might be surprised by the competitive rates, she said.
Meanwhile, nine engagement packages (without hotel rooms) are
offered, priced from $295 to $1,895 per couple.
Clients who want a romantic or wild Disney setting to remember
the moment of engagement might be interested in these arrangements,
which are carried out by an engagement staff led by Kim Hogan.
These arrangements are not commissionable, but the couple's
related travel is.
These plans are often made directly by the groom who wants a
surprise venue to pop the question to his intended. They can
include a private area for dessert while watching the Epcot
fireworks/light show; in front of Cinderella's Castle while
marathon runners are passing by; at an elaborate dinner, or during
the Tower of Terror experience.
Hidden musicians and a waiter with champagne and glasses can
appear suddenly as the groom gives the signal.
Fairy Tale Weddings
Phone: (407) 566-6282
Engagement information
Phone: (407) 824-5130