You could always take a taxi or an Uber and tell them to take you to the Disney Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian resort. However, if you’re staying on Disney property, they have multiple free transportation options to choose from! Because there is no transportation that takes you directly from one resort to another, my advice would be to go to the nearest bus stop at your resort and look for the next bus heading to Magic Kingdom. Once you make it to Magic Kingdom, head to either the small boats going to The Grand Floridian resort or if boats aren’t your favorite, you can also take the monorail to the Grand Floridian resort. Once you make it to the Grand Floridian, open up the My Disney Experience app to the map (or feel free to ask the nearest Cast Member for help finding the Wedding Pavilion).
Many non-Disney hotels in the area offer complimentary shuttle service to/from the Disney theme parks. If that is the case, simply take the bus to the theme park you want to visit (for example, Hollywood Studios). Be sure to leave plenty of time as Disney property is huge. Disney often recommends leaving an hour and thirty minutes prior to your required destination time, leaving plenty of time to wait for a bus, your bus ride, and walking to your destination from your bus stop (which may be far away from your actual destination). Other options include Uber/Lyft and renting a car. If you choose either of these options, please be sure to budget for them appropriately. Should you decide to rent a car, you can use the My Disney Experience app to help you remember where you parked your car. Once again Disney World is huge, please account for parking, riding the tram to the front of the park, going through security, and then walking to your destination.
Friday October 11th - Welcome Party The menu will consist of a nacho bar with chicken, ground beef, and black beans options, plus various toppings. For dessert, there will be various frozen novelty options, such as Mickey ice cream bars. Saturday October 12th - Reception Dinner service will begin at 9:15pm. Please eat later in the day to account for this late dinner time. There will be hors d’œuvres at the reception location for you to enjoy as soon as you arrive, but there will only be water provided during the ceremony. The dinner buffet menu consists of: Hors d’œuvres Seasoned chicken skewers with teriyaki Cheeseburger spring rolls with tomato curry dip Bruschetta Salad - Brown Derby inspired Cobb salad (tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, turkey, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, and red wine vinaigrette) Soup - Le Cellier inspired Canadian cheddar soup Three entree options- 1) braised beef short ribs (with roasted Cipollini onions and a red wine Demi glace) 2) butternut squash ravioli (with goat cheese and cider apple slaw) 3) pan-seared salmon (with preserved lemon and caper beurre blanc) Two side options- 1) potatoes au gratin (with aged cheddar, gruyère, and Parmesan) 2) broccolini (with roasted garlic butter and lemon gremolata) Dessert bar- Vanilla cheesecake Cream puff French macarons Chocolate pops Fresh fruit
At the welcome party on Friday October 11th, there will be nonalcoholic beverages served. Since there will be a young child in attendance, we wanted to keep it as kid-friendly as possible. However, on Saturday October 12th at the reception, we will have an open bar for 4 hours for those who wish to partake. Please enjoy yourselves!
On Saturday October 12th, we will be partying well into the evening. For those who are staying on Disney property, we have provided a charter bus to take you safely back to your resort. Here is the schedule: Charter based on 9:30pm to 2:30am NOTE: Advise Guests to be at pickup location 5-10 minutes prior to pickup times listed below. 9:30pm - Stage at Grand Floridian Convention Center Main Lobby. Return guests to resorts as requested Departure times: 9:30pm, 10:30pm, 11:30pm, 12:30am 1:30am - Event Ends / 1:45am - Final Departure. Transport guests to respective Disney Resorts
Friday October 11th - welcome party Casual attire. Please be sure to wear comfortable clothes, tennis shoes, and socks. We will be walking to multiple locations within Hollywood Studios. Please bring rain gear (such as a poncho), sunscreen, sunglasses, and a form of government-issued ID (driver’s license or passport). Please bring any medications you may need to take with dinner or for emergency purposes (such as an inhaler or insulin). Saturday October 12th - Ceremony/reception Cocktail attire. For those who wish to wear a suit, for your comfort, please refrain from heavier fabrics such as wool or tweed. For those who wish to wear a dress, please do not wear heels! Disney is huge and loves to have random cobblestone-type streets. Please save your feet and ankles by wearing your favorite pair of flat shoes! All other types of outfits are welcome! We want you to feel comfortable, elevated, and snazzy! Whatever that means for you is perfectly wonderful for us! We simply ask that you abide by Disney’s regulations on their website to help maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.
For those staying on Disney property, there are various forms of transportation available to you. Boats, the monorail, the skyliner, and buses. Please see FAQ: How do I get from my resort to the wedding pavilion? As for parking, parking is free for all wedding guests. However, we have provided a post-reception bus that will take you safely back to your resort once you are ready to return. Please see transportation schedule below: NOTE: Advise Guests to be at pickup location 5-10 minutes prior to pickup times listed below. 9:30pm - Stage at Grand Floridian Convention Center Main Lobby. Return guests to resorts as requested Departure times: 9:30pm, 10:30pm, 11:30pm, 12:30am 1:30am - Event Ends / 1:45am - Final Departure. Transport guests to respective Disney Resorts
7:00PM Eastern.
6:30pm eastern. Please be through bag check at Hollywood Studios and waiting for the Disney event guide at 6:45pm. DO NOT scan into the park. We have provided park entry for you. Please wait and we will all go together as a group. Please wear comfortable clothes, socks, and tennis shoes. Please bring rain gear (such as a poncho), sunscreen, sunglasses, and a government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license or passport).
10:45AM Eastern at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ located at Disney Springs This brunch is completely optional and at your own expense.
NOTE: Advise Guests to be at pickup location 5-10 minutes prior to pickup times listed below. 9:30pm - Stage at Grand Floridian Convention Center Main Lobby. Return guests to Disney resorts as requested Departure times: 9:30pm, 10:30pm, 11:30pm, 12:30am 1:30am - Event Ends / 1:45am - Final Departure.
Joe and I have been blessed with a home and many wonderful things. As a result, for this celebration we are not asking for physical gifts. If you would like, we do have two organizations that are very near and dear to our hearts that would greatly appreciate a donation. The first one is the Joan Arlinghaus scholarship fund that was set up in honor of Joe’s aunt Joni. It enables children to be able to attend the Holy Cross high school in Covington, Kentucky. If you wish to donate, please write a check to Holy