Magical gatherings-where to start

[Katzateer]

We have 50-75 dancers and family members going to WDW in December and I told them I would try to get information for a magical gathering-

Where do I start? Anyone organize one before?

Thanks:mickey:

[faline]

I'd probably start by contacting Disney directly and speaking with someone who helps coordinate large group gatherings. You might also find a fair amount of assistancein working with a travel agency such as Magical Journeys (http://yourmagicaljourneys.com/).

[BeccaO]

All I am going to say is "good-luck". I just got done planning a trip for my family, it will be my parents 50th anniv. and they are taking me and all my siblings and our families (22 in total). We are a grand-gathering, but the only thing that the grand-gathering folks can help you with is the grand-gathering experiences they offer such as the safari in the Animal Kingdom, they will not help with putting together any "other" things you may be interested in doing such as a private party at Epcot for the fireworks or etc. Trying to make dining reservations for 22 is next to impossible and to call and talk to the dining reservations people was like pulling teeth. I was given so many phone #'s to call it was getting ridiculous, numbers for restaurants directly, numbers for member services (parents are vacation club members) #'s for grand-gatherings, etc. You would think being a family resort they would be more helpful to large family groups such as ours. Everytime I picked up the phone and called a number, the person on the other end didn't know what to do with a party of our size?

So, I don't know what to tell you, other than be prepared to get annoyed!!!

We did get all of our dining reservations, it wasn't what we originally wanted, but I ended up making the buffet reservations through the dining phone number and then made another reservation by splitting the number in our party up into 2 reservations, that one I made on-line. You should have seen my phone bill after making all these calls.

[Katzateer]

All I am going to say is "good-luck". Trying to make dining reservations for 22 is next to impossible and to call and talk to the dining reservations people was like pulling teeth.

That was my experience also. Finally, the only thing I have come up with, is the Mickey's BBQ at Fort Wilderness. The only thing I don't like about that is getting 50+ people to Fort Wilderness on the Disney transportation system will be a nightmare and getting back later even worst. We have never had luck with the bus transfer to get to the campground/Fort area. The boat is easy but only holds so many passengers. And the most we have ever traveled with to Ft. Wilderness is 6!

Everything else is booked, even for a smaller party size.

[BeccaO]

We really wanted to have a private party along the water in Epcot one night during the fireworks, with dessert and drinks and such, but nobody was willing to help us set this up, and we just kept getting passed from one person to another, phone number after phone number. It was really frustrating. I am just happy to have dining reservations, like I said before, it wasn't what we originally had planned for, and with us celebrating such a big event of a 50th Anniv. we wanted this trip to be extra special with all the "extra" things to go along with it. A couple of the restaurants we had picked out like Narcoosee's and California Grill, we were told to call them directly for a party of our size and when I did, the people were confused and said they don't take any reservations at that number???

We will have a great trip no matter what, just a little dissapointed that Disney doesn't have someone available to help with this kind of thing to make it easier.