Featured Venue Fridays: Ariel’s

When I first started planning my Disney Wedding I spent a lot of time searching the internet trying to find out as much as possible about different venues for a Wedding Reception. I was immediately drawn to Ariel’s.

For those that don’t know, Ariel’s is regarded as one of Disney Fairy Tale Wedding’s “Special Venues” located at Disney’s Beach Club this venue used to be an upscale seafood restaurant for Resort guests but sadly closed to the public back in the mid 90’s. However the good news is that it became a space used for Conventions and Weddings.

When I stumbled upon Ariel’s I realized that this special venue came with a lot of pros that was going to keep my wedding budget very much in check. As our wedding ceremony was going to be held at The Yacht Club Gazebo by having my wedding reception at Ariel’s I wasn’t going to have to pay out transportation costs for my guests as Ariel’s is just a short walk from the Gazebo! Not having a ballroom for our wedding reception was important because I needed a venue that our Disneyphile guests couldn’t experience any other time themselves so Ariel’s now had 2 big ticks against it. Finally I wouldn’t have to have to pay extra for DFTW to lay a dance floor because part of the flooring was stone-work perfect for dancing… tick #3 and a done deal!

First Dance at Ariel’s

Ariel’s can accommodate up to 80 guests but we only had just over 40 so we were able to use part of the split-level space as the bar area and for the pre-reception cocktail hour.

“Punch anyone”

We then had a 4-course meal served, although these days I believe DFTW push this venue for buffets only, but our meal was followed by dancing and we had a wonderful afternoon. You could almost see the children from the nearby Stormalong Bay pin themselves to the windows outside eyeing us all with envy as we celebrated our wedding with our special guests …

Room to swing a …. Mouse!

Dance floor below and windows looking out onto Stormalong Bay

I know our guests still talk of how they were lucky enough to enjoy Ariel’s and it worked out to be the perfect wedding reception venue for us…. and given that we always vacation back at Walt Disney World every year we’re also lucky enough to walk by Ariel’s and give each other that knowing smile, when we hear other resort guests say to each other “oooo I wonder how you get to eat in there?”

Thank you for allowing me to share some of our wedding reception highlights with you all.  For more information on Ariel’s, including pricing minimums, site specific restrictions and wedding recaps please visit the Disneymooner Forums.

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DFTW Update: Ariels Update

Ariel’s, based at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, is a popular choice for a wedding reception at Walt Disney World, ever since it closed to the public back in 1997.

New carpets have recently been laid, not that I thought there was anything wrong with the carpet in the least when Cinderfella and I had our Disney Wedding Reception at Ariel’s but that was 8 years ago, so I guess it was probably time for a change.

Here are some shots sent to me recently by Disney Fairytale Weddings Department.

Ariel’s new carpet

Ariel’s new carpet close up

Ariel’s new carpet lower level

Ariel’s new carpet upper level

Don’t forget to hop on over to our forums if you need any advice for your Disney Wedding Reception at Ariel’s or if you would just like to see more pictures of other weddings previously held at this venue.

Featured Venue Fridays: Wedding Gazebo at Yacht Club

This week’s Featured Venue post is written by Disneymooner Geneva. Images are from Egomedia Photography. To read her wedding recaps and find out more exciting details please visit our private forums.
My husband and I both enjoy being outdoors, so an outside ceremony made perfect sense. There were several options available which could easily accommodate our guest count and uminimalist theming. Disney’s Yacht Club, however, spoke to us in a way no other venue could.  There were several nearby reception & dessert party options. There was very little need, if any, for additional decoration.  The resort theme tied in our mutual love of the water and worked extremely well with our colors (navy blue, sage green, and stark white).  There were many photo-friendly locations as well.
One of the fabulous aspects of this venue is that you can dress it up or down according to your taste.  The gazebo looks amazing either way.  I’ve seen flower balls on Shepard’s hooks adorning the aisle.  You could put a swag of flowers across the entry.  You can dress up an altar table.  Use as much or as little floral as you want which can translate into big spending or savings as the case may be.  One item of note: we didn’t have a sand or candle ceremony component to our wedding, but it seems that you might want to do this on the lawn to the left or right of the gazebo or possibly use a slightly higher table or your guests might not be able to see what you’re doing.
You can have music, live on the lawn or using a CD player as we did.  Be sure to verify your disc(s) performance prior to the ceremony!  Be prepared to have strangers watch you as you marry your prince or princess, but don’t expect to notice until you watch your video.  🙂
Here’s what other Disneymooners are saying about the Yacht Club Gazebo on our forums. Be sure to join in the planning fun!
 “Disney’s Yacht Club, however, spoke to us in a way no other venue could.”
– Geneva
 
Image above from Disneymooner  and Owner Sam’s Yacht Club Gazebo Wedding.