You can elope at Disney World or Disneyland, although Disney no longer markets the old low-cost Memories, Escape and Wishes elopement packages. Official Disney Fairy Tale Weddings currently use an event-minimum system, with weddings at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort starting at about $15,000. Smaller ceremonies are possible, including celebrations for just the couple at some locations.
The important distinction is that an intimate Disney wedding is not necessarily an inexpensive Disney wedding. The number of guests can be very small while the venue, day, time, food, floral, photography and other Disney services still have to satisfy the applicable event minimum.
If $15,000 or more is outside your budget, you can still build a Disney-focused elopement by holding the legal ceremony somewhere less expensive and then staying at Disney, taking park photos, having a special dinner and treating the trip as your honeymoon.
How to Elope at Disney World
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings handles official weddings and vow renewals at Walt Disney World Resort. Disney says its celebrations can range from intimate ceremonies for two people to large events with more than 300 guests.
For a small Disney World wedding, the basic process is:
- Set a realistic budget. Current Walt Disney World event minimums start at approximately $15,000 for select outdoor resort ceremonies held Monday through Thursday.
- Choose the type of venue. Resort gardens and courtyards are generally less expensive than ceremonies inside the theme parks.
- Contact Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. A Disney Wedding Consultant can confirm dates, venue availability and the minimum attached to your preferred ceremony.
- Choose the guest count. An elopement can be just the two of you, but individual venues may have their own minimum and maximum capacities.
- Build the event toward the minimum. Eligible Disney-provided food, beverage, floral, décor, entertainment, photography and other services can count toward the required expenditure.
- Arrange your legal requirements. Disney does not provide the marriage license or officiant, so the couple is responsible for those parts of the wedding.
If you are making a full vacation out of the wedding, my Disney World planning guide can help with the park portion of the trip.
Disney Fairy Tale Weddings: The Official Route
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is the official program for weddings at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.
The current program is more customizable than the old package system. Rather than buying a package called Memories, Escape or Wishes, you select a venue and build an event around its required minimum expenditure.
At Walt Disney World, Disney currently calculates the minimum largely from:
- Venue
- Day of the week
- Time of day
The ceremony venue fee and qualifying Disney Wedding Services can then be applied toward the event minimum.
Are There Disney Elopement Packages?
Disney does not currently present Walt Disney World or Disneyland weddings through the old Memories, Escape and Wishes Collections that you may still see mentioned in older Disney wedding guides.
The current model is based on customizable weddings with required event minimums.
| Disney Destination | Current Starting Point |
|---|---|
| Walt Disney World | Event minimums starting around $15,000 for select weekday resort ceremonies |
| Disneyland Resort | Wedding event minimums starting at $15,000 |
| Disneyland Park venues | Generally higher, currently starting around $25,000 to $40,000 for several locations |
| Sleeping Beauty Castle Forecourt | Current event minimum starts around $100,000 |
This is why I would think of a Disney elopement as an intimate Disney wedding rather than a special inexpensive package.
Why Elope at Disney?
The main appeal is being able to combine the ceremony and honeymoon into one experience.
A small Disney wedding can make sense if you care more about the setting and experience than having a large guest list. Disney also provides much of the infrastructure through one planning team, including venues, food, floral, décor, entertainment, transportation and photography.
That convenience is also part of what you are paying for. A two-person Disney ceremony can still cost significantly more than an ordinary courthouse or destination elopement because the Disney venue and service minimums remain.
How Much Does It Cost to Elope at Disney World?
The least expensive official Walt Disney World weddings currently begin with an event minimum of approximately $15,000.
That starting minimum is associated with certain outdoor resort ceremony locations held Monday through Thursday. Weekends, holidays, more desirable times and theme park locations can increase the required minimum substantially.
Examples of current venue fees include:
- Select resort outdoor venues: Ceremony fees beginning around $7,000
- Disney’s Wedding Pavilion: $8,000 ceremony venue fee
- Magic Kingdom Train Station: $20,000 ceremony fee
- Magic Kingdom East Plaza: $30,000 ceremony fee
- Magic Kingdom after-hours wedding: $40,000 ceremony fee
A venue fee is not necessarily the complete wedding price. The overall event minimum and additional taxes, gratuities, service charges and other required services also have to be considered.
Disney World Elopement Venue Ideas
You do not have to get married directly in front of Cinderella Castle for the wedding to feel distinctly Disney.
Disney Resort Gardens and Courtyards
Some of the lowest current event minimums are attached to outdoor resort locations. Examples include courtyards, terraces and waterfront spaces at Disney resorts.
These are the options I would investigate first if keeping an official Disney wedding near the starting minimum is important.
Disney’s Wedding Pavilion
The Wedding Pavilion at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is Disney World’s purpose-built wedding chapel. It overlooks Seven Seas Lagoon, with Cinderella Castle visible through the window behind the altar.
It can accommodate far more guests than an elopement needs, but small celebrations can still use the venue subject to the current event minimum.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom ceremonies are the iconic option, but they are not the budget option.
East Plaza Garden provides a Cinderella Castle backdrop, while the Main Street train station and after-hours experiences offer other in-park possibilities. These venues have substantially higher ceremony fees and additional requirements such as Disney transportation and, for some locations, Disney Fine Art Photography.
Can You Elope at Disneyland?
Yes. Disneyland Resort also offers official intimate weddings.
Disneyland weddings currently start at an event minimum of approximately $15,000 for select hotel venues.
For a Disneyland Park ceremony, the cost rises. Current in-park event minimums generally start between approximately $25,000 and $40,000 for several venues.
One of the most interesting options for a true elopement-sized group is Fantasy Faire Garden.
Fantasy Faire Garden
Fantasy Faire Garden sits beside Sleeping Beauty Castle and is specifically designed for a small ceremony.
Disney currently allows 2 to 12 people including the couple at this venue. Ceremonies take place before Disneyland opens, and Disney requires its entertainment, floral, décor and photography services for the location.
That makes it one of Disney’s clearest official elopement-style venues, although the in-park event minimum means it is still a premium experience.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Forecourt
If the goal is actually getting married directly in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disney offers the Castle Forecourt.
This is an ultra-premium option. Disneyland currently lists the event minimum starting around $100,000, so it is very different from what most people have in mind when they search for an inexpensive Disney elopement.
For the rest of the California trip, see my Disneyland planning guide.
Budget-Friendly Alternatives to an Official Disney Elopement
If an official Disney Fairy Tale Wedding is outside your budget, I would not try to recreate a formal wedding ceremony inside a Disney theme park using ordinary admission.
Instead, separate the legal ceremony from the Disney celebration.
- Have a courthouse or small off-site ceremony. This keeps the legal wedding inexpensive.
- Stay at or near Disney afterward. Treat the hotel and park visit as the honeymoon.
- Book a special dinner. A memorable Disney restaurant can replace a traditional reception for a two-person elopement.
- Take ordinary vacation photos in the parks. You can still get castle photos without purchasing a complete Disney wedding.
- Add one premium experience. A nice hotel, VIP experience or special meal may provide more value than stretching the budget for a formal Disney wedding.
At Disney World, compare options in my Disney World hotels guide. In California, my hotels within walking distance of Disneyland guide includes properties that can keep transportation simple without paying Disney hotel prices.
You can also compare Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels if you want to stay close to the resort while keeping the accommodation budget under control.
Can You Get Married in a Disney Park With Regular Admission?
A normal theme park ticket does not reserve or authorize a formal wedding venue inside Disney World or Disneyland.
If you want an organized ceremony inside a Disney theme park, use Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings and follow the rules for that venue.
You can certainly visit the park as newlyweds, take normal vacation photos and celebrate afterward, but I would not plan an unofficial ceremony involving an officiant, setup, group gathering or professional wedding production inside the park without Disney’s approval.
Disney Elopement Photography
Photography rules are another area where older advice can be misleading.
Memory Maker is a theme park photo product, not a substitute for Disney wedding photography.
For Walt Disney World weddings, Disney Fine Art Photography offers wedding and park portrait sessions. Disney states that its theme park portrait sessions are available to couples hosting a wedding or vow renewal through Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.
Outside photographers can be used for many Disney World wedding events, but additional agreements, insurance and media-guide requirements apply. Magic Kingdom has stricter rules.
At Disneyland, in-park weddings require Disney’s Theme Park Wedding Package vendors.
If photography is important, ask the Disney Wedding Consultant exactly what is required at your chosen location before hiring anyone independently.
How Far Ahead Should You Plan?
Disney World currently allows couples to begin planning with a consultant as much as 16 months ahead for certain ceremony-and-reception events, while many wedding locations can be contracted approximately 12 months ahead.
Disneyland says weddings can generally be booked up to 18 months in advance, with some venues available as far as 24 months ahead.
For a small wedding, I would still contact Disney early if you care strongly about a particular date or venue. Small guest count does not necessarily mean easier availability.
Is a Disney Elopement Worth It?
An official Disney elopement makes the most sense for a couple who values the Disney setting enough to spend at least roughly $15,000 even with a very small guest list.
If your priority is simply getting married inexpensively and spending your honeymoon at Disney, I would separate the two. Hold a small legal ceremony elsewhere and put the savings toward the hotel, parks, dining and honeymoon.
If the actual Disney wedding venue is the dream, however, Disney does offer genuinely intimate options. The important thing is understanding that today’s Disney wedding program is based on venue and event minimums rather than the inexpensive elopement packages described in many older guides.
Check the official Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings site for the latest pricing before committing to a budget, because venue fees and minimum expenditures can change.
