Today, GiGi and Robert Andre share the story of their Festival of the Lion King ceremony at Animal Kingdom and Lantana Room reception at Coronado Springs Resort. Because they had no professional photos of their COVID-era wedding, the couple decided to hold a Disney vow renewal, inviting guests to an anniversary dinner and then surprising them afterward with a trip into Animal Kingdom for the ceremony! You’ll hear how they used the Fairytale Weddings Guide and a BEO review session with author Carrie Hayward to pack their wedding with the food, décor, and experiences they wanted while sticking to their budget.
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Transcript
Summary:
Host Carrie Hayward interviews Gigi and Robert Andre about their surprise Disney vow renewal: a Coming to America–themed dinner at Coronado Springs’ Lantana Rooms followed by an 11:00 PM ceremony in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They hosted 50 guests from out of state, arranged multi-tier room blocks, brought in outside vendors, and featured special entertainment including a violinist and Mickey and Minnie in sparkling gold outfits. Weather moved their Tree of Life ceremony to the Festival of the Lion King Theater—an outcome they ultimately preferred for the lighting and ambience. Their top priorities were photography and food (standouts included lobster mac and cheese, pork belly bites, and Mickey bars). They advise couples to stick to their budget, leverage à la carte menu flexibility, prepare for tastings, and have a pro review the BEO.
Quotes:
- We wanted to be immersed in the culture of Africa and we felt what better place than Animal Kingdom?
- We actually told our guests that we were just inviting them for dinner for an anniversary celebration.
- Walking into the event with Minnie and Mickey next to us dancing and having a good time…
- I really didn’t think the ceremony would have been as beautiful as it was inside The Lion King.
- This was all worth it… I would do it again 1000 times if I had to, just to get that feeling again.
Transcript:
Carrie (Host): Welcome to the Disney Wedding Podcast. I am speaking with Gigi and Robert Andre about their vow renewal in Animal Kingdom with a reception at the Lantana Rooms at the Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort. I thought you would be interested to hear how they chose these locations, how they planned everything, and how it all turned out. Welcome, Robert and Gigi.
Gigi: Hi.
Carrie: Thanks so much for being on the show today. I would love to start at the very beginning and find out how you decided that you wanted to have a vow renewal at Walt Disney World.
Gigi: We wanted to have a vow renewal with an African theme. We wanted to be immersed in the culture of Africa and we felt what better place than Animal Kingdom? So it was super easy to come up with the idea for Animal Kingdom to go with the theme of our vision.
Carrie: That is awesome. How did your friends and family react when they found out you were having a vow renewal and it was going to be at Disney?
Gigi: Well, that is the kicker. Most of them did not know—this was a surprise. We actually told our guests that we were just inviting them for dinner for an anniversary celebration. And while there at the dinner celebration, we had a few surprises to help announce the vow renewal at Animal Kingdom.
Carrie: Were they traveling from all around the country thinking they were just going to a dinner?
Gigi: Yes, which is definitely on brand. I am known for being pretty creative for events, dinners, and birthday celebrations. So it was not something they were too surprised about—like, “OK, it is Gigi. She is coming up with something different again.” Everyone was super excited just to be coming to Florida. We are from North Carolina, so most of our friends and family were traveling from out of state.
Carrie: How many guests did you invite and how many were able to make the trip?
Gigi: We invited 50 and 50 actually showed up.
Carrie: Wow, that is amazing. Did you set up a room block for your guests?
Gigi: Yes, we did. We chose based on budgets to make sure we covered everyone. We had a value, moderate, and deluxe resort reserved through the room block. We went with All-Star Movies, Coronado, and then Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Carrie: How did you choose the day of the week and time of day for your event?
Gigi: We wanted a long weekend so traveling guests could turn it into a mini vacation. I am also a big numbers person, so I loved the date we selected because the numbers just had a ring to it. We went with 05/25/25, and the reception started at 5:25 PM.
Carrie: Your reception—the dinner where the surprise was happening—was at 5:25 PM. What time was your ceremony?
Gigi: Our ceremony began at 11:00 PM at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.
Carrie: How did you choose your ceremony and reception venues?
Gigi: I wanted both at Animal Kingdom, but due to restrictions on the ceremony timing, it made more sense to do them separately at two different locations.
Carrie: How did you choose the Lantana Rooms to go with your ceremony?
Gigi: Our renewal was during a holiday weekend. We kind of got lucky because most of the ballrooms at Coronado were blocked for a big convention. Our sales rep told us the only room available that could accommodate our group was Lantana. So we went with what was available, and it worked out.
Carrie: Did you use any outside vendors for your event?
Gigi: Yes. We used outside vendors for our DJ, photographer, day-of coordinator, and steamer. The photographer was Michelle Villa Photography—phenomenal, five-star VIP treatment the entire day. Our DJ from South Florida was DJ Mike Cooley. We also used Martel Steaming Services. She was amazing and jumped in to help with day-of coordination as well.
Carrie: How did you choose your officiant?
Gigi: Our officiant is from our home church in North Carolina—our pastor traveled to do the ceremony for us.
Carrie: What kind of entertainment did you add to the ceremony and the reception?
Gigi: We had a DJ. Mickey and Minnie joined us for the festivities, and we planned on having the African drummers from Animal Kingdom, but it did not work out to have them there for the event.
Carrie: Did you choose special outfits for Mickey and Minnie?
Gigi: Yes. I picked the gold sparkly outfits, which was probably my favorite part of the night—seeing Minnie come in with the dress I picked for her.
Carrie: What musician did you choose for your ceremony?
Gigi: We went with a violinist.
Carrie: Any menu items or cake flavors you would recommend from your reception?
Gigi: Hands down, the lobster mac and cheese was a hit for us and our guests. We are still getting texts about how great it was. We also loved the pork belly bites during cocktail hour. And we loved adding Mickey bars right after the ceremony—everyone grabbed a Mickey bar.
Carrie: That is such a great idea, especially since the ceremony was the last thing. Instead of “the ceremony is over, everybody go home,” you send them off with a sweet treat.
Gigi: Yes, they loved it—big adults turning into big kids. It was a sight to see.
Carrie: Tell my listeners about the welcome party you added.
Gigi: We decided to have a welcome party for a few of our guests in the Presidential Suite at Coronado Springs Resort. We hired a private chef to come in. It was amazing and worked out better for us—more intimate than a restaurant or park, and it did not spoil the surprise. The cost was roughly $1,000, including food, drinks, and décor. We had four different dishes along with an appetizer and dessert for about 25 people, and the chef stayed about three hours. It worked better for our budget.
Carrie: Great idea—way cheaper than a private catered event and even cheaper than some restaurants.
Gigi: Yes, it was.
Carrie: Can you give a timeline for the vow renewal day with the surprise and everything?
Gigi: The day began with hair, makeup, and all the things with my bridal party—we had about seven girls, so hair and makeup took some time. Then photos with our photographer, Michelle—there was a team of three, so we did robe photos and all those good things. Then we transitioned to the reception/dinner celebration at 5:25 PM.
One of the things very important to us: Robert and I love the movie Coming to America, so we built a theme around it. We had a rose bearer dropping petals in front of Robert. Robert wore authentic African wear with his cane. We came in to the king’s theme music from the movie. I entered to “She’s Your Queen to Be.” From there, we danced and partied. Our host ran amazing games, and we gave away gifts.
While guests were having dinner and dancing, Robert and I snuck out for a dress change into our second outfits, then came back in with Minnie and Mickey to surprise the guests. And when I tell you that moment was amazing—walking into the event with Minnie and Mickey next to us dancing and having a good time and the guests joining us. You should have seen the faces of the adults—what is going on? They turned into big kids taking photos with Minnie and Mickey, dancing. The characters were amazing—so active and engaging.
From there, Robert and I transitioned again, snuck out for our third change into our ceremony outfits. Our host and the attendant with the characters announced that we had another surprise: guests would be traveling to Animal Kingdom.
Carrie: How did it work after that? Did everybody get on a bus?
Gigi: Yes. Once they announced the next phase, our guests were transported via motor coach to Animal Kingdom. While traveling, the Disney hostess gave backstage insights and information about the park while they waited for us to take photos. Robert and I hid while our guests were walked into the Festival of the Lion King Theater for the ceremony.
Unfortunately, due to weather, our Tree of Life ceremony did not happen, but we had a backup in the Lion King Theater—which was actually what I wanted. It worked out great.
Carrie: Originally you wanted everything in the Lion King Theater?
Gigi: Yes, but the cost to have it there was over our budget, so we went with the more economical Tree of Life. Thanks to the Florida rain, we actually got to use the Lion King Theater as I wanted, but we did not have to pay any additional cost because it was the backup location.
Carrie: I think this is the first time I have interviewed anyone who is excited to go to their rain backup.
Gigi: Yes, I was. At first I worried, “Am I going to get to take pictures?” Disney was amazing—after the ceremony, they allowed my husband and me to have pictures at the Tree of Life, and it worked out well. To be honest, with the May weather, it was so humid—I was happy we did not have to sit through that for the entire ceremony. Fifteen minutes was the most I could do.
Carrie: Did you have floral and décor they could transfer to make it feel ceremony-ish in the theater?
Gigi: Yes. I ordered décor through Disney for the Tree of Life. They moved the design into the Lion King Theater.
Carrie: For each of you, what ended up being your favorite memory of the day?
Robert: For me, almost everything was amazing, but the highlight of the night was the second grand entrance with Mickey and Minnie. What will stay with me for a long time: during the entrance, everybody got excited. They were dancing, and the way their kisses—you know, when they are kissing with their big nose and everything—I am still laughing. I am like, that was the most hilarious thing.
Gigi: Robert is missing that every time we would kiss, Minnie and Mickey would kiss with their noses. Robert loved that moment—he thought it was the cutest thing ever.
Robert: And also, I really did not think the ceremony would have been as beautiful as it was inside The Lion King. When Gigi was entering, for a moment I thought I was looking at some type of 8K movie with the lighting. From where she was walking—you could see the highlight of the dress—she was beautiful. At that point I realized, “OK, Disney deserved almost every penny that I paid for this vow.”
Gigi: My favorite memory is walking into the Lion King Theater. I loved my dress—the designer did a phenomenal job. Seeing the lighting in that room—Lion King is one of my favorite activities at Animal Kingdom—being immersed in the room where that show happens was amazing. The production and lighting team curated my theme colors into the room. The light hitting my dress as I walked and seeing Robert waiting with my family and friends—it gave me a moment of joy. This was all worth it… I would do it again 1000 times if I had to, just to get that feeling again.
Carrie: When you were planning, what were the most important aspects where you focused your attention or budget?
Gigi: Photography was very important. We got married at the beginning of COVID, and our photos were not great—we still do not have photos from our original wedding. One reason for this vow renewal was to capture photos for memories. Also, food was important—our family can be critical about food. We wanted to hit it out of the park so everyone enjoyed dinner and the reception.
Carrie: And did they?
Gigi: They did—to the point we have been getting phone calls asking when we are doing this again. They are ready for another vow renewal.
Carrie: Were there aspects that were less important where you saved money or effort?
Gigi: Décor. We learned there were areas to skip—like linens. We went with whatever came with the room rental instead of high-end linens. It was not worth the money for us, and we applied those funds toward characters or additional food.
Carrie: Did anything go wrong or not turn out as expected?
Gigi: Weather moved us from the Tree of Life, but that worked to our advantage. There were small transportation hiccups—guest arrival to Animal Kingdom and our limo driver got lost, which delayed family photos at the Tree of Life. We were not able to get those with family, and it caused the ceremony to start later.
Carrie: You could not get photos with them after the ceremony?
Gigi: No. Disney stated we could have photos of just Robert and me, but not with the bridal party or family due to time constraints.
Carrie: Was there anything you worried about that turned out not to be a big deal?
Gigi: The size of the Lantana Room. I worried my vision would not work—that it was too small. The Disney Fairy Tale Weddings team did a phenomenal job. I wanted a U-shaped table so guests could see the dance floor. I was concerned how they would do that for 50 people, but they did a great job. The room was bigger than I expected—nothing to worry about.
Carrie: Anything you would have done differently?
Gigi: I would have purchased your book earlier. The guidebook was like a Bible for me—so thorough and detailed. Without it, I do not know that I would have been as successful. That poor book has highlights and notes all over. I constantly went back to, “Carrie said in the book…”
Carrie: I am so glad you found it helpful. Any other tips or advice for future Disney couples?
Gigi: Stick to your budget and do not feel pressured to exceed it. We planned for some time and worked our budget down to the T. With your guidebook and sticking to our budget, we were happy with our decision and did not put ourselves in debt. Also, do not feel locked in with food—you can do à la carte. Visit different restaurants on property, pick what you like, and incorporate it. The chefs are flexible and willing to accommodate.
Robert: Follow the guidelines and deadlines. Do your homework. I am last-minute; my baby is a planner. For the food tasting, go prepared—answer what they ask in advance so you can ask the chef all kinds of questions and make it a seamless experience. Lastly, get a professional—or someone like you, Carrie—to review the BEO. I have a law background and felt like I needed a law degree to read it. Having someone who understands it is important. It becomes the contract for your day. If it is not on the BEO, it is not going to happen.
Carrie: Great advice. Gigi and Robert, you have offered a lot of great tips and advice for anyone interested in getting married or having a vow renewal at Walt Disney World. I appreciate your taking the time.
Gigi: Thank you, Carrie, for having us. We appreciate you as well.
Robert: Thank you so much—and thank you for the book and all the great advice.
Carrie: It is my pleasure.
These are spectacular! Beautiful wedding and gorgeous pictures!!