Booking with Multiple Families

[UCDSmalls]

Next October, my husband, 2 daughters, parents and I will be travelling to Disney World. We want to stay at Port Orleans and are hoping a dining plan or room discount comes up. I am organizing for everyone, but my parents are paying for themselves. My plan is to book ADRs 180 days out even though I won't have my room, dining plan or tickets yet. Can I do this? Will I be able to make reservations that are larger than my room, dining plan, and ticket size? How do I tie all of these things together when I book the rest of the items after discounts for fall are revealed? Would it be easier to book everything together and just have my parents pay me back for their part? I feel like the FastPass+ might also be a problem? If I do book all together, would my parents be able to make a separate ADR for themselves if they didn't want to go where we were going? I have never traveled with others before, so any advice on the planning logistics would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rillsung]

Having a room reservation allows you to book dining at 180 days + a week, I think. If you want to book at exactly 180, you'd have to do it day by day with no room reservation. Most restaurants would not be a big deal to wait a couple weeks and book all at once. You don't need dining plan or tickets for booking meals. I make mine at less than 180 days and do it for the number I *think* might join us. We have family friends that live down there so they never know until a few weeks out.

You can also book a room and watch for discounts and have it changed if/when the discount comes out. We also usually travel with my DH's parents and DH's brother, SIL and nephew. They book their own accommodations. You could book your parent's room in their name and their credit card or in yours... We used to book everyone's room and they'd pay us back for the deposit and then use their credit card when they checked in for everything else.

FP+ is not a problem. DH's parents checked into Ft. Wilderness for the last week or so that we were there. When they got their bracelets (they didn't plan ahead to get it in advance) DH went to a kiosk in the park and had everything copied over. You can also copy it yourself from your phone app, or tablet app or computer. Everyone can do separate FP+s too but we didn't mess with splitting up like that (so my 4yr old and 6yr old were booked on all the rides they weren't tall enough for too lol).

You can also split up for ADRs if you want to, though that is usually the one time we are all together lol! I take requests when I am planning everything out and try to get it all in