Disneyland and large groups

[keander]

Hi,
I have some questions about Disneyland with large groups. Well, I'm mostly looking for tips. My extended family is going at the end of May (4 adults, 4 young adults, and three preschoolers). We've gone together before and it was terrible. Partly because we went during a really crowded week and partly because I was 34 weeks pregnant.
Part of our problem last time was we wanted to spend time together, but we also all had different ideas of what we should be doing. My little girls wanted to meet characters, go to shows, etc, and my siblings wanted to go on roller coasters the whole time. How can we find a balance between spending time together and still doing what everyone wants?
Any basic tips on navigating the park with a large group?
Oh, and we will be there on a grad night. How will that affect attendance?

 

[skiingfast]

You need to find the balance. Little one can't ride the big rides, and big kids don't want to ride all of the little rides.

Try only to be all together a few times a day. Lunch, dinner, and the night show. As a group do rides together right after meeting for those things, maybe the train, Little Mermaid, Buzz, things that don't have huge waits that will be a "waste of time" for some.

 

[Malcon10t]

Hi,
I have some questions about Disneyland with large groups. Well, I'm mostly looking for tips. My extended family is going at the end of May (4 adults, 4 young adults, and three preschoolers). We've gone together before and it was terrible. Partly because we went during a really crowded week and partly because I was 34 weeks pregnant.
Part of our problem last time was we wanted to spend time together, but we also all had different ideas of what we should be doing. My little girls wanted to meet characters, go to shows, etc, and my siblings wanted to go on roller coasters the whole time. How can we find a balance between spending time together and still doing what everyone wants?
Any basic tips on navigating the park with a large group?

You may not like my answer, but it is how we handle large groups. Split up. You cannot expect 12-20yos to enjoy the same things as the 4-7yos. We frequently travel with 10-25 people. (Next trip will be 9.) And I give people an idea of what WE (as in my kids adn myself) will be doing, adn they are free to join us or not. I offer ideas for dinner and offer to include them in our meal plans. I suggest meet up times. You are going to find some like to get up early, others like to sleep in a little. Next trip, I will have one group up heading to the park for MM, while my group will be happy if we make it to the park by 930a.

 

[coaches24]

Honestly I think the best thing is too split up for rides and set up times and places to meet for meals/ shows etc. If each person has the opportunity to go do their priority things they will be much happier when it comes time to spend time all together. So I think I would try something like this

Before going to the park (or at the entrance just after getting in) set a meeting place and a time. Then everyone has some free time to get their favorites in. At the meeting time and place you all go together to where you want to eat (lunch probably). Then if everyone has other things they want to do after lunch then set em free again after setting another meeting time and place for dinner. Also talk to the group and see if there are shows they are all interested in (Aladdin, WOC, F!) and come up with a plan of action for each of those as well. You will still get family time without everyone being miserable because they are "forced" to do things they don't like. Also have everyone openly share their plan for free time in case others are thinking the same thing and want to tag along.

The key to it working is communication. If you communicate what you want and listen to what they want there is no reason you cant come up with a good plan that makes everyone happy.

 

[disneychrista]

I agree with the need to split up. Or at least for part of the day. Meet up at meal time.

Find out what everyone wants to do, what their priorities are. If things overlap do them together. But for the difference split up. Or just have everyone do everything, which in a lot of cases just isn't practical.

 

[starshine514]

I agree. Do some things together and some apart. For example, last trip my group size was 8. Generally, DH and my parents would stay behind in the morning while my girls, me, my sister and her BF would head into the parks. We'd ride a few rides together, then split when my girls wanted to do a 'kiddie' ride. Then, eventually, we'd get back together and ride some rides together, park hop, have the rest of the folks join us, have lunch and then spend some time either together or apart (depending on the agenda). Eventually, I'd take my girls (and DH and my parents) back to the hotel for a nap and we'd rejoin my sister and her BF for fireworks and late-night touring (usually with minimal splitting up at that point). We would have a general plan, but would also text a lot to work out the fine details.