Family Reunion Ideas?

[DaisyDuck001]

This will be my first family reunion (not just at WDW, but anywhere). It will be mostly adults attending, including a few in their sixties, and some younger. There a couple of households with small children, who are still maybes to join us.

We will be going in April and spending a day at Epcot. Looking forward to the Flower and Garden festival, and getting dinner at the festival kiosks.

I'd dreamed of a family reunion that would also include a day at the Magic Kingdom, but there didn't seem to be much interest in that. However, there may be smaller groups visiting the other parks on other days.

Looking for ideas to make the reunion special, particularly the Epcot day, as that's when we'll have the most people.

One family member already told me to skip getting matching shirts, before I even had a chance to suggest it. But I do plan to get us some of the reunion buttons.

Other than that, what tips do you have for making a WDW family reunion (mostly at Epcot) special? If you've had a family reunion there, what were your highlights?

Looking forward to reading your ideas. Thanks!

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd look into seeing if you can rent out a restaurant, a bar, a movie theater, a park pavillion, a bowling alley, a mini golf course, an airboat operator, or an escape room - these would all be offsite ideas, but getting everyone together (who may not have to spend as much as a day at Disney entails) might be more possible...especially with adults...

As for how to make EPCOT special - the best idea I have is trying to get a ride all to yourselves or take a tour all to yourselves...you'd have to work with Disney to see if you could make that happen, but it would be fun and family...

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I'd look into seeing if you can rent out a restaurant, a bar, a movie theater, a park pavillion, a bowling alley, a mini golf course, an airboat operator, or an escape room - these would all be offsite ideas, but getting everyone together (who may not have to spend as much as a day at Disney entails) might be more possible...especially with adults...

Thanks for these thoughts. Actually we'd already planned three days of offsite activities (including restaurant, park, and mini-golf), and I like the airboat idea! But at this point I was mainly looking for ways to make the theme park time more special. Thanks for your ideas on that also!

 

[TwoMisfits]

EPCOT is a rough park to plan activities...since the best group activities are probably the least best experiences. But if it were me...(and I'm thinking you have 30 folks or so)...

I'd probably try to get an ADR for lunch for Biergarten for your group's size. That is family, family, family dining and with the show, buffet, and the beer, it's perfect for a big group. I don't know how many folks you have or how many will pay, but that's where I'd have everyone eat. And I'd get the res for when they 1st open so you would all just fill tables together.

I'd probably also try to get my 2nd tier FPs for Turtle Crush and Ellen - why those two? So, you could ALL be in the events together - other ride FPs (like Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, etc) don't accommodate a lot of folks at once and these events would be very fun if you got to "take them over"...if you're all in on riding and doing together, I might also book the Tier 1 FP for Illuminations or the Land boat ride...again, so you could all be together (I'd lean to the night show, but you know your group best).

I'd also try to all see the Voices of Liberty together (and then the American attraction if you wanted). Another way you can all share an experience without it being too hard to plan...

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Oh, we're expecting at least five people for the Epcot day, and possibly up to fifteen people, but there may be just five of us for most of the day. I was planning on the Land boat ride for one of the FPs.

Usually I travel solo, so it's new to me thinking about what experiences are best for a family group. I'm not looking to accommodate a very large number of people for the theme park day(s), but looking more for what experiences people enjoy with adult extended family members. I hadn't thought about Voices of Liberty or American Adventure in this context, and I really like that idea - thanks!

(I'm also looking into your airboat idea for one of the offsite days -- thanks again for that also.)

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Oh, we're expecting at least five people for the Epcot day, and possibly up to fifteen people, but there may be just five of us for most of the day. I was planning on the Land boat ride for one of the FPs.

Usually I travel solo, so it's new to me thinking about what experiences are best for a family group. I'm not looking to accommodate a very large number of people, but looking more for what experiences people enjoy with adult extended family members. I hadn't thought about Voices of Liberty or American Adventure in this context, and I really like that idea - thanks!

(I'm also looking into your airboat idea for one of the offsite days -- thanks again for that also.)

If your group ends up being around 10 (or if you can only get 10 or less who are interested), you can get a fireworks cruise on a pontoon boat for IllumiNations at Epcot.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

If your group ends up being around 10 (or if you can only get 10 or less who are interested), you can get a fireworks cruise on a pontoon boat for IllumiNations at Epcot.

Pontoon boats are awesome! I think this idea fits great for families who are reasonably sure the whole group will still be there at that time of the evening. Some of the folks who are older than I am, weren't sure if they would have the energy to stay through to Illuminations, and they won't know until that time. They are staying offsite, so taking a break and returning would also be tiring. But I'll keep this idea in mind in case more younger families end up going, or for some other future occasion with other people. I did once do the Illuminations cruise, and it was excellent. I would love to go again sometime.

 

[kboo]

I agree, get an ADR for a restaurant in epcot and note on the reservation its a family reunion dinner. that way if there's family refusing tower the buttons or shirts the restaurant will still know. And perhaps order a cake or something if you just want to do something low key.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Thanks, we do have a lunch ADR at San Angel Inn.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Just wanted to circle back and thank you all again for the ideas. We had a good-sized group for some of the offsite meals, ten people at Epcot, and seven people at Animal Kingdom. It ended up being just two of us who did the airboat ride, but we both enjoyed it a lot so I wanted to let you know I appreciate that you suggested it. Voices of Liberty was also great although I think the younger adults were bored but it was good for others. Pontoon boat didn't work out for this time, but I hope to do that on some future trip.