Selket said:
I have no experience with large groups personally ........
Although I can imagine the difficulties with a large group, like herding cats no doubt (!), but one thing that really helps when the parks are busy is getting to the park early - a bit before the park opens - and have a touring plan. I really like Tour Guide Mike (
http://www.tourguidemike.com) - some people use The Unofficial Guide's plans and like them and there is a new one out there called Ridemax (
http://www.ridemax.com). Ridemax is a bit different (haven't tried it at the parks) in that you can put in your dates and attractions you want to do and other info and it will give you a very customized plan to follow.
Have a great trip!
I HAVE been there with large groups (8, 9, 10 and on our last trip, 14).
I think "cat herding" is probably a good description.
We have tried to spend some days together, but pretty quickly decided it wasn't really workable. The different members of our groups had different schedules for when they were hungry, tired, needed to use the bathroom. And liked different types of attractions. So, when we tried to move around, we always seemed to be missing someone. Or someone would see something they really wanted to go on as we walked past it to something else.
The specific hints I have are:
- selket's suggestions for ways to decrease the wait are great. I have heard of RideMax at DL, but didn't know it was available at WDW too.
I know from personal experience that getting to the parks early makes a BIG difference.
Also, knowing what is busy when (which is what Tour Guide Mike and the Unofficial Guide use to decrease waits) can really make a big difference.
- If you want to be together as a group, I'd suggest planning to do it for parts of a day, with a definite plan for what you are going to do and then split up. Trying to stay together in a group all day is worse than herding cats.
- If you go somewhere in the parks as a group, have someone who is really familiar/knows here they are going at the front and the back of the group. Especially if it's busy, it's really easy to get separated. It just helps with everyone's comfort level to have 2 "cat herders".
Also, keep in mind that the person using the ECV may not be able to move/find their way thru crowds as easily as those walking.
- Cell phones are a must. We had enough so that if we lost someone or split up, each group always had a cell phone available.
- A group that large is not likely to get a table together, so you will be separated into (probably) at least 2 tables. My DD is obsessive about who sits where. If the child with autism has problems like that, make sure everyone understands who is going to be at which table and how they are arranged. Most of the sit down restaurants charge a surcharge (10-15% ??)for groups of 8 or larger and you may have an extra wait for tables close together.
One of the meals we did as a group of 14 was Crystal Palace. The buffet allowed everyone to choose what they wanted and the characters kept the fast eaters from getting bored while they waited for the slow eaters.
We did a group of 12 at the Octoberfest in Germany (not sure that is the actual name for it). That is another buffet and there is entertainment.
- If you do counter service, you may have to wait longer for tables close together. We found that sometimes one group was done way before another group (I am a member of the pokey eating group). Also, depending on what line different people get into, some may be done eating by the time others have gotten their food.
If possible, eating at non-peak times will help.
- One advantage of separating into smaller groups is that it gives people something to tell the other members about when you do get together again. It was so much fun to tell other people about how our (macho male) friend ended up holding hands with the macho male stranger sitting next to him on Soarin'. It wouldn't have been the same if we had all been there.
- It's also cool for people to be with groups they are not normally with - for example, my DH often took a group of the more daring members on the roller coaster type rides. My DH got a different look at our nephew (and the boy's dad was really happy he didn't have to go on the roller coaster.)
- If you are staying on site, EMH (either the early morning or the later night) give you much smaller crowds. We had some morning people who who went early as a group and then the rest of us met them for lunch before splitting up again.
My 2 DDs, I and oldest DD's fiancee spent a really nice late night at MK (we were out until 1:30 in the morning!!) DD and her fiancee had gone to MK early, then took the bus back to the resort for a rest in the middle of the day thru early evening. They took a bus back to MK in the evening. Youngest DD and I had actually spent the late morning and afternoon at Epcot with DH. DD and I took the monorail to MK. DH took the bus from Epcot to Downtown Disney and met up with his brother and friend.
The transportation makes moving around like this really convenient.
Guest Relations is not likely to give you a GAC for 12 people. The biggest GAC I have heard of was 8. GACs are usually given for groups of 6 (5 plus the person with a disability) and the CMs are very careful (at least in our experience) to make sure that the number is not exceeded.
In some cases, there isn't really a place for a group that large to wait (even 8). For rides, you won't be on the same ride car anyway for most attractions.
For most attractions, the ECV user will use the Mainstream line (the regular line). Fastpass lines are also wheelchair (and usually ECV acccessible), so your idea of getting Fastpasses is a good plan.
For attractions that have special handling for ECV users, usually 5 people can accompany the person using the ECV. And, if the child with autism has a GAC, that would mean that your party of 12 could be together for that attraction.
Some attractions I'd recommend if you want to stay together for the attraction are:
Fantasmic
Festival of the Lion King
Indiana Jones Stunt Show
And the last thing to think about is the needs of the child with autism.
If he hasn't been to WDW before, you have no way of knowing how he will react. It may be too distressing for him to try to keep the group together. He might also need to take breaks from the parks or from the stimulation before other people are ready to leave.
I think you are going to really need to play it by ear and be flexible with him.
Good luck and hope you have a good trip.
. I would really like to experience the non-FP attractions as a family if that's possible.
They were usually standing in the middle of the walkway - all 20 of them - looking at a map saying "we'll go here, you and them go there and then we'll meet up with those and those on the other side of this assuming that this and that and that...." 
