Group Trip planning Advise

[PrincessTori]

My family recently invited 3 other familys to join us in Orlando for vacation this December. So we will have a party of 8 adults and 5 little ones (ages 2 to 5). I'm looking for tips on how to put together travel information for them. We are just in the first of the planning stages and haven't even decided on where we will be staying yet.

So far I have ran the numbers for booking a privately owned villa and the value, moderate and deluxe resorts with tickets and meals. I have put this information in a planning spread sheet I got off these boards a few years back. I was thinking of picking one resort from each of these tiers and printing out information on them for the other familys to see. (ASM, POR and WL) I checked the WDW website, but the information on the resorts isn't printer friendly from what I have found. Any suggestions of sites? I thought I could arrange all the information into nice binders and mail to them. Thought this would be easier for them, than emailing them a bunch of websites to look at.

So if you have any tips, tricks or websites for group planning, please let me know. I think I have a good starting point,but I want to make this really nice for them.

Thanks!

 

[Amirah95]

First, you need to confirm that everyone is going. Secondly, you will need to get everyone's input. Thirdly, know that you will not be able to please everyone with what you plan so if possible have a representative from each family (including yourself) help plan out all of the details. There is no one way to plan a group trip. I've done one before to a destination outside of the US and it became a nightmare at one point (with all of the opinions), but luckily everything went well.

If I had to do it again I'd only get feedback on where we all should stay, transportation, the number of rental cars if any (very important), the type of tickets we'll be getting and setting up a few PSs for gatherings. That's pretty much it. As far as touring the WDW property, I'd let each family plan their own days out.

You're not in this alone. Good luck!

 

[amwhitaker]

Is that planning spreadsheet still available somewhere? Sounds like something I could use.

Something fun to do with your group: We wear the same colored shirt one day and get a group photo taken. This is one of my favorites photos from our trip with our group.

 

[mickeyclark]

Planning for a group can be a big task. I have been there and am currently doing it again, although I promised myself I would not do so. Now, I don't want to discourage you because going with a big group can be lots of fun. Things I would keep in mind:

1. You won't be able to please everyone. I remember telling someone after the first trip that everyone was equally upset with me at one point or another. Or in other words, I must have comprised okay.

2. Take time out for you and your family. It is your vacation also. Don't feel like you need to tour guide everyone.

3. A villa offsite is less expensive, however it might be easier to be on site allowing people to come and go with public transportion if people want to do different things.

4. You may want to decide on a few things to do as a group and then invite everyone to join in - character meal (although it is tough to be seated together), watch a parade, go to a water park, downtown disney, Disney Quest, Mickeys Backyard BBQ, Movie at Fort Wilderness. The last few items are easily done in a big group.

5. Although it is nice to make a booklet for everyone, it is alot of work for you and a lot of information for them to process. You may want to narrow the choices down even more. And then if those don't work, offer different alternatives. Also, you sound like a planner. You may have others that just want to show up and not be bothered by decisions. Don't let that frustrate you. I would provide them with website addresses. This will allow people to become more involved in the planning and get excited reading about the possibilities.

6. Allow time for people to be apart, so they enjoy getting back together!

7. It would be helpful if you knew what vacation means to the people in your group. To me it means seeing and doing things. To my husband it means laying by the pool without a care in the world. That will allow help you decide on activities or compromises.

8. Remember to have fun. This time I am setting out our family schedule, with an eye to what our other guests would like to do, and then inviting people to join us. They have to inform us in a timely manner if they'd like to tag along so we can make PSs.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[PrincessTori]

Thanks for all the tips so far! I have planned trips of large people in the past, but they have all been family. This is a first with non-family. I know exactly what you mean about not being able to please everyone, unfortunately. I had told everyone up front when inviting them, that I would take care of the bookings etc, but once we got there that no one was obligated to do everything with us. I don't want to be a "tour guide". However, I do love to plan my own familys outings out. I am a overplanner in that aspect. So I told them if they wanted to join us, then thats fine.

Keep the great tips coming!!

amwhitaker: I got it from a Dis member back in 2001. They had posted about having one and asked if anyone would like a copy of it. Its in excel, so if you have the excel program and would like a copy, just pm me your email addy and I'll be more than glad to send it your way. I wish I remember who to give credit for it, its really really nice. I did go back and add more clip art to it and made some changes to suit my needs, so it has been changed from its orignial format. I've altered it around and used it for all of our family vacations since getting them (Beach trips, Cruises, etc).

TG!

 

[elaine and the boys]

Also, perhaps you might keep in mind that all parties involved may not have the same monetary resources available. I only know this from a "future experience" I'm planning on having with my brothers' family in December. I know that our vacations are definitely less costly than theirs are. We stay at moderates...they stay deluxe. We budget our food money with a much tighter fist than they do. But the thought of having some special meals together (especially because we're going at Christmas) and having lots of fun with them...and time on our own, we know it will be great!

 

[jlowejd5]

I'm kind of in the same boat (literally). We've got a wish list of about six couples (four of us are definite, less sure about the other two) looking at a Land/Sea in March 2006 (see below). Three of us are experienced, the others not so much.

The discussions we've had so far are positive, but I think the most important pieces of advise is to be okay with getting the heck away from each other for a while. We've got two generations going, and while the couples in their late 40's and early 50's want to do shopping and good restaurants, those of us still in our (VERY) early 30's are okay with chicken fingers and another go at Buzz Lightyear.

And that's absolutely the way it should be. We'll spend the last three days all together on the Wonder and Castaway Cay.

 

[twojo21]

register for the magical gatherings for larger groups at waltdisneyworld.com it allows you to save resort info & prices & lets you make polls for everyone to vote on & have an input for during your stay. which you can then email to everyone to view & vote.

right now i'm planning a wdw wedding for our 50 family members & guests, i've made newsletters to give info on wdw & planning, i started an online site for our guests to view & inquire and have established group discounts through a number of vendors like airlines & of course our wdw group accomodations / room blocks.

i think its great your trying to help your family/friends with your group wdw trip, best of luck and i hope you all have a magical time!

 

[MagikMom]

PrincessTori, I would suggest getting Birnbaum's book. It's a guide to doing disney with kids. It lists each attraction and rates "scare factors" for each. Since the children in your party are so young, it would be a good idea to do your research 1st so you don't waste time on things that will not work for kids of those ages. Another nice thing is if you are going with another family try to give each other "a night out" by watching each others kids!

 

[Polly Juice]

It is not just the cost of the room you need to consider. If you're on property and you don't have a car, the food costs can be substantial. We are talking 10 dollar hamburgers and 8 dollar individual pizzas. Meals at full service restaurants can be had for 15 dollars, but many are more expensive than that. In addidition, if you wish to eat anywhere on property (hotel or parks) you must make priority seating arrangements, or you won't eat. Some folks just can't get up in the morning. Don't wait for others: be at the parks when they open so you can ride the popular rides without a long wait. I would advise you to get Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to Disney World. Have a really good trip, it's truly a magical place.

 

[rosiejo]

I'm in the middle of planning our wedding trip to Disney for me, DH2B his family and mine - there's 9 of us altogether and it's a nightmare!

I took DH2B to Dinsye in 2003, and my family are seasoned disneyers, however his family are not and know nothing about it - so I've been writing newsletters and creating a scrap book to help them know what to expect.

We've gone for an off-site villa as it worked out cheaper than a hotel - and means we can eat on the 192 for a fraction of the onsite costs.

Me and DH2B are splitting from the group 6 nights in to head to the AKL until the wedding.

I'm trying to ensure that people can spend time apart - we've booked two villas - one for each family - and three cars. I've suggested occasions I'd like us all to be together and will give everyone a copy of our itinerary - but then I'm gonna say its up to them to do what they want when they want.

That planning spreadsheet would be useful though - and I'll keep tracking this thread for any ideas!

RJ

 

[EthansMom]

We met my in-laws at WDW Sept. 2003 -- a total of 13 including 3 young children. What a nightmare! Everyone insisted on getting together for everything and with no firm leader (and no one willing to follow anything anyone else said), we spent more time "hanging out" while we figured out what to do next and waiting for other people than actually doing anything.

My advice...split up into smaller groups for seeing the parks and doing entertainment. Meet once a day for one meal and maybe a show.

If you want to meet someone in the parks, set a very specific meeting place and time (be prepared to wait if they get stuck in a line for a ride and are late). Have a backup plan for meeting if someone is extremely late -- let it be known that people should wait X minutes and then go do whatever they want and use cell phones to catch up later. We used cell phones to contact each other in the parks, but coverage on for our services was spotty and only worked about 3/4 of the time.

I think doing Disney with a large group and pleasing everyone is virtually impossible. It would be easier to see people if you could get everyone to stay at the same hotel. Then you could meet up with others during an afternoon nap/pool break from the parks and have dinner together, where you could discuss plans for the next day.

Good Luck!

EthansMom

 

[PrincessTori]

Thanks everyone for your tips!! I'm finally making headway with our group planning. Hopefully will have our accomodations nailed down by next week!!

 

[princess927]

In October 2005 I'm going to WDW with a group of about 35. With ages ranging from 2-65. This will be our 4th time going us so a big group, and trust me the bigger the crowd the more fun it is. Every couple of years my mom's side of the family take a vacation together rather than buying Christmas presents for one another. We have done cruises before but a few years back decided to try Disney as a group and we have all been back ever sense. As I said before there is a big age range, so when we plan group trips, my mom is usually the leader and she picks out one hotel (we try a different one every year) and that is the hotel we will all stay at unless there is really a problem with that hotel.....but its Disney ever hotel is fun!!!!! She then picks a few weeks and everyone votes on it, we always go in October so it is just finding the week that works best. She does book everyones hotel and passes, but its up to every family to do their own air fare. She makes a newsletter like email every month that she sends to each family to take about rides, entertainment, restaurants, etc. everyone might be interesting in doing, and the family just emails back and forther. We only plan one big group meal with everyone just because there be so many of us its hard, and it is usually a dinner show or a character meal, and then we all go to a water park together. But other than that everyone knows they are on their own for the vacation. Being at the same hotel does help because it is easier to meet up with people and also for people to go their sperate ways.
So if you go into knowing that everyone is not going to want to do everything together youll have much more fun and you wont be worring about where and when your going to meet suzie and then bob doesnt like this ride so you need to met him some place else.....because this is a vacation so relax and enjoy the magic together!!!!!!

 

[rosiejo]

Thanks for the post Princess - it's good to hear that you can do a group trip successfully! I think the whole "it's your vacation do what you wish" tact is probably a very good tip

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