Ideas for budget extended family trip

[tzolkin]

Anyone want to offer their suggestions for a trip for 17?

Background:
"My" family (DH, Me, 2 kids, 1 teen) goes to Disney usually every year. We have stayed at Pop Century twice a while back, but now we all prefer to stay at the Moderates. We had planned to stay in the Epcot area next trip.

My extended family would love to do a trip next year with everyone. My siblings have tighter budgets (they have really never gone on any vacations) and have asked me to think about how we could make this happen. Everyone is flexible and don't mind sharing rooms/spaces to make it work. They consist of:
- my parents
- Sib A + spouse, child, and baby
- Sib B + spouse, child, and baby
- Sib C + spouse
(both babies will be almost 3 depending on when we schedule the trip, so they won't be "infants" but they won't count toward room occ/tix/dining)

I'm just trying to figure out all the options before presenting them.
This is what I have come up with:

1. Stay at a value (not really appealing to my family, but it would be cheaper and we really want to have everyone at the same place to spend time together at the resort)

2. Rent one or two large homes offsite (DH & I think it would be a nightmare of getting to/from the parks. I think with a group this large it would be nice to have the flexibility of Disney transportation so people can come and go as they please. However, we have never stayed offsite, so I really don't know from experience.)

3. Convince everyone to try the Dolphin with a discount (DH & SIL are nurses). Would be more expensive, but it may be more relaxing being able to walk places and the adults could take turns having a night out.

4. Stay at a moderate and plan the trip only around a time that free dining is offered. (DH & I don't really care for the dining plan, but I think everyone would enjoy spending some of our meals together and maybe doing some character meals with the younger kids who have never been.)

5. Just tell everyone to stay where they want/can afford. (We are definitely not planning to tour the parks together all day, so I think this would really limit the time we wind up spending together on the trip.)


Any experiences or opinions?
Thanks!

 

[LynnTH]

Last time I went with a big group was about 12 years ago and we all just stayed in a value. I guess this is what I would do...

I would price up the values including the AOA Suites. I would also price up a Moderate and price up some Off-Site Hotels. We are staying at Bonnet Creek for the 1st time in May. If you look at the Orlando Forum it has gotten lots of good reviews and you can get 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Units for a really good price.

I would price up all the different options and then have a meeting with everyone and see what they all say. It may be that staying on site would be a better option because of the transportation even if more $. Or it may be that the offsite option is much better even with renting a car or you could use their shuttles.

Tickets will be the same either way. Dining depends on if you want dining plan or not. I love to plan so I would just make spreadsheets with all the options and pricing and then get together and see what everyone says.

 

[tzolkin]

Last time I went with a big group was about 12 years ago and we all just stayed in a value. I guess this is what I would do...

I would price up the values including the AOA Suites. I would also price up a Moderate and price up some Off-Site Hotels. We are staying at Bonnet Creek for the 1st time in May. If you look at the Orlando Forum it has gotten lots of good reviews and you can get 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Units for a really good price.

I would price up all the different options and then have a meeting with everyone and see what they all say. It may be that staying on site would be a better option because of the transportation even if more $. Or it may be that the offsite option is much better even with renting a car or you could use their shuttles.

Tickets will be the same either way. Dining depends on if you want dining plan or not. I love to plan so I would just make spreadsheets with all the options and pricing and then get together and see what everyone says.

Any experiences with the shuttles? I guess I need to read the Bonnet Creek Info. We would likely have a few vehicles (several people will likely drive) so maybe if we have the option of splitting up and using a shuttle that might be more appealing. The off-site transportation things just always scare me a bit because I have no idea how reliable/convenient they are.

I also love to plan and am always making spreadsheets, color coded charts and index cards. My family teases me all the time, but if anyone is ever thinking anything about Disney they always send them right to me.


I didn't include the AoA suites in my ideas because they are more expensive than two regular value rooms and they would offer less space/privacy if families wind up sharing. But maybe this is an option I should mention to them?

 

[LynnTH]

I don't have any experiences with the shuttle. We have previously only stayed onsite. We will be staying here for 4 nights in May and then moving to Old Key West for 6 nights. I think I may rent a car this time though.

Read the threads on Bonnet Creek - there are quite a few of them with lots of info. Depending on the time of year you go many you can get a 2 bedroom unit for $100-$150 a night. They have a couple lazy rivers and like 4different pools. It looks really nice for the money. It is a timeshare so you would rent through a company (way cheaper that way). On the forum there is a list of a few different ones that offer the best pricing. You could send in a quote request and see what kind of pricing you get for each room type.

I know the AOA Suites are more but you could have more people stay in a room too. (It would be easier if there weren't so many options...)

 

[JessB320]

I also say look into bonnet creek. We love it there never had a problem with the buses. Lots of room and the option to BBQ (they have grills ) or cook some meals in room. Lots of things to do at the resort and you can be close but not on top of each other. Spend some time on the we love bonnet creek threads ( parts 1,2,3) and get some great info

 

[laurafergie]

If it were me, I would rent one large home offsite. When we stayed offsite, I did TONS of research. We went at Christmas time and With a little planning, worked out great and I would stay offsite agin. Your biggest expense is the tickets, then food, then the rental home.

You want to be in Kissimmee, on the Disney side of I4, on VRBO it called "Central West". Neighborhoods to look in would be: Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Indian Creek, Emerald Island. There is a back road off of 192, called Sherbeth Rd that goes onto Disney property and comes out by the Animal Kingdom. From our rental in Windsor Hills, it took about 10!! Minutes to get to Animal Kingdom and maybe 20 minutes to the Magic Kingdom. This beats the Disney Busses. However, make sure you budget daily parking, I think it's $14 a day.

I would suggest you go to windsorhillsrent and put in your stats and see what the owners offer you. Here is an example in the Emerald Island neighborhood, http://www.vrbo.com/329907 High season is $225 a night, sleeps 20 and you have your own pool. You may do better on windsorhillsrent.

With that many people, you would have a few rental cars if you are flying. I routinely get economy cars for $12-14 a day priceline. With more than one car, then the folks can have multiple schedules. BE VERY CLEAR with everyone about rope drop and that your family will not wait.

Even with rental cars, and having to pay parking, I think the savings of being able to cook the meals, the lower rent, your group will still come out ahead VS staying onsite or even at Bonnet Creek. I have found that Bonnet Creek can be a deal if you have a smaller party, but not so much for a larger one.

Read the Orlando board here for more info.

 

[mrzrich]

Budget Wise, Wyndham Bonnet Creek cant be beat. BUT....

If you think you will be splitting up a lot, and some people may want to leave the park early or stay late. Staying on site may be a better option.

The Dolphin does sometimes give good rates for nurses and I'm pretty sure you can book more than one room.

Another idea may bed to get 3 cabins at Fort Wilderness. Or to rent DVC points from Dave's DVC.

 

[chris31997]

Anyone want to offer their suggestions for a trip for 17?

Background:
"My" family (DH, Me, 2 kids, 1 teen) goes to Disney usually every year. We have stayed at Pop Century twice a while back, but now we all prefer to stay at the Moderates. We had planned to stay in the Epcot area next trip.

My extended family would love to do a trip next year with everyone. My siblings have tighter budgets (they have really never gone on any vacations) and have asked me to think about how we could make this happen. Everyone is flexible and don't mind sharing rooms/spaces to make it work. They consist of:
- my parents
- Sib A + spouse, child, and baby
- Sib B + spouse, child, and baby
- Sib C + spouse
(both babies will be almost 3 depending on when we schedule the trip, so they won't be "infants" but they won't count toward room occ/tix/dining)

I'm just trying to figure out all the options before presenting them.
This is what I have come up with:

1. Stay at a value (not really appealing to my family, but it would be cheaper and we really want to have everyone at the same place to spend time together at the resort)

2. Rent one or two large homes offsite (DH & I think it would be a nightmare of getting to/from the parks. I think with a group this large it would be nice to have the flexibility of Disney transportation so people can come and go as they please. However, we have never stayed offsite, so I really don't know from experience.)

3. Convince everyone to try the Dolphin with a discount (DH & SIL are nurses). Would be more expensive, but it may be more relaxing being able to walk places and the adults could take turns having a night out.

4. Stay at a moderate and plan the trip only around a time that free dining is offered. (DH & I don't really care for the dining plan, but I think everyone would enjoy spending some of our meals together and maybe doing some character meals with the younger kids who have never been.)

5. Just tell everyone to stay where they want/can afford. (We are definitely not planning to tour the parks together all day, so I think this would really limit the time we wind up spending together on the trip.)


Any experiences or opinions?
Thanks!

I think your best bet is to do like the PP said and price out a couple of options and have a meeting. You can lay out the pros/cons of each and let people decide. I would not plan on free dining, and count it as a bonus if you go when it is offered.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

If I were you, I'd lay out the pros and cons (with pictures and pricing) in a document and share it with my family to discuss as a group.

Options to put on there:

1) Renting 4 value rooms. (I would not prefer this option b/c the rooms are cramped in my opinion and you wouldn't have much room for people to hang out together in the evenings because the rooms are so small. Any "together time" would have to be in the food court, pool or parks...but maybe that is a good thing for some) Pros would be no need to rent cars.

2) Staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I got a 3 bedroom for $120/night in the off season last fall. It was wonderful--I don't think I would ever stay anywhere else again. They do have a good bus system (not as frequent as Disney busses, but the schedule worked for my family) but you would probably want to rent a few cars to get to and from the airport, go to the groccery store, and maybe drive to the parks. A benefit of staying here is that the WBC units have spacious kitchen/dining room/living room areas so a large group of people can hang out. They also have really great BBQ areas that I saw large family groups having picnics at last year. It also helps with budgeting b/c you can prepare breakfast and other meals in the room's kitchen.

3) Staying at an off-site Rental House. There are some really great units...I hear a lot about Windsor Hills. Most rental homes have their own pool and some have really cool other features like hot tubs and theatre rooms. If you want an option for everyone to stay at the same place...this would be the way to go. You would def. need a car, as there is no shuttle service.

I would personally consider #2 or #3, but if Disney Dining Plan, Extra Magic Hours, or 24/7 Disney Theming is really important to your family, you may want to consider #1.

 

[pfrenzel]

We went a few years back with 17 family members. We stayed at the values because that was what everyone could afford. We also went during the free dining plan. We planned our dinners together every night and made advanced reservations ahead of time of course. With so many people every one comes & goes at different times. Some people get a late start or go back for a nap etc. But we could all catch up at dinner & at night by the pool. It worked out Great!

 

[Pixiedust34]

I'd price out all the options, but off the cuff I think that I'd lean toward the value rooms. That's the most budget-friendly on property, and makes it easy for people coming and going to use WDW Transportation as they please if anyone wants to leave a park early or leave for a park early. Not renting cars is a $$ saver.

Rumors have been circulating that free dining will be cut back this year. Time will tell if that's true, but it's not a promotion I would 100% count on for a trip.

Your option #5 would work, too. Let everyone pick where they want to stay according to individual budget and taste, and don't worry about staying at the same place. Meet up in the parks every day.

 

[McKelly]

Well, I think whether it's a value or a moderate, with that many people in the room, it's going to be cramped either way (for visiting purposes). I would stay at a value, that way everybody can afford it and nobody will feel bad if staying at a higher price hotel will put the squeeze on them.

 

[tzolkin]

Thanks for all the responses and keep them coming if anyone else has large group experiences to share.

I'd price out all the options, but off the cuff I think that I'd lean toward the value rooms. That's the most budget-friendly on property, and makes it easy for people coming and going to use WDW Transportation as they please if anyone wants to leave a park early or leave for a park early. Not renting cars is a $$ saver.

Rumors have been circulating that free dining will be cut back this year. Time will tell if that's true, but it's not a promotion I would 100% count on for a trip.

Your option #5 would work, too. Let everyone pick where they want to stay according to individual budget and taste, and don't worry about staying at the same place. Meet up in the parks every day.

The bolded is really what I'm thinking is going to work best for everyone, but I will have to discuss with them all to see what they think.

The only problem with that is that DH & I really prefer the atmosphere of the other resorts over the values. But of course I don't want to come off as a snob by helping everyone make their value reservations and then us staying somewhere nicer. (Option 5) I really think it would be ideal if we stayed together.


As for the free dining- I would not count on it to do a trip, but I am certain that if it happened to be offered during our dates that everyone would want to upgrade to a moderate. Basically, I look at it as a bonus.

My brother is the one who talked to me about the trip. He suggested Dec 2014 (the babies will be 3 the following January). They just attempted their first Disney trip last month (at CSR with free dining), but his FIL fell ill their second day in so they went home and wound up losing him. So, I think they would really like a do-over trip and they also would like our whole family to spend more quality time together.

 

[blessedby3]

With that many people, and not everyone having a rental or personal car...I would suggest staying onsite. We stayed at Bonnet Creek this past October and loved it...but we had a car. I used their shuttle service one day when DH and DD had to be at DHS early for a YES class. Shuttle service is not great, and one bus hits two parks...so longer travel time.
We have a family of 6 and have stayed in 2 rooms at POP a few times. While we definately prefer deluxe, it is not always in the cards (same thing as you--when family or friends travel with us, we end up at POP). That is fine with us because we usually go every 12-18 mos, so we can try out other resorts or options when we dont have family/friends with us who dont want to or cant pay out higher prices for deluxes.
You could always look at the Little Mermaid rooms at AOA. I think they are supposed to be more in line with a value priced room (but I may be wrong here). I know the suites are definately more expensive. We love POP as a value. It has such a fun atmosphere.
I would let each family get their own room (although you would have to put one of your kids in with your parents or their aunt/uncle because of occupancy limits).
Staying on property gives your huge group of 17 more options because of the busses. I would definately go this route and stay at a mod on your next trip

 

[punkin]

I would rent a house and get a rental car for each family. This will give you the option of separating and keeping your own schedule, as well as saving money on lodging (a house split 5 ways is going to be very cost-effective) as well as afford you the ability to make cheap breakfasts and maybe a whole family dinner or two.

 

[KSL]

Maybe you should consider it from which way you (and your extended family) are viewing this vacation. Meaning, is it:

(1) A chance for a mini-family reunion where you can all spend time together and the setting just happens to be Disney

OR

(2) You've all been thinking about a Disney vacation with your immediate families, so plan to all go at the same time and enjoy your vacations together

I think the perspective you are looking at it from makes a big impact on the kind of accommodation arrangements you make. If it's more of option #1, I would go with the off-site rental home where each family grouping would have their own rooms for some privacy, but large common areas where you can all be together, plus possibly private pool, etc. You will probably be able to save money by cooking more meals and will be able to relax outside the Disney bubble. If it's more of option #2, I would definitely stay on-site and price out values and moderates, listing pros and cons of each, and let the rest of your family decide which price category works for them (assuming you'll continue your annual trips with your immediate family & can get back to moderate then, if they all choose value) and all book individual rooms at the same resort, requesting to be as close together as possible.

Other considerations beyond viewpoint (or which may sway you, regardless of viewpoint!):
Staying on Disney property is certainly the more immersive experience and this might be important for the kids and first-time visitors. Of course, not everyone loves Disney (or theme parks in general) as much as the rest of us, so if they will want to get away from it during down-time, off-site is better. You know your group and what their preferences might be.
I think you are smart to consider transportation as a major factor. With 5 sub-groups, there is potential for a LOT of coming and going, especially with the little ones if they are still napping - and even if they aren't napping regularly, they might need to at Disney. Personal preference, but I would much rather take Disney transportation and have the flexibility that each sub-group can come/go as they please to any part of WDW than be worrying about who went to which park, who has the keys to which rental car, how many people can fit in which vehicle, which vehicles have the carseats, should we take one car or two if we are all going the same place, can I drive your rental back to the condo, etc. Too many logistics! And allows very little room for spontaneity ("mom, look - there's no line for space mountain!" "Nope, we said we'd pick up Auntie Marge and Uncle Ralph at 2:00 - gotta go!").

Ok, I'm rambling. Anyway these are my thoughts. Good luck planning. It will be a great trip and lots of memories for you all!!

 

[Rylee]

Having stayed both on and off site, and travelled with just immediate family and as a group with other families, I would definitely stay onsite for this trip.

1) Staying onsite is a great experience for first-timers.
2) You'll have the ease of using Disney transportation.
3) You know what you're getting in terms of service, cleanliness, etc.
4) Those wanting to, can take advantage of perks for WDW resort guest.
5) Togetherness and being all cozy sound great, but the reality is stressful situations can arise, and having a little space for privacy can make all the difference for an enjoyable trip. (Imagine your nearly 3 y/o is overtired and overwhelmed, you just got them asleep, and the other kids are laughing loudly and being silly. You don't want them to wake the baby, but you don't want to request they quiet down and put a damped on their fun. Or, your spouse isn't feeling well, he just needs to rest, but your sibling's kids is having a meltdown. Having your own space when needed can be a good thing.)

How about trying AoA? I know you prefer a Mod, but at least it would be a new experience for your family. Maybe your parents and Sibling C could share a family suite, and the other families could each get their own room.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Having stayed both on and off site, and travelled with just immediate family and as a group with other families, I would definitely stay onsite for this trip.

1) Staying onsite is a great experience for first-timers.
2) You'll have the ease of using Disney transportation.
3) You know what you're getting in terms of service, cleanliness, etc.
4) Those wanting to, can take advantage of perks for WDW resort guest.
5) Togetherness and being all cozy sound great, but the reality is stressful situations can arise, and having a little space for privacy can make all the difference for an enjoyable trip. (Imagine your nearly 3 y/o is overtired and overwhelmed, you just got them asleep, and the other kids are laughing loudly and being silly. You don't want them to wake the baby, but you don't want to request they quiet down and put a damped on their fun. Or, your spouse isn't feeling well, he just needs to rest, but your sibling's kids is having a meltdown. Having your own space when needed can be a good thing.)

How about trying AoA? I know you prefer a Mod, but at least it would be a new experience for your family. Maybe your parents and Sibling C could share a family suite, and the other families could each get their own room.

Excellent point. For various reasons, we do prefer our own space when traveling.

 

[DisneyEater]

I would try to talk everyone into going in September (or January, but I prefer September) when the rates are low and if it is in the budget, I would try to go for 2 2br villas by renting points.

You could do 2 villas for a week at Old Key West for less than $5K or 2 at Beach Club or Boardwalk for less than $6K (less than $5K at Boardwalk if you can get standard views).

It is not nearly as budget as something like value rooms or offsite, but might be in the range of the moderates and will give you lots of room and "deluxe" level accomodations. Plus, in the 2 bedrooms you can close the doors and have 3 seperate spaces if you need it.

You could also do 4 studios at OKW for around $3,200.

EDIT: These villas also have a full kitchen so people can use that to save money also....at least on breakfast.

 

[brymolmom]

Went one year ago with a group of 15 extended family. How much 'togetherness' you want should/could be a big factor in where you stay, IMO. My group stayed together about 90% of the time.

We stayed at POP century - Got 5 rooms all right next to each other. It worked out great having the buses. My mom and stepdad decided to sleep in and not come to rope drop a couple of times and I didn't have to worry about them DRIVING and FINDING the right park, etc. They just hopped on the bus and texted us when they got there. If you're going to spend the majority of your time together, IMO - this is the way to go!

Some other tips for big group trips:
1) Figure out basically how much ‘togetherness’ is a good thing BEFOREHAND.
a. Are people going to go to parks in smaller groups? If people aren’t up and ready early enough – will people ready leave and just meet up with the others later? If some people want some pool time – will another group stay at the parks? What about meals? All together? Most together? Just a few together?
b. If everyone knows what to expect – there will be less getting upset or feelings hurt.
2) Not sure if you’re going to be (or have) one PERSON or COUPLE PEOPLE who will be the ‘leaders’. Especially if you’re going to be in a larger group much of the time (10 or more people) – I recommend nominating a ‘leader’. It takes FOREVER to establish ‘ok – what should we do next, a show or a thrill ride or lunch?’ – when there are a lot of people. Works MUCH SMOOTHER if one person just says – ‘OK – time to go, let’s head to Splash Mtn, now we’re going to ride BTMRR, Ok – let’s head over to Haunted Mansion….One more ride then we’ll eat lunch’.
3) On the topic of FP’s - also depends HOW MUCH TIME you’re going to spend together in the park. We spent almost ALL our time all together – so we had one person collect all the tickets upon park entry – then that person would be our FP runner. Occasionally, if we were going on something that someone else did NOT want to ride – that person would then take the baggie-full of tickets and FP something while we were all on a ride. The only time this was a pain was when one person was running to get FP’s and someone else wanted to grab a quick snack – but didn’t have his card to be able to use snack credits. This only happened a couple of times and wasn’t a huge wait – so no big deal.
4) For sit down meals. With the dining plan it’s a bit of a pain (especially depending how well versed the server is) to use multiple cards for a single table – but obviously you have to do it with larger groups. We found it much easier for everyone to use CASH for TIPS. And I had everyone bring some smaller bills so we could just throw our tip money that we owed on the table and not have to bother with ‘This card for Jane Smith has 2 adults and 2 kids meal credits to take off. Also charge $13 to the room on this card’. It was already a pain – so the cash part for the tip saved some time and grief I think. Also – BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS CAREFULLY after EVERY MEAL! Make sure that the proper amount of adult and child credits were deducted from your own card – and make sure everyone in the group does so too.
5) If you have a few separate ADR numbers for a reservation and get to the restaurant – they MIGHT say something like “I’ll combine all your reservations into one in our system” – If they do this – ASK THEM to be sure to mark everyone as ‘showed’ instead of ‘no-show’. Watch your credit card bill to be sure you didn’t get charged any no-show fees in error.
6) Photopass – Not sure if you ever spring for the Photopass CD – we have on occasion. However, was VERY HAPPY we did not do it with the big group. Main reason is – it’s VERY TIME CONSUMING to get a big group together for a picture. We did it a few times and had some CM’s take our pics for us with our own cameras. But no way would have I have wanted to do that all day long (to get ‘the most’ of our photo CD) or even every day. It would take about 5 full minutes to get situated and get everyone looking at the photographer…which doesn’t seem like a long time – but in the parks it seemed like forever.
7) For meal planning – the two buffets we did (Tusker House and Cape May Clam Bake) plus LeCellier (can’t go wrong here – but it’s so small we were seated at 3 different tables all over the place) plus The Plaza in MK ended up being the crowd favorites.