Interested to see how those of you have handled going with a large family?

[shanlynn63]

Hi,

We have a 14yo DD, 9yo DD, 7yo DS and 5yo DD, I am very interested in reading about experiences that any of you have had when going with a large family...any tips or suggestions would be great!! Thanks!! Going in July!! and We can't wait!

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Try booking a 2-bedroom villa at Disney's Old Key West Resort. These villas are huge.

You will have a master bedroom with a king size bed. A 2nd bedroom with two queens...along with a fold out bed in the living room.

These villas also have a full kitchen allowing you to cook many of your meals and saving you a bundle. The rooms also come with a dishwasher, a washer & dryer, large walk-in shower and a jacuzzi.

Old Key West is also very close to the Downtown Disney Shopping area.

Hope this helps.

 

[shanlynn63]

We allready have a place to stay, My Mom gave us a week at Orange Lake Country Club!!! Free lodging!!! Thanks mom Any suggestions for inside parks?? Tips on traveling with a wide range of ages of children??

 

[mmeb144]

My DS is 11 and DD is 9. Not a wide age range, but they have different riding styles. My DH and I each take one kid and go on different rides. My DS likes the mountains at MK, you know, Space Mountain, BTMR, Splash. My DD likes the TTA, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Dumbo, etc. We meet up again and trade kids. We still do things as a family. There is a lot of discussion ahead of time to find out what the joint attractions will be. We all like Fantasmic!

Marie

 

[shanlynn63]

Thanks Marie, although I really don't like the idea of splitting up, I think we may have to so everyone can enjoy the magic.

 

[momtotwinglesx4]

We have made several trips to WDW with our 5 kids, ages currently 16, 7, 7, 4, & 1. In fact, I have taken the 5 kids myself without dh a couple of times, and will do so again this summer. Difficult, but doable. That said, I guess my #1 tip would be this: take your dh! *Much* easier w/ 2 adults, lol!

Other than that, plan ahead and include the kids in the planning. Agree AHEAD OF TIME, so there's no fighting about plans *during* the trip. Take note of certain rides, restaurants, whatever, that each child considers a "must", and then try to include these in your itinerary. (You do have an itinerary, right?? ) Make sure everybody understands and agrees that it's "no fair" grumbling about going on less-favorite rides that others really like. Everyone will get to do their favorites.

Split up at times. One of you take the older kids to the rides/attractions they like, the other parent takes the younger kids to their favorites. There's no law saying the entire family must remain joined at the hips for the entire trip! Plan to meet up a couple of hours later. Pick a spot to meet that is close to a restroom and also a snack or ice cream cart in case one party has to wait for any length of time (like if one party is stuck in line for a ride longer than they thought they'd be).

Take freqent head counts when you're walking thru the parks. Kids stop to look at something and the rest of the group keeps going, not noticing that one person is missing because there are so many people in the group. One trip, our mantra was "Where's William??!!" And hold hands--use the buddy system for anyone not in a stroller.

Try to pack as lightly as possible. Lots of people = lots of (heavy) luggage. Luckily, you're going in July so all you'll need is shorts & t-shirts. Plus you'll have a handy-dandy washer/dryer in your OLCC villa. Toss in a load every night or 2, and you won't need to pack much.

At restaurants, unless your youngest 2 are really big eaters, have them split a kid's meal--there's usually plenty of food for two kids. Make sure the older kids know ahead of time if there's a price limit on what they can order. My dd16 would have ordered the most expensive steak on the menu every time if she had her way!

That's all I can think of right off the top of my head; feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Sue