Inviting Lots of Friends - What's best

[jcf]

I'd like to invite a family that has H, W and a 7, 4 and 2 year old = 5 and family that has H, W and 7 and 5 year old = 4 to go with me and my seven year old = 2.

Any ideas? Grand Villa?

 

[Firepower]

That is probably your best bet.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Can you reserve a GV at 11 months out? In other words, does your home resort have GV? When are you going? Will the GV still be available? If you own at BWV, there are only maybe 6 GV there. More at OKW and SSR. AKV has some right now. If you own at BCV or VWL, they don't have GV.

 

[crisi]

Best is to consider VERY CAREFULLY what will happen when one family backs out at the last minute before you do the inviting. The number of "we've been burned" on this board by this is rather frightening.

After that, I'd go with a studio and a two bedroom lockoff, so each family group can have privacy if they want it. But - while I love my friends and my relatives - I tend to find too much together time makes me love them somewhat less - your milage may vary.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm with crisi. I love my extended family and close friends. I treasure every moment with them...in digestible bites.

We're currently making plans with friends. Their dates are not the same as ours exactly cool1: ), but we'll be at WDW during the same period. I think they're going to stay at WL, and we'll be at SSR. In the spirit of full disclosure, I mentioned renting to them, and in the same breath told them renting is not for them. (He's a cardiologist, and their plans are always subject to change.)

We'll probably do one (maybe two) park days, and one character meal with them in our five-day stay.

 

[wdwnut]

Hi: I'd go for a couple of rooms, just to have some space away from each other. Also, we would plan for some "together" time and some "to each their own" time. We've gone to WDW with anywhere from 2 - 24 people at one time, and this method seems to work out better for us.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

it totally depends on the dynamic

only you know how close of friends you all are and if there is past history with that much close time together.

I particulary really like everyone being in one big room, but certainly its not for everyone or every situation

the walls can certainly start to close in after awhile even in a GV

 

[Lynne M]

I'd go with 2 two-bedrooms and a studio. That will provide everyone with a bit of privacy, when the kids need some downtime and/or naps. It'll also be much easier to reserve, and if a family has to back out, you can drop their villa from the reservation.

 

[rocketriter]

Consider figuring out in advance what nights everyone wants to eat together. (Do not assume that will be every night, even if it sounds like a good idea up front.) Make dinner reservations in advance, making sure the group knows that everyone else will be made to stand around until the last stragglers arrive. Outside of dinners, allow plenty of time for subgroups to travel apart, even to different parks, sometimes reforming spontaneously, since doing everything in a mob will get old very fast.

 

[goldilocks_63]

Oh, and I don't ask anyone for their input on the reservations, because they usually don't know what the issue or concern is... Oh, we'll just get something there that day.....

Ask if there is a particular event they want to do, and I do work that in... but since I'm the expert, and their my guest, I do the planning to suite me. When I tried the other way, it was a disaster and I didn't enjoy the trip at all.

Ex.

For Spoodles,

3 reservations -
1 for my family
1 for family B
1 for family c

That way if one party doesn't want to attend at all, easy to release the reservation....

Or worse, if they cancel the entire trip, easy to cancel.

We found one meal a day, either breakfast or lunch (cheaper) at the planned park for the day to work well.

Do breakfast together, parks until 2. and then split off.

Lather, rinse, repeat....

Some will go back to the resort to swim, so will do rides.... but scheduled group / alone time works the best for us.

Goldi

 

[robinb]

After that, I'd go with a studio and a two bedroom lockoff, so each family group can have privacy if they want it. But - while I love my friends and my relatives - I tend to find too much together time makes me love them somewhat less - your milage may vary.

I agree with the 2BR with a studio. You and your child can have the master bedroom and your guests can have the 2nd bedroom. Your other friends can have the other studio. If one family backs out you can cancel the studio and if both back out you can cancel the 2BR.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The one family of 4 could have their own studio, and you could share a 2 bedroom with the family of 5. That's how I would probably do it. With friends and family, I like to have at least 1 living room that we can get together in. However, I have also done "3 studio" trips for 6 adults, and we've just been a bit tight when we get together for perhaps lunch in the room. Since one of your families has 5, and that precludes a studio for them, I would go with a 2 bedroom and studio.

Bobbi