One 7 bdrm home or Two 4 bdrm homes?

[Cynt]

I need your input and your thoughts on this situation. The good the bad and the ugly from people who have traveled with large family groups - immediate family: parents, siblings and nieces and nephews.

My family doesn't care they told me to decide on whether to get two 4 bdrm homes or one 7 bdrm home. Here's the scenario and the cast members but first a little background about my family. We're pretty close and growing up in a house with 9 others we're use to being around each other. Even now that the oldest is 38 and the youngest is 19 we still get along pretty well. We all live in the DFW metroplex so we see each other on a regular basis. On holidays and probably once every other month we all pile in at mom's 4 bdrm house and it's every man for them self as far as who sleeps in what room and w/ whom and who gets the air mattresses or a palet on the floor.

Some are flying into Orlando and others are renting a van and driving. We've started a vacation fund and each family will start contributing to the fund for the house, WDW 7 day park hopper and water park and more tickets and we allotted $30 per person for food. We plan on cooking breakfast and dinners at home and each family will pay for their lunches in the park and I'm sure will take a cooler each day to the parks for drinks and snacks.

I'm leary to rent two houses because we went on a cruise last summer and had 3 rooms. It was just my sisters and my mom (6 total). We all ended up hanging out and living in one room and if you've been on a cruise you know the cabins are small. One night we all slept in one room. I know crazy but we're close like that. We already plan on preparing all meals in one house and keeping all the snacks and what not at one house. I'm thinking is it even worth it to have the two houses knowing in advance we'll only use the one house. The 7 bdrm has 5 1/2 bathrooms so that wouldn't even be an issue. The 7 bdrm is $1500 and the 2 four bdrms are $1600 total. Money isn't an issue and we could pretty much get two houses next door so proximity isn't an issue. I just know there's something I'm forgetting or that I haven't thought about.

7 Bedroom and room assignment plus Cast Members - 16 total, 10 adults and 6 kids

1 King bdrm
Mom or grandma
Mom's friend

1st full size rm - 2 full size beds
Me - 35
Dsis 2 - 28
Dsis 2 kid - 18 months

2nd King bdrm
Dsis 1 - 30
Dsis 1 husband - 38

1st twin room - 2 twins
Dsis #1 her 4 kids - girls 14, 12, 6
Boy - 10 (Pullout sofa in den)

1 Queen bdrm
Dbro 2 - 26
Dbro 2 GF

3rd twin room - 2 twins
Dbro 2 kids - 8, 4

(Dbro 1 not going on vacation)

4th twin room - 2 twin bds
Dsis 3 - 24
Dsis 4 - 19

We're going June 2007 so we still have plenty of time to think this through. Let me know your experiences traveling w/ a large family. We're staying June 9 - 16, 2007; 8 days and 7 nights. As you can tell, I'm the planner and the organizer. They call me the "2nd MOM". LOL!

 

[disneyluv4]

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL WOULD ENJOY THE 7 BEDROOM MORE. I WOULD CHOSE THAT SINCE YOU ALL ARE SO CLOSE AND IT LOOKS LIKE ENOUGH ROOM. HAVE FUN!!

 

[DVC Sadie]

Wow you all will have a great time. Since you guys already tried the 3 different cabins on the cruise but still ended up in one cabin I would easily see all of you being very comfortable in the one house. With all of the cooking being done in one house anyway it just seems easier to have everyone together

 

[isla bonita]

One home would be best for your group. You have plenty of bath space and it is better to be all together. I know we have a 6/5 and spend all our time in one room. Pool side. OUr neighbors laugh all the time at us we are out there even in the rain. We have a covered lanai so we are not total dopes. Have a great vaca. Sounds like a great party is going to happen.
Something fun may be bringing down those colored lite cubes. I brought them down las time and the kids had a ball. Have been looking for them but might have to wait for summer. After drink the kids used them in the pool. Theu were an inexpensive treat. I try to do some fun things that we don't get to do at home. Make it more special.
I also brought down some door hangers and foam stickies so they could decorate their own room door handles. They also made them for cousins that were to young and aunties and uncles that were down with us. Just a couple of thoughts. Sounds like I have been doing large family vacas for to long. LOL

 

[scraptoons]

My parents took my two brothers and me and all our spouses and kids to Branson. 17 of us in all. We love each other and our kids all are the same ages. Recipe for a great time.

We stayed in one home, with a living area and kitchen on both floors.

If we EVER do that again....I would prefer two seperate houses!!

And be sure the baby monitor is turned off when your brother has a fight with his wife about how his family gets on her nerves.
It will save some awkard moments.

Learned the hard way.

 

[Cynt]

scraptoon, too funny.

"And be sure the baby monitor is turned off when your brother has a fight with his wife about how his family gets on her nerves.
It will save some awkard moments."

Thanks for the replies. Noone in my family has been to WDW so I've tried to explain to them WDW is huge, like a city. We'll probably only see each other in the morning preparing to leave for the park for the day and then in the evenings. But since they've never been they can't grasp the idea. I'm preparing everyone detailed itineraries to help them. As far as sticking together as a group, we're not going to do that. We'll rent a couple of cars along w/ the van so you won't have to wait on others. I know 3 of my sisters sleep in so I'll probably be home from the parks before they even get started. LOL! My plan is to get up and wake up my older nieces and nephew, hit the parks and the good rides and chill in the afternoons at BB or TL. They love water parks. I know my mom and her friend won't go to the parks every day. They'll probably hang around the pool at the house. They love to barbecue so I'm sure they'll throw meat on the grill every day.

Thanks again for your input. I have a couple of weeks before my WDW vacation for this year and I'm going bonkers. The thought of playing a second trip for next year is so exciting.

 

[disney_me]

I would go with the 7 room house. I think your family will enjoy all being together in one home I know I would.



WDW TRIPS:
10/03
02/05
12/05
03/07 NEXT

ALL OFF SITE

 

[Mom to 2]

I dont care how close I am to my family, I'm the type that wants my own house when I travel---so my vote is for at least 2 houses with that many people!!!

Lory

 

[lnh'smom]

Whole family went last May. M & D, me, DH, DS 4, DD2, Big Sis, BIL, DS 5 months, Lil Sis, BIL, DS 1. Stayed in one house 6 BR 4 Bath. So much more fun. We could be all together or have privacy in our rooms. only prob was one sis and bil couldn't seem to get up on time and get their own ds ready. When the agreed upon departure time arrived, we were all ready except them. sis brought her ds out for one of the rest to get ready, after we managed to get our own kids ready. Drove us nuts. Finally started telling them 1/2 earlier than what we really wanted to leave. After that, they were almost ready to leave on time. Other than that, we had so much fun together.

 

[scraptoons]

Are you my older sister n law? That sounds so much like one of my brothers...haha. We always tell them a whole hour earlier time for holiday gatherings. Thanksgiving dinner goes cold if we don't.

This is the same couple that fought with the baby monitor on. Guess our promptness to get to the Branson shows on time was too much pressure on her. (see baby monitor reference above).

 

[lnh'smom]

Well, I am pretty sure that I am not your sister in law because I have never been to Branson. Doesn't that make you want to invite her on ever trip? My husband said never again!! The whole big family (my aunts, uncles, etc.) wanted to go on a big trip to Branson (what is it with that place?) before my grandparents pass away. We are talking 35-40 people. My husband said we aren't even going to discuss it. Luckily it hasn't come up for about 6 months!