Parents of 4 or more check in here!!!!!!

[Mouse House Mama]

I thought I'd start a thread for larger families. So join in and maybe we could share stories!

 

[williamson_ja]

We have 4 kids that live with us and 3 step kids that live with their mother in TX 14 hours away. In the summer, we have all 7. You can imagine, that makes vacations, etc. pretty interesting!!

 

[lovemygrowingfamily]

We have 5 kids and this is the first big trip that i am planning. I've been at this since january and i feel like i have still just begun. Still too much to read and "plan" for

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Welcome!

 

[kpgriswold]

We have 5, ages 15 to 2, and are planning a visit next summer with my parents. I'd love to hear from any Disney veterans: what do you DO with a group this large?!

 

[Becky2005]

I have four...am I a large family? I never really think of us that way but then again it's because I'm on other boards that are medium sized & large sized family....I'm never quite sure where I fit.

I know for Disney -- anything over 4 people is considered large.

The last time we went to Disney I planned for 3 years -- I think 2011 is our next trip (was going to be 2010 but alas -- a nephew is getting married in 2010 & a niece also might be as she hasn't firmly set the date but it will involve travel. I was waffling but as soon as I heard about my nephew I went "THAT'S IT" It will be 2011 instead!)

We really *have* to go in 2011, I can't push it off anymore because in 2012, my oldest will be 18 and that just won't do -- it will raise the price of the vacation more than it already will cost us as she will be an adult for the hotels. Therefore, we will have to go 2011 -- no more pushing it off another year.

 

[khighgirl]

I'd like to join. We have 4 kiddos and are heading to WDW next month. This will be our first trip with all four kids and we are taking my parents and sister to help out so I hope all goes well.

Kelli

 

[homemaker]

We have 5 kiddos in our gang (ds13, ds11, ds7, ds4, & dd1). Our next trip to the world is coming around this September. We are staying at the ASMu family suites for the first time. I wasn't sure about the fold out beds, but our boys wanted to give it a try. I'm sure they will be so tired it won't matter anyway. I am a little nervous about being so out numbered. I figure if we did it with 4 we can do it with 5. Right? I will let you all know if we survive.

 

[angeladisney]

I am so subbing. I don't feel alone anymore. We have (DS 14, DD 12, DD 11,DD 9, DS 5). We are planning a trip in June 2010, and it will be our first trip with all the kids. We want to stay onsite. So am Exicted to be here and learn how to plan for a large family. Does anyone do the dining plan and if so which one? Do you think it saves you money? Sorry for all the questions. I am just so exicted to not feel alone with planning for a large family. to all and look forward to chatting with you.

 

[JOCAmom]

Can I jump in here too? We have 4 kids, 3 girls and my step-son. Our last vacation was to Universal. Right now, we are planning a cruise for December of 2010. My dad, step-mom, and step-sister are joining us. We've never taken a vacation with extended family before so it should be interesting.

 

[Becky2005]

Does anyone do the dining plan and if so which one? Do you think it saves you money?

I think it depends on your family's eating style. I have picky eaters. Unfortunately for me, we just couldn't figure out how in the world to get there before my 9 year old turns 10. I just can't see paying the adult price for him when literally last time we went he ate Mac & Cheese at every meal!

Last time we went on the Premium plan. That was the year they had just introduced the dining plan, magic your way & shifted ages. Talk about confusion! However, they just had all the credits pooled together, they didn't divide out adults/child like they do now. The little guy was free but I used my credits for his meals and we still had left-overs. I'm thinking -- now that he would get his own AND tips aren't included since we will get hit with the automatic gratuity, it's probably going to come out cheaper to pay on our own. Fulton's & Rainforest Cafe were also included on that way back then.

I kept track of most things and if we had paid out of pocket for everything, it would have cost us $500 less than the package did. DH DID love just handing over the card and having them take care of it but tips were included back then.

I was just reading elsewhere that someone wouldn't let DD use her adult credit to order off the kid's menu. THAT would be a problem for us. I know DD was 11 when we went and most of the time she did order off the kid's menu even though her credits were adult credits. She's better now but still a bit picky. I know my younger ones may end up not liking anything on the adult menus.

I looked up my food costs from 2005 & it was about $1700 for the week for us (that was TONS of character meals including CRT breakfast -- 3 adults, 2 kids & 1 under 3). I don't think we would have actually paid that much if we did it OOP since we don't *normally* order desserts with every meal plus back then appetizers were included too.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We do the regular dining plan- 1qs 1snack and 1ts per day. We figured it out and for $10 a day our kids get to go to a character meal and eat all day. It is totally worth it. I just wish they would offer the adult menu in kid size. My kids don't want grapes an applesauce all week as their side dishes. We ate at California Grill this last trip and the kids choices were fantastic. My kids got steak and salmon. They loved it! They are not picky eaters so pizza and mac and cheese gets old. We try to eat at more family style and buffets simply for the choice. I also prefer to meet the characters inside in the AC rather than wait in the hot sun.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Oh- am I the only person who finds it so annoying that we automatically have to pay an 18% tip? We are great tippers so it is not like I wouldn't tip well anyway but why do I have to get told what to tip and the table next to us with 5 adults doesn't? What is the waiter's incentive to provide good service if they are definetly getting a tip? FTR- I was a waitress and even when I was allowed to charge a tip I never did and I always did better that way.

 

[mommy4]

I love big families!!! My grandma had 12 kids!! We have 4 kids, 3 bio. sons and 1 daughter adopted from Ethiopia. We are hoping to adopt at least 1 more, even though we would like more than that.
We are going on our second trip to Disney this year and it will probably be our last for awhile, so we are living it up!

 

[Lucky'sMom]

We are a family of 7 (5 kids). I have found that there just aren't any "good" on-site lodging options for us for a week or longer vacation. We have rented points from DVC owners, but really prefer even larger accommodations than a 2 bedroom. With 3 teenage boys, they each want their own bed and won't share a double bed. We are staying at Bonnet Creek in the 4 bed/4bath Presidential unit, which I had to reserve 13 months out for Thanksgiving week last Oct. We are so excited! We stayed in a 2 bed/2 bath unit there last June ( '08) and really loved it, but could use more space. 6 of us count as adults for Disney dining, so I have to carefully choose our table-service meals. We are going to try a couple of popular off-site dining options this trip, and this is our first trip for driving vs. flying. (We adopted the oldest 2 in '07, so flying was more affordable when we were a family of 5). It's fun to be a big family at WDW...as long as you don't lose anybody!!!

 

[lovemygrowingfamily]

I decided to go with the deluxe dining plan just so it is one less thing that i have to worry about. Less money I have to carry with also.

I too find the automatic 18% tip annoying and we've (as a family)never been there. Just reading about it annoys me. there is no incentive for the waiter/ess to provide good quality service if they know that no matter what they are going to get a tip. i guess that would be where a complaint to the manager would come in.

We are staying at ASMu in the family suites for 10 nights and I am worried that it is going to be too small for us. My 9 and 5 year olds have ADHD and 1 you need to emphasize the Hyperactive part. He is currently throwing an all out tantrum because he didn't get milk in his cereal but he is lactose intolerant.

Do you all fly or drive to Disney? We are driving non stop except for meals, gas stops and stretch breaks.

 

[Becky2005]

I too find the automatic 18% tip annoying and we've (as a family)never been there. Just reading about it annoys me. there is no incentive for the waiter/ess to provide good quality service if they know that no matter what they are going to get a tip. i guess that would be where a complaint to the manager would come in.

Do you all fly or drive to Disney? We are driving non stop except for meals, gas stops and stretch breaks.

I can just give you reassurance that I don't think having the tip automatic is going to make the service less. I know when we went the *biggest* complaint on this DIS boards for the dining plan was that tips were included in it (so I thought it was funny when they removed it & then the complaints started it wasn't included). The same argument was made that because of that you might get less service, etc... However, we NEVER had anything but great service the entire vacation. It was just a non-issue that they were guaranteed a tip. I think they even went above & beyond what they needed to do a couple times.

Therefore, I'm not worried about that -- it's just that it was nice not to have to carry cash for the tip previously. I know we had several $200.00 meals there.

We always drive (and yes I DO have 1 with ADHD emphasizing the "H" part -- so driving CAN be done even with that). I have just found it cheaper for us to drive. Plus, I just like control. I don't like the idea that the airline can change times/cancel things on you at the drop of a hat. Driving also allows us to pack more stuff & let the kids run off steam and if for some odd reason have a mellt-down it isn't bothering an entire plane full of people.

I just never seem to find good airfare deals but dealing with the kids for a couple hours for security, etc.. I found even with the cost of gas plus a hotel on the way down was still cheaper.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

We have four kids (3 boys and 1 princess)
I don't reallu feel like a big family but everything is made for a family of four. although we did stay at the cabins last time and it was perfect.
We have done ther disney dinning and we were with another family so we would of paid the automatic 18% right away we expected that.
What annoys me is outisde of Disney it happends at other reseraunts where service sucks

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We fly. For us it is so much easier. I am not a fan of long car trips. If we had an RV and tons of time I would take the car trip. Otherwise we fly. Last trip it was only $1000 for all of us round trip to fly. Not that that is a small amount of money but for us it was worth it.

 

[hopeandtink]

We are a family of 6. 3 boys and one princess. Our next trip is in September and I am taking the kids without DH! We just found out last week that he can't come. I think that Disney is the perfect vacation for us. Face it, vactations are never very relaxing when there are 4 children to chase, so I would rather run around the parks with them!!