Planning a Trip With Extended Family

[MIGrandma]

I've been to WDW a few times but always with just one other person. A few trips with DH, one trip with my Mom, and one trip with our DD.

The trip with DD was last September, she had never been to WDW before and she loved it, so now we are in the planning stages of going next January. It will be our DD and her DH and their two kids (ages 6 and 9) plus they have asked DH and myself, and her DH's parents to go as well so there will be 8 of us.

We are planning to stay at Port Orleans for 9 nights. I have always done the reserving of the room myself, but not sure about this time as we will be needing 3 rooms.

The grandchildren want 3 rooms together, with them in the middle room and grandparents in a room on either side.

So, my question is for those of you who have booked multiple rooms at WDW, would it be better for each of us to make our own separate reservation, or should ONE of us call to make the reservation, using credit cards for each separate family?

I'm thinking it might be better to let ONE person do it, so we would all be on the same flight. If we all call at separate times we may not make the same flight I would think. But I'd like to know what others have done in this situation, thanks.

 

[ajwolfe]

We are going with family in May. We each booked our trips seperately with our own credit card, but then had the CM connect the two reservations after the fact. However, they did warn that we may not be right next to each other for rooms. This isn't a big issue for us as long as we are near each other.
I'm not sure if it would make any difference if you were to book all at once on them keeping the rooms together or not.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I usually book all the rooms to make sure we get the same rates. Then everyone pays with their own credit card. It seems easier to us.

 

[MIGrandma]

I usually book all the rooms to make sure we get the same rates. Then everyone pays with their own credit card. It seems easier to us.

Are you able to get rooms side by side that way?

Our grandchildren would like grandparents on either side of their room. It certainly wouldn't be a terrible thing if that didn't happen, but if we can make it happen they would like it.

 

[chirodoc78]

Have you considered staying at a Villa? You could probably get everyone in a two bedroom villa OR consider renting DVC points and doing a 3 bedroom grand villa so that each individual family unit has their own room, but everyone is in the same villa. I am currently researching this option for our extended family of 10...and finding that it is a really doable option for us.

 

[teacup princess]

I booked and put a deposit on each of our rooms. Then they cut me a check for the deposit and paid off the rest of the bill on their own. We did it this way so that everyone could take advantage of the early discount for disney cardholders.

 

[MIGrandma]

Have you considered staying at a Villa? You could probably get everyone in a two bedroom villa OR consider renting DVC points and doing a 3 bedroom grand villa so that each individual family unit has their own room, but everyone is in the same villa. I am currently researching this option for our extended family of 10...and finding that it is a really doable option for us.

We did discuss something like that, but we really like Port Orleans and that is where DD wants to stay.

I booked and put a deposit on each of our rooms. Then they cut me a check for the deposit and paid off the rest of the bill on their own. We did it this way so that everyone could take advantage of the early discount for disney cardholders.

We'll probably go ahead and do it this way.