Planning extended family trip...

[moviegoer]

I am in the early stage of gathering info for a family trip that could be for as many as 30 people. Children and adults ages 4-73.

I have stayed at All- Star Movies and it was perfect for our family and budget, but I am wondering if there are other options that would be better for a group this size. Staying off property is also a consideration.

Any tips you have on planning for a group this size would be greatly appreciated.

PS- I have some family in Florida if I can get them to go, which would help with the discounts they get.

 

[kdibattista]

I am also taking a family trip this December but not that many people. A couple of things to consider - do you all want your own space? If so, I recommend staying at a hotel with different rooms (that's what we are doing... AKL!!!). If you are okay with sharing space, I would recommend either vacation homes offsite, or maybe one of the DVC properties (1 bd, 2 bd, 3bd places). The vacation home would definitely be cheaper plus you can only book the DVC properties 6 months in advance if you are a non-member (unless you rent points from someone - check out the board). We have gone with family before and the bottom line is that you can't make everyone happy. I would let everyone make their own choice so they don't feel pressured into doing anything. If they feel pressured, they won't have a good time and will make your trip miserable.

We have myself, DH, sister, her DH, other DS, brother and mom & dad. We all have separate rooms and plan on getting together this summer to go over who wants to do what. We do not plan on spending every minute with each other. Maybe a few meals, a few days together, golf, etc. We did a trip last year with another couple and it was NOT fun. They wanted to be tied to us every step of the way and resentment started. Just remember this is just as much your vacation as it is theirs.

Have fun!!!

 

[Gillian]

With that many people, I think I'd stick to onsite. Reason? people will want/need to split up & do different things, and the onsite transportation gives you flexibility. I have no problem staying offsite, so it's more a practical issue than a magic vs no magic one.

To make things easier when the group is meeting, I'd look for a compact resort. WL & AKL come to mind. Good discounts are often offered at both of these hotels. The moderates are very large, and you could end up with people all over the place, which would be inconvenient. I have not yet stayed at the all-stars, but they look smaller than the mods. If that's the case, one of them would work out well.

Vacation homes can be great, but to get all those people around, you'll need a lot of rental cars. 4 minivans and a car. or 4 full size vans. Or a whole bunch of cars. You get the idea! But they are great for the budget otherwise.

As suggested, I'd plan several group events. Make some required (like 1-2 special dinners) and others optional (like a water park day). Have some free days planned for hanging out at the pool.

 

[zurgswife]

I did this 6 years ago for a family group(26). We stayed at the CBR which was wonderful because we had a block of rooms that surrounded a courtyard. So, each familiy had there own room or rooms but if we needed to or wanted to there was a courtyard with chairs to gather and a certain sense of privacy.

 

[Gillian]

zurgswife, did you do anything special to get the rooms all together? CBR is a nice resort, but so large!

 

[zurgswife]

We booked them through group sales...which at first sounded like a great idea....they would be there for support if we had any problems...well, we had a fiasco and it happened on New year day and we couldn't get hold of anybody....So, paying rack rate didn't really give us any perks...

So, I would check with CRO to see how many ressies you can link together...I'd explain that it is a family reunion when you call and see what they can do....Even if you were the same section and not totally together like we were the central meeting area was really nice for us...we were there in December and even with so-so weather we all found time to get together there..

 

[Janet2k]

I have taken (and planned) group vacations a few times and they have all been wonderful. For the smaller group vacations, I have booked suites or villas (I love the togetherness they give). For some of the vacations, we’ve all been in the same resort, but for others, we’ve been in different resorts. WDW’s transportation is great, so it doesn’t matter where everyone lays their head at night. I don’t plan a lot of structured group activities, however, I always plan at least a few group dining functions, most notably the Polynesian Luau and the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (everyone’s two favorite group dining experiences).

 

[LvsTnk]

Just as an example of transportation, some of my family was staying at BWI over Christmas but my Dad wanted POR. We would call each other when we were ready to walk to the bus and every time our bus would pull up to the park together.