Tips/Advice for party of 13...?!

[TeaForTulips]

We decided to take my niece and nephew to Disney World. My family is in love with all things Disney. We are all super excited to take the kiddos for the first time. I usually cry to even think about it. SO excited!

Anywho... to my concern: The trip has exploded to include a total of 13 friends and family. 10 adults, and 3 children.

4 adults in 50-60s
6 adults in 25-35s
3 children 2-5 years

5 of us adults have been to Disney recently or enough to "know the ropes", but I am super nervous having such a big group that its going to stress me out.

I don't forsee the entire group being able to sit together at any of the table service restaurants... I never really paid attention though to the capabilities of it. I've never been when there was anything more than 6 people on our trips. I have nervous thoughts that it just cannot be a smooth trip with that many people...

Can anyone settle my nerves? Does anyone have any tips or advice on planning or going with such a big group of mixed people?

Thanks!

 

[dallastxcpa]

Relax. It is a lot of work to go with that many people. However, you will have a lot of wonderful memories too.

Plan to do some things together but build in time for everyone to do their own thing too.

As far as seating at table service there are restaurants that will be able to accomodate you. Ohana's, Biergarten, we have even ate at Crystal Palace as a big group. We weren't all at the same table but our tables were grouped together. You will have to call group dining for any reservation since your party is so big.

Last, when I go with a big group I usually give everyone a loose itenarary. For example on Monday we are going to Magic Kingdom, rope drop is at ....

Best of luck in your planning.

 

[thewesterberg]

Last summer we had a group of 15 friends go together (4 families). There were 9 adults and six kids ranging in age from 2-13yrs. We had all been to WDW before, but on our own. A year and a half before our trip, when we had the brainstorm to do this, we all went to the Wisconsin Dells for a long weekend to see how we would travel together. We all came home liking one another, so we decided to go forward with the WDW trip.

Advice?
We ended up picking a Park of the Day, based off of TGM. Now people were free to come and go to that park or others, but we tried being together for part of the day. Some people had park hoppers, others didn't. We were the family that didn't get hoppers and I honestly don't think anyone else used their hoppers. We were very clear on the fact that we didn't always have to stick together. Some of the time we did, other times we split up into different configurations. I knew my family needed a day to chill at the resort and swim. We did that while the others went for an extra day at MK. in the mornings we gave a rough estimate of when we'd take off (3 families stayed at AKV, 1 family at POR). Often times those of us at AKV ended up on the same bus without trying. Then we'd meet the other family at the park.

We met ahead of time and worked out ADRs. We all did the Dining Plan, so we knew we'd have one TS meal a day together. We all weighed in about where we liked and went from there. Then I called and made ADRs for all 15 of us. WE got every restaurant we wanted as we were flexible with our times.

We ended up at
1900 Park Fare (split into 2 tables, right next to each other)
Ohana (one table)
Coral Reef (split into 2 tables, kittycorner from one another)
Prime Time (one table)
Boma (one table)

Then there were 2 meals where there were 10 of us - one family had to go home earlier because they had moved out of state and their new school started earlier.
Yahtman's Steakhouse (one table)
Le Cellier (2 tables pretty close together)

The biggest thing though that we stressed over and over was being okay with not always being in a big group. Those times that we were, we had tons of fun... filling up our own boat on it's a small world and Gran Fiesta Tour, having a car to ourselves on Journey Into Imagination, mixing up our families and riding with others... Good memories.

But with sticking together came some headaches. 15 people is a lot to keep together. And bathrooms. We'd stop, half the people would use the bathroom while the others waited. I'd swear we'd walk 10 feet, and someone that didn't go would have to go! We'd have to wait again. The day that sticks in my mind is stopping in Mexico for a bathroom break after the ride, and then having to stop again in Norway before we did anything!

But without a moment's hesitation, I would travel down there again with all of them. We're going this December with my parents, sister and her husband. We're already going into it with the same mindset - although it's sometimes harder with family than friends! We'll see!

If there's anything else you'd like to know, ask away!

 

[okeydokey]

When we travel with a group we are clear that we don't need to spend every minute together. Some of us like thrill rides, done don't. Some get up at dawn, some don't. Nobody gets mad if a couple or family wants to do something different but we still see each other plenty.

 

[MN Disneyfan]

I agree with planning to go to a certain park each day but not all hanging out together. You won't get much done if you were all together with everyone wanting to eat at different times, do different stuff, etc.

We went as a group of 20 last fall and it was fun and we have a lot of great memories. But it was definitely frustrating at times too--waiting on others, etc. My mother-in-law was tearing up at one point because she assumed that we would all be together at all times so she was torn on who to go with when we all went our separate ways.

So for the most part we did our own thing but met up for a couple ADR's and parades and at the hotel and boardwalk.