Traveling with a Large Party

[ThistleMae]

How do you plan your days with a large party and a baby? We are going to do the early morning hours, we at least agreed to that, but otherwise everyone has different needs or likes. When to eat seems impossible to plan. Some like a big breakfast. Other's want a mid-morning snack only. What has worked best for you in planning your day? Do you discuss the night before? Do you figure it out as you go? Does it get really confusing and ruin your day due to stress? I'm interested in ideas. Thank you.

 

[RoseGold]

You need to plan a couple things your group will do together. Maybe that's Remy around 1PM. Maybe it's one ADR. Maybe you'll meet for fireworks. It's OK to split the group.

 

[Christine]

How large is your group? In 2019, I went with 16 people. Most of those people had never been to WDW or had only been one time and they were more than happy to let me schedule things. I only scheduled 3 dinners where were we all went together. After that, everyone just did their own thing. I let everyone know what *I* wanted to do and if they were interested, they could join me. I was also not interested in character meals, but one family in our group with kids was interested so I helped them get into two of those.

Sounds like you're going to have to split up and do separate things here and there. Pick a few days for a "big breakast." The others can sit that out or go. On the days there is nothing planned, the breakfast eaters can make do at the resort QS.

In 2019 there was such a requirement to plan dining that we had to do it all ahead of time. But in the evenings we would do a quick discussion of what the next day looked like (it was all planned out). We'd discuss if we all wanted a change. We're an easygoing kind of crowd so there were no issues.

 

[Micca]

I agree with the splitting up of your group. If you try to tour together all day you'll spend too much time on bathroom breaks and waiting for someone to buy popcorn.

 

[_19disnA]

Most everyone who goes to Disney probably has different ideas how to spend their time. Some sleep in, others get up early to race off to one of the parks. Some enjoy sitting by the pool. At a park some might like to do rides, others want to watch shows or shop or just walk around. I think it is a mistake to thing one person can plan a Disney vacation for several others. Most adults don't want to be told by someone else how to enjoy their vacation and I doubt Disney is any different.

Good for the adults to talk before the trip about what they want to do and how to spend their time. It would be a huge mistake to not talk ahead of time and then arrive at the first park on your first day and realize everyone wants to do something different. The family with the baby will probably need to allow for nap time during the day that might not apply to the others.

Perhaps everyone can agree on a certain restaurant to meet for dinner but be on their own during the day.

 

[rigs32]

Don't expect everyone to stay together. I would not be OK missing early park time for a big breakfast I did not want. You can ride a huge chunk of MK in the first hour after opening.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Nowadays anything over five guests is considered a large party at Disney. It has become increasingly difficult to do things as a family especially sit down dining. The inability to book for a family in a two or three bedroom villa is very difficult. It must be staggered and pieced together. There is no guarantee you will even sit near one another. As a large family Disney continues to suck the fun out of our once frequent visits.

 

[JenBush]

I haven’t been on a large multigenerational family trip is about 10 years, but we used to plan one meal per day together and split up based on interests the rest of the day(not necessarily the same groups each day). We didn’t try to stay together all day because we knew that would lead to unhappy little kids waiting for big kids and adults to ride big rides and unhappy big kids/teens sitting through the Disney junior show.

 

[kdonnel]

We split up.

Trying to stay together in a big group just results in angry and disappointed people.

We meet up in various sized groups throughout the day and as a whole group for an evening meal.

 

[Boopuff]

We're only a family of 7 and we do one sit-down meal a day to connect and everyone does their own thing the rest of the time. Everyone has different ideas. Have fun

 

[nw6675]

I am stressed just thinking about it. I think kdonnel has the right idea for sure.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I agree with the others. Tell everyone that you are happy to book a few meals for the group. Then plan your own itinerary and let everyone else do the same. Definitely do not make a lot of deposits or put your credit card on things that people might cancel out on. Then you get stuck with the bill if they don't show. If you attach your credit card to group meal reservations, make it clear that there will be a charge if they cancel last minute and you will be billing them for it.

I'm a total planner but I've basically given up on doing all the work and trying to please everyone. We have a non-Disney trip coming up next week to see my son perform with a summer theater group. There are several people who expressed interest in seeing the shows with us. I booked flights and an AirBnB for my family and DS's GF. I also bought our show tickets and dinner tickets (the theater has a dining experience attached to it). Then I sent out our itinerary to everyone else, said they were welcome to join us for the shows and dinner, or book times that work for them. I did not want to be buying 12 tickets and having people cancel or want changes at the last minute. I did book a horseback trail ride for my family plus two others, but I know they won't cancel or stick me with the bill. I also included DH's brother in our tickets who is traveling in from another state. But again, I know he will reimburse us for his share. Everyone else is handling their own tickets and reservations.

 

[jdb in AZ]

It's called Divide and Conquer! Our extended family took several cruises together and we met up for dinner each night, and had one big shore excursion for the week. Other than that, each smaller family unit did their own thing.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Yeah--BTDT. We'd do the same park on the same day, and meet up for one meal per day--typically dinner, but you could do breakfast or lunch. It was a good way to get caught up with each other. Beyond that, we'd let each family/group decide if they wanted to sleep in, or hit the "bigger kid" rides, or whatever.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

How do you plan your days with a large party and a baby? We are going to do the early morning hours, we at least agreed to that, but otherwise everyone has different needs or likes. When to eat seems impossible to plan. Some like a big breakfast. Other's want a mid-morning snack only. What has worked best for you in planning your day? Do you discuss the night before? Do you figure it out as you go? Does it get really confusing and ruin your day due to stress? I'm interested in ideas. Thank you.

I go on an annual ladies trip to Disneyland each year, and there are several that like to plan in our group. Each day we all meet up for a group photo, a ride together, and then meals are set up and people choose which ones they want to go to. It's a lot of fun. Maybe you can do a modified version, where instead of each day, you do a group picture on one day. You can set up one meal a day that anyone can attend. If it's a place where you do mobile ordering, you can set up ahead of time where and what time everyone can meet.

Even with my own family (5-6), we always plan ahead, or, I plan ahead, and put together a calendar in PowerPoint or Excel with what we're going to do each day. We usually do a zoom meeting and discuss if there are any preferences and go from there. I usually give options, and if they don't know then I make the decision, and everyone goes along with it. Then I email the PowerPoint to everyone (also print it, lol), and we have the itinerary in our phones

I would not recommend figuring it out as you go. You'll end up wasting so much time with no expectations set up ahead of time. The ones that want to wing it can wing it and they'll know that they can meet up with the group at certain times: meals, parades/shows/nighttime fireworks, etc., or picture.

One of the group pics we took on our last trip




In 2019, there were 10 of us that went on a pretty big trip. Different groups had different priorities, and we decided before the trip that no one was obligated to be with the group. We picked a couple of excursions together and a few meals. It was so stress-free - wonderful trip.

 

[ThistleMae]

How large is your group? In 2019, I went with 16 people. Most of those people had never been to WDW or had only been one time and they were more than happy to let me schedule things. I only scheduled 3 dinners where were we all went together. After that, everyone just did their own thing. I let everyone know what *I* wanted to do and if they were interested, they could join me. I was also not interested in character meals, but one family in our group with kids was interested so I helped them get into two of those.

Sounds like you're going to have to split up and do separate things here and there. Pick a few days for a "big breakast." The others can sit that out or go. On the days there is nothing planned, the breakfast eaters can make do at the resort QS.

In 2019 there was such a requirement to plan dining that we had to do it all ahead of time. But in the evenings we would do a quick discussion of what the next day looked like (it was all planned out). We'd discuss if we all wanted a change. We're an easygoing kind of crowd so there were no issues.

I like the idea of planning a breakfast or two, or joining for a ride. I def. won't be at the parks in the hottest part of the day. Don't know how long they will last in the heat. So will probably plan some pool time in the afternoon. Things to think about.

 

[ThistleMae]

How large is your group? In 2019, I went with 16 people. Most of those people had never been to WDW or had only been one time and they were more than happy to let me schedule things. I only scheduled 3 dinners where were we all went together. After that, everyone just did their own thing. I let everyone know what *I* wanted to do and if they were interested, they could join me. I was also not interested in character meals, but one family in our group with kids was interested so I helped them get into two of those.

Sounds like you're going to have to split up and do separate things here and there. Pick a few days for a "big breakast." The others can sit that out or go. On the days there is nothing planned, the breakfast eaters can make do at the resort QS.

In 2019 there was such a requirement to plan dining that we had to do it all ahead of time. But in the evenings we would do a quick discussion of what the next day looked like (it was all planned out). We'd discuss if we all wanted a change. We're an easygoing kind of crowd so there were no issues.

We are 8 adults and a one year old.

 

[ThistleMae]

Nowadays anything over five guests is considered a large party at Disney. It has become increasingly difficult to do things as a family especially sit down dining. The inability to book for a family in a two or three bedroom villa is very difficult. It must be staggered and pieced together. There is no guarantee you will even sit near one another. As a large family Disney continues to suck the fun out of our once frequent visits.

Yes, we have had the dinning issue and have to sit at tables next to each other. The room thing is always an issue, such as I have to pay for an entire room with no family member to share costs. More expensive for me to go now.

 

[China Expat]

Highly recommend letting people go off and do their own thing. Maybe do a daily meet up.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We did a Land/Sea Disney vacation with a group of 30, with ages ranging from toddler to elderly. Like others have said, we mostly split up, but met later by the pool, for some meals, occasionally in the parks, and a had water park day with everyone. On the ship we had meals, beach and party time together; kids went in the clubs together and adults went to Palo together, etc. One of my favorite trips ever - everyone got along well and did what they wanted to do with no pressure.