Trip planning for 14

[DeliveryNrse]

I am planning a Disneyworld vacation for group of teens (5) that will be graduating in May and some of their familes. Disneyworld was the place they picked to go after graduation. There will be a total of 14 of us with the oldest person around 50 and the youngest will be 11. I am mom of one of the seniors-DS-17 and an 11 yo son. I want to stay on property but some of the other parents want to stay at a rented house in Orlando to do this as cheaply as possibe. Advice? Most of the group have never been to the World (9). Travel agent? Dreams Unlimited? We will need to fly from Lubbock, Texas. Disney Travel? Family suite at ASM? I need all the help I can get.
Thanks in advance

 

[mumto2]

I've never rented a house, but would think the expense of renting cars would more than cancel out any savings.

Given the benefits of staying on-property (Magical Express, on-site transportation, EMH, Dining Plan Option), I would think staying on-site would be a great way to go. With on-site transportation alone, you can feel safer about letting the grads go off on their own. They wouldn't be able to do that offsite as they are too young to drive a rental car. The size of your group would also make you eligible for a Magical Gathering event - what a cool way to celebrate the occasion!

Disney has Magical Gathering consultants who can help you plan your trip - why not give them a call?

Try looking into the Value Suites and the FW cabins as well as regular rooms at the Values. I'd also recommend the dining plan - that way the food is paid for before you get down there and all you have to worry about is souveniers. If you decide on the dining plan, you definitely need to make ADRs, particularly if you want to have any meals together.

Good Luck - this is an awesome graduation present!

 

[DeliveryNrse]

Do you think the dining package is worth it? Also, the family groups are as follows: me, DH,DS1(grad),DS2(11), BFF1,BFF1DH,BFF1DD1(20),BFF1DD2(grad),BFF2,BFFDH2,BFF2DD(grad),BFF3,BFFDD(grad) and DS1's girlfriend(grad). The grads have been friends and the member of the same chuch group since they were babies. Some of the group will be on a very tight budget. DH and I are going to rent ground transprtation for the group. (My DH likes to be in control of his own destiny and if he wants to go somewhere--he wants to go and wait for no man(or bus). My thoughts right now are: stay at ASMu and the ones on a tighter budget can be on a budget and we can get a family suite or we stay at a moderate and let the rest of the group choose mod or value(but that might split up the kids and that would be traumatic). I want to do Magical Gatherings but what are the benefits? How do I do that?

DISNEY OR BUST

 

[DeliveryNrse]

Do you think the dining package is worth it? Also, the family groups are as follows: me, DH,DS1(grad),DS2(11), BFF1,BFF1DH,BFF1DD1(20),BFF1DD2(grad),BFF2,BFFDH2,BFF2DD(grad),BFF3,BFFDD(grad) and DS1's girlfriend(grad). The grads have been friends and the member of the same chuch group since they were babies. Some of the group will be on a very tight budget. DH and I are going to rent ground transprtation for the group. (My DH likes to be in control of his own destiny and if he wants to go somewhere--he wants to go and wait for no man(or bus). My thoughts right now are: stay at ASMu and the ones on a tighter budget can be on a budget and we can get a family suite or we stay at a moderate and let the rest of the group choose mod or value(but that might split up the kids and that would be traumatic). I want to do Magical Gatherings but what are the benefits? How do I do that?

DISNEY OR BUST

 

[mumto2]

For my family, DDP is worth it. YMMV. I like it because that way the food is already paid for, and there is plenty of it. We are taking my Inlaws after T-giving, and even though MIL doesn't eat a lot, I'm still booking them on the DDP because it reduces the stress when the check comes (or when ordering - she does this by looking at the price before looking at her meal choices). It helps us budget - we know once we get there that everything is paid for, we just have to have $$$ for souveniers. If you get the DDP, everyone in the room with you has to have the same package.

It isn't cheap - adds $40/night per adult (over age 10) to the tab, but allows us to eat in nice places every day for a lot less than we otherwise would. For example, on our last trip, we went to Coral Reef to celebrate our anniversary. We had crab claws and shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. DH had a NY strip. I had pan-seared Ahi Tuna. DD8 had salmon. We all had dessert that was to die for. Had we been paying for this meal out of pocket, it would have been $165. So on that meal alone, we were $75 to the good for the day on the DDP, plus that doesn't take into account the 3 snacks and 3 counter service meals. Granted, we probably would not have eaten there without the DDP, but you can see how the plan allows you to eat well for considerably less than if you were eating the same meals and paying cash.

You can get more info on Magical Gatherings by calling 407 WDW MAGIC. You can book an exclusive event (fireworks cruise, sunrise safari) for an additional fee, but an event only open to groups.

Another benefit to staying onsite is Extra Magic Hours. Depending on when you go, this can really help you beat the crowds. Last September during the day, Pirates had a 75 minute wait. That night during EMH, it was a walk-on. It also lets you have a more relaxed pace - the kids can sleep and still have plenty of time to enjoy the parks.

This trip sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, even with its challenges.