Two adults and 8 teens! Where do I look for help?

[auburngirl409]

My husband and I were just asked today if we would be responsible for taking 8 juniors and seniors from our church to DW in February!
They have been raising money through fundraisers and have a few more planned as well.
I need planning help! We've taken our family before, but never this many people. I want to get the best trip and put their money to the best possible use.
Our dates are tentatively Feb. 3-10.
Where should I start? Any tips on ways to save money, where to stay, where to eat, etc???
Thanks in advance!

 

[Robo]

Quoted below is this poster's first message on the DISboards.
It is from back in May of this year.
It concerns a proposed WDW trip that is of nearly the same timeframe as the question
in the current post.
Even though many thoughtful replies (HERE) were offered in May from those on the board,
it is worth noting that the OP never once even replied to any of them.

Hi! We are a family of 9. DH and I and 7 kiddos ages 16 down to two year old twins.
We are tossing around the idea of a trip to DW this December or January. I need all the best tips on saving money, staying off site vs on site, parking(because we will probably be driving to the parks), etc.

Our stay will be about a week.
We haven't been in several year, and the last time we went, we stayed on site with free dining.
I'm not thinking that is an option now that we have two more kids and no other adults going with us.(to strategically put kids/adults in rooms)
We will be driving, so info on parking at the parks will also be helpful!
We aren't ones who generally take a break from the parks during the day and we don't enjoy park hopping.
I know this is scattered, but it all seems so overwhelming right now! Any help will be appreciated!

 

[DisneyOma]

My husband and I were just asked today if we would be responsible for taking 8 juniors and seniors from our church to DW in February!
They have been raising money through fundraisers and have a few more planned as well.
I need planning help! We've taken our family before, but never this many people. I want to get the best trip and put their money to the best possible use.
Our dates are tentatively Feb. 3-10.
Where should I start? Any tips on ways to save money, where to stay, where to eat, etc???
Thanks in advance!

You need to decide onsite or offsite. Offsite might save money, onsite may provide better transportation to the parks from your resort.

Are you all flying down together, driving, etc?

To save money, bring breakfast things to have in the room. Eat at counter service only.

Are the students all the same gender? How will you split them up into rooms? Do you need rooms for 5 boys and 3 girls or...?

 

[BigredNole]

This poses a problem you will need to contend with. That is 10 people which to me would require 3 Disney rooms unless you are going the insanely expensive route of 2BR DVC units. The person that the reservation is under needs to have a credit card. Yes, you can do the less than scrupulous option of booking the rooms under the adults name's and checking in, then letting the teens have their own rooms. This would put 4 teens in each room and then the adults can have their own.

For a FAR more cost effective method, I would stay offsite, utilize Uber/Lyft, and save a ton. I would target WBC or Sheraton Vistana. Lots to do at the resort and Uber trips aren't that expensive if split 4 ways. High level estimate, you are looking at $150/nt per room for a Value resort. A 4BR at WBC may run about $2000 for 7 nights which is half of a Value room and 10x nicer.

 

[mjkacmom]

This poses a problem you will need to contend with. That is 10 people which to me would require 3 Disney rooms unless you are going the insanely expensive route of 2BR DVC units. The person that the reservation is under needs to have a credit card. Yes, you can do the less than scrupulous option of booking the rooms under the adults name's and checking in, then letting the teens have their own rooms. This would put 4 teens in each room and then the adults can have their own.

For a FAR more cost effective method, I would stay offsite, utilize Uber/Lyft, and save a ton. I would target WBC or Sheraton Vistana. Lots to do at the resort and Uber trips aren't that expensive if split 4 ways. High level estimate, you are looking at $150/nt per room for a Value resort. A 4BR at WBC may run about $2000 for 7 nights which is half of a Value room and 10x nicer.

Why is that unscrupulous? Our choirs take a trip every year, 4 kids to a room, starting in 7th grade. Staying onsite would be much easier, especially with dividing costs.

 

[Karin1984]

With this title my first thought was: a bottle of wine.

It depends all on budget. What did you book already? The trip is less then 4 months away.
Are the parents comfortable with kids being without adult supervision at night if you can 't get 2 rooms for 5 people or 1 room for 10 people?

 

[auburngirl409]

P

Quoted below is this poster's first message on the DISboards.
It is from back in May of this year.
It concerns a proposed WDW trip that is of nearly the same timeframe as the question
in the current post.
Even though many thoughtful replies (HERE) were offered in May from those on the board,
it is worth noting that the OP never once even replied to any of them.

I'll reply to this first since it seems to be an "issue". I can understand how my asking questions about two trips that are "nearly" the same could be concerning. But, it's really not!
Here's the scoop...Yes, we were planning on taking our family of nine to DW in the near future. But, we changed our minds! We've decided to go somewhere else and be able to visit family while we're gone. I think that's allowed!
And the part about my question being "nearly the same" is the very reason I wanted to post a new question. Nearly the same isn't the same and there are things about this trip that I feel would change the answers I receive. (things like ages of people going with us, genders of people going with us causing rooming logistics to be different,etc)
So, I'd love to hear what people who are more experienced with DW than I am would tell me even though my posts may be somewhat similar...

 

[patty57]

P

?

 

[auburngirl409]

You need to decide onsite or offsite. Offsite might save money, onsite may provide better transportation to the parks from your resort.

Are you all flying down together, driving, etc?

To save money, bring breakfast things to have in the room. Eat at counter service only.

Are the students all the same gender? How will you split them up into rooms? Do you need rooms for 5 boys and 3 girls or...?

Thanks for your reply! I agree with needing to decide off site vs on site. I like the idea of on site because of transportation to and from the parks. But, if someone who has stayed off site before can give me good advice and assure me that getting to the parks wouldn't be a nightmare, I'd certainly listen!
We will be driving down together.
It will be five girls and three boys (plus dh and I) going.
I don't enjoy the thoughts of having a room with girls in it without an adult, but if we could have adjoining rooms, I would be okay. Our initial thought was to have my husband and the boys in a room and me and the girls in a room/rooms.

 

[Darbie]

?

Her reply is within Robo’s quote.

 

[hllb]

Look for agency exclusive deals. Google it and you'll find the agency that has them. Great deals on standard rooms!

 

[auburngirl409]

?

I tried to reply to the post about my having posted a very similar question back in may, but for some reason it didn't post...

 

[auburngirl409]

Her reply is within Robo’s quote.

Yeah, sorry about that!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks for your reply! I agree with needing to decide off site vs on site. I like the idea of on site because of transportation to and from the parks. But, if someone who has stayed off site before can give me good advice and assure me that getting to the parks wouldn't be a nightmare, I'd certainly listen!
We will be driving down together.
It will be five girls and three boys (plus dh and I) going.
I don't enjoy the thoughts of having a room with girls in it without an adult, but if we could have adjoining rooms, I would be okay. Our initial thought was to have my husband and the boys in a room and me and the girls in a room/rooms.

Ok, I have an easy peasy answer, LOL! Stay at All-Star Music. You and the five girls can share a family suite and your DH and the boys should book a preferred room (so that you will be placed in the same area of the resort). When you book, call in your request to have the reservations linked and ask for adjoining rooms. This will most likely be the most cost effective way to stay on-property and assure the kids are supervised in the rooms.

I would suggest purchasing a dining plan so that everything is paid for upfront (either the QS or regular DDP depending on budget) and you won't have to keep track of cash, etc. when dining on the trip. I would probably also just book base tickets to keep costs down.

There is a Stay, Play and Dine offer out right now that covers February, so you may want to check what is available. If that isn't offered for your dates, to cut costs, you could also book room + dining (called a "ticketless package") which you have to call in and see if you can get a better deal on tickets through a third-party discounter like Undercover Tourist.

 

[auburngirl409]

Ok, I have an easy peasy answer, LOL! Stay at All-Star Music. You and the five girls can share a family suite and your DH and the boys should book a preferred room (so that you will be placed in the same area of the resort). When you book, call in your request to have the reservations linked and ask for adjoining rooms. This will most likely be the most cost effective way to stay on-property and assure the kids are supervised in the rooms.

I would suggest purchasing a dining plan so that everything is paid for upfront (either the QS or regular DDP depending on budget) and you won't have to keep track of cash, etc. when dining on the trip. I would probably also just book base tickets to keep costs down.

There is a Stay, Play and Dine offer out right now that covers February, so you may want to check what is available. If that isn't offered for your dates, to cut costs, you could also book room + dining (called a "ticketless package") which you have to call in and see if you can get a better deal on tickets through a third-party discounter like Undercover Tourist.

Thank you!!! This is what I'm needing! I am a total beginner at DW planning!

 

[KrazeeK120]

Ok, I have an easy peasy answer, LOL! Stay at All-Star Music. You and the five girls can share a family suite and your DH and the boys should book a preferred room (so that you will be placed in the same area of the resort). When you book, call in your request to have the reservations linked and ask for adjoining rooms. This will most likely be the most cost effective way to stay on-property and assure the kids are supervised in the rooms.

I would suggest purchasing a dining plan so that everything is paid for upfront (either the QS or regular DDP depending on budget) and you won't have to keep track of cash, etc. when dining on the trip. I would probably also just book base tickets to keep costs down.

There is a Stay, Play and Dine offer out right now that covers February, so you may want to check what is available. If that isn't offered for your dates, to cut costs, you could also book room + dining (called a "ticketless package") which you have to call in and see if you can get a better deal on tickets through a third-party discounter like Undercover Tourist.

I like this answer. I believe Disney requires an adult (18+) in each room, unless it’s booked as some sort of group (sports team, etc.). This solution would be in line with Disney’s requirements.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thank you!!! This is what I'm needing! I am a total beginner at DW planning!

The only potential issue I see with my own answer, though, is you and DH would have to share a bed with one of the kids if you go this route. If you do end up booking this, you might want to consider bringing two twin air mattresses so everyone has their own bedding.

 

[hiroMYhero]

@auburngirl409 ~ @subtchr oversees large groups who visit WDW and she has a lot of Room, Ticket and FP tips for onsite stays. You don’t have enough posts to PM her but she’ll stop by.

If you are considering an offsite stay, this Board has reviews:
https://www.disboards.com/forums/orlando-hotels-and-attractions.15/

We stayed at Marriott’s Cypress Harbour last month in a 2-bedroom 1300 sq. foot villa. Deluxe accommodations and amazing master suite, full-size washer and dryer, sofa beds, and 3 large-screen TVs. It was really close to the I4 and a 10-minute drive to Epcot and DHS. Nice pools, a 24-hour gym, and Starbucks. I believe their best rates are around $230 or so a night.

 

[subtchr]

Why is that unscrupulous? Our choirs take a trip every year, 4 kids to a room, starting in 7th grade. Staying onsite would be much easier, especially with dividing costs.

It's because your choirs book through the Disney Youth Group folks. They have different policies. If the OP is interested in booking through them, here is the link: DISNEY YOUTH PROGRAMS

Otherwise, the minimum age required to book a Walt Disney World resort room reservation is 18 and older. Also required is a credit card in the reservation holder's name.

For the OP, I also think it would be best to look offsite, although the family suite/regular room combo would work (with a couple of air mattresses and an openness to be a bit cramped!).

 

[patty57]

Her reply is within Robo’s quote.

Thank you. I missed that.