Where do I even start?

[Tara0908]

I haven't been to Disney for probably 20 or so years...my in-laws bought the entire family a trip to Disney for the last week in January of 2015...I have been given the duty of making the itinerary and was directed to this site by friends...I have no idea where to begin...but I love doing this type of thing...there is a lot of useful info on this site, I just don't know where to start...any tips, recommendations, etc would be greatly appreciated...ages of children going will be 6, 6, 4, 3, and 2 plus 8 adults...I realize we most definitly won't be doing everything together...it's just very overwhelming right now skimming through everything...

Where we are staying is not set in stone yet but is looking like Orange Lake Resort... I do know we would like to do 2 character meals, probably breakfasts and are getting the 5 day pass with park hopper...but other than that I am a clean slate with a lot of work ahead of me!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

It can be overwhelming but planning is half the fun. I would highly recommend (if within budget) to stay at a WDW resort. I don't know how magic bands and FP+ stands for those staying off site and even so, a lot can change now to Jan. 2015. This forum is full of a lot of great information and you can also go to the official WDW website. Read about the restaurants, attractions, rides, activities, resorts, MDE, etc. If you haven't started looking at airfare (if flying) I would do so now. If you need a rental car, start checking rates. I don't know if the water parks will be open in January, but that's always a must do for us.

 

[MandiC]

I have lots I could say but I'll come back wdwprepschool.com is what helped me a lot when I first started planning

 

[jezebel73]

I would say there are two approaches to planning: either start with schedules for the parks, decide where you want to go and plan around that. Or you chose the meals that are important and let that dictate where you go for the day.

You're starting out early, so either way is an option. Planning sites like this one (and others) will show you park hours from this past January to get an idea of your options (of course it is not always the same year to year, just a base to go by!). Keep in mind that you can make dining reservations as soon as July (180 days before), so you really aren't as early as you think!

 

[kbonner]

I like breakfast for the character meals. Since you are going in January you won't need that longer midday lunch break from the heat. Cinderella's Royal Table (CRT) is good, but not necessary. If you want princesses, I would suggest CRT or Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. If you want the main characters, I would suggest Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) or Donald's Sunrise Safari at the Tusker House.

Since you are staying off-site I would prepare to spend the whole day in the parks vs going back to hotel for a midday break.

I would talk with everyone and find out which parks/attractions everyone wants to see and plan out days/parks accordingly. The park hopper is going to add some flexibility for a split group. Just be mindful about this when making dining reservations.

 

[ajwolfe]

I would start with having a discussion with everyone and finding out what they really want to do and what they don't care to do.
Then I would work on figuring out what day for each park (based on the operating hours) and how many days for each based on what your family indicated in the discussion.
Then after you have an agenda set I would plug dining in to those days. This always works best for us because then we can plan to eat closest to the park we will be in or in that park.
Finally I would work on putting parades, fireworks, special activities and FP+ into your plan.
Usually I type mine out in an excel spreadsheet by day to help keep us organized. And then you will be able to give a copy fo everyone going with, so everyone knows the plan.
Hope this helps!!

 

[mm1971]

I haven't been to Disney for probably 20 or so years...my in-laws bought the entire family a trip to Disney for the last week in January of 2015...I have been given the duty of making the itinerary and was directed to this site by friends...I have no idea where to begin...but I love doing this type of thing...there is a lot of useful info on this site, I just don't know where to start...any tips, recommendations, etc would be greatly appreciated...ages of children going will be 6, 6, 4, 3, and 2 plus 8 adults...I realize we most definitly won't be doing everything together...it's just very overwhelming right now skimming through everything...

Where we are staying is not set in stone yet but is looking like Orange Lake Resort... I do know we would like to do 2 character meals, probably breakfasts and are getting the 5 day pass with park hopper...but other than that I am a clean slate with a lot of work ahead of me!

For the 2 character Breakfast meals, it really depends on what characters they like. I would say:

1) Chef Mickeys (Fab 5)
2) Crystal Palace (Pooh and Friends)

3) O'Hana is nice as well with Lilo and Stitch.

As a starting place, I would suggest having a get together and go over the attractions. Try to get an idea of the 2 or 3 must do's for everyone in each park. That will allow you to choose how many park days at each and a touring strategy based on the attraction locations.

With a large group, you'll want to plan any group meals ahead and make ADR's as soon as possible. Staying off property, it is a little tougher to get the ADR's normally but in January you may be OK.

Good luck. We have taken a couple of large group trips. It's a lot of fun to spend time together. Just make sure you build in a little extra time to get things done. It always takes a little longer the more people you have.

Most Important: HAVE FUN!