Have you raved about Walt Disney World so much that your entire extended family has decided to come on your next trip? Are you planning a girls’ weekend for a dozen of your best friends? Traveling to Disney with a large group is quite different than your typical trip. However, with some careful planning, it can be just as successful!
Know Your Audience and Their Priorities
Are you traveling with small children who may need a mid-day break? Or with grandparents who need to take it at a slower pace? Teens who want to park hop from rope drop to fireworks? Take all of these factors into consideration, and understand that splitting up at some point during the trip may be necessary to maximize everyone’s needs, wants, and fun!
If you’re traveling with a group of friends, you may assume that you’ll all want the same thing. But you’ll find that ideas of “doing Disney” can wildly vary! Some friends may want to relax with a cocktail by the pool, while others are itching to spend the entire day at the park. Remember that just because you’re on vacation together doesn’t mean that every moment has to be spent together!
Find out must-do’s for each member of the party. Whether it’s a restaurant, a ride, shopping, or a specific character that they want to meet, everyone usually has something that they absolutely can’t miss. Knowing what everyone hopes to get out of their vacation will help you be a more efficient planner. If you know that Aunt Sarah is dreaming of spending a child-free evening drinking around the world, you’ll be able to figure out logistics in advance!
It will also be helpful to know what people don’t want to do. For example, if Grandma wants nothing to do with rollercoasters and Uncle Bob refuses to go shopping, you can plan accordingly to keep everyone happy. You should also find out if there are any allergies in your group. You don’t want to plan a seafood dinner if someone has a serious shellfish allergy!
If this is your family’s first trip and you aren’t sure what there is to do or what activities might be enjoyed by the various age groups, proceed directly to Tip #2, and then return to this one after some research is done.
Do Your Research!
Even if you’re a seasoned Walt Disney World veteran, you will still want to do a little research. Check crowd levels for your visit (my favorite sites for this are Touring Plans and Character Locator, but note that getting the most out of these sites requires a paid subscription) to see which park is ideal for each day, what the park hours are, and which parks have Extra Magic Hours. Check to see if any rides are under refurbishment – there’s nothing quite as sad as showing up at Splash Mountain, only to find out it’s going to be closed for the next month.
If this is your first trip, then I suggest getting a book that will outline every attraction and give you lots of helpful hints for guests of every age to get the most enjoyment out of their trip. I started with The Unofficial Guide and found it immensely helpful for my first trip! I also delved into any podcast I could find about trip planning, attractions, and WDW in general. There are also tons of ride videos on YouTube – these are a lot of fun to watch (for both kids and adults!) when prepping for a trip.
Be Ready to Make ADRs and Fast Passes!
Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) can be made 180 days in advance. That may sound like a ridiculously early time, but believe me when I say that the most in-demand restaurants fill up FAST.
If you’re not sure where to begin with choosing restaurants, menus can be found online at both the Walt Disney World site and Allears. The aforementioned books also offer lots of info regarding dining. If your party is extremely large, you may consider breaking into two groups for an easier time getting reservations.
If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you may make FastPasses 60 days prior to check in. Those staying off property may make their selections at 30 days. Important reminder: in order to make a FastPass, each member of your party must have a valid park ticket! You may want to set reminders for anyone who is waiting until the last minute to purchase their ticket. With exceptionally long wait times for the new rides in Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and with the opening of the new Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of this month, FastPasses are more important than ever!
Set Expectations
Once you’ve done your research and your plans have been made, you will want to communicate those plans to the rest of the group. Some people make spreadsheets (see Jacqueline’s easy and helpful spreadsheet here!), and some people create itineraries complete with photos and helpful hints. Others prefer to be more laid back and just rely on the My Disney Experience app.
If you’re expecting everyone in your party to be up and ready to make it to rope drop, let them know in advance! The more prepared everyone is before arrival, the more smoothly the trip will run. If you have less experienced travelers, let them know that they can expect lots of walking and need to wear appropriate footwear. Help them create a packing list, discuss dining plans, crowds, and weather. If you aren’t using a Disney Dining Plan and will be paying out-of-pocket for dining, make sure all members of your party are aware of those costs.
Be Willing to Compromise
Things can change quickly – someone may decide they’re too tired to continue at your pace, or they want to go somewhere different than you’d planned, or maybe they just don’t want to pose for the 27th PhotoPass magic shot of the day! Just remember that it’s okay to alter your plans or even cancel a reservation if need be (but do note that it needs to be canceled by 11:59pm the day prior to the reservation to avoid a fee).
There will always be things you cannot control, such as crowds, weather, and long lines. If your family is hot and tired and would rather go back to the resort to relax and recharge at the pool, be willing to divert from your schedule for a break. A little R&R might be just what they need to go full speed the next day! FastPasses can be modified in the app (if a later time is available), and standing in lines will be a lot more fun if everyone is happy!
Planning a trip for a crowd can be intimidating, especially if you’re the one in charge of all the details! But with proper planning and the right attitude, it can be an unforgettable trip! Pack your patience, and remember that if all else fails, you can head to Epcot and drown your Disney sorrows in delicious margaritas!