Planning June 2022 for 9 to 11 people

Penny McMouse

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
My sister and I will be combining our families for a mega trip in 2022. This will likely be the ONLY family trip to Disney for her household. I told her I'd do all the planning and work (I love the planning) if they'll save up for the 5 of them.

Are there any good guides out there for traversing the parks in such a large group? The oldest "kids" will be 23 and youngest 10. The reason its 9 to 11 people is to account for the possibility of my DD or DN, both currently 20, settling down and adding to the family.

Also, what is your favorite Disney fact? My plan is to send her a fact every payday along with the balance of her Disney savings after she adds to it. Keeping her and her husband motivated to save for the next couple years will probably be the hardest part of the job.
 
I've planned many, many trips for our big family group. Last year, we had 12, but there are many that were larger. I've learned some lessons along the way. My first suggestion is to drop the idea that you'll be "traversing the parks in such a large group." If you all decide to stay together, that's a great plus! But insisting on it will only bring you heartache...

Before we go:
1. I also love the planning! So I make a great plan. Dining reservations, Fastpasses and which attractions to visit in what order are all planned out ahead of time. For newbies traveling with us, the more detail the better.
2. I build anticipation with a Facebook event page. I poll the group, send information about attractions and dining, and usually include a schedule for watching Disney movies (Disney movie of the week!)
3. I create a GroupMe chat. Great, great way to contact the whole group at once and invaluable once we get to the parks.
3. I usually create a booklet with everything from our flights (or driving routes) to daily schedules to a list of reservations and give one to each person. They have become great keepsakes. If you're not inclined to do that, then just make sure the schedule is easily accessible digitally. Make sure everyone knows how to access it.
4. I used to make us family t-shirts and that is still fun, but last time I ordered personalized cinchbags for everyone. To my surprise, they all used them to carry their stuff while in the parks. The date and "name" of our vacation was on each bag and I kept the cost down by putting names on them myself. I also put in a few items for each person to use in the parks, including a portable phone charger. The blue bags and white lettering helped us identify each other from afar while in the parks!

Once there:
1. Because our group is now older, I let everyone do their own thing. I make the plan, publish it to the group, but I don't force it. If someone wants to sleep in, I can explain what they'll miss, but I let them guide their own vacation. It's their choice whether or not to stay with "the group" - but usually they do.
2. I don't make myself responsible for everyone's happiness. I try to give them as much information as possible to make their own decisions. But if they are late for something and miss out - not my problem.
3. I plan one meal a day that I ask everyone to attend - since they aren't "required" to do anything else, this is usually something they like.
4. I use GroupMe to communicate with everyone in the group at once while we're in the parks.
5. Each evening. I send a GroupMe with the events for the next day. The park we're visiting, what time to meet up in the morning, where we'll be eating, etc. Again, I'm only responsible for making the information available. I let each person decide what they'll do with it.
6. If people do NOT plan to follow the plan for the day, I ask them to let me know so the rest of us aren't trying to wait on someone who's not going to show up...
7. If you plan to share the cost of meals (or anything else), get and get familiar with an expense-splitting app like Splitwise and Plates. They aren't perfect, but they help. Keep up with it each day and insist on quick reimbursement. Don't let it slide or it can be the source of some bad feelings.

Observations:
1. It usually only takes one day of missing out on a great ride that needed to be done early (to miss the long lines) for the members of our group to "get" why I did such extensive planning - and they're usually be right there with us the next time.
2. Having one meal together a day means we are able to see each other's faces and enjoy each other's company at least once a day, and it's usually a welcome respite.
3. Our trips with people who have never been to the parks before usually start with everyone pretty much following the schedule the first day at each park. If we visit a park a second time, they tend pick and choose which parts of the plan they want to follow.
4. Once, I did not plan out a 2nd day at the parks, even though we were visiting them twice. After seeing how it works, and understanding the plan was a good idea, my group was disappointed to not have a "2nd day" plan. So now I do one in case someone wants to use it.
5. Not making myself responsible for the happiness of others, or their choice of schedule, has made my life MUCH easier and our vacations much more enjoyable for me.

Hope this helps a little. Have a great, great time!
 
I've planned many, many trips for our big family group. Last year, we had 12, but there are many that were larger. I've learned some lessons along the way. My first suggestion is to drop the idea that you'll be "traversing the parks in such a large group." If you all decide to stay together, that's a great plus! But insisting on it will only bring you heartache...

Before we go:
1. I also love the planning! So I make a great plan. Dining reservations, Fastpasses and which attractions to visit in what order are all planned out ahead of time. For newbies traveling with us, the more detail the better.
2. I build anticipation with a Facebook event page. I poll the group, send information about attractions and dining, and usually include a schedule for watching Disney movies (Disney movie of the week!)
3. I create a GroupMe chat. Great, great way to contact the whole group at once and invaluable once we get to the parks.
3. I usually create a booklet with everything from our flights (or driving routes) to daily schedules to a list of reservations and give one to each person. They have become great keepsakes. If you're not inclined to do that, then just make sure the schedule is easily accessible digitally. Make sure everyone knows how to access it.
4. I used to make us family t-shirts and that is still fun, but last time I ordered personalized cinchbags for everyone. To my surprise, they all used them to carry their stuff while in the parks. The date and "name" of our vacation was on each bag and I kept the cost down by putting names on them myself. I also put in a few items for each person to use in the parks, including a portable phone charger. The blue bags and white lettering helped us identify each other from afar while in the parks!

Once there:
1. Because our group is now older, I let everyone do their own thing. I make the plan, publish it to the group, but I don't force it. If someone wants to sleep in, I can explain what they'll miss, but I let them guide their own vacation. It's their choice whether or not to stay with "the group" - but usually they do.
2. I don't make myself responsible for everyone's happiness. I try to give them as much information as possible to make their own decisions. But if they are late for something and miss out - not my problem.
3. I plan one meal a day that I ask everyone to attend - since they aren't "required" to do anything else, this is usually something they like.
4. I use GroupMe to communicate with everyone in the group at once while we're in the parks.
5. Each evening. I send a GroupMe with the events for the next day. The park we're visiting, what time to meet up in the morning, where we'll be eating, etc. Again, I'm only responsible for making the information available. I let each person decide what they'll do with it.
6. If people do NOT plan to follow the plan for the day, I ask them to let me know so the rest of us aren't trying to wait on someone who's not going to show up...
7. If you plan to share the cost of meals (or anything else), get and get familiar with an expense-splitting app like Splitwise and Plates. They aren't perfect, but they help. Keep up with it each day and insist on quick reimbursement. Don't let it slide or it can be the source of some bad feelings.

Observations:
1. It usually only takes one day of missing out on a great ride that needed to be done early (to miss the long lines) for the members of our group to "get" why I did such extensive planning - and they're usually be right there with us the next time.
2. Having one meal together a day means we are able to see each other's faces and enjoy each other's company at least once a day, and it's usually a welcome respite.
3. Our trips with people who have never been to the parks before usually start with everyone pretty much following the schedule the first day at each park. If we visit a park a second time, they tend pick and choose which parts of the plan they want to follow.
4. Once, I did not plan out a 2nd day at the parks, even though we were visiting them twice. After seeing how it works, and understanding the plan was a good idea, my group was disappointed to not have a "2nd day" plan. So now I do one in case someone wants to use it.
5. Not making myself responsible for the happiness of others, or their choice of schedule, has made my life MUCH easier and our vacations much more enjoyable for me.

Hope this helps a little. Have a great, great time!


Thank you! I love the ideas about the Facebook event and the cinch bags! Your point about not being responsible for the happiness of others is now on the front sheet of my trip planning workbook. Giving them an itinerary is something I'm going to have to do, eliminating their need to ask questions might save my sanity. :P
 
I plan for our extended crew and agree with much of the above. The worst thing we could do in my family is insist on staying together. We also do not "wing it" in terms of advance planning. I need park days set and ADR's planned. We also plan FP in advance. That's it. We have been enought times that even with newbies we just need a rough idea if where to start in each park.

For your group I would begin with discussing a budget. If this is a once and done for your sister's family I would try to find out her expectations of a DIsney trip and then what a reasonabe budget is. How dies her family like to eat on vacation, and do you think those habits would change on a Disney vacation?

Folks discuss dining plans. We liek them, ususally our habits coincide with how they are designed, and we find that the tips are a non issue. If the cost of the meal is a bit higher becasue we do not need to share dessert, it is a wash because the taxes on all DDP foods are already paid. We also find with a larger group it is nice to have the plan in place so everyone can use their credits as they see fit. For your group you might want to determine where you all would likely eat, and then run some numbers to see what looks like the best value: plan or no plan.

I continue to harp on expectations because how family's vacation can be so different. We included my friend and her girls on an August vacation, DxDDP and the Grand Floridian, CL. It was awesome. My friend was miserable. Her idea of vacation is the beach. Sleep until you wake up, stumble for coffee, and have no place to be. August in FL is HOT, and it is necessary to get to the parks early and then get out. Her family missed a lot, and she is still saying there was nothing to do. Clearly we all had different expectations, and she did not care to be involved in the planning, so I had no idea until we got there that she hated every minute. Had I insisted she participate in the planning we might have avoided some of the issues. Don't make the same mistake I did, because somone suffering in silence is very loud. I feel badly about tthis still.

Budget. Very important. spending for everyone is different, but if you all are traveling together, the costs need ot be comfortable for each family. One should not struggle to pay for the trip in order to be on an equal footing as the other. Here is where lodging can make a huge leap in cutting or raising financial stress in Disney.
 


For your group I would begin with discussing a budget. If this is a once and done for your sister's family I would try to find out her expectations of a DIsney trip and then what a reasonabe budget is. How dies her family like to eat on vacation, and do you think those habits would change on a Disney vacation?

YES! I should have included this. I sent a budget to everyone who was interested in going with us about a year in advance. Our estimate, per person, for a 7 day Disney trip was $1500 - this did not include hotel as we used our DVC points for everyone. It did include airfare, food, and park tickets, but not souvenirs.

We did not do a Dining Plan because for our group, it was more expensive than paying for each meal. I agree it would have simplified the process! I did purchase the Tables in Wonderland card, which saved us money but was a bear to figure out who owed what (I had to pay for everyone's meals in order to get the discount). Also, we ate almost every breakfast in our room, and brought a water bottle and a couple snacks into the parks for those times we would be standing in line.

Also I completely agree with the point about setting expectations. Again, I explained "to each his own", but we were planning on needing a vacation after our vacation because we want to experience EVERYTHING we possibly can fit in. I even said if sitting on the beach napping all day is your perfect vacation, then you might want to sit this one out... Someone with different ideas about vacations can still enjoy being with you as long as everyone's expectations are managed with good information and communication.
 
I'll add on a little here.

The budgeting is a big, big, BIG thing. It really is going to be upwards of $1-1,500 per person and I would honestly give a little wiggle room.
Everything at Disney is way more expensive than it probably needs to be. Bottles of water are $3.50 each. If you have a family of four then you're spending like $15-16 on just water.

There are definitely ways to get around it though. Knowing where and when to spend your money will be very helpful.
I think it also helps to get kids involved as well by giving them gift cards and explaining to them the significance of their money and allowing them to purchase whatever they want with what they have. Keep your receipts though (you'll need it to return things).

But it's worth knowing that people almost always spend more than they're expecting to when they come to Disney. I hear it all day. There's something about being at Disney for more than 2 days that flips a switch and suddenly you want to buy everything.

I would also recommend the Disney Dining Plan. Im not in Food & Beverage so I can't tell you how well it'll work out price wise for your family, BUT I do know that of the families I've seen at resorts and throughout the parks it's very helpful. For large families it's worth it, I think, because you'll have a toooooon of snack credits that you can use throughout the day as well as meal credits that can be converted to snack credits. Just make sure you use them all before you leave because you do not get refunded for "leftovers".
 
So I sent DSis a very simple sample itinerary. Simple as in it listed each day out, which park we might go to or if it would be a "free" day, and if we'd be going to a park I listed 3 attractions I'm pretty sure her family would like. So day, park name, three attractions. Her comment "Wow! That's a lot of stuff!" She has no idea.....

DDP--Won't be advisable for us. To save money we'll stop at Walmart or Publix to grab snacks and breakfast items. We'll probably only eat one big meal in each park and given how much the girls of the family eat it's very likely there will be shared meals.

Budget--We're figuring 1000-1500 per person. I'm working on putting together a presentation to show the family. Need to become more familiar with Power Point for work anyway so I figured why not. It will be about 2022 before DSis and family can get the funds fully saved up which sounds like forever. On the upside, the kids can get in on the act, too. We figured up if they save .50 a week they'll each have $70 to spend on any souvenirs or other splurges they want.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm soooo excited. I can't wait to see my nieces and nephews see Disney for the first time. :-)
 


I've planned many, many trips for our big family group. Last year, we had 12, but there are many that were larger. I've learned some lessons along the way. My first suggestion is to drop the idea that you'll be "traversing the parks in such a large group." If you all decide to stay together, that's a great plus! But insisting on it will only bring you heartache...

Before we go:
1. I also love the planning! So I make a great plan. Dining reservations, Fastpasses and which attractions to visit in what order are all planned out ahead of time. For newbies traveling with us, the more detail the better.
2. I build anticipation with a Facebook event page. I poll the group, send information about attractions and dining, and usually include a schedule for watching Disney movies (Disney movie of the week!)
3. I create a GroupMe chat. Great, great way to contact the whole group at once and invaluable once we get to the parks.
3. I usually create a booklet with everything from our flights (or driving routes) to daily schedules to a list of reservations and give one to each person. They have become great keepsakes. If you're not inclined to do that, then just make sure the schedule is easily accessible digitally. Make sure everyone knows how to access it.
4. I used to make us family t-shirts and that is still fun, but last time I ordered personalized cinchbags for everyone. To my surprise, they all used them to carry their stuff while in the parks. The date and "name" of our vacation was on each bag and I kept the cost down by putting names on them myself. I also put in a few items for each person to use in the parks, including a portable phone charger. The blue bags and white lettering helped us identify each other from afar while in the parks!

Once there:
1. Because our group is now older, I let everyone do their own thing. I make the plan, publish it to the group, but I don't force it. If someone wants to sleep in, I can explain what they'll miss, but I let them guide their own vacation. It's their choice whether or not to stay with "the group" - but usually they do.
2. I don't make myself responsible for everyone's happiness. I try to give them as much information as possible to make their own decisions. But if they are late for something and miss out - not my problem.
3. I plan one meal a day that I ask everyone to attend - since they aren't "required" to do anything else, this is usually something they like.
4. I use GroupMe to communicate with everyone in the group at once while we're in the parks.
5. Each evening. I send a GroupMe with the events for the next day. The park we're visiting, what time to meet up in the morning, where we'll be eating, etc. Again, I'm only responsible for making the information available. I let each person decide what they'll do with it.
6. If people do NOT plan to follow the plan for the day, I ask them to let me know so the rest of us aren't trying to wait on someone who's not going to show up...
7. If you plan to share the cost of meals (or anything else), get and get familiar with an expense-splitting app like Splitwise and Plates. They aren't perfect, but they help. Keep up with it each day and insist on quick reimbursement. Don't let it slide or it can be the source of some bad feelings.

Observations:
1. It usually only takes one day of missing out on a great ride that needed to be done early (to miss the long lines) for the members of our group to "get" why I did such extensive planning - and they're usually be right there with us the next time.
2. Having one meal together a day means we are able to see each other's faces and enjoy each other's company at least once a day, and it's usually a welcome respite.
3. Our trips with people who have never been to the parks before usually start with everyone pretty much following the schedule the first day at each park. If we visit a park a second time, they tend pick and choose which parts of the plan they want to follow.
4. Once, I did not plan out a 2nd day at the parks, even though we were visiting them twice. After seeing how it works, and understanding the plan was a good idea, my group was disappointed to not have a "2nd day" plan. So now I do one in case someone wants to use it.
5. Not making myself responsible for the happiness of others, or their choice of schedule, has made my life MUCH easier and our vacations much more enjoyable for me.

Hope this helps a little. Have a great, great time!
You’ve got this down!
 
Penny have you considered staying offsite or renting DVC through a third party provider? Just this first time. I could type out ten pro’s of an off-site resort but maybe you’ve already considered it and decided against it.
My experience has been that people heading to WDW for the first time can’t wrap their heads around Dinning Reservations 6 months out and Fast Passes 4 and 8 weeks out. “I’ll let you know when it gets closer” and I have to explain to them that they can’t do that. They need to look into it now and speak up - dreaming of that meal in the Capital Grill that lets you enjoy the MK Fireworks from the roof deck, Bibbidi Bobbidi Bouique for their little girl (all that goes with that). I need to know.

There’s always a bit of Pixie Dust on a Disney Vacation but most of that magic dust has been carefully planned.
😉
-R
 
Penny have you considered staying offsite or renting DVC through a third party provider? Just this first time. I could type out ten pro’s of an off-site resort but maybe you’ve already considered it and decided against it.
My experience has been that people heading to WDW for the first time can’t wrap their heads around Dinning Reservations 6 months out and Fast Passes 4 and 8 weeks out. “I’ll let you know when it gets closer” and I have to explain to them that they can’t do that. They need to look into it now and speak up - dreaming of that meal in the Capital Grill that lets you enjoy the MK Fireworks from the roof deck, Bibbidi Bobbidi Bouique for their little girl (all that goes with that). I need to know.

There’s always a bit of Pixie Dust on a Disney Vacation but most of that magic dust has been carefully planned.
😉
-R

Offsite wasn't even considered for us. We're going to fly down and not have any cars. We'll be at the mercy of Disney transportation but plan on staying at Pop so I'm not that worried about it. We've had good luck at Pop in the past.
My kids are Disney veterans, they've gone twice with us and a few times with other family members. So that leaves my sister's family to be trained in Fast Passes and such. After discussing it with the family I'll be building touring plans and handing out print versions to the adults. I'll also be booking the first three Fast Passes for everyone and any meals. My oldest niece will be getting a disability pass and there's too many of us to get included in it with her so I've lost any illusion of us staying together as a group.
As for Pixie Dust, I'm planning on sending out a short survey to everyone to get favorite characters, food, least favorite foods, which what ride they're most excited about, etc. Everyone will have input in what we do but I don't plan on giving them all the options because it can get overwhelming. Oh! And Tinker Bell will likely be bringing gifts for the youngest. 🙂
This is a long shot but I'm hoping at least one day the entire group will Disney bound together. If the youngest dresses up as Snow White the rest of us can bound as dwarfs, the evil queen, huntsman, and of course her Dad would be her prince.
 
Also, I did the presentation weekend before last. It was a hit! When the MK slide came up my bro-in-law recognized the Tron cycle from watching the movies. When he found out food beyond the run of the mill hot dogs, hambugers, and fries he was very pleased. He's never been to Disney so his perception of the parks had to be fixed. It worked so well the next morning he was googling WDW before he got out of bed.
The following Monday my sister put in for vacation time. Yep, you read that right, she put in to be off a week that is three years in the future.

Now it's just staying the course and keeping everyone on track with their savings, including me.
 
Offsite wasn't even considered for us. We're going to fly down and not have any cars. We'll be at the mercy of Disney transportation but plan on staying at Pop so I'm not that worried about it. We've had good luck at Pop in the past.
My kids are Disney veterans, they've gone twice with us and a few times with other family members. So that leaves my sister's family to be trained in Fast Passes and such. After discussing it with the family I'll be building touring plans and handing out print versions to the adults. I'll also be booking the first three Fast Passes for everyone and any meals. My oldest niece will be getting a disability pass and there's too many of us to get included in it with her so I've lost any illusion of us staying together as a group.
As for Pixie Dust, I'm planning on sending out a short survey to everyone to get favorite characters, food, least favorite foods, which what ride they're most excited about, etc. Everyone will have input in what we do but I don't plan on giving them all the options because it can get overwhelming. Oh! And Tinker Bell will likely be bringing gifts for the youngest. 🙂
This is a long shot but I'm hoping at least one day the entire group will Disney bound together. If the youngest dresses up as Snow White the rest of us can bound as dwarfs, the evil queen, huntsman, and of course her Dad would be her prince.
Sounds like you know exactly what you’re doing. Everyone is going to have a wonderful time.
 

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