Last updated on July 5th, 2022 at 11:58 am
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World takes a lot of time and effort, and going with a large group takes it to a different level! Follow along for my tips on how to plan a trip for a large group in Disney!
For my family, I’ve planned a trip for 8 people, a trip for two people and a toddler, and now I’m planning a trip for 16 people (including two toddlers)!
I’ve done a lot of research, and I’ve learned a lot along the way, so here we go!
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Pick a group leader
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re the group leader, hooray! You are my people. Have you had to plan a trip for a large group before?
If you’re like me, you want things to go your way, so we’ll just level-set now and say they’re not going to. I KNOW, you don’t want to hear it, but listen to me.
Your trip will be 1000X better if you accept that things will change, people will want to do different things, and will occasionally go their own way. Let those things go, and do your thing! Make sure YOU have a good time!
Make sure you’re on the same page, and agree to disagree
Now that we’ve level-set our own expectations, set the expectation with your group that we won’t be able to do everything together.
You’re going to do the best you can with making plans, but there’s going to need to be a level of flexibility too. You’re going to plan a trip for a large group, not plan individual trips for each person in your group.
We want everyone to have a good time, and if one person is dying to do something that others aren’t, they should still do it!
It’s ok if everyone isn’t together all the time on your trip. You will be back together at some point, and you want everyone to have fun!
My Disney Experience App
Get everyone in your group signed up on the My Disney Experience App ASAP! And once everyone is signed up on the app, make sure everyone in the group is connected to everyone else!
The My Disney Experience App is where you’ll making dining reservations, and FastPass+ reservations (if the system comes back). You need to be connected to everyone in your group!
When making a dining reservation, you’ll add all of the guests that will be at that meal.
Make sure everyone in your group is connected to everyone else. If one person in your group grabs a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group, they can only add their connections. And trust me, you want to get on this ride!
To connect to another My Disney Experience account:
- First, open the app, and select the last button on the right.
- Scroll down and select “My Account”.
- Click on Family & Friends List, and scroll down to “Add a Guest”
- On this screen, you’ll see the Guests you can connect to (these are friends of your friends).
- If the person you want to connect to isn’t listed, select “I’ll enter their name and age”
- Add in the person’s information, and age
- 13 and older, you’ll have the option to manage the plans for this guest, or share planning
- If you select share planning, you’ll enter their email address and send them an invite to connect
- 12 or younger, you will be responsible for managing all the plans for this guest
- 13 and older, you’ll have the option to manage the plans for this guest, or share planning
Pick your dates and book Disney Resort hotel rooms ASAP!
As a group, figure out the best time for your visit, and get those Disney Resort reservations booked!
If you want to make sure you’re all staying in the same resort get everything booked early! You cancel room only reservations up to 5 days in advance, and face no penalty. And if you’re worried about missing a great deal, don’t! If a deal comes out after you’ve made your reservation, give Disney a call and see if they can help!
Purchase tickets and make park reservations
So you’ve got your rooms booked, time to get park tickets and make your park reservations! I talked about park reservations in my dates to visit and resorts post, so check that out for more specifics.
If you’re going at a busy time of year, get those reservations secured before spots are all filled!
Plan and make your dining reservations
Now we’re starting to get into the nitty-gritty of planning a trip for a large group. Dining.
I’ve also done a big post on places to dine and making reservations, so check that out!
No doubt everyone in your group will have different preferences for their dining experience, as will my family. So here’s how I’m going to manage!
- I created a Google Form with a bunch of different categories of restaurants
- Theme parks
- Disney Springs
- Resorts
- Character dining
- This form has checkboxes for recipients to select any/all restaurants that they’re interested in trying (but this is not a commitment!)
- Using this list, I’ll analyze the inputs and figure out everyone’s top choices
- A month or so before the 60-day dining reservation window opens, I’ll send another survey out with all the dining selections and the day
- Everyone will need to select yes or no if they plan on attending that meal
When the 60 window opens, I’ll know who will be attending each meal and will be able to make reservations easier.
And remember tips number 1 and 2? If people don’t want to come to a sit-down meal or two, that’s fine! Just let them know they’re responsible for making their own plans. You’re only planning one trip here!
Depending on the size of your group, you may need to designate one or two right-hand helpers to book dining.
Restaurants might not be able to accommodate the full size of your group, so breaking your party into a couple groups might make it easier to get in.
Just your group leader won’t be able to make multiple overlapping reservations, so you’ll need help. Just make sure you’ve outlined all the info for your helpers – who will be at each reservation they need to make, plus the day and preferred time.
Must-do’s from each person
Try to find out everyone’s must-do’s for their vacation, and do your best to accommodate! Like, a character meal is a MUST, or “I’m going on Tower of Terror no matter what!”.
You may not be able to do all of these things together, but at least you can plan accordingly if your group is going to be splitting up for a while.
While you’re going to plan a trip for a large group, you want everyone to be happy as possible!
Ride plans
Ride plans can get a bit tricky since everyone has different preferences for what kind of rides they like going on.
I have a more in-depth post about planning out your rides, here, but in general I would say that Touring Plans are a big help.
When I tell people about Touring Plans, a lot of them say it takes the “fun” out of being in the parks if you’re planning things down to the minute.
While I understand their perspective and how it applies to other vacations, for me, a fun trip at Walt Disney World is getting on all the rides I want and not waiting in long lines.
Doing the planning up front with rides, and tentatively when you’re going to ride them, eases up any potential agitation when you’d ask what ride everyone wants to go on next, or checking the My Disney Experience app for the shortest wait times.
Go back to tips 1 and 2 again, as the group leader you can tell everyone the plan, and what you’re doing when, but if someone chooses not to follow, that’s ok!
Make a group chat, and pick a meet-up spot
Now that we know everyone isn’t going to be together the entire time, make sure you set up a group text chat, and pick a meet-up spot at each park.
Stay in touch with everyone in your group in case you get separated on purpose, or by accident. And if you have a dining reservation coming up, give the group a heads up they need to start heading toward the restaurant.
The likelihood of anything bad happening is rare, but in any case where your group gets split up and someone loses their phone, make sure you have a meeting spot in every park (and Disney Springs and even your hotel!), that everyone knows how to get to.
Planning as much as you can ahead of time, helps avoid any confusion down the road.
Keep others in mind
Because you’re a big group, maybe even with a couple strollers and kids in tow, don’t walk through the parks with more than 3 people across. You’ll end up creating a bottleneck, and people won’t be able to get around you and to where they want to go!
Especially if you have a stroller (or a wheelchair), make sure you’re aware of your surroundings. People love to stop on a dime, so if you’re not paying attention you might run over their heels!
Have you had to plan a trip for a large group in Disney? Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Comment down below!
Other Disney World Planning Posts –
Planning an Amazing Trip to Disney World on a Budget
Picking the Best Disney World Restaurants for Your Family
Your 2022 Disney Trip – Dates, Tickets and Hotels; the Ultimate Vacation