Extended Family Trip Question

[Stu29573]

Hi!
We are planning a trip for November of next year. It looks like we will have us, our grand kids, their parents, and our parents (8 people representing 4 generations). Anyone have any suggestions to help with the planning? I know they don't have Magical Gatherings any more, but do they have anything like it? Sorry for all the questions, but I've never tried to plan a trip this big! Thanks!

[dobby2010]

Do you use Magical Journeys? Our last two trips have been with multiple generations on multiple reservations and Wendy was able to make everything so easy for us.

I just booked all adrs and fastpasses for everyone in our party. Then later could go back and change certain fastpasses for certain people individually. Much easier that way. Also better to have less people show up for an adr than try to add more later on.

[Stu29573]

I love Magical Journeys and Karen is helping us again! I guess Im looking for general tips and warnings.Thanks!

[faline]

With a wide range of ages, interests, and levels of stamina, do not plan to have everyone spend every moment of every day together. Make sure everyone knows they are free to break into smaller groups to pursue those things that are of interest to each and/or to spend time at the resort just relaxing. Plan one or two whole group things together for each day - such as breakfast or dinner together or for everyone to ride something together such as the Safari.

Plan a down day so folks can put their feet up or pursue activities outside of the parks.

[Janmac]

What Linda says is optimum - split off into groups. However, we toured WDW several times - five times with at least 8 - and never split off into groups. I kept suggesting it but everyone was more comfortable staying together.

We did have great trips, even touring the parks together as a group. We did not do as many things because it just takes longer to get from A to B and through attractions. However many attractions you think your group can cover in a morning could be halved and you'd be closer to the mark. And you really do have to plan a certain amount of time into each hour or couple of hours for bathroom breaks. I know it sounds odd but especially with varying ages, reminding folks makes for smoother touring. And for a few trips I did have to say, we're passing an ATM machine over there.

If you're the planner, your job is easier if everyone's been to WDW or if no one else is a planner also. A second planner, even if frequently consulted, can make life miserable with their undermining of decisions, even group decisions.

If everyone hasn't been to WDW previously they will be more apt to want to stay together as a group. If this is the case, try to determine what sorts of attractions will interest them. Everybody has different issues: he doesn't like spinning rides, she doesn't like drops, your second grader HATES noises and the dark. Then pick a few prime attractions to visit before moving on. I call these sorts of trips Disney samplers. And sometimes you just have to make the call as to what's on the schedule. People that don't know can't make decisions.

All but one trip we opened a park every morning. We went back to our resort every afternoon - some to nap, some to watch football, most to swim. We love our swim time. We went to Epcot every evening for supper as we're all interested in "ethnic" foods (it is Epcot after all), even the toddlers. Well, they didn't know it was supposed to be ethnic, they just knew they liked it better than pb&j or nuggets.

At first we went, as a group, to attractions most folks wanted to experience. Occasionally some would wait while others went. We had one in our group who was happy to find a bench and people watch, everywhere we went. Eventually we adopted the 90 minute plan: we're in Tomorrowland or etc, for 90 minutes and then we're moving on to Fantasyland for 90 minutes. While in Tomorrowland, I did manage to get folks to split up. Luckily we're attraction snobs; nobody ever wants to do all the attractions.

Some of us do seem to want to visit EVERY shop and that can be a problem if most of your group is interested in rides and you have these few that must shop, especially since so many rides empty into shops. On some trips we planned shopping time into the schedule in an effort to prevent the shop time from curtailing ride time.

We haven't been much for waiting in lines to visit with characters but a huge benefit from traveling with extended family is getting to experience WDW through the eyes of varied ages. Which may be why folks seldom wanted to split up: seeing a granddaughter or a nephew experience something for the first time is special.

With toddlers in the group we have had better character interaction and better photos/memories at character meals. Obviously, with a group ADRs are a necessity. And with younger kids - toddlers and early elementary - a buffet helps the kids to realize they are hungry and then see what it is they want to eat. Buffets aren't cheap but having kids willingly fuel themselves is priceless.

If you're staying on property: we often had 3 rooms and I have to think that Magical Journeys helped with that a lot. We always had our rooms either adjacent or very close.

Also for on property: we always used Disney transportation. As we were usually coming from different areas of the country, we found the transportation to be a great time to visit with each other. We seldom noticed how long we waited for transport or how long that transport took.

I think our best memories are not of this or that ride but of stuff that comes up along the way. - like street entertainment, or trying Beverly at Club Cool, or toddlers being mesmerized by the pavement lights. You've been to Disney plenty of times, so you know your way around. Having an idea of what you'd like to accomplish during this morning or that evening is good, but staying flexible and going with the flow generates better memories.

Expect things not to go well. Our first big trip together we had a travel snafu that resulted in arriving at our resort 5 hours later than we planned and at nearly midnight. But we were at Disney. I think that might have been the same trip that I called to Housekeeping 3 days in a row before we finally got a hairdryer. And we always had one person get sick - but a different one each trip. And one kid - never sick - who threw up every trip. In the middle of the night. We've had several trips where a kid crashed at a meal time. Sound asleep during the whole meal. One trip a family member visited Guest Services every day, and twice on one day, because her KTTW kept demagnetizing. Years later it's all part of the lore.

We never did any of the grand gathering stuff. It cost more and wasn't really stuff we wanted to do. Simple and less is better. A Disney Sampler.

Jan

[Stu29573]

Wow, Jan, great tips! I just printed that out, lol! Thanks!

[Janmac]

I saw how much I typed after I posted and about died. Talk about tmi.

We did have a lot of fun with the extended family trips. Grandkids grew up and got busy with other than Disney things altho now they're gravitating back. Soon, I hope, we'll be bringing great grandkids.

Good luck and hope it helps. Our saying: it's all about the memories.

Jan

[Pirate Granny]

We were a group of ten, grand parents, children and four grand kids. We were there for 14 nights, all in the same room. 2 bedroom @ beach club for 4 nights,(only had 9 person for this leg), grand villa at OKW for 8 nights and 2 bedroom in VGF for the last two nights. We had everyone (including Grandkids) pick one ADR. Everyone agrees although pricey, best day was at typhoon lagoon with a rented Cabana. We do a family trip every three years. We did all the grand gathering events in 2011 and really enjoyed them, expensive, not really, well worth the $$$$

[Stu29573]

It was actually very helpful, Jan!
And thanks PG! We are weighing weather to do something like that!

[spoiledraf]

Janmac, interesting read. You hit a lot of important points. We've gone a couple of times with our kids and grandkids and I must say its getting a little tougher to be efficient with our time. The first trip we made sure the kids had some down time. This last trip, the down time was for me! I think that would be easier if we stayed longer but my wife is a deluxe only Disney fan so cost keeps us at five days. Makes it hard to spend a day just kicking back. Time is money at Disney!

And you are so right about some ody getting sick or in my case this last trip spraining a knee a week before leaving. Add an urgent care visit for my grand daughter to make things more interesting. But we rolled with it. In the end it was a fun visit. But that's the key. Gotta roll with it. Nothing goes as well as you plan. We have cut down to the only thing etched in stone are character meals and signature dining. Everything else is purely a suggestion. Oh, and my wife's shopping time. That's non negotiable! LOL.

[Stu29573]

Yeah, I kind of figured that time would be an issue. We are planning 8 nights/ 9 days. In order to do that we are looking at value resorts ( maybe A of A, but it's almost priced at a moderate level!). We figure the time in the parks is worth the trade off...