Hi Laura! Welcome to planDisney!
Thank you for trusting us with your great question about dining with large groups at the Happiest Place on Earth! Sounds like you have some very special times ahead!
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is one of my very favorite dining locations in all of Disneyland Resort for its atmosphere and unique dining experience. I can see why you would have your eye on this magical location for a party! Although Trader Sam's does currently allow Guests to join a
Mobile Dine Walk-Up List, for a group of your size, that could be tough. On the other hand, securing an advance dining reservation at this location would require some serious faith and pixie dust as not only is this location very popular, but currently several dining locations at the Disneyland Resort have a maximum party limit of 10, sometimes 8.
But don't let this news discourage you! My extended family (of 14!) also had our hearts set on dining experiences at Disneyland Resort and realized, when we were trying to make our
advance dining reservations, that we should make two separate dining reservations, from two different
Disney Accounts. One person in our party would make a reservation for 8 Guests and another person would make a reservation for the remaining Guests, for the same date and time. This is my suggestion for you, Laura, as well! Then, at check-in for your dining reservation, let the host know that your groups are together. Cast Members may not be able to seat everyone at the same table but will do their very best to accommodate your group so you're sitting close!
My recommendation for making large group dining reservations is for you and the other "reservation helper" to be logged into your accounts on the Disneyland website a few minutes before 6am PST, exactly 60 days out from the date you're wanting to visit - and make a wish!
That said, Trader Sam's can still be a bit tricky to secure reservations, especially for a large group. If you're looking for another dining location option outside of the theme parks that could potentially accommodate a large group, I recommend
Ballast Point in
Downtown Disney District. My family loves it here, especially on the outdoor rooftop! If you're interested in dining at this particular location, I would inquire with them directly for details on their reservation process for large groups.
Laura, you may also want to consider enlisting a professional travel agent to help with your magical Disneyland vacation. An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, who specializes in planning trips to Disney parks, has in-depth training specifically in Disney destinations and can also assist you in the perfect Anniversary party planning. What I love about these amazing individuals is that their pixie-dusted services usually come at no additional charge to you than if you booked it yourself.
Well, I hope this has been helpful for you, Laura, and that you and your party have so much fun immersed in the Disneyland magic. If you have any other questions or would like some tips on visiting Disneyland with a large group, don't hesitate to
reach out to us again anytime. We're happy to help and always love a party!
Cheers,
McCayla