Hi Lesdi,
We are so glad you stopped by planDisney to ask about planning a Walt Disney World vacation for a large group! My first piece of advice is to just breathe. Gather your patience. There are some great planning tools to help, but having planned for a large group in the past I know firsthand how hectic it might get!
First, decide if you all want to stay together in a three-bedroom Grand Villa or if you prefer to break your party into smaller groups for different accommodations. The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Riviera Resort, and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa all have three-bedroom Grand Villas that can sleep up to 12 adults. Looking at your dates, however, I am worried about availability. So start checking
vacation packages now.
Consider also the family suites at
Disney's Art of Animation Resort and
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. They each sleep up to six adults. We also adore
Disney Resorts Collection hotels that are within walking distance to one or more theme parks. On our last visit we stayed at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and loved the walking path to Magic Kingdom. One year we stayed at Disney's BoardWalk Villas and were thrilled to be able to walk to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Once everyone in your party has a
vacation package, make sure those vacation packages are linked in My Disney Experience so that you can make
Disney Park Pass system reservations for everyone. Other folks in your party could have their own My Disney Experience accounts. If so, you would need to send them an invitation to connect through the
My Family & Friends List in My Disney Experience. Or, you could create profiles for folks in your My Disney Experience and then select the option to manage all plans. For example, I manage plans for my husband and girls.
When it gets to 60-days prior to your visit, make
advanced dining reservations. It may be hard to book for a party of 12, so, I suggest breaking your group up into three groups of four and then assigning a lead person to each group. Each lead person should have My Disney Experience account. If you all make dining reservations within a 15-minute window, there is a chance that the Cast Members at the restaurant could seat you together. Although not guaranteed, they have been able to do so on a few occasions when we asked.
Lesdi, you can do this! We are so excited to welcome you for an
Incredible Disney visit!
Magic and memories,
Donyell