Hey there, Annette! Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. Oh boy, that sounds like a ton of fun, 22 people ready to have a blast at the Happiest Place on Earth! And you’re staying at my very favorite hotel – I am glowing with envy and excitement for you!
I have traveled in large parties as well - it’s a lot of fun but requires some extra coordination. You are smart to be thinking about this in advance of your arrival, so you can make the most of your trip!
Annette, the maximum number of Guests that can be linked to a party is 10. So, with 22 people, my recommendation is to divide your Guests into three parties. You could consider delegating one Guest in each party to play a “team captain” role. Each team captain should link the tickets for the party to their Disneyland account. The easiest way to do this is download the
Disneyland mobile app, go to Tickets and Passes, and link the tickets.
Once you have the three parties created, the team captain can coordinate everything for that party, including adding the
Disney Genie+ service, making Lightning Lane selections, mobile ordering and dining reservations.
With respect to Disney Genie+, if all three team captains are looking at the Tip Board in the Disneyland mobile app at the same time, they should be able to reserve Lightning Lanes relatively close together, as your selection is for a window of time. For dining reservations, you can make multiple reservations for smaller groups and request the host stand to seat you close together, which they will try to accommodate if they can. This might be easier at larger restaurants such as
Tortilla Jo's and
Naples Ristorante e Bar in the Downtown Disney District. These are two of my favorite restaurants for large groups!
The good news is, not everyone in a party needs to commit to the same plans. For instance, let’s say only six of eight people in a party want to experience a particular attraction. When you are making a Lightning Lane selection, you can select certain Guests within the party. This provides some flexibility in how you decide to create the parties for your crew of 22.
My friend and fellow panelist
Carrie recently shared advice on traveling with large parties – you may pick up some additional tips from Carrie!
I was just at
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa yesterday, relaxing in the lobby, enjoying a beautifully decorated Mickey-shaped Valentine’s Day cookie while swaying to the beautiful jazz music of the Celebrate Soulfully artists. This hotel is pure magic every time we visit.
Wishing you a fantastic, pixie dusted vacation! The magic awaits.
Kamini