Welcome back to planDisney, Colleen! Thanks so much for coming to us with your question today. It's so exciting that you're planning a big family trip to Walt Disney World. Traveling with a group of 12 is bound to be full of fun, laughter, and plenty of magical memories.
When it comes to booking
Lightning Lane selections with the Multi Pass, each guest staying at a
Disney Resort Hotel is eligible to make their advanced ride reservations starting 7 days before their individual check-in date. So, even though your parties are linked in
My Disney Experience, which is awesome for coordinating plans, the window to make Lightning Lane selections opens based on each room's check-in date, not for the entire group all at once.
That means that the group checking in first can go ahead and start selecting their Lightning Lane attractions as soon as their window opens, even if the second group isn't quite eligible yet. But, and this is a big "but," if your goal is to all experience the attractions together, it might make more sense to wait until everyone's booking window has opened. That way, you can reserve Lightning Lane times for the entire group at once instead of trying to match the second group's return times to a group that has already booked.
It really comes down to how flexible your group is with potentially splitting up for attractions versus sticking together. You could even book a few Lightning Lanes for the first group to enjoy on their arrival day and then wait to make shared plans once everyone is eligible. Totally your call!
One more tip before you go: once the first Lightning Lane return time is used, everyone can start booking additional rides one at a time throughout the day, so it gives you lots of chances to coordinate again as the day goes on.
Have a magical day, Colleen!
Jessica