Hi Crystal,
Welcome to planDisney!
Wow. I am sending you a special bundle of pixie dust for patience as you plan for such a large group!
While you certainly will need to have everyone linked through your
My Family & Friends List in
My Disney Experience, the advice you received regarding
advanced dining reservations is spot on. I would even go a step further and suggest that you divide your group into smaller groups of no more than six. It is easier to find dining reservations for smaller groups. Since one person cannot hold more than one dining reservation in the
same meal period, you will need to have different members of your party listed as the lead Guest on those other dining reservations.
The good news is that as long as you all are connected through the My Family & Friends list in My Disney Experience and you share all plans, you should be able to see all plans once reservations are made. I took a group of 27 one year and we only did one meal together. On the other days, folks split up and dined in their smaller groups. Since your group is so large, check restaurants with more capacity. I would suggest
Cape May Cafe,
Boma - Flavors of Africa, and
Crystal Palace. Also, consider a few
dining locations at Disney Springs.
Crystal, I also love breaking our large group into smaller dining groups because it makes it much easier to do
Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering. Although I started planning that trip with the group of 27 thinking we would do so many meals together, we did not and it turned out to be a fabulous trip anyway. Folks had a chance to move at their own pace and connect with the group at certain points during the day. I know it might seem daunting, but you are already ahead with the planning!
Magic and memories,
Donyell