Hello there, Swetha. Welcome to planDisney!
Wow! 25-30 people! Now
that's a party! Since there's so much to do at the Walt Disney World Resort, it's a great place to have a large group. Some things you'll all want to do together, while some things you may want to split off into smaller groups to experience. With so many options, everyone will be able to find experiences that speak to them!
At this time, 20 Guests is the limit to group size for
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. So, while you could have individual, small family groups try to book similar times, if you want to ride certain attractions together, it might be better if 2 or 3 Guests try for groups of 10 or 15. And since you're here at planDisney asking the question, one of those Guests will probably be you. But don't worry, I've got some suggestions and helpful tips...and your travel party is incredibly lucky to have you on their side!
- Ensure all 25-30 Guests in your travel party are connected through the My Family & Friends List. You may want to ensure that plan sharing is enabled for all Guests in the settings next to their names.
- If you are all staying at a Disneys Resorts Collection Hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Shades of Green, or a combination, you'll be able to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Lightning Lane Single Pass and make your reservations at 7 a.m. EST 7 days before your arrival date. Otherwise, you'll be able to make reservations 3 days ahead of the start of your theme park ticket at 7 a.m. EST. If you all want to have the best chances of getting the same times for attractions, I'd recommend waiting until everyone is eligible. Just keep in mind that availability will have changed and the most popular attractions will have fewer return times available if you're waiting until 3 days out.
- Keep in mind that you are going for overlapping times at attractions, not the exact same times. Each Lightning Lane window is an hour, so as long as the times you get overlap with each other, you'll be able to ride together. For example, if you 2 people are booking and one person books a Lightning Lane for Big Thunder Mountain from 10:30-11:30, and then the other gets 11:00-12:00, that's okay. You'll have from 11:00-11:30 to all ride together as that's the time the window overlaps!
- If 2 or 3 Guests are booking all the Lightning Lanes, that's going to be a big bill once all is said and done. Figure out how each family is going to pay them back. A spreadsheet or a simple note on your phone can help you keep track!
- Smaller family groups can accomplish this, it just takes some coordination. For example, everyone would need to know when they are eligible to book, what parks they are going to each day, what attractions they are going to do, and the approximate times they want to ride those attractions. In my experience, it's easiest for 2 or 3 people to coordinate...any more and it gets a little confusing! Plus, the chances of getting 2 or 3 overlapping times for each attraction are better than getting 5, 6, 7, etc.
Swetha, I know that may seem like a lot, but you've absolutely got this. Just make sure each "planner" knows the, well, plan, and you should be set!
Best wishes in getting the Lightning Lanes of your dreams. If you have any other questions,
I'm here to help!
It's kind of fun to do the impossible*,
Matt
*But don't worry, your task is
not impossible!