Welcome to planDisney, Vinny!
I am thrilled to chat about traveling with a large group to The Most Magical Place on Earth. We have had the opportunity to celebrate milestone birthdays and even host family reunions at
Walt Disney World Resort. Visiting with friends and family adds another layer of pixie dust to our experience. Let's take a look at tickets and dining reservations.
When we plan a large group trip, we have had one person
buy tickets for everyone or alternatively get one adult per family to purchase for their family. You can complete the purchase either way, but keep in mind that at this time, you can only purchase up to 10 tickets at once online. However, you could buy 11 tickets in two separate transactions (buying ten tickets at one time and then another ticket after you complete the initial purchase). You could also call the
New Tickets phone number and the Cast Member could assist in obtaining your tickets.
The next step will be ensuring that each Guest has a profile created through
My Disney Experience. Then, the Guest making the reservations will need to make sure they are connected to the other members of the party through the
My Family & Friends list. In order to connect, scroll to the bottom of the page and find the "Add a Guest" link. You can then search by their name and will see the option to send an email to connect. Once they accept the invitation, you should then see them on your list. Then, each theme park ticket purchased can be assigned to a Guest. Now, you can also coordinate plans, including dining reservations, for everyone in your party.
Finally, let's discuss large-group dining reservations. We had 23 Guests for our last Walt Disney World Resort adventure, so we did break our party into two groups for dining reservations. I made one of the reservations, while my husband made the other reservation through his account. We were both connected to everyone in our group through My Family & Friends. If we were unable to find the same time availability for both parties, we booked within 15-minute increments. I do want to point out that there is no guarantee that both groups will be sat together or at the exact time. However, in our experience, we politely let the Cast Member at the Host stand know our parties were together, and each time they sat us either together or at two tables nearby. They will make every effort to accommodate you, but they will also inform you your wait may be a bit longer due to the large party. As far as recommendations for dining that can accommodate large parties, we had a wonderful experience at
Biergarten Restaurant in
EPCOT. Not only was the Bavarian decor and authentic German cuisine delightful, the live Polka band kept everyone entertained throughout dinner. I hope this helps you plan the most incredible vacation!
Thank you for visiting planDisney. We are here for all your Walt Disney World Resort questions!
Enjoy making magical memories!
Tiffany