Hi Joseph,
Thanks for visiting planDisney. It sounds like you have a memorable family trip ahead of you. I am happy to help you make your trip practically perfect in every way.
Disney does offer shorter tours such as the
Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour and
Walt’s Main Street Story Tour. While these are not typically private tours, your group is large enough that it might be private or semi-private. Lots of folks rave about these tours. If you are looking for a longer private tour, you may want to consider booking a
VIP Tour. VIP Tours are led by friendly Disney experts, and each tour is unique because your guide will share fun stories and facts about the park as you go around. While the price of a VIP Tour does not include the price of admission, you get some amazing access to Concierge. Your tour includes support with making dining reservations, access to reserve seating for nighttime entertainment (i.e. fireworks, parades, and World of Color), and gives you Lightning Lane access (subject to availability). This might be ideal for your family, considering you are interested in booking private dining. Keep in mind that VIP Tours can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests, so you will have to split up your family. You can send an email to DisneylandVIPTours@disney.com or call (714) 300-7710 for more information or to book a VIP Tour.
Disney does offer a special dining experience at
21 Royal. This is a private dining experience in what was once a private residence for Walt and Lillian Disney in New Orleans Square. This private dinner ends with a dessert party on the balcony, overlooking the park with an amazing view of the Rivers of America. 21 Royal is designed for 12 people, so again, this would require you to split up your party and to dine on different nights. If you choose to make reservations on-site, you will have better luck securing a reservation when you make smaller reservations. I recommend having 3 people in your family each make a dining reservation for either 5 or 6 people. Then, when you arrive, you can let a Cast Member know that you are all together. They may not be able to seat you all together, but they will try to seat you all close together. I spoke with some of my fellow panelist, Carrie, and she recommended reaching out to restaurants in
Downtown Disney that may have private party options.
In regards to booking hotel spaces, if you want to book 10 or more rooms, you should book your vacation through Disney Group Getaways. If you are thinking of booking fewer rooms, you can contact the Walt Disney Travel Company to help with your reservations. You can reach both departments at (714) 956-6425, available from 7 am to 9 pm daily. All three Disneyland Resorts offer larger 3-bedroom and 2-bedroom connecting suites and/or 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom Grand Villas. This is a great option for a family of your size because the magic can continue when you head back to your room. I can hear all the bed-time giggles now.
I hope this is helpful information, Joseph, in starting your planning for what is sure to be the trip of a lifetime. If you have any other questions or need help planning, please feel free to write back to me or my fellow panelists. We’d be happy to share our thoughts.
–Melinda