Hiya Stacy,
Welcome to planDisney! Oh boy, a trip for your extended family can be such a memorable experience. I'm planning one myself, and I can tell you that it has a million moving parts! Let me share some starting points for planning a vacation for a large family with you, and we can see if that helps.
First, Stacy, I recommend starting with accommodations like you mentioned, specifically a
Walt Disney World Resort Vacation Package. Why? Two reasons: first, with a Walt Disney World Resort Vacation Package, you can take care of your Theme Park tickets and resort hotel in one step (you can also add
dining plans now)! A Vacation Package combines both of these items into one bundle and makes it easy when you are trying to book for multiple families in different rooms (with different budgets). Speaking of budgets, the biggest reason I love Walt Disney World Resort Vacation Packages is that you can make payments towards your trip instead of paying all at once (you will have until 30 days before your arrival to pay off your balance). This is a lifesaver when you have an extended family trip to plan. You can book each family's accommodations and tickets for them and then hand it off to them to make payments and changes. From there, you can add extras like dining reservations,
Enchanting Extras, and all the other magical details to make your trip extra special.
For a super planner like me, Stacy, this plus some extra tips and tricks from panelists, is all I need to plan a vacation this size. If you feel the same, then feel free to reach out for any questions you have along the way.
I'm always here if you have questions about where to stay, where to dine, what to add to your must-do, etc. Together, we can plan the trip of your dreams! You will be in the driver's seat, and I will be in the passenger seat, giving you help along the way. If you would love a little extra help, maybe a Fairy Godmother to do the heavy lifting, there is one other resource I can recommend. I recommend working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner to take the planning out of your hands. Authorized Disney Vacation Planners receive training from Walt Disney World Resort. They are incredibly skilled at helping you find the best deals, make reservations, and perfecting every little detail for your trip. They also provide these services for free, so it is budget-friendly! If you would like to use a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner to help with your vacation, do a quick search using your preferred search engine and select from one of the many qualified individuals!
I hope that this was helpful, Stacy! If you do decide to go with a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner, you can still pop back in and ask us for help. You've always got a friend in me.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.