Hello Megan!
Welcome to planDisney! Have you ever considered joining us on
the panel? You sound like the family's
resident planner, so you definitely have a friend in us! I'm also the planner for my immediate family of five and the defacto planner when my "family" expands, so let's jump right into your question!
Hotel Accommodations: You have two choices for your party of 10. Book multiple hotel rooms and link everyone in your My Disney Experience account, or book a suite where the whole family can stay together! My Value Resort recommendation is
Disney's All-Star Music Resort. They have family suites that sleep up to 6, so you all can comfortably fit in two rooms. If you want to all stay together, I'd recommend a Deluxe Villa Resort. The 3-bedroom villas at
Old Key West and
Saratoga Springs Resorts are spacious and sleep up to 12. Bonus - you will have a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and multiple bathrooms!
Dining: You can make advanced dining reservations for your entire party online or via the
My Disney Experience app. Sometimes, it's a bit difficult to find a reservation for a large party, so I will often break up my group (5 and 5, for example) and search for the first table and then book the second table immediately after (i.e., 6 pm and 6:15 pm). When you arrive at the restaurant, let the Cast Members know that you're all the same party, and they will go above and beyond to seat you next to each other at the same time. This is not guaranteed, but pixie dust is real!
Tickets: You can buy tickets for the whole family at once (with
a vacation package), or let people buy their tickets separately. Once you've purchased the passes, link them in the app and then you can manage your party.
Megan, once everyone is linked, you will essentially be Sorcerer Mickey and can
manage everyone. This will be super helpful since you'll have people with different interests (thrill seekers vs. character greeters!) and various heights! You know where to find us with any additional questions. See ya real soon!
Rayna