Hello, Brian and welcome back to planDisney!
Brian, the only thing more fun than visiting the Walt Disney World Resort is visiting with ALL of your family or friends and it sounds like you'll be multiplying the Magic this June!
While dining reservations can be a bit difficult with a larger group of people, let me offer up a few restaurant suggestions and tips that might help make sure everyone is fed and together! First, I would check out the following restaurants that might be able to accommodate a larger party:
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Biergarten Restaurant at EPCOT
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Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios
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The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom Park
Brian, I would also check out
Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. While not inside a theme park or at Disney Springs, this restaurant is only a short boat ride from Magic Kingdom Park, offers a fun atmosphere and can often accommodate a group of that size.
Advanced dining reservations officially open up at approximately 5:45 AM,
60 days in advance of your check-in date. Since you're hoping to book for a larger group, I encourage you to set your alarm, program your coffee pot and log into your My Disney Experience account before 6:00 AM EST to start securing those reservations. I would also recommend having conversations in advance regarding how you might split your group of 16-18 into two or three smaller tables for the purpose of dining. In this case, you would want to have a lead guest for each table and recruit some other members of your group to help you make those dining reservations. As long as your dining reservations are close in time, you can arrive in advance of the first reservation time and let the Cast Member (who will be seating you) know that your two or three tables are actually one large group and you'd like to be as close as possible. While there is never a guarantee, the Cast Members try their hardest to work a little Magic!
Brian, I hope this helps as you're planning ahead for your summer vacation. Please come on back to planDisney with any other questions you might have. Wishing you a trip that is delicious in every sense of the word!
Lauren