Hi Angela,
Hooray for big families! My family is also a family of seven, and I'm happy to tell you that we LOVE our Walt Disney World Resort vacations! We're able to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just enjoy being together at "The Most Magical Place on Earth."
The good news is that you shouldn't have to wait
too much longer to book your trip for May 2020.
Disney Resort Hotel Packages have historically been released for the following travel year in June of the summer prior, so I'd encourage you to keep watching, and I bet sometime in mid-June, you'll be able to start turning those Disney wishes into dreams come true. As for my advice about when to book, I'd suggest looking into the
cancellation policies in case your plans change, but booking as soon as you know which dates you'd like to travel and where you'd like to stay. There is a big benefit to having your reservation at least 180 days in advance, too, because you'll be able to make all of your
dining reservations at once. Not only is that more convenient, but it also provides you more flexibility and availability for some of those harder-to-book reservations.
As for whether or not to use a travel agent, that's your own personal choice. Some Guests love having someone else take care of their plans for them, and if you find a great agent, they should be able to make recommendations for you and take care of lots of the details for you. If you enjoy planning your own trips, though, it's completely possible to do the
planning yourself. You'll even find wonderful
Cast Members who can help you put together a magical vacation, too. Plus, don't forget that all of us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel LOVE helping Guests create the same kinds of magical vacations that we all enjoy, so we're always here to help with any questions you may have regardless of whether you're using a travel agent or not.
I'm so excited for your upcoming family vacation, Angela, and hope that it's truly magical!
Missy