Hi Marty!
Thank you for submitting your questions to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Family vacation! Sounds wonderful! To answer your first question, we do not have advanced notice on when the rates will be announced. We find out once the are released. for the last several years, this information has been released in the summer. I recommend that you follow the
Disney Parks Blog to find out what's new. You can also periodically check the
Vacation Packages Page to see if the new rates have been released. As for traveling with the family, you have many choices! There are over 20 resorts to choose from with rooms to fit every budget! So far, my family and I have stayed at 14 of them and they are all wonderful! I would recommend that you explore the
Rooms for 5 Guests or More Page so that you can see if maybe your family would like to try a value resort such as the Art of Animation Resort which features movie themed suites or maybe a villa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Another option could be to reserve two standard rooms (usually sleep 4) and request connecting rooms or side-by-side rooms. I find that this option is sometimes more economical for all.
Hope this helps! If I can assist you with any other planning question, please feel free to send them my way!
Happy Planning!
Yael