Hi James!
Welcome to planDisney! I’m so excited to help you
get the ball rolling with planning such an exciting trip!
First and foremost, happy anniversary! What an incredible milestone! I bet your family is looking forward to this celebration (I know I would be). We’ve traveled to Disney World with my family of 18 quite a few times now, so let’s chat about some things to consider when going with such a large group.
Let’s start off by looking at your resort options. We love staying at a
Disney World resort to take advantage of
the perks, such as Early Entry to the theme parks and booking Lightning Lanes further in advance of our trip. We tend to splurge on one bigger room that has a family room area and kitchen (such as a 1- or 2-bedroom) to give us an area to meet up and hang out outside the parks. Beyond that, others book studio rooms, so we all have our own space to unwind at the end of the day. Of course, your setup may be completely different than ours, but we’ve found that’s what works best with our big group!
When it comes time to
book dining, it can be a little tricky to find reservations for such a big party. Sometimes, it helps to make 2 or 3 reservations for smaller groups near the same time. Then, when you check in to your reservation, you can request to be seated as close together as possible, and the Cast Members will try their best to make it happen.
You can also look at all of the dining options open during your trip for a party of 15 by clicking the “+” button at the bottom of your
My Disney Experience app, and then clicking “Check Dining Availability.” There are some restaurants that tend to have more availability for bigger parties. When I just did a quick search, I saw lots of availability for
Teppan Edo in Epcot and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Ft. Wilderness.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is an absolute favorite in my family. Not only do you get to enjoy a delicious dinner and a hilarious show that’s fun for the whole family, but last time we were there, the show included a special moment for those celebrating an anniversary.
Finally, always remember that it’s ok to split up! With such a wide range of ages and likes/dislikes, I’ve found that everyone appreciates being able to focus on their priorities at times, and then come together as a full group at other times. Even if you’re using a
Lightning Lane service, you can book some rides separately and some together.
Once you’re officially ready to start planning, make sure everyone in your party is set up with a
My Disney Experience account and is linked together on your
Family & Friends List. That way, you’ll be able to coordinate everyone’s plans.
Feel free to come back with any other questions you have while planning this epic 50th anniversary trip! We’d love to continue to help!
Jenn J.