Hi there, Kelsey. Thank you so much for bringing your large group planning question to planDisney.
I recently experienced
Disneyland Resort with a group of 18 friends, and by the end of the trip, we truly felt more like family. There is something incredibly special about walking down Main Street, U.S.A. together and seeing
Sleeping Beauty Castle come into view as a big group. Those moments are pure Disney magic.
Using
Lightning Lane with a group of 14 may sound like “kind of fun to do the impossible,” to borrow a quote from Walt Disney himself, but I promise you it is absolutely doable. What worked best for our large group was making sure all tickets were linked in the
Disneyland app under one or two designated planners. That way, a single person could book Lightning Lanes for the entire group, keeping everything organized and stress-free. Everyone could still scan in individually at each attraction, but having one or two people managing selections made the whole process run smoothly.
Once you arrive at attractions, keep in mind that most rides will not be able to seat all 14 of you in the same ride vehicle. Instead of seeing that as a drawback, we leaned into the fun of it by snapping photos of our friends all buckled in and ready for adventure before boarding.
Speaking of photos, one of our favorite Lightning Lane Multi-Pass perks was
Disney PhotoPass. Since PhotoPass downloads are included, we took full advantage of the many friendly PhotoPass Photographer Cast Members throughout the parks. Those photos captured so many shared laughs and memories, and I am so grateful we took the time to stop for them.
One other thing our large group had to navigate was
mealtime. We found it easiest to split into smaller groups for quick-service dining. If you are hoping for table-service meals, you will likely need to book multiple advance dining reservations for smaller party sizes at similar times. When you check in, be sure to let the host or hostess know you are dining together. While it is never guaranteed, they may be able to seat your groups near one another.
I just know your group is going to have an incredible time together, Kelsey. Large group trips create some of the most meaningful Disney memories, and I still smile every time I look back at photos from ours. If you have any other questions as you continue planning, please do not hesitate to stop back by. We are always happy to help here at planDisney.
Cheers!
Kimberly