Thrilled for first timers! But need advice.

[hereforthechurros]

Our extended family of 10 (plus a 2 year old) has decided to do WDW together summer in 2019. I’m aware this is a large group and that I will not get to enjoy most things because of this. My family of 3 has been 4 times, once with 6 people, but this is a good deal larger. Our group will range from 2-61 years old so we are going to try and account for everyone’s needs. Everyone is active and in good shape but we won’t be spending 12 hours in the park regardless. But I have questions!

What did you love your first time? What knocked your socks off to the point that it became a must do for you? Was it seeing the fireworks/nighttime shows? The food? The resort you stayed at? I want to make a good impression for these newbs. And stop myself from overplanning.

Do 2 year olds need FPs? I assume no ticket means no FP. She will be on a lap for every ride but this is new territory for us.

If you've planned for a larger group what worked for you? We plan to divide up into two parties of five and keep it as low stress as possible (lol) but will take whatever tips you can toss our way.

What 3 FPs would you pick for each park that have no height requirement?

If you had to skip one park which would it be?

Thank you WDW hive mind! Really appreciate all the info I get here <3

 

[mesaboy2]

You may find the FP FAQ helpful, it addresses your FP questions in Posts #2 and #8.

 

[hereforthechurros]

You may find the FP FAQ helpful, it addresses your FP questions in Posts #2 and #8.

Thanks! We have touring down for our family family of 3 so I’ve never noticed the FAQ before. No FPs under 3 for anyone else wondering. Huge help!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Our extended family of 10 (plus a 2 year old) has decided to do WDW together summer in 2019. I’m aware this is a large group and that I will not get to enjoy most things because of this. My family of 3 has been 4 times, once with 6 people, but this is a good deal larger. Our group will range from 2-61 years old so we are going to try and account for everyone’s needs. Everyone is active and in good shape but we won’t be spending 12 hours in the park regardless. But I have questions!

What did you love your first time? What knocked your socks off to the point that it became a must do for you? Was it seeing the fireworks/nighttime shows? The food? The resort you stayed at? I want to make a good impression for these newbs. And stop myself from overplanning.

Do 2 year olds need FPs? I assume no ticket means no FP. She will be on a lap for every ride but this is new territory for us.

If you've planned for a larger group what worked for you? We plan to divide up into two parties of five and keep it as low stress as possible (lol) but will take whatever tips you can toss our way.

What 3 FPs would you pick for each park that have no height requirement?

If you had to skip one park which would it be?

Thank you WDW hive mind! Really appreciate all the info I get here <3

For my family of three, we skip Hollywood Studios. It just doesn't interest us anymore. But you have to decide if that works for your group. The only ride I really enjoy in that park is Rock-N-Rollrcoaster. Since we don't visit the Studios, we do two days in MK instead. We're only there for 4 days anyway, so I make sure we're doing what we really enjoy!


Good luck! I know I didn't answer all your questions, but I wanted to focus on the one I knew I could help with the most!

 

[hereforthechurros]

For my family of three, we skip Hollywood Studios. It just doesn't interest us anymore. But you have to decide if that works for your group. The only ride I really enjoy in that park is Rock-N-Rollrcoaster. Since we don't visit the Studios, we do two days in MK instead. We're only there for 4 days anyway, so I make sure we're doing what we really enjoy!


Good luck! I know I didn't answer all your questions, but I wanted to focus on the one I knew I could help with the most!

Thanks! We all have different input so I appreciate any perspective I can get. HS for sure has less of a draw but i do wonder if the other kids (ages 6-10) will like toy story land so not sure yet. I think HS or AK will wind up getting the boot unfortunately.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Where will you be staying?

 

[mom2febgirls]

When my family went with a group of 11 we split up a lot. My husband took the 4 teens/tweens and my sister and I took the 6 year olds, my mom and the toddler. We started out the day together then split up and met back up for dinner. We had a great time

 

[Dracarys]

We just got back with a party of 9 (my family of 5 plus both sets of grandparents). It went well. We stuck together for everything. I created a touring plan for each day, but emphasized that it was just to keep us moving but not something set in stone. I didn’t want to be in situations where we would ask each other what to do next and waste 30 minutes deciding. We rode most of the rides we wanted with minimal wait times. I was happy overall with how the trip went. Looking back I wish I had scheduled more free time in the parks to allow for shopping/exploring/grabbing a snack. No one complained, but I wish I had had a chance to peek in a shop or try a snack.

We traveled with grandparents, so they were just happy to go along with everything and see the grandkids excitement. Since you are traveling with other kids, maybe find out what 1-3 of their must do’s are.

 

[isabellea]

Also, don't forget that for ADR you need to include the 2yo so you will need to make ADRs for 11 people. That could be a challenge so make sure you're booking your meals as soon as you can and have alternatives if your must dos don't work or make to overlapping ADRs (you will need two MDE accounts for that) but in that case, you probably won't eat together.

Maybe include some free afternoons? Those times, some could go back to the hotel to rest or you could split up for a few hours.

 

[dachsie]

Will you not be there long enough to go to each Park? For HS you could go but also have part of that day as a resort day. For newbies, I wouldn't skip any park. I would plan your first day at MK - nothing like seeing that castle for the first time. Unless doing the dining plan, I wouldn't over schedule ADRs but definitely catch a few character ones. Have fun!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Our extended family of 10 (plus a 2 year old) has decided to do WDW together summer in 2019. I’m aware this is a large group and that I will not get to enjoy most things because of this. My family of 3 has been 4 times, once with 6 people, but this is a good deal larger. Our group will range from 2-61 years old so we are going to try and account for everyone’s needs. Everyone is active and in good shape but we won’t be spending 12 hours in the park regardless. But I have questions!

What did you love your first time? What knocked your socks off to the point that it became a must do for you? Was it seeing the fireworks/nighttime shows? The food? The resort you stayed at? I want to make a good impression for these newbs. And stop myself from overplanning.

Do 2 year olds need FPs? I assume no ticket means no FP. She will be on a lap for every ride but this is new territory for us.

If you've planned for a larger group what worked for you? We plan to divide up into two parties of five and keep it as low stress as possible (lol) but will take whatever tips you can toss our way.

What 3 FPs would you pick for each park that have no height requirement?

If you had to skip one park which would it be?

Thank you WDW hive mind! Really appreciate all the info I get here <3

I took my sister for the first time (well, for her, first time in over 25 years) two years ago. I booked GF because it was kind of a "girlie" trip and I wanted to knock her socks off. If budget allows, for first timers, I would probably opt for a monorail resort that has a theme that appeals to you. I would suggest GF or Poly (or TPV rooms at CR). There is nothing like seeing the castle from your resort to make WDW seriously magical. If that's not in the budget and you need to go mod or value, I would recommend POR or POFQ and Pop.

With my sister, I made sure to do at least one princess meal (we ended up doing two - CRT and Akershus), one Mickey meal (we did TH) and one signature (I would highly recommend Cali Grill for newbies - the view is stunning). Restaurants with great theming may be fun as well - Biergarten is great with a big group and Sci-Fi is very cool.

The 2-year old will not need FP+. In terms of skipping a park, it would depend on the group's interests. If no one is interested in animals, skip AK. If no one is interested in Star Wars or Toy Story, skip DHS. If you would rather do rides than walking around and perusing things, skip EP. Of course, don't skip MK, LOL!

The nighttime shows are quite spectacular, IMHO, so I would try to do at least one or two. If you have to pick one, do HEA and seriously consider springing for one of the dessert parties. We prefer the Plaza dessert party for the viewing. It's also a bit cheaper than the terrace party.

 

[mamaofsix]

We always travel as a group of 10 (our 6 kids, aged 4-14 plus my parents in their 60s). It's totally enjoyable, and I think you'll be surprised that you actually WILL get to have fun, even as the planner.

We travel together, and split up for certain rides. For example, I plan our fp's so that those who like roller coasters will ride at the same time we have a fp for the little ones on a tame ride. (ie: Older kids do 7DMT while Grandparents and younger kids hit Winnie the Pooh, etc.). We plan one nice ADR mid-day to rest and relax. Each day has a laminated "game plan" sheet with the rough order of where we're going throughout the day. This way, no one is arguing over where to go. And, people can see ahead to each day and know that they WILL get to their favourite ride eventually so they don't need to stress over that.

For first timers, I would have to say that the evening shows have been the most magical for our group. My parents also LOVE some of the educational attractions, like Living with the Land and Carousal of Progress. And you know what? Our younger kids have learned to love those, too. The key is to make sure everyone understands that whining is a huge No-No if it's because you "have" to go to an attraction for the sake of someone else in the group. To make the trip fun, compromise is a must.

Also: REST DAYS!! We never do parks for more than 2 consecutive days. Our schedule usually looks like this:

-Pool / unpack / relax day
-2 park days
-Rest / pool / shop / beach day
-2 park days
-Rest day and pack for home.

Anyway, to each his own. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[MinnieMom85]

I think it depends which park to "skip" but I would definitely recommend at least two days at Magic Kingdom for a group that size. Even with 12 hours in the park, with all the shows/parades/food and then the rides its much more enjoyable to go slow.

For me, the "wow" factor is always in rope drop at the MK and spending the morning in Fantasyland. There is just something extra magical about that. Plus the parades and night time shows!

 

[nkereina]

What did you love your first time? What knocked your socks off to the point that it became a must do for you? Was it seeing the fireworks/nighttime shows? The food? The resort you stayed at? I want to make a good impression for these newbs. And stop myself from overplanning.

Do 2 year olds need FPs? I assume no ticket means no FP. She will be on a lap for every ride but this is new territory for us.

If you've planned for a larger group what worked for you? We plan to divide up into two parties of five and keep it as low stress as possible (lol) but will take whatever tips you can toss our way.

What 3 FPs would you pick for each park that have no height requirement?

If you had to skip one park which would it be?

DH and I took a group of 9 last summer - my in-laws, two SILs, BIL, and niece & nephew age 5 and 3 at the time. They were all first timers, and DH and I go often. I was nervous because not everyone has the same vacation style we do, and we are used to being on-the-go, and not having kids to contend with. Luckily, it all worked well and everyone had a great time.

We stayed at POR because it was the right price point for our group. We all enjoyed the boat to Disney Springs. We did all four parks and we had the dining plan, so we did a TS meal in each park. The thing with first timers is that they have nothing to compare to, especially first timers who don't do any research, so they were pretty blown away and happy with everything.

One thing I would recommend is mid-day breaks and keeping a loose schedule, aside from ADRs and FPs. Before we left, I stressed the importance that if they want to get their money's worth and see/do as much as possible, it was imperative we got to the parks around opening. I told them I was fine with sleeping in, but then they needed to be ok with not seeing and doing some things. Luckily, everyone was on board and we got to the parks by 9:30 each day. We took a break after lunch, so the kids could swim and nap and everyone could relax. Sometimes we went back out at night. There were two instances where it was raining hard, so we called it a day and hung out at the resort. We needed flexible plans to be able to do this, so it worked out ok.

We did miss some headliners - weather and time prevented us from doing Test Track, Frozen Ever After, Pirates and some others. We had to just be OK with that and not stress about it. For dining, we did Biergarten because it made sense with our large group, Sci Fi Dine In because I thought it was unique and they would enjoy that, Tusker House, Akershus, and Trattoria al Forno. I tried to cover the must-do characters in character meals where I could, so we could avoid waiting in long character meet lines to save us time.

I would not recommend skipping a park. IMO, its better to get a little taste of everything than it is skip a park in favor of more time at the others. This is just personal opinion. But if I had to choose one to miss, it would be AK. Our group spent the least time there. The kids loved DHS and even chose that to re-visit on our last day.

 

[fla4fun]

I know a lot of people recommend doing MK first, but sometimes that can backfire, as MK is the most “Disney” like park and also has the most ride options. If I were going to all four parks, I would start with AK, then DHS, then Epcot, then MK. I think AK is a great opener because it’s such a well themed park and offers a decent selection of family rides. Then you hit the two parks with construction who aren’t going to be living up to their full potential at the moment, and then wow them at the end with MK and leave them wanting more.

I would also consider splitting the group once a day so that some of the more thrill loving members of the group can have a thrill FP while the rest of the group does a tamer option. For example, maybe some do Navi River while some do FoP. That also gives the group different experiences to talk about when everyone gets together again.

 

[bumbershoot]

I missed how many days you’ll be there. And therefore I dont understand this:

I think HS or AK will wind up getting the boot unfortunately.

When we were new we went with veterans of Wdw, but I still planned and researched. In some ways I knew more than they did because I was current on everything and not settled in to what I’d always done (you’ve seen a touch of this in the FP knowledge).

So I wouldn’t plan it all for them. Let them plan a bit. Let them research.

And don’t skip parks. Not even HS. HS for us has been a “we’ve been touring hard for a few days, let’s go there and if we want to return to the resort earlier than expected that’s ok” park.

 

[SaintsManiac]

There isn't a single good reason to skip any park unless you have less than 4 days.

 

[nkereina]

I agree with PPs on DHS. We thought our group would like that park the least, but they liked it the best. Everyone loved Toy Story Midway Mania (this was pre-Toy Story Land) and ToT, adults loved RnRC, and my nephew developed a Star Wars obsession during the trip so he loved the character meets and Star Tours. We spent a lot of time going to the different shows at DHS as well. Of the four parks, AK took us the least time. But I agree, I still wouldn't cut it.

 

[sponica]

I think everybody needs to figure out what they want in this trip. Are you all doing a big disney trip or are you going to disney at the same time? There's a difference.

My last trip was an extended family trip, but we were a small number so we toured as a horde. My next family trip is 7-8 adults and 3-4 kids. We're not touring as a horde, we're not even all staying in the same place. One group will be at Ft Wilderness with their camper, one group will be offsite at a marriott timeshare, and my group will either be at POR/POFQ or hopefully AKL.

For everyone's sanity/happiness, everyone needs to be on the same page. What are THEIR expectations for a Disney trip? Personally I like it when first timers are able to do their own thing (and make their own mistakes) and figure out what they like/dislike.

 

[MomOTwins]

Here is my take on FP in each park with no height requirement. These are not necessarily my favorite rides; just what I think is the best use of a fastpass to avoid long waits (for example, I love the little mermaid ride in MK, but I must be the only one who does because there is NEVER a line).

MK
Peter Pan's Flight
Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Carribbean/Haunted Mansion/Buzz Lightyear (depending on you party's preferences)

EP
Frozen Ever After
Spaceship Earth
Turtle Talk with Crush

AK
Navi River Journey
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Character Outpost

HS
Toy Story Mania
Fozen Singalong
Fantasmic!