Disney with large groups: How to take a stress-free Disney vacation with your family

in Disney, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Grand floridian

Credit: Disney

Disney Parks are the happiest and most magical places on earth, and Disney vacations are even more special with loved ones. But let’s face it: family vacations aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. Travel can be stressful, and traveling with a large group can be overwhelming. But your family vacation doesn’t have to be as stressful as you think, and there’s no better family vacation than a trip to Disney. Here’s our list of tips for keeping your cool while vacationing at Disney with a large group.

Plan it out, but not too much

If you’re going on a Disney vacation, you’re going to want to feel prepared…especially if you’re traveling with a large group. Whether or not your party has visited Disney Parks before, some (if not all) of you are going to have your own ideas of what you want to do on vacation. So take some time beforehand to plan it out. Go over the attractions you want to experience, the foods you want to try, and the activities you want to do throughout your time on vacation. Your options will vary depending on if you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort, and you’re going to want to do your research. But don’t plan too much, and get comfortable with the idea of not everything always going to plan.

bringing babies to Disney
Image copyright Disney

Don’t worry if your group splits up from time to time

This is normal! Do you normally spend every hour of every day with each person you’re traveling with? Most likely not. So while you’re on vacation, don’t worry if your group splits up. Splitting up and doing different things over the course of your vacation will ensure that everyone in your party still gets to do what they want to do. If some members of the group would rather sit down and have a meal while others ride attractions, let it happen. If it’s time for the little ones to take a nap and the teenagers want to spend some time at the pool, let it happen. The larger your group, the more likely you will want to split up and do your own thing from time to time.

disney with groups

Schedule in some downtime and rest days

While everyone may want to do different activities at different times, you should still schedule in some downtime and rest days for your group during your trip. Not everyone has to fully take advantage of a day to sleep in, time at your hotel’s pool, and an early night, but it’s definitely comforting to know that you will have a day dedicated to rest. If you’re visiting Disneyland over the course of a few days, plan a day to sleep in, get breakfast at one of the awesome Disneyland Resort hotels, and spend a late afternoon in the theme parks. If you’re spending a week or more at Walt Disney World, we highly recommend dedicating at least one day of your trip to resort hopping and shopping at Disney Springs.

Disney Springs
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Consider separate rooms

Sure, that two-bedroom suite sounds like a great idea months before your vacation actually begins. But if you’re traveling with your kids and your extended family or a large group of friends, sharing a bathroom with several people and waking up to someone else’s alarm clock can get pretty old pretty quickly. We love the idea of staying in the same hotel as everyone else in our party, but separate rooms are a lifesaver. This way you can still feel connected to your travel group and you all can utilize the amenities of your hotel together, but you don’t have to worry about feeling too close for comfort.

Arial view of hotel and swimming pool

Use a travel agent

Finally, one of our top tips for traveling on a Disney vacation is using a travel agent. This is no extra cost to you! An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner can ease your stresses and plan every aspect of your Disney trip. If you want to just use your travel agent for dining reservations, flights, and tickets, they can take care of that. But if you’d like your travel agent to plan everything out for you and schedule each day, they can do that as well. We highly recommend booking a Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, especially if you’re traveling with a large group, because the larger the travel party the more difficult it can be to get everything done. Click here for a no-obligation vacation quote from Academy Travel.

A group of people riding on the back of a horse drawn carriage
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What are your best tips for traveling to Disney with groups? Share your experiences with us!

in Disney, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

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