A BIG family

[~Czarina~]

My mother and I were talking about our yearly trip to WDW and since we just recently adopted four more children (yes, that would be 4) the range in age from two to five we were wondering what would be the best route for taking our herd to WDW. There will be two parents, a 15/16 year old, a 11, a 7, 6, 4, 3 and 2 at the ETA. Any tips? Help? Ideas?

 

[luv2nascar]

God bless you.
I give you credit for even considering it
I would give each of the kids a fanny pack
Pack there bottle of water & snacks for each day
to save money
I would do breakfast in the hotel - refrig would be needed
ceral, poptarts, breakfast bars.
You could save alot with snacks & breakfast out of the way
I would set a limit ahead of time for souviners
give each kid set amount & let them spend it how they want
$20-$30 per kid maybe

I wish I could think of more ways for you to save money
Good luck & have fun

 

[Jordan's MOM]

One idea that came to my mind was to try and dress everyone in the same color t-shirts each day. My biggest worry would be loosing someone! Even with two parents it is so hard to keep an eye one everyone and kids get so excited at WDW. Maybe pairing up a older child with a younger one and making sure that everyone has good ID on them and knows what to do if they get lost. Also renting one of the biggest double strollers at the park might be a good investment. We once saw a family with all four of their kids in one of those. Heavy I am sure, but you can only push so many strollers. Remind everyone that the family has to go at the youngest childs pace unless you are willling to split up for part of the day. If you do this I would rent radios. Last let me say you have my admiration. We are adopting one child right now to add to our one home grown one,and I get overwelmed with the process. You all deserve a great trip. Have a blast.


Jordan's mom

 

[~Czarina~]

Okay, now what can we do about hauling all the kids from the parking lot into the park and eating in the parks? The only time we have driven to the parks was when we had a handicap sticker for my grandmother and that was interesting enough. I do not recall seeing any tables big enough for nine. We like the Garden Gill and I see no way that all of us will fit into one of those tables. We can manage the nap times and stuff (the first time we went we had a four month old) just getting around for food and stuff I see being a very interesting trip. I was wondering if we called Disney and explained that we have a bunch of toddlers (all four were special needs but nothing major) if they would be able to offer any help, suggestions, ect. Would staying on site be easier then driving in this case? Would hauling the herd onto th ebus be better then trying to find a parking place for a 13/15 seater van? Having a BIG van would they make us park in the back or would there be special needs with a large motor car? Thanks!

 

[Kermit]

I think I'd have to stay on site with that many kids. It will be expensive, but holding onto that many kids and strollers on the trams would be scary. 2 connecting rooms in the garden wing at CR would give you enough room for everybody, and it would be easy to get to the MK. The monorail ride is kind of long, but it might be easier than trying to get your crew across that busy street.

I just wanted to tell you that I think you must be wonderful people to have that many children. I love big families.

 

[tmfranlk]

You could also go for connecting rooms at one of the All-Stars since your 9th person is under 3. This would definitely be more budget friendly than Contemporary if that's a concern for you (and with that many people I'm sure it has to be to some point).

I think that with a 15 and 11 year old to help you should be able to handle the buses pretty well as long as you impletmented a buddy system of sorts. I don't think it would be any more difficult to do the buses that it is going to be to make it through the parks.

I agree with an above poster that a couple of double strollers, whether your own or rentals will be your best bet. It will keep the number of loose children to a minimum and will give you places to hold your stuff.

I also have to agree with the poster who said, "God Bless You!" I think it would be great to have a large family, but I don't think my husband would be to keen on it. I'll have to settle for one or two kids, I guess.

Mostly, I would just say plan things carefully and don't forget your mid-day breaks. You may all need it by then. Maybe after you get back to the hotel one of you could take the older two (or let them go by themselves) off for some little-kid-free time.

Good luck. I know that you'll have a wonderful time!

 

[llp479]

I would suggest staying at one of the DVC resorts. You could get a two bedroom and would then have a full kitchen for preparing breakfast, snacks, and, my kids all time favorite, hot dogs. You would also have a washer/dryer, which with small children can also be handy.

The rates haven't been too bad lately, or you could go to the DVC rental board and see if someone would rent the points to you.

The coordinating clothing is also a good idea. I dress my three dd's in the same bright color. That way it's easy to spot them. We saw a family of 12 at WDW all wearing red and white striped shirts, from M&D all the way to the baby!

Whatever you decide to do, advance planning is key.

God Bless you and your family.

 

[MELSMICE]

I would also suggest checking the DVC Rent/Trade board. Depending on when you are going you may be able to get a good rate for a 2-bedroom (sleeps 8) or a grand villa (sleeps 12).
You could save a lot on meals w/ your own kitchen facilities.

I honestly don't think the 9 for dining out would be a problem. We usually go w/ a large group & we either do call ahead for off-site or PS's for on-site dining. We have never had a problem.

I would definitely do the "buddy system" & also give the older children a little free time from "buddy system".

For strollers I would suggest double umbrella's because they fold up so nice & are not bulky. Much easier to transport whether you are using Disney transporation or your own.

God bless you & all your children.

 

[bianca]

Although you have us beat, we usually travel with 6 kids to WDW. We have two biologicals, 2 adopted and take 2 friends with us ...... and we visit WDW twice a year for 2 weeks. Usually one trip per year includes my sister and her daughter as well, so large groups are not unfamiliar to us! Although it is not feasible for many families, we stay at Fort Wilderness. We have an RV and they allow up to 10 people on each camp-site (at $45 per night, this is a lot cheaper than 2 adjoining hotel rooms). I would stay at FW even if we had to tent camp, as it is so nice. While there are many people that would argue that camping is no vacation, the relaxed atmosphere and multiple activities for kids make staying there ideal for a group your size and with the ages that you have. At FW there are large sites with huge spaces between the sites so all the noise that your crew would make would not offend anyone (if they are like mine, they get louder with the addition of each child ....... LOL). While the transportation at FW is sometimes challenging, we welcome the "down-time" of waiting, as it gives us more time to get our group all together and let them know what is coming up next (besides that, we provide endless entertainment for other WDW guests, as there is always a clown among the group). As for WDW restaurants, we have never had a problem. We regularly make reservations for 8+ and they simply put tables together or we split up our group. The teens like their own table, while Dad and I sit with the little ones ...... everyone is happy! We usually eat out once per day at Disney restaurants and it is usually for lunch. Our normal day involves a cold breakfast at camp (pop tarts and stuff), a late lunch at the park (to save money we make ressies for around 2-2:30 pm ...... lunch prices). If anyone is hungry when we get back to camp later, they usually just have snack kind-of-foods ....... hot pockets, popcorn, etc. Another advantage to FW with a large group is the shower situation. With a regular hotel room you have only one shower ...... at FW there are 4 showers in both the men's and women's comfort station ..... something to think about when you are trying to get a large crew ready for the parks! Hope this helps!

 

[~Czarina~]

red blue green

Well, mom says no way to camping. We have two homes that we can get down there. One we drive to, the other is on site. Thanks for all the help and any more ideas would be more then welcome!

 

[okie from muskogee]

My wife and I and our 6 children went last december and rented points on the DVC boards and stayed at OKW and found it very nice. Big rooms (2BR villa), great kitchen, big jacuzzi tub in one bath, convient transportation. I wouldn't think of staying outside a DVC property now because it was so nice to have all the conveniences of home and yet all be under one roof. The DVCs have a more relaxed feel than other properties and renting points you pay little extra. Subtract meals you could eat in and laundry savings and you're staying in a much nicer place for the same money. Plus the busses let you off at the parks. If you can, take lightweight folding strollers for anyone under 5, rent a duble stroller for the 6-10 yrs. Avoid sit-down meals--too expensive and hard to keep everyone settled. My number one suggestion (besides prayer), get to the park 30 min before opening, leave for 2-3 hours around 1pm to eat at "home" and nap, return at 3-4 pm and stay until closing but not later than 10 pm. Your kids ages are similar to ours and the nap in the midday is what makes the park time enjoyable. You won't be sorry! We had a great time last decmber and I know you will too. With the number and ages in your group, you are smart to plan ahead! Have great trip!