Start Planning Early

·      Set the date early, between 12-18 months ahead of the trip is a good place to start.  This gets the event on everyone’s calendar. If you are looking for popular high season and holiday dates you may want to start planning as far in advance as possible.

·      If you have a very large group, you may require more than one vacation rental home and you ideally want them close together.   Planning ahead of time will give you the widest range of vacation rental villas to choose from.  Remember that popular times (summer months, Christmas, New Year, Easter and Thanksgiving) often get booked at least 12 months in advance.

·      Early planning will allow you time to look at the different communities where rental homes are situated.  Popular resort style communities include Windsor Palms Resort and Emerald Island Resort both are located conveniently near to Walt Disney World and have a wonderful amenities that guests can use free of charge.  Perfect for those ‘rest’ days between attractions.

·      Shop around for cheap airfares and don’t forget to contact the airlines for their group rates.

·       Attraction tickets are often a large cost of a vacation to Kissimmee, Orlando and most of the more popular attractions have a wide variety of ticket options and prices. Planning early will allow you to identify which attractions you want to do and which ticket options are best for your group.  You may also be able to obtain discounted tickets for some attractions.

·      Use of a hire car is a necessity in Orlando and it pays to shop around for the best deal and combination of vehicles.  With a large group you may want more than one vehicle for flexibility.  When booking a hire car, don’t underestimate the amount of luggage your group will be taking.

Regular Communication

·      Start communicating as early as possible.

·      Schedule a regular monthly email or telephone conference with one representative from each household.

·      Send each family an itinerary before you leave so that there are no surprises for anyone and you yourself can relax once you arrive.

Keep a calendar

·      Keep a list of important dates that things need to be reserved by  

·      Don’t forget to include deadlines for deposits and full payment schedules to avoid accidental cancellations

Think about age ranges

·      Consider using a babysitter for young children if you are planning a formal or more adult oriented event.  Don’t count on using a babysitter until you are sure all parents are comfortable with the arrangements.

·      If there are young children in your group take into account their schedule when planning trips to the attractions.  Walt Disney World (or any attraction) with a tired and unhappy child is not pleasant for anyone.  Consider returning to your villa for an afternoon siesta or swim.  You can then return to the parks refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.

Acclimatize

·      Resist the urge to have an event the moment you all arrive. This is particularly important if you have people in your group from different time-zones.

Scheduling time

·      Schedule together time: Decide before hand on activities (brunches, tours, game nights etc.) that will be kids only, adults only and for everyone.

·      Avoid too much together time:  Be sure to leave lots of free time for independent activities.  Offer suggestions so that people know what is available.

·      Remember that experiencing the attractions in the Orlando area can be tiring, especially the major attractions such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.  Schedule in rest days or quiet days in between major park days.  These can be days spent in the villa/resort relaxing and enjoying the facilities, trips to a water park, smaller attractions such as Gatorland, Wonderworks, Mini-Golf, catch a movie, or a trip to a mall.

Capturing the memory

·      Equip the entire group with disposable cameras, including the children.  This way you will get a wide range of interesting photographs to remember your trip by.

·      If you have a formal photograph taken, make sure you get the picture you want.  Talk with your photographer before hand and ensure that you co-ordinate your attire ahead of time.

VIP guide at Walt Disney World

If you are heading up a group and leading a number of people through WDW you often loose your own chance to enjoy the park.  VIP Tour Guides can handle details like meal reservations and Fastpasses so everyone gets time to enjoy themselves.  (Call 407 560 4033 for more information.  Prices at time of writing were $75 per hour with a 5 hour minimum if booked in advance)

Guide Books

Unless you are a seasoned visitor to Walt Disney World, your trip will benefit from Getting access to a guide book before you arrive will allow you to look at all the attractions in the parks and help you decide which ones are a 'must-do' and which ones are not so important.  Guide books can give you hints and tips which can help make your days at Walt Disney World special.

One of our favorites is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2004 by Bob Sehlinger.  It has some wonderful step by step plans on how to get the most from your day, however if you have young children don't even attempt a Disney do-or-die schedule.  Disney is about fun and enjoyment whatever you are doing - and not so much about doing everything very quickly.