What's your party size threshold for traveling to and touring WDW for say 7 nights.

[HongKongFooy]

With the assumption of flying or driving into WD together and staying at the same hotel and for the most part staying together as one touring unit mine is about 6.......perhaps as low as 5.

Considering differing dietary wants and needs, restroom breaks, forgetting items in the hotel to bring, different energy levels as a generality anything over 6 would just create too much inefficiency and chaos.

 

[Fox&Hound]

With the assumption of flying or driving into WD together and staying at the same hotel and for the most part staying together as one touring unit mine is about 6.......perhaps as low as 5.

Considering differing dietary wants and needs, restroom breaks, forgetting items in the hotel to bring, different energy levels as a generality anything over 6 would just create too much inefficiency and chaos.

ummm...what?

 

[thomas998]

With the assumption of flying or driving into WD together and staying at the same hotel and for the most part staying together as one touring unit mine is about 6.......perhaps as low as 5.

Considering differing dietary wants and needs, restroom breaks, forgetting items in the hotel to bring, different energy levels as a generality anything over 6 would just create too much inefficiency and chaos.

You've asked a question for which any family is going to have differing limits based on who is in the party. A family of 4 is easy enough if you are talking 2 parents and their own kids, but then if it were 4 adults that all had different ideas about what they wanted to do in Orlando you could have too many with only 4. So I guess I'm missing what the point of the question even is.

 

[Ninja Mom]

One.
~NM

 

[HongKongFooy]

You've asked a question for which any family is going to have differing limits based on who is in the party. A family of 4 is easy enough if you are talking 2 parents and their own kids, but then if it were 4 adults that all had different ideas about what they wanted to do in Orlando you could have too many with only 4. So I guess I'm missing what the point of the question even is.

It looks like you understand the question based off your response.


Some people like being in a single tour group of say 15 whereas others feel traveling alone is the most optimal.

For me 6 is about where my limit is. Touring with more than that likely means there will be too much logistical planning and too many variables at play.

Now if the trip were solely with immediate family who already live together like Mom, Dad, children and a grandparent probably around 8 or 9 would be my limit before the party size would start to adversely affect my enjoyment.

 

[King Panda 77]

Two

 

[larryz]

Three

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I've traveled with as many as 14 driving.
As many as 11 flying on the same plane.
We tend to break down touring by household.
We recognize that we want to do together and what things differ.
We tend to start out together in the morning.
We then plan on eating lunch or dinner together depending on who wants to do what for the rest of the day.

But I will say the trips I enjoy the most have 2-6 people and we are all on the same page and are together from start to finish.

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

Two

 

[JIMINYCR]

Your ability to enjoy your Disney time and efficiently maneuver through the parks...isnt neccessarily in the numbers... but it depends on the people youre travelling with. If the crowd youre with has developed a plan to do things so everyone gets what they want, and are flexible and willing to get along, it will work. If personalities or styles of how to vacation clash... it will never work. Weve had two people with us once whose poor attitudes ruined our trip, and a large group on another that made the trip even more fun and exhilarating than we expected. But if I had my pick, I'd keep it down to myself, DW and DS... and maybe sometimes just DW and me alone.

 

[dmw]

Our largest group was 9 - ages ranging from <1 to 76, four generations. All adults, except for the infant. Four drove together, three flew, two arrived by car at a different date, and stayed at a different property (all on site). Coordinating the arrival, where to meet for dinner, what to do was ok, but not as enjoyable as with a smaller group. Creating a touring plan was a challenge with different interests (attractions and meals), especially since one adult was a newbie, and made more challenging with two not in the same hotel. It was a special trip, but not a preferred group size.

My preferred group size is two adults. We've vacationed with another couple and even four adults can have different interests. It's fun to enjoy the group, but sometimes I feel awkward planning for others and seeing they may not enjoy what I have planned.

Now, if we decided to go as a larger group and each family unit was on their own except for maybe one meal a day, or similar infrequent meet-up, that might be OK.

 

[BeanCounterBob]

3....just my family. I have traveled there with friends/family and friends of friends and it never goes well.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It's ultimately a matter of making plans that fit the group size.

Keeping a large group together with a rigid schedule makes less sense than when dealing with 2-4 people.

For a small group I might plan everything out, fastpasses, dining, which park to visit, wake-up time, etc.

For a medium group I might plan specific parks and one group meal.

For a larger group I might only plan a single daily meet-up.

 

[NelleBelle]

4-5. Two years ago I went with DH and the 2 DS (young teens), my mom and the MIL (who lives with us). The two moms get along ok for casual dinners at home and family functions. But even when we take just just my mom to WDW there will be a point when I get cranky with everyone . I will NEVER take the two moms together on vacation again. EVER! Biggest mistake I’ve ever made. My MIL is a huge know it all and the biggest cheapskate (willcment on the price of everything except for when she’s not paying)!

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

My immediate family is more than enough...bring my parents or friends into it, and it’s a disaster.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

We did it once with extended family (10) and with our friends (total of 8)...my DW did all of the planning with input from everyone and when it was all said and done, no hiccups. With that said, going forward, we wouldn't do it again...She was thanked by our friends for all the planning, but family? NOPE

 

[DfromATX]

We are a family of 6 (4 now adult kids and us parents). It's what we're used to and with that many it does take some work. We stay together though - same fast passes, dining, etc. On our last trip though, we brought an "extra," my son's g/f. It made an odd number, but other than that no hiccups. Now we have another kid who next time wants to bring her b/f. (These extras we think may be future spouses.) We're fine with that (and yes, the extras do pay for most of their share). It does get harder the more you add, especially with dining reservations. But it's so much fun! We all like basically the same things and we have our routine. The new people just go with the flow. Maybe one day we'll have grand children and I won't mind splitting up and letting the parents go off while we keep the grand kids.

 

[DfromATX]

We did it once with extended family (10) and with our friends (total of 8)...my DW did all of the planning with input from everyone and when it was all said and done, no hiccups. With that said, going forward, we wouldn't do it again...She was thanked by our friends for all the planning, but family? NOPE

It takes a lot to plan, especially for that many. I do the same for my family. Now that our kids our older, of course I get their input and involve them. I enjoy doing it and yes, it's nice to be thanked, especially when the trips goes smoothly. I'm not sure I'd want to plan for extended family. I could see what you described happening. Just our group is enough!

 

[Tom Morrow]

I believe that anything more than 4 or 5 at a theme park and things start getting tricky and frustrating. With 4 or 5 you can usually accommodate what everyone wants to do, you also don't get bogged down -too- often by restroom breaks, snack breaks, etc.

 

[Giss Neric]

You should probably be already aware of each member of the family before going.

In my family of 6, only two of us are adventurous and thrill seekers so we go to the big rides and leave them alone. Two of us usually just go to Busch Gardens or Sea World, sometimes Fun Spot, and they are left in Disney. That's easy to plan ahead.

In terms of food, we all have different taste buds so we split up into two or threes then go to whichever place we want to eat. Kids have no choice though.

In summary, you don't have to be all together all the time.

The only time we are together is during our picture taking in the castle or with Mickey.