As I’ve mentioned, I have a family of five so sometimes we have to do things different than other families who have fewer people.  But that’s the beauty of Disney vacation, they’re so easy to customize!  Here are my top 5 tips for touring Disney parks with a larger family.

1. Choose the right resort.

There are several resorts on property that accommodate more than 4 people.  There are even villas that sleep up to 9, in case you have a really big family!  Check out my past post here to help you decide which resort is right for you.

2.  Pro/con the dining plan.

The dining plan is not always the best fit for every family.  Do you have a family with toddlers who eat like birds?  Maybe pass on the dining plan.  Do you have teenagers with hollow legs?  The dining plan might just save you a ton of money.  Check with your travel agent who can help you decide.

3. Use Fast Pass+/Rider Swap/Single Rider when possible.

We all know that the Fast Pass+ system is very important but it’s especially important when you have a larger family.  If you’ve got a wide range of ages in your family than the Rider Swap system will really help to ensure that everyone gets to ride what they want.  Rider Swap allows one adult to use a Fast Pass+ reservation (or from standby) to ride while another adult waits behind with the little ones.  When the first adult is finished, the second adult (plus 2 others) can then enter the attraction through the Fast Pass queue.  Be sure to ask the Cast Member at the front of the attraction for the Rider Swap pass.  Also, some attractions have a Single Rider queue so you can definitely make use of that as well if you have just one person in your party who wants to do an attraction.

4.  Be prepared to split up when possible.

Sometimes splitting up your group is the best way to make people happy.  We do that a lot when one adult and one of our kids wants to do an attraction but the others don’t.  We will split up into two groups and some will ride and some will go get a snack or look through a gift shop.  We either set a rendezvous point or text each other our location to meet later.  It works well for us.  If you have older (responsible) teenagers, you might want to let them tour a park on their own.

5.  Get the Memory Maker package.

They can set up the shot so that you get everyone in the picture as well as the fun landmarks!  It can be hard to get a good shot of everyone in the parks when it’s crowded and people are elbowing you and trying to get around you.  The Disney photographers have staked out the best spots and they can make sure the whole family gets in the shot.  You’re making these memories together so you definitely want to remember them!

We’d love to hear your best tips on touring with a large family.  Leave them in the comments below!