Back in June 1998 I was disappointed (and rather upset) that you couldn’t book more than four people in a Walt Disney World value hotel room. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t put my three children (all ages eight and under at the time) in the same bed. After all, every other hotel we’d stayed in had let us have five people in a room.
Did you know that the average number of people per family in the U.S. is only 3.14? That helps explain why Disney’s least expensive hotel rooms only accommodate four people. However, as a parent, I was frustrated thinking that my children wouldn’t be able to visit the most magical place on Earth because we couldn’t afford to book two rooms or stay at one of the more expensive hotels.
Before you start to feel bad for us, we did get to go to Disney that December. However, we camped at Fort Wilderness in our little tent on wheels, a hand-me-down 1966 canvas top pop-up camper that was even tinier than the hotel room would have been. And, we had a blast! (We also saved a lot on food–Disney’s loss, not ours.)
In the past twenty years, a lot of things have changed, but Disney’s lack of affordable accommodations for larger families still leaves much to be desired. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do.
So, how can larger families stay at Walt Disney World?
Here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years.
Play with Numbers
Adjust the number of people in your party on the Walt Disney World website. Don’t leave anyone at home, but try different configurations to see what’s available.
Try two Rooms at a Value
Two rooms at a value hotel (Pop Century, All Star Movies, All Star Music, or All Star Sports) are often cheaper than a suite–plus you get two bathrooms! The Disney website will not tell you this, nor do most travel agents. Price the room twice, putting half your group in the first time, and the other half the second. Then add them together. I don’t include Art of Animation on my value list because the Little Mermaid rooms there are usually excluded from Disney promotions.Pop Century Resort
Remember the three & Under Rule
One child under three doesn’t count in the total number of people per room. You need to call the Walt Disney World Travel Company at 1-407-WDISNEY to book . (Yes, my husband is scared that I have that number memorized). If you try this online, it will usually say that nothing is available for the size of your party. I don’t suggest lying about your child’s age because once it’s in Disney’s system, they keep that information forever. Rory was three in 1998–they knew he was 17 in 2015. Keep in mind that your little one will have a bed–pack and plays are available to use during your stay free of charge.
Some Moderates sleep 5
If you have five people (or five plus one under three) and one of the five is a child, look into the moderate resorts. Both Caribbean Beach Resort and Port Orleans Riverside have rooms with two queen beds and a small pull-down Murphy bed. However, having only one bathroom can be a huge drawback.
The rooms that can accommodate five people are in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort.
Try a suite
Suites are available at All Star Music and at Art of Animation. The Art of Animation suites seem great. However, the bed situation is not ideal for every family. Each suite has a queen size bed in the master bedroom and a sleeper sofa and a pull-down table double bed in the main living area. I haven’t stayed there yet because I’m a little concerned about how comfortable the sofa bed is. Plus, the suites are not really economical, despite the fact that this is a “value” hotel.
Rent DVC Points
You can also rent Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points to stay in villas at deluxe properties throughout Walt Disney World. There are several great companies out there, including David’s Vacation Club Rentals and DVC Rental Store. Be aware that you may decide you love DVC so much that you buy your own timeshare points.
Camp at Fort Wilderness
Consider camping. Fort Wilderness is amazing! You get all the perks of staying on property for a fraction of the cost, plus you’re only a short boat ride from the Magic Kingdom. Campsites can hold up to ten people (plus that baby or toddler). If you don’t own a camper, you can rent one. Just check Disney’s list of approved vendors first. And, you can save money by cooking your own food.
LOok into cabins
Fort Wilderness also rents cabins. However, these aren’t your typical rustic cabins. The air-conditioned cabins at this Walt Disney World campground sleep six plus one child under age three. Each cabin has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Plus, you can’t beat the convenience of being able to take a boat to the Magic Kingdom.
Final thoughts
Sure, you might hit the lottery in time to book that $800 a night room at the Polynesian. If not, keep in mind that there are cheaper on-property options for larger families. No matter where you stay, you will have tons of fun!
Click here to find out which books I think are essential to plan your perfect Disney World vacation!
To find out more about our next trip to visit the mouse, click here.
My family loves the DVC rooms when are all traveling together as a large group! Even with a multi-generational family, we can all comfortably fit and have enough bathrooms in the two-bedroom or villas. Plus having the full kitchen is amazing!
This sounds like so much fun, am sure my kids will enjoy this! Thanks 😊
Great information & tips! I didn’t think about large families and didn’t even realize there was a restriction, but it makes sense and you have given great alternatives. Loved going through your flashback pics!
Yes! Great tips! It was expensive enough as a family of four, can’t imagine the cost involved taking a whole load more. Thanks for the suggestions.
Great tips and information! My toddler is definitely going to enjoy this.
I didn’t know about it, but that’s really a great tip, in case I will bring my whole family soon to Disney World 🙂
We only have 5 in our family, and we still struggled to find rooms at Disney that would allow us to all stay in the same room. I would like to try the cabins at Fort Wilderness sometime.
Great post. Always love a value and money aware tip especially when it comes to Disney
These are some awesome tips, things that I didn’t even think about! My sister has been wanting to plan a trip to Disney World for the whole family so we would have a pretty big group, so I am going to pass this information along to her!
Such great tips! Looking into a suite or double value room is a great idea when you have little kids and want everyone to sleep peacefully thru the night.
Never been to Disney before but you certainly have good points to look at when you have a family to take with you.
Love these tips! It’s so hard to plan trips, specially at Disney where money adds up fast. These are great! I’ll keep them in mind for when I have a family of my own.
These are some really great tips!! I haven’t been to Disney but I guess whenever I’m deciding to go on this trip, I need to have proper planning.
These are great tips! You really know the ins & outs of Disney! I laughed when you mentioned that you knew the number to call!
-Madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
I have yet to take my kids to Disney I will change this very soon. Great pics!
Great and very useful tips for large families. Surely going to recommend my friends with bigger family.
it’s been a while since i’ve been to disney but i know that accommodation can be expensive around touristy spots like that! so i think camping nearby or renting an airbnb might be a great choice. thanks for sharing!
Right now it’s just me and my hubby but it’s always good to find travel tips for the future when we have a bigger family!
Why don’t more places accommodate large families! These are great tips though, I will be using them for when we plan our Disney world trip!
I haven’t been in the Disney World, but who knows I might go there with my future children. Thanks for sharing!
I knew that lack of affordable accommodations for larger families ! glad you talked about this, will be very useful !thanks
I have plans to go to Disney but not until my kids are old enough to enjoy the trip and make the spending worth it. The tips you shared here are evergreen and will bookmark it for when the time comes.
One of the main reasons I’ve never been to Disney world is the crazy expensive involved in all aspects. While I would be most likely to do like you did on your first trip and camp, part of the whole Disney experience starts with the hotels. Great budget tips to help large families out with this!
Great tips! I love the Allstar resorts for the price. We spent as much time as possible at the park so didn’t need a fancy room.
Great for larger families….my favorite part, don’t lie about the age of the child, they knew Rory was 17 from his visit in 1998. I remember my mom “adjusting” or lying about our ages all the time when I was younger. Haha!
I love the idea of camping nearby! I bet you guys had a blast.
Fort Wilderness is an awesome campground!
Thinking about going to Disney this year but I haven’t thought about lodging yet. I’ve been leaning more towards finding an AirBnb since you can find houses or full apartments which can be able to house large families.
That’s true. There are tons of great rental properties in Orlando. Because of our work schedules, we always go at busy times of year when the on-property benefits are more important (60+10 day fast passes, 180+10 day dining reservations).
We have never been to Disney world as a family. Four kids is expensive. I did not know about the cabins though. Thanks for the tip.
These are great tips! I haven’t been to Disney since I was a kid, but I’ve stayed at many of the resorts you mentioned and they were all nice.
I had no idea that Disney didn’t really have cost effective options for larger families (not ones that are easy to come by, anyway). If people aren’t aware of the solid advice you posted, they’re probably wasting a ton of money!
How fun! No children anymore, but exciting to read about. Helpful info, no matter the age or size family. Thanks for the research.
We’ve gone more now that the kids are grown and out of the house—it’s much cheaper with only two adults.
This is ESSENTIAL advice. I’ve not been lucky enough to go to Disney World yet (almost 37 years on this planet), but I’m taking notes on this as we speak, because everyone I speak to who HAS gone tells me that it takes legit planning. Not like just going on a random trip to King’s Dominion or something, like you gotta know what you’re doing. Thanks for this!
You can go and have fun without planning, but if it’s going to be a once in a lifetime trip (or once every few years), I’d start planning at least eight months in advance. It’s a busy place, and reservations and fast passes are so important. I do have a planning post—if you search for it on the site, you should find it.
While I haven’t started my own family yet, these are great tips for my family (mom + siblings) to use! We have never stayed at an actually Disney resort hotel! I also loved your post on how to minimize cost and maximize food dollars! Such great tips!
So many good tips and the cabins and house rentals are really great too.
I would love to visit and stay with the whole family! these are great tips thank you!!
love the tips you gave. cute family pic:)
Wow you definitely have some awesome tips! The last time I went to Disney World, I only had 1 other sibling, along with my parents…now I have 3 ahah! I’m sure the trip would have been a little different with everyone! We stayed at the Grand Floridian.
-Madi xo
http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
I love these tips. I’m hoping to go to Disney World within the next two years and with a large group of family. I didn’t even think to consider the cabins. I did want to look into the vacation points though. Thank you for sharing!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! I had no idea that it was only 4 per room, even if they are small children.
I will have to remember these tips for when my family decides to do their trip (my family of four, my sisters family of at least 5 and then my parents)!
Great tips to stay on property! My family of 5 went in January and we stayed off property to save money. I definitely would have enjoyed staying in Disney if we could have
I hate how expensive it can be to di a Disney trip. Those are some great suggestions. I love the old pictures as well!
These are great tips. I went a few years ago as a 6 and we found that saying in a villa outside Disney was cheaper so that’s what we did. This is a great idea for staying in Disney!
My husband and I became DVC members 3 years ago and it’s been so fun! I know is pricy, but at the Polynesian you can get a room for 5 people plus a baby AND it has two bathrooms! Helps with the price a bit!
I am bookmarking this post. Such a helpful guide with tips to plan a Disney stay with family.
I agree with your tips..the resorts sometimes charge ridiculous fees for an extra child in the room..
Great tips for large families! I have never been to disney world, so I really don’t know how it works, but is it not possible to rent an airbnb and then get a transportation to reach the park? Actually I prefer an apartment than a hotel even I just travel with my husband. Hotels have many restrictions in most cases. I’m glad you didn’t have to cancel your trip and that you enjoyed with your whole family 🙂
At Disney in Florida, there are a lot of perks for staying on property such as Extra Magic Hours when only guests at their hotels can get in and 60 day bookings of Fast Passes instead of 30. We tend to go the three busiest times of the year (Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving), so the extra time allows us to ride and see much more than someone who stays off property. It is more expensive though.
Oh I see 🙂 I understand now