Hi, Josie!
Wow, a travel party of 20. Now that is one magical group! Mickey Mouse and his Pals are sure looking forward to meeting all of you.
Since you will be staying off property, you will not be able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan, as this is a benefit exclusively for Disney Resort hotel guests who purchase a Magic Your Way package. No worries, you can still enjoy all the same dining locations, but you will just pay as you go.
When planning your dining, you can enjoy Quick Service locations without dining reservations. However, you will absolutely want
dining reservations for buffets or table service locations, especially with your party size. Give a call to a friendly Cast Member at (407)WDW-DINE to reserve a times and locations. I suggest booking 2 tables of 10 guests each. Getting a table for 20 will be much more difficult, and in some places may not even be possible. To maximize your dining options, call at your 180 day booking window for the best selection.
FastPass+ is offered to all guests regardless of where they are staying. Since you will be off property, your selections can be made up to 30 days in advance. If you plan to book everyone's
FastPass+, make sure you are all linked in your "My Family & Friends List" on
My Disney Experience.
With this big of a travel party, you have a lot of planning to do, but it sounds like a lot of fun! Plan out details ahead of time like transportation, linking tickets, and how checks will be divided at meals. All this preplanning will make your vacation supercalifragilistic! Enjoy!
Cathy