Traveling with Grandparents is becoming very popular at Disney Parks. More and more families are traveling together to meet Mickey Mouse. And quite frankly, It’s fun to travel as a big family. Young grandparents are active and wanting to see their grandkids visit Disney for the first time. Many have taken their children and are excited to recreate the trips with grandkids. And whether it’s riding a classic, like Dumbo or experiencing something new & exciting – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train anyone? – the magic is the same no matter what your age. However, when your youngest is 4 and your oldest is 68, the pace of travel and expectations are quite different.
Disney Parks are recognizing the popularity of multi-generational travel and are doing a great job to welcome big families traveling together. Not only are they offering specials on multi-gen travel, they now use magic bands to connect the families. You can easily make plans, dining reservations, and Fast-passes using the My Disney Experience app.
If you are looking into traveling with multiple generations for your next trip to a Disney Park, here are a few tips we found.
10 Tips for traveling with Grandparents at Disney Parks
1. Plan Your Day Ahead of Time: It’s best to go into your vacation with a plan rather than winging it when you have multiple ages traveling together. Meet before the trip and determine what everyone wants to see, then loosely create an itinerary. I have found great tips for Disney travel, including what parks are the least crowded here.
2. Plan Indoor Shows for the Afternoons: More than likely, the hottest temperatures will be in the afternoon and that is the time to plan the indoor activities/shows. Every park will have some indoor options. Being able to sit and cool down is a great refresher.
3. Rest Back at the Resort in the Afternoons: Depending on the ages of the travelers, resting back at your resort in the afternoon may be a good option as well. Disney has lots of great nighttime entertainment that is not to be missed.
4. Make Dining Reservations and/or Plans for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner: Make mealtime, rest time. And make sure you make reservations as soon as you can for large groups (may I suggest dining at non-peak times?). Hungry travelers can make cranky travelers, so make sure you have mealtime plans ahead of the trip.
5. Take Advantage of Resort Activities: If you are staying at a resort on property, find out when they are doing special events. Enjoying s’mores around a campfire or learning to hula with Papa can create some special memories.
6. Experience all the forms of Disney Transportation: Disney Parks have some FUN ways to get around – make sure you try them all. Our favorites include a ride on the monorail from park to park, boat rides from Epcot to Hollywood Studios, and the Steam Train ride around Magic Kingdom.
7. Take Advantage of Ride Swaps: Disney offers ride swapping for children who are not tall enough for certain rides. If all the adults (or tall people) in your party want to ride, utilize ride swapping so everyone can enjoy it and wait together.
8. Wear Matching Clothes: Make it a fun & memorable experience with matching shirts, hats, or just lanyards. I have seen some adorable shirts at the parks lately!
9. Look for Charging Stations/Lounges: Disney Parks offer charging stations for wheelchairs as well as phones. Many times, these are in cool, shaded areas. These make great meeting points or places to recharge (literally).
10. Give Yourselves Plenty of Time: Don’t expect to leave your resort and get to a park within 10 minutes. If you have dinner reservations, give yourself plenty of time to get there, especially with a large group.
The biggest piece of advice I can give you about a trip to Disney parks is to take it easy. Don’t try to cram everything in & don’t stick to a rigid schedule. Inadvertently, there will be a rain shower, a late bus, a missed fastpass, a cranky child. Best way to handle this is to smile and remember you are in the Happiest Place on Earth! That smile will be contagious and last a long way!
Have an awesome trip!
Other Disney Parks Articles you may enjoy:
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