Many families head to Florida with multiple generations in tow. Grandparents, their children, their grandchildren and sometimes even great grandchildren pack up their bags and head to the Sunshine State to make life long memories.
Families who opt for vacation homes often find luxury vacation rentals with two or more master suites, giving grandparents their own space to relax during the day, their own bathrooms, and large comfortable beds to help them sleep soundly at night. Many vacation rentals have one master suite upstairs and one downstairs, eliminating the need for grandparents to use the stairs, while other vacation rentals are single story homes and put one master suite on either side of the house, ensuring grandparents get peace and quiet when they need it. Finding hotel accommodations for multiple generations can be tricky, uncomfortable, and not to mention expensive. A vacation home is usually the best option when traveling with seniors.
There are two things that is always true about Disney: there is a lot of magic and a lot of walking. Even for the younger generations, walking all day can be exhausting, and standing in long lines can really tire out your feet. Consider renting a wheelchair or scooter before you get to the parks, or rent one when you get there. This will help family member who tire easily still enjoy the parks without feeling weak or exhausted. One perk to using a wheelchair is that there is usually a separate entrance or line onto many of the rides for guests using one. This may alleviate the long lines for the whole crew.
While the younger family members zip through Space Mountain in the dark, cool off on Splash Mountain, or climb and hike through the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, seniors can find walking tours that give them a behind the scenes look at some of the things that are easily missed when grandchildren are rushing from one thrill or another. Epcot offers the Gardens of the World tour; a slow paced walking tour that explores the horticulture and gardens of the
theme park. The Hidden Treasures of World Showcase at Epcot is another walking tour that explores the various pavilions “around the world.”
At Magic Kingdom, there is a behind the scenes tours that shows you all of the work and secrets that come together to make this place the most magical place on Earth. This one is $60 per person and lasts about 4 hours, and is a great option for grandparents who want a few hours of their own time while the family explores the parks.
Animal Kingdom is a great park for seniors who enjoy animals and beautiful scenery, and is best to try during the “cooler” Florida months (November-February.) There are a lot of shows to see, and animal exhibits that allow families to sit and watch the animals for as long as they’d like.
Traveling with grandparents is a treasure, and seeing them interact with their grandchildren in the happiest place on Earth is priceless. By taking a few of these guidelines into consideration, everyone can have the family vacation of their dreams!
Diana McCarthy
Magical Stays Vacation Homes