Multigenerational Family Vacation to Disney – Tips for Success!
A multigenerational family vacation to Disney can be SO much fun, but there are some specific tips you will want to keep in mind while you are planning the trip to ensure everyone has the best time!
Now is the time to bring the whole family out to Walt Disney World.
With restrictions easing up and the parks revitalizing, it’s a great time to gather with all of your family members for an amazing time.
Of course, any trip that has multiple age groups can have it’s advantages and disadvantages – knowing how to plan the trip so everyone enjoys it is key! Here are some of our top tips for a successful, multi-generational Disney trip!
Book your next magical family adventure through our friends at Get Away Today! They are truly the Disney experts and can make planning your trip a breeze for both Disneyland and Disney World. You can browse their website or call 1-855-GET-AWAY. Make sure you tell them Magical Family Travel Guide sent you or use the code MFTG for $10 off a Southern California
Plan Together
It’s a big mistake to let one person take the reins on such a big trip. There is too much to do and too many ways to do it. Leaving family in the dark, even with the best intentions can have disastrous results. I
t creates unfair expectations and too much uncertainty about how plans will turn out. The more you can get others in the family involved on plans the better you can set your goals and increase the chance of a successful Disney vacation.
Divide the trip into different sections – lodging, meals, transportation, park planning, etc. Get everyone’s input on what they’d like to be involved in and divvy up the tasks from there!
It might be a good idea to send out a survey to everyone beforehand to start with planning. A few things to include:
- Budget for the trip
- Meal expectations (eat out for every meal? Bring food into the park?)
- MUST-DO activities/rides
- Special accomodations/situations
- Ages of everyone going
When you first start planning, it can be a good idea to give everyone a general overview of how much an average Disney trip costs. You don’t want someone thinking it will only cost a couple hundred bucks, only to realize at the end they are expected to pay a lot more!
Time Apart
Although most of the appeal of a multigenerational family vacation to Disney World is how much time you will all spend together, you’ll need time apart. Trust us on this one.
Some members will want to split off for a while and do other things when no consensus is reached. That needs to be okay and there needs to be a plan for it. That goes for teens who want to explore and grandparents who want a rest. It’s also a good opportunity for grandparents to watch the kids so mom and dad can have a date night.
A good time to split up can be mealtimes. It can be hard to get reservations for a large group of people, so you might want to split into smaller groups for meal time.
Setting expectations upfront can help prevent hurt feelings and misunderstandings. You also shouldn’t just expect grandparents to want to be the babysitters. They want to enjoy the trip, too, so make sure everyone makes their wants and wishes known upfront.
It can be smart to have a designated person in charge of each group, too. If you have small children, each child NEEDS to have someone specifically designated to keeping an eye out on them!
Connect Reservations
If your reservations are not the same, you will need to connect them through your Disney accounts. This is really important, as it allows you to make sure you have the same park reservations, meal reservations, FastPass reservations, etc.
It can be a little tricky to do this. If you book through Get Away Today, I highly recommend using their FREE Concierge service to help with this! We had issues with this with our upcoming trip, and they were so helpful!
Make an Itinerary
Having a schedule for your trip can really be helpful so everyone knows what times they need to be places, when fast passes are scheduled, when you plan to watch the fireworks, etc.
Of course, you need to be flexible and allow for changes. But having a general idea of how the trip will go can make life a lot easier for everyone!
Rent DVC Points
When you get the whole family together you will need special accommodations. You can get standard adjoining rooms. However, a Disney villa will suit you better. You don’t have to be a member of Disney Vacation Club to get a good price on vacation villas. You can rent points from members. It’s totally above board and it gets you a good deal. It also helps out members who want to recoup some of their membership costs when they are unable to use their points.
Choosing the right resort may have as much to do with the cost of the points you rent as location. Consider cheaper accommodations if it will allow you to stay an extra night or two. Otherwise, base your decision on convenience. Stay close to a transportation hub like The Beach Club or Riviera resorts for Skyliners to EPCOT and Disney Hollywood Studios. For Magic Kingdom, consider staying at Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Village, or the Fort Wilderness cabins.
You could also consider renting an AirBnb for the trip or staying at another nearby lodge. Get Away Today is a great place to book your trip and find the best deals on lodging on and off site.
We do think that staying on site can be really beneficial, especially when traveling with a large group of people!
Train for the Trip
With a range of ages and fitness levels, you should plan your multigenerational family vacation with caution. Don’t over plan the vacation. Take kids out to walk so they can prepare for what it will be like walking around in the parks all stay. Adults should try and up their physical activity as well.
Everyone should build their endurance levels and try to find their limits before the trip. It will help you to plan better and pace your trip appropriately.
Book your next magical family adventure through our friends at Get Away Today! They are truly the Disney experts and can make planning your trip a breeze for both Disneyland and Disney World. You can browse their website or call 1-855-GET-AWAY. Make sure you tell them Magical Family Travel Guide sent you or use the code MFTG for $10 off a Southern California
