Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be overwhelming for my own family. When you add in grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles, then it can be even MORE overwhelming, but incredibly fun! Here are my best tips to plan your multigenerational family vacation to Disney World, because you know what they say, “The more the merrier.” That is until you have to book everyone’s FastPasses.
Best Tips for a Multigenerational Family Vacation to Disney World
When we vacation at Walt Disney World, everyone is invited. That doesn’t mean everyone is coming, but more often than not, grandparents jump at the chance to see their grandkids soak in the magic. We’ve done trips with extended family and friends. And while, yes, I love having grandma’s helping hands, it also can be very stressful trying to keep everyone happy. So here’s my advice on how to keep your sanity and still love everyone by the end of the trip.
Be Flexible on your Multigenerational Trip to Disney World
Once you accept that you can’t please everyone all the time, the planning can start. As planners, sometimes we want so desperately for everyone to be happy. However, with a lot of people and age ranges, that’s a difficult task, so be flexible.
My family is already starting off as a party of seven. With five daughters ages 14 to 6, there are different interests. We let everyone choose the one attraction they want to do each day, and everything else is bonus!
This cuts down on complaints because, hey, you got your #1. And yes, character meet and greets count towards the pick. But hey, if you make it through a whole day with no tantrums, then I’ll hook you up with an extra Princess meet and greet.
Schedule Meals for Off-peak Times
My father is a bit of a grumpy one, but a good meal can turn his frown upside down. So advanced dining reservations are necessary for this crew! When you have a large party, you have to be on the ball at 180 days to get a reservation at the popular Disney restaurants. However, if you’re flexible with your times, then you can usually find something to please the masses.
I usually recommend a walk-up reservation when you have smaller parties, but it’s harder to squeeze in a table of 10. You can still find last-minute reservations. One of my favorite meals has been Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
I scheduled a reservation for a party of 11 at 10:30 a.m. It was perfect. It’s right before the switch over from breakfast to lunch. So not only was the restaurant not crowded, but they were able to seat us all at the same table. We had plenty of great character interaction with several visits from each one, which my daughters adored.
And the best part? I still could eat chocolate croissants and waffles for breakfast and then eat rice and plantains for lunch 20 minutes later. I ate so much that all I needed was a snack later on in the day. Bam! Money saver.
Set Rules and Expectations
We tend to relax a bit on rules, bedtimes, and treat restrictions on vacation, especially a multigenerational family vacation to Disney World. However, my relaxation sometimes equates to full on party mode for the grandparents. When I say no, then usually my mom or dad will step in with the, “of course you can have an over-priced balloon, three ice cream cones, a Mickey ice cream bar, and 15 stuffed animals.” That usually does not fly well with me even though my girls have the wide-eyed ‘please, Nana’ look down like champs.
Make sure to talk about it before hand. It’s fun for grandparents, relatives, and friends to spoil kids if they can. And in Walt Disney World, there are opportunities everywhere to allow that. It doesn’t have to cost money, though.
Are you okay with sacrificing a nap or an early bedtime? Will you let a grandparent take a child back to the hotel swimming pool if they want? Set your expectations ahead of time, so there are no tears from children or parents later.
Bring a Car – Like the Mazda CX-9
I appreciate Walt Disney World’s complimentary transportation when I can’t have a car or my budget doesn’t allow it. However, if I had it my way, I would have a car every time. It just takes so long to get anywhere on Disney’s transportation, and time is money. On our last multigenerational trip to Disney World, we were able to drive a Mazda CX-9, and let me tell you, I fell in love.
The Mazda CX-9 is a midsize SUV that seats 7 passengers! Hallelujah, because this mama cannot drive big ‘ol SUVs. I am just incapable and often I am afraid of running over small children.
With all the safety features on the Mazda CX-9, I always felt in control. There are so many cameras on this vehicle, even my husband was impressed and wondered where all those cameras were. You get a 360 degree view monitor which allows you to see the front, rear, and both sides. It seriously is my favorite thing along with the beautiful interior!
Plus I loved having this car, because we were able to decompress as a family. Sometimes when you get on the Disney buses late at night, they are so crowded, it’s standing room only, and you can barely hear the person next to you. I was surprised at how roomy the back seat was. The 3rd row has two seats, and the kids had plenty of room.
We were able to chat about the day’s events and talk about our favorite memories. Those who were sleepy could fall asleep. Sometimes we switched on and off with either mom or dad or Nana or Papi taking the little back early who couldn’t quite hang. That was when we had the extra option of Disney transportation.
I would 100% purchase this car as an extra car for my family only due to lack of trunk space. If I had a family of 5, easy decision for sure, then you can easily fold back a seat for extra storage.
You Can Split Up
Sometimes we worry about being together all of the time or hurting someone’s feelings. But there is no shame in letting the older kids ride the thrill rides while the younger kids ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant over and over. I’m all about togetherness, but the family that does not make mom ride Tower of Terror does not unleash mom’s wrath. If the younger kids want to meet Moana or Sofia the First, then let the grandparents take them while mom or dad take others to ride a ride.
That’s one thing I do like about FastPass+: you can schedule different attractions during the same time frame, so it’s easy to meet back up afterwards. Do some people want to ride Space Mountain while others want to ride “it’s a small world?” No problem. Schedule everyone for the same FastPass+ selection and then change the attraction for the people who want to ride something else during the same time slot.
Or you happen to walk by Expedition Everest and it’s a 10-minute wait? Dad and my oldest daughters can ride while I chill with the littles eating ice cream, because that’s how I roll. That drop is frightening; ice cream is not. That’s when dining reservations come into play, too. When the family splits up with cousins or friends, then we can all meet together for a meal.
Stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel
If your budget allows for it, then I recommend staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. You can absolutely have magical memories and fun times off-property. For a multigenerational family vacation to Disney World, I think it’s easier for younger children and even grandparents to go back to the hotel to relax and rest midday or even for an early evening.
Not everyone will stay happy for fireworks each night. With free Disney transportation, you’re just a bus, monorail, or boat ride away to your hotel. This is also great for teens to give them some extra independence if they want to stay late for evening Extra Magic Hours. You can also get multiple rooms at the same resort and still have your own space without being on top of each other.
Now that you’re ready for the big trip, relax, forget about your worries and your strife, and get ready to watch grandma’s heart melt when she sees the kids meet Mickey Mouse for the first time. My daughters ask for their grandparents every trip, because we’ve also taught them that family is everything.
Marvel loving, Disney obsessed mom traveling and running though Mom Life.
Wednesday 20th of March 2019
[…] You’re never too old or too young to go on the Disney Dream, which makes it the ideal Disney vacation for multigenerational families. […]