3 generations over Thanksgiving break (+82yo MIL's first time) - looking for tips!

kboo

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Our immediate family has been to WDW many times - my DDs are 7, 3 - but it's our first time during the winter holidays. My 82 yo MIL was widowed last January and it is HER VERY FIRST TIME. She is more capable than she gives herself credit, but she does have some knee arthritis and we will be renting a scooter for her. We'll also have a double stroller (no judging - it gets the kids where we need to go and quickly when they are tired). We are staying at the Contemporary (BLT). We've got our ADRs planned and FP+ set up already. The whole time we are there (Tues - Sun) it looks like heavy crowds, and since we are staying at BLT we are planning to spend most of our time at MK. I'm hoping that more experienced Thanksgiving/winter holiday travelers can give us some tips for visiting the parks at this (crowded) time.

1. Holiday fun/Parks
Since we are staying at BLT, we were planning on spending 3 days at MK and 1 each at AK and EP. My kids enjoy any parks. We've broken up some of the FP so the kids can go on some roller coasters while DH and his mom take some mellower rides. Given the crowds, and the likelihood we will be moving more slowly than most families, is it realistic to expect to do more rides than our FP?

Other than WL and GF, (and we will likely visit Poly too), are there other places we should visit for holiday fun?

Are we spending enough time at EP? The Festival of Lights looks really interesting, and I think MIL would really enjoy WS. We are planning one long full day there (with kids resting in the stroller), but do you have suggestions on the best way to enjoy EP and the Festival of Lights?

2. Age/Mobility issues
We will do some resort hopping (some of our ADRs are WL and GF), but we are trying to minimize our use of buses given MIL's scooter and our stroller. We have used uber/Lyft in the parks before, but that's with just the kids and 2 able-bodied adults (I will be about 3 weeks post-shoulder-surgery, so I will only have use of ~1.5 arms) so I'm hesitant to put more of a load on DH... any suggestions on how to manage all that? We are thinking (hoping) that MIL's mild arthritis means we can use stroller and scooter to get into the park, park them at a convenient central location and walk in the general area, and then move the scooter and stroller when we move on. Does anyone have any other tips on getting around?

3. MIL's FIRST TRIP EVER
I plan on making MIL wear her 1st timer button everywhere. She spent the last 5 years caring for FIL and has never really had a chance to enjoy herself. Just the other day, she said that the last time she was in Florida vacationing with FIL after their retirement, she'd wanted to go to WDW and FIL wasn't interested, so they didn't go. That kind of encapsulates their whole 55+ year marriage... Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make this first trip special? We have an ADR at CRT and a dinner at BOG; are there shows or events that she might especially like, that we can also do with our kids? MIL has some anxiety and is not a spa person, so pampering will not feel like pampering to her, and at least 1 adult, if not all of us, need to be with her so she doesn't feel anxious.

Thanks again for any suggestions you have! I know this board is usually aimed at tips for little kids - here I'm mainly looking for the opposite.
 
For the Holiday season, I focus on Holiday events, so take my feedback with that in mind.

I would spring for hoppers, and try to see some of the parks at night. Epcot is really beautiful in the WS for the holiday season, filled with flowers, decorations, and storytellers. There is also the Candle light processional, which your MIL may like. The fireworks display is exceptional and this is the last year, so that Holiday layover is something not to miss. You will not need three full days in Mk other than the park is closed at 6 for some evenings. You could stay until after the parade, skip over to another park and check out the evening entertainment DHS has a lot of Holiday decorations, so the children and MIL may enjoy it.

Animal Kingdom is lovely as well.

I would definitely plan on CP if she is interested, but as a Mom I need to make sure you understand that your MIL is not interested in the "extras" but wants the time. Purchase Memory Maker, and then use it. Break in the afternoons and head over to the resorts, planning on the Grand Floridian after 3 PM. THE Grand Pianist plays in the lobby there daily, and is followed by the Grand Orchestra. This is a gorgeous resort, all gussied up for the Holiday.
On another day, take a boat from the MK to Wilderness Lodge and explore that lobby, decorated for Christmas. Stunning!

On Epcot day, leave though the international gateway and check out the Epcot resorts. The displays are fantastic. MIL will likely to enjoy it. If you stumble into the Beach Club lobby after dark you may get a surprise visit by carolers.

In the Magic Kingdom the people mover is a favorite for me, especially after dark. The views of the Castle changing colors are stunning.

I know you are trying to avoid transportation but I would not exhaust the family by staying all day to avoid it. I embrace what I cannot change and roll with it.
 
I did a 3 generation trip in May. It wasn't my inlaws first time, but it may as well have been as they hadn't gone in about 20 years. AK was barely open the first and only time they had gone.

The thing my MIL loved the most was seeing the characters with my daughter and the sticky bun at Garden Grill. We did buy the memory maker (and used it).

One thing to keep in mind regarding MIL's anxiety, I know that everyone's manifestation is different and while MK is easy to get to from BLT, I find MK to be the most anxiety producing park. I actually spend the least amount of time there because I find it sooooooo overwhelming.
 
Get lots of pictures of all of you together and the girls with grandma. Let MIL pick a few must do things for her. Have breaks. Even with the scooter, she will most likely tired faster than you and the kids.
 
You will not need three full days in Mk other than the park is closed at 6 for some evenings. You could stay until after the parade, skip over to another park and check out the evening entertainment DHS has a lot of Holiday decorations, so the children and MIL may enjoy it.

Thanks for the suggestion! I will have to check out the park hours - I don't think it's closing early any evenings because there are no MVMCP nights during our stay. Both MIL and my kids tire early - we are usually "done" by 8, if not earlier, because the extra time plus getting back to the room isn't terribly pleasant with grumpy kids. We went to MNSSHP for the first time this year. The kids were so excited they couldn't nap, and so they promptly fell asleep after the 9:15 parade and slept through the 10:15 Hallowishes fireworks that we watched from the Hub! (We will go again some time when they have more stamina!) So although we do have a hopper for MIL (the rest of us have APs, so we have hopper + memory maker covered), I'm not sure how much we will actually hop. Maybe some afternoon/evenings to Epcot as the girls may be able to nap in the stroller and MIL can rest in the scooter.

One thing to keep in mind regarding MIL's anxiety, I know that everyone's manifestation is different and while MK is easy to get to from BLT, I find MK to be the most anxiety producing park. I actually spend the least amount of time there because I find it sooooooo overwhelming.

I agree re: anxiety and sensory overload. I'm trying to balance it with her likely view that MK = "Disney World." Unfortunately our home resort is BLT - otherwise we'd be staying at BWV or BCV and walking to Epcot most of the time!
 
Totally get a guide book. I remember going with my Nana who read EVERYTHING in advance of the trip and insisted we go to Epcot. I'm pretty sure if my Nana could make it down to WDW today she'd do some of the MK classics and then live at Epcot.
 
Totally get a guide book. I remember going with my Nana who read EVERYTHING in advance of the trip and insisted we go to Epcot. I'm pretty sure if my Nana could make it down to WDW today she'd do some of the MK classics and then live at Epcot.

Get a special interest guidebook, or any guidebook? How would you balance that with using Touring Plans?

I'm pretty sure my MIL would want to split her time at Epcot WS and MK, but the walking to get to WS will be a lot for her, and since we are staying close to MK during one of the busiest times of year, we are leaning toward spending more time at MK and the monorail resorts (we have ADRs at MK and at BLT/Contemporary, WL and GF).
 


We'll also have a double stroller (no judging - it gets the kids where we need to go and quickly when they are tired).

Not to be a downer, but that ginormous double stroller in not going to get the kids anywhere quickly during Thanksgiving crowds. Given your MIL's anxiety & mobility issues...I would seriously limit time spent in the Magic Kingdom. As far as a fun suggestion she might enjoy, what about Hoop Dee Doo Review?
 
Get a special interest guidebook, or any guidebook? How would you balance that with using Touring Plans?

I'm pretty sure my MIL would want to split her time at Epcot WS and MK, but the walking to get to WS will be a lot for her, and since we are staying close to MK during one of the busiest times of year, we are leaning toward spending more time at MK and the monorail resorts (we have ADRs at MK and at BLT/Contemporary, WL and GF).

If she has a scooter, why is getting to world showcase a problem? 3 days at the busiest park at one of the busiest times of year seems miserable to me. I would definitely do another Epcot day instead of a third MK day.
 
If she has a scooter, why is getting to world showcase a problem?

Boarding the monorail at the Contemporary (elevator from room at BLT to bridge to Contemporary, then another elevator or 2 to get to the monorail level) and transferring to the Epcot mono, then security and then scootering through FW is going to take a looong time. And then reverse that for getting back to BLT. For a 5-day parks trip, I'd rather not have to do that more than once.

Not to be a downer, but that ginormous double stroller in not going to get the kids anywhere quickly during Thanksgiving crowds.

We've had the ginormous double stroller in crowds leaving MK at the end of the night, and on crowd levels of 7-8, but admittedly never a 9-10. Primarily it will be useful for getting TO MK, and then we are planning on parking it in a central location in each land and then doing short walks to attractions in that land before moving on to the next land/general area. And yes, "quickly" is a relative term.
 
Boarding the monorail at the Contemporary (elevator from room at BLT to bridge to Contemporary, then another elevator or 2 to get to the monorail level) and transferring to the Epcot mono, then security and then scootering through FW is going to take a looong time. And then reverse that for getting back to BLT. For a 5-day parks trip, I'd rather not have to do that more than once.

We've had the ginormous double stroller in crowds leaving MK at the end of the night, and on crowd levels of 7-8, but admittedly never a 9-10. Primarily it will be useful for getting TO MK, and then we are planning on parking it in a central location in each land and then doing short walks to attractions in that land before moving on to the next land/general area. And yes, "quickly" is a relative term.

From BLT, if you want to avoid the monorail, it might be easier for you to walk/scooter to MK and then take the park-to-park bus to Epcot, but I've never done that personally so others might want to weigh in..

I also think you might be underestimating how much time it will take you to get just from point A to point B in MK at Thanksgiving. It took me 40 minutes just to cross the hub with a double stroller once *shudder* bad memories... We never stay MK more than a half day when the crowds are that intense--it is just too exhausting being in that kind of crushing crowd level.
 
it might be easier for you to walk/scooter to MK and then take the park-to-park bus to Epcot, but I've never done that personally so others might want to weigh in..

I don't think there's a park to park bus between MK and EP.

Also taking a scooter and folding a double stroller on a bus sounds like a nightmare - I am temporarily disabled with one arm and my MIL is no spring chicken. I've done the double stroller on a bus with 2 able bodied adults (and, of course, the little ones) and it was exhausting.
 
We are doing a 3 generation trip the week after Thanksgiving. My grandma will be in push wheel chair, and my kiddos (age 2 y and 5 months) will each be in a stroller or carrier. We are not stressing about the travel between parks simply because I think it will work out even if it does take longer. I have made daily goals, plus fastpasses. So for MK we will do our fastpasses and want to see the castle light up in the evening. We are considering anything else gravy. We are going in with low expectations and just taking our time. We want to just enjoy the atmosphere of Disney. We are also going to focus on the Holiday events since they are only during this time of the year.
 
We are doing a 3 generation trip the week after Thanksgiving. My grandma will be in push wheel chair, and my kiddos (age 2 y and 5 months) will each be in a stroller or carrier. We are not stressing about the travel between parks simply because I think it will work out even if it does take longer. I have made daily goals, plus fastpasses. So for MK we will do our fastpasses and want to see the castle light up in the evening. We are considering anything else gravy. We are going in with low expectations and just taking our time. We want to just enjoy the atmosphere of Disney. We are also going to focus on the Holiday events since they are only during this time of the year.

I like your POV. I think we are the same way - anything beyond our FP is gravy, and for the most part, they are in the AM. Since we are so close to MK, if we need an afternoon rest, we are not required to go back to MK after the rest. We have park hopped with the kids before; some of it is going to be about us all getting used to the scooter.

Question for you - how did you decide you'd use a push wheelchair instead of a scooter?
 
I like your POV. I think we are the same way - anything beyond our FP is gravy, and for the most part, they are in the AM. Since we are so close to MK, if we need an afternoon rest, we are not required to go back to MK after the rest. We have park hopped with the kids before; some of it is going to be about us all getting used to the scooter.

Question for you - how did you decide you'd use a push wheelchair instead of a scooter?

Well this will be my grandmothers 3 trip with a push wheelchair. Mostly we go with the push because she is not comfortable with a scooter. She is pretty mobile but the long distances wear her out. So she only needs the wheelchair in the parks and walks from the hotel, to the bus, to the park. We also go with a large group (8 - 10 normally), so there is always someone to push.
 
We are doing a 3 generation trip the week after Thanksgiving. My grandma will be in push wheel chair, and my kiddos (age 2 y and 5 months) will each be in a stroller or carrier. We are not stressing about the travel between parks simply because I think it will work out even if it does take longer. I have made daily goals, plus fastpasses. So for MK we will do our fastpasses and want to see the castle light up in the evening. We are considering anything else gravy. We are going in with low expectations and just taking our time. We want to just enjoy the atmosphere of Disney. We are also going to focus on the Holiday events since they are only during this time of the year.

Well this will be my grandmothers 3 trip with a push wheelchair. Mostly we go with the push because she is not comfortable with a scooter. She is pretty mobile but the long distances wear her out. So she only needs the wheelchair in the parks and walks from the hotel, to the bus, to the park. We also go with a large group (8 - 10 normally), so there is always someone to push.

Im realizing after 1 day (admittedly quite a full one) that my MIL is the same way and we could probably do the same if we had 2 adults to push. Now we are looking for strategic places in the parks to park the scooter and probably not taking it at all to AK or EP because the was so stressed driving it in the crowds yesterday that she’d rather walk. Thank you again for your perspective!
 

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