Five tips for planning a memorable multigenerational visit.
January 3, 2022
My grandmother, who we call Meme, is no stranger to travel—she visited all seven continents with my late grandfather, bringing back souvenir gifts from Australia, Egypt, and beyond and inspired my own travels. For her milestone 85th birthday this year, my cousins and I asked what she wanted to do to mark the occasion. I couldn’t have been more surprised with her response: “Disney World.”
Our family trip to Disney World, her first time back in at least a decade, was planned for March. My grandmother was fully vaccinated but vaccines hadn’t yet been rolled out to our age group, so I gauged interest with my cousins to see who was comfortable traveling to Florida during the pandemic. There ended up being five of us, with ages ranging from 17 to 85, along for the birthday trip of a lifetime. We learned quite a bit along the way: Here are our tips for enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth, no matter if you’re young or simply young at heart.
Pick a hotel on the monorail
The one request my grandmother had was to stay at one of the hotels on the monorail route: The Contemporary, Grand Floridian, or Polynesian Village Resort. The Polynesian was undergoing renovations and the Grand Floridian was a bit pricey for our group of five, so we landed on The Contemporary.
It was one of the first hotels to open in the park in 1971, so it seemed a fitting choice for the special occasion, with its 90-foot-tall Mary Blair ceramic mural, designed by the artist that worked on Cinderella and Peter Pan, and California Grill, one of the top-rated restaurants within Walt Disney World.
We booked three rooms, all with balconies overlooking the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary is located less than five minutes from the park entrance, making it possible to go back into the park after dinner or return for a midday rest.
Choose parks with wide appeal
I took on the planning, enlisting the help of a travel agent friend to cater to our wide variety of ages, mobility levels, and interests. Meme chose the parks: the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The agency booked our group’s tickets, making payments and logistics easier. My grandmother is still very active, but because we all move at different paces, we didn’t pack the days too fully. If you are traveling with someone who uses a wheelchair or scooter, check out which rides are accessible and where there are parking areas.
Magic Kingdom and Epcot are ideal for multigenerational trips because both have an element of nostalgia for the older visitors and magic for first-timers, with places to relax and take a break from the Florida heat. At the Magic Kingdom, we found quiet benches in the shade near Frontierland. The covered pavilion at the American Adventure area at Epcot was a welcome respite with stands selling water nearby.
Prepare to compromise with rides
Not every ride will suit every person in a multigenerational group. My cousins, aged 17 and 25, wanted to ride certain ones that didn’t interest my grandmother, like Test Track and Mission: Space. While they went off to do those, my grandmother, sister, and I went to Soarin’ Around the World, which was Meme’s favorite of the trip. She enjoyed watching the large-scale images of places she’d visited. Living With the Land was another highlight, which shows riders greenhouses where food is grown to be served at Disney restaurants.
It was also important to throw in some indoor rides to stay cool, which I might have skipped in the past. Jungle Cruise and Journey into Imagination with Figment turned out to be welcome additions due to their slower pace and covered vehicles.
Arriving before park opening and coming back after sunset are also best for staying cool—both were possible because we were stayed at an on-property resort, and got access to Extra Magic Hours. At times, Meme was able to return to the hotel while a few of us went back for more.
Book meal reservations
At Disney World, I usually decide at the last minute where I want to eat, often snacking in line for a ride. But this time, I knew that it would be good to have a place to sit down during mealtimes.
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In the months before the trip, I scoured the Disney Dining page, which includes restaurants within all of the parks, at the hotels, and in Disney Springs. I made most bookings through Disney, but I also found some on OpenTable when I couldn’t find a desired time slot on the official Disney site.
There weren’t many reservations available at the Magic Kingdom, so we had lunch at the Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian, taking the boat across the lake. At Epcot, we nabbed a spot at San Angel Inn Restaurante at the Mexico Pavilion. The food was incredible and my youngest cousin took advantage of the wait to browse nearby market stalls.
For dinners, we ended up at Disney Springs every night, taking the bus from our hotel after leaving the parks. Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante had a vintage airport atmosphere with hearty portions of Italian fare. Paradiso 37 was another hit, with flatbreads and burgers appealing to even the pickiest eaters.
Find ways to make the trip extra special
Before we left for Florida, we ordered a set of Minnie ears for Meme to wear at the parks. We also went straight to Guest Services at Disney Springs to pick up a celebration pin and purchased a cake from Amorette’s Patisserie. The bakery makes special cakes for birthdays and other events, which you can order in advance and have delivered to certain hotels. When cast members saw her pin, they wished her a happy birthday. And every meal ended in a treat brought to her—including breakfast.
Our family trip to Disney World was such a hit that I half expected my grandmother to keep wearing her celebration button and ears back home. At 85, she has traveled the world and seen all seven continents, but there’s nothing like the celebratory atmosphere of Walt Disney World to make you feel like royalty.