90 year old at WDW?

[Ellielovesdisney]

Ok - heres the thing. I am always telling my 90 year old grandmother that we are going to disney (again) and how great it is. I know she wants to be invited (she has never been), but I don't see how I can manage her and DD3 on the same trip. Anyway - I have a week off in January and am thinking of inviting her to go with just me and my mom for 2 days. She is in great shape, but can't walk really long distances (but would probably do a wheelchair). Do you think she would have a good time? What do you think she would like? where should we stay?

Holly

 

[eblack0409]

I think she would have a blast....I would recommend staying at POP...request first floor room near the lobby...it would be worth it to pay for the preferred....close to the food court...buses...pools....it's a fun resort!

 

[outlander]

i think spending time with family is great and if she really wants to go, i'm sure she would have fun. disney is magical for all ages.
january would be a great time to go. it's not hot, which is nice but it can be quite cool. if the cooler weather isn't a problem, i say go for it! especially if your mom will be along to help out.

 

[blondeheroine]

Ok - heres the thing. I am always telling my 90 year old grandmother that we are going to disney (again) and how great it is. I know she wants to be invited (she has never been), but I don't see how I can manage her and DD3 on the same trip. Anyway - I have a week off in January and am thinking of inviting her to go with just me and my mom for 2 days. She is in great shape, but can't walk really long distances (but would probably do a wheelchair). Do you think she would have a good time? What do you think she would like? where should we stay?

Holly

I think there's a lot of things she'd enjoy.

All the shows like Festival of the Lion King, Philharmagic, etc.

Stationary attractions like Hall of Presidents, etc.

And of course: the parades and nightly fireworks.

As to where you should stay, maybe one of the Magic Kingdom resorts? Somewhat expensive, but not too far from the Magic Kingdom or Epcot from Monorail.

 

[Vivianne]

I think she would have a wonderful time.

I would stay at Port Orleans French Quarter.

MK - Viewing the Castle, seeing the parades, Main Street, Hall of the Presidents, It's a Small World, Carousel of Progress would certainly be attractions she would enjoy.

Epcot - World Showcase would also be great for her. Because of the size of the park, I think a wheelchair would be a good option for her. Don't miss Illuminations. Have a great time as a family.

 

[Cass]

She would have a great time, you should really take her if you can. What a wonderful experience for all of you, one you will remember for the rest of your life.

 

[momandseandodisney]

If only going 2 nights or so, I would say stay at on of the monorail resorts FOR SURE

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

Just try to talk her out of Tower of terror.As much as she might beg... its really not a good idea. (I'm joking of course!) HAVE FUN!

 

[erinch]

perhaps Wilderness Lodge, if you can afford it? I think you can take the wheelchair right on the boat.

 

[minijeanie]

not sure of your budget.

but if you can swing it ...would defnitely stay on rails...
close for your son and grandma

you can come back mid day and all take a well deserved nap

believe grandmother would love all shows in MK as well as touring countries in Epcot.

Of course wheelchair would absolutely be the smart way to go.

and i agree with another post...memories would be so so special

absolutely take her with you

enjoy!

 

[I Love Pluto]

How wonderful of you to be so considerate. I'm sure she would have a wonderful time. Stay off those coasters!

 

[dopeynme]

Hi! I traveled with my 81 year old mom a few months ago (not to WDW). She can walk short distances, bit needed a wheelchair for any longer distances. The trip was an education for me. The world (NOT the WD WORLD ) is not as handicapped accessible as i thought it was. Even if there is a wc ramp, sometimes it is steep or the cement is crmbling, which makes it difficult to control the chair. I was surprised that so many places did not have ramps, too.
All that said.......I absolutely treasure the trip I had with my mom. Ten days of spending time together, laughing and seeing beautiful sights.
I say take your Grandmom. Do some research about it, maybe get the Passporters special needs book, and be prepared for a different type of trip than if you went with your child. But definitely do it. You will have a treasured memory.

 

[Tiffer]

When I was 16 we stayed off property at a Mariott, my aunt worked for that corp at the time and we got emplyee rates. We brought my 88 yr old grandma. She loved it. We had a regular wheelchair though. she could out shop any of us, but THAT much walking would just be too much. I specifically remember MGM. It was 16 yrs ago. But she LOVED all the parks and parades and would get up and shake it with the street performers.

 

[Disneyenthusiast]

What a wonderful idea! I would try to stay at a monorail hotel if you can afford it because of the transportation issues. You want to be sure to have an elevator available. I would definitely get a wheelchair to make her more comfortable with the distances. Keep in mind that January will be chilly. Be sure she is prepared for cold weather. Older people usually like more heat! There are so many things to see, even without the rides. Go to the parades, shows and fireworks. She may be happy to take a nap midday while you and your Mom do something more adventurous. I would allow three nights so that there is time to refresh and rest after the airplane flight and still have some time to explore at least MK and Epcot. Also, make reservations for a nice table service meal each day. I suggest lunch with lighter portions earlier in the day. This also frees up the evenings for fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant. Special memories last a lifetime. Don't wait too long!

 

[missminniemouse]

I went this past May with my 87 year old grandmother and 6 year old son. They both had a wonderful time being there together. Grandma couldn't handle all the walking (although she did it the first 2 days of the trip), but was open to using a wheelchair, especially at EPCOT. We planned some special meals together and Grandma's favorite was the character meal at Crystal Palace! She was totally excited when I told her we were doing this...not because of seeing my son with the characters, but because she wanted to see them herself and have her picture taken with them!

On the last day of our trip, I had promised DS that we would ride Expedition Everest. We got fast passes. Grandma was completely content sitting inside one of the restaurants in the park (air conditioning was a plus with the heat in May). We just made sure she had something to drink and nibble on while we were gone. I hated to leave her alone, but she had a great time just "people watching" for the short time we were away.

We were at WDW during the Flower and Garden Festival, which Grandma thoroughly enjoyed. We attended 7 flower power concerts (Tony Orlando) during the week we were there. This provided a nice break for us during the afternoon and evening hours.

The one thing we couldn't do was take advantage of evening EMH...it was just too late for grandma to handle. We did get up early and do morning EMH while we were there...she is an early riser.

Grandma even road "Soarin'" with us. She used to fly airplanes when she was younger, so we knew she would enjoy this attraction. We stayed clear of things like Splash Mountain, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, etc., but there are plenty of other things to do and see around WDW, that we never missed doing those attractions. Besides, DS has been to WDW at least 7 times before and knew we were scheduled to go back again in November, so skipping some of these rides wasn't a big tragedy.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm really glad I got to go with my grandmother. It was a wonderful time for all of us.