Help Me Plan 1st Trip for 67yo Mom!

[momto1]

I am taking my 67 yo mom (shhh..don't tell her I told her age!) to WDW for her very first time in September. What should I do to make her visit magical and wanting to come back?

She thinks she only wants to do one park. In that case, I would plan for Magic Kingdom with Epcot as the back up. What can't she miss at these parks? What should the touring plan be?

I planned for tea at GF and am looking for an Illuminations cruise.

DH, DS (10) and I have gone the past 5 years. I know what we like to do but what about mom for the very first - and maybe only - time?

Any ideas are welcome! thanks!
Lori

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would think that Epcot may be a better choice rather than MK. My mother had always felt that MK was for kids, but Epcot blew her away.

Also, give serious thought to getting a wheelchair or ECV for her. Most people tend to walk about 8-10 miles in a day at WDW; once around World Showcase Pomenade is 1.3 miles.

I would agree with Tea at GF, but do not think that an IllumiNations Cruise would be good for first tiem (and anyway it is impossible to book this close).

 

[humantouch]

I would agree that Epcot is the best choice as it is more geared towards adults and tends to be the least crowded of all the parks. The show at the American Adventure is not to be missed you can't believe all the stuff that comes out of that stage. I agree if your mom has a hard time with distances then you should probably get a wheel chair as it is a good distance around the park. remember epcot stands for: Every Person Comes Out Tired

 

[aubriee]

I took my 73 y/o mom for her first ever trip about 1 1/2 years ago. She too said it was going to be a once in a lifetime trip and she probably wouldn't ever go back. She has been back twice since then. I took her for her first trip during Dec so she was able to see all the Christmas decorations. Surprisingly the main thing she enjoyed that trip was the character meals. I was really shocked as she doesn't seem the type to get into the characters, but she absolutely loved the character meals. We did 1900 Park Faire, Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, CRT, Akershus, and Donald's Breakfastosaurus. Her favorite park, by far is Epcot. She loved the meals there and wandering the countries. She also loved riding in the front of the monorail. Again I was surprised at her reactions. It was like seeing her as a kid again.

I would also suggest renting her an ECV from offsite. WDW is very hot, humid, and tiring in September.

 

[Sha]

I take my mom a lot. She is going to be 75 and as a nurse I agree about the use of a wheelchair or a ECV (but people do not move out of the way for an ECV vs a wheelchair). Have observed that long before my mom needed to use a w/c. She loves Epcot more... and had her first tea at GF this past June. She loved it.

You may be able to get maps of the parks sent to you (some place personalizes them) and let her see what is there and see what she wants to do. If its at the end of September (literally) then you have the Food and Wine Festival that begins on 9/28. My mom loves that... trying different foods and Ice wine in Canada! Have fun and good luck!!!

 

[djblu883]

my older family members aren't into the rides but loves the different shows a the different parks...AK has Festival of the Lion King, MGM has Beauty and the Beast and Fantasmic, MK...not as much for older adults but does have a few things she might enjoy...and everyone has already memtioned Epcot for her...my 2 cents...

 

[momto1]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sound like Epcot it will be! I think she will like Epcot but though MK was the way to go for an possible "only" time. I have a lead on sharing a Mother/Daughter Wishes cruise with sound. I might do that the last night there. Thanks again!

 

[englishrose47]

My first trip was this May at 60 years old now I am going back solo. I loved the Lion King at AK, the Safari there also. She will love the world, I loved Soarin'and the Living Seas. At MGM all the others fav. park but not mine I loved Beauty & the Beast. I loved MK ,had a blast on Buzz and Pirates. She will love Crystal Palace there, Pooh is adorable at any ageand the decor there will definately appeal!! Just my 2 cents worth as another senior!!

 

[Taja]

I met two lovely ladies on the bus from PC to AK last March. They were in their early and late 60s, and it was their last of 3 days at WDW. They hadn't done any research and only knew about the parades/fireworks and a few attractions.

Well, we couldn't have them visiting AK only for the afternoon parade now, could we?

We arrived a bit before the parade, so I talked them into It's a Bug's Life, then we watched the parade together (first time I saw it, too!). Then I asked if they would like to see Festival of the Lion King with me. They were completely blown away! They hadn't realized there were a number of live shows in the parks!

So they discovered a couple more things they enjoyed and are planning to return in a couple of years--and doing a bit more research first!

 

[jamstew]

I am taking my 67 yo mom (shhh..don't tell her I told her age!) to WDW for her very first time in September. What should I do to make her visit magical and wanting to come back?

She thinks she only wants to do one park. In that case, I would plan for Magic Kingdom with Epcot as the back up. What can't she miss at these parks? What should the touring plan be?

I planned for tea at GF and am looking for an Illuminations cruise.

DH, DS (10) and I have gone the past 5 years. I know what we like to do but what about mom for the very first - and maybe only - time?

Any ideas are welcome! thanks!
Lori

I was all prepared to say "NO, do Epcot," but I really gave it some thought and tried to put myself in the place of someone close to my age who has never been before. I'll be 62 in December, and although Epcot and MGM are my favorite parks now, I grew up with the original Mickey Mouse Club and the old classic movies--that's what I connect to, and that's what MK is all about. That's the kind of things I wanted to see my first time. I wanted to see the teacups, the carousel, 20,000 Leagues, Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise--basically everything Disneyland had back in the 1950s and anything connected with the classic movies and classic characters (Mickey's Philharmagic).

I love Epcot, but it's not "vintage Disney." Heck, there's not really much about it that is Disney.

MGM is definitely more Disney than Epcot. I loved the Magic of Disney Animation when they were still actually doing animation rather than computer graphics. MGM also has One Man's Dream, which was a huge hit with me, as was the "Great Movie Ride." Although Beauty and the Beast isn't an old classic movie, it has the appeal of one for me, so it's a must.

That said, I asked myself whether it "would it be Disney without MK?" The answer was a resounding "NO"!

I don't know what kind of tickets you're getting for her, but I'd suggest not getting a 1-day. I'll bet after she sees MK, she might decide she's up for more if you don't wear her out the first day

 

[Trentmom]

My first trip was this May at 60 years old now I am going back solo. I loved the Lion King at AK, the Safari there also. She will love the world, I loved Soarin'and the Living Seas. At MGM all the others fav. park but not mine I loved Beauty & the Beast. I loved MK ,had a blast on Buzz and Pirates. She will love Crystal Palace there, Pooh is adorable at any ageand the decor there will definately appeal!! Just my 2 cents worth as another senior!!

Hey Er.......I am so confused.

I have seen you on a lot of threads and never knew you were 60 years old. I always thougth that pic in your siggie was your and your kids....

Is that your daughter then and her kids???

 

[Redbudlover]

Hi, I am 60 and I just absolutely love Epcot for the gardens and the food and dhopping the world. However, nothing does it for me the way MK does with the castle, the parades, the fireworks and all the rides. I am a roller coaster person, so love those, but took my elderly aunt last fall and she loved rides like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and Its a Small World. TWo years ago my back was bothering me as I was recovering from a herniated disc and I rented an ECV for the whole trip. Boy - that ECV was incredible. It made my trip magical. I started trading off with my ex - it was nice to rest and take turns walking. So - best advice is rent one. And get tickets for two parks at least!!!Remember she doesn't know what she would be missing.

 

[jamstew]

TWo years ago my back was bothering me as I was recovering from a herniated disc and I rented an ECV for the whole trip. Boy - that ECV was incredible. It made my trip magical.

I've been seriously considering an ECV this time, at least for Epcot and AK. I don't have any problem walking, but with the heat and the distances, I'm thinking it's not a bad idea.

 

[Yearning for Disney]

Glad to find this thread. DH & I are considering taking MIL who is 64 yrs old to Disney in the fall. This will be her first time. I was thinking Epcot would be a good place. I know she would appreciate the fountain/gardens/different countries. I wasn't sure about Magic Kingdom? Reading the threads, that may be a good choice. We definitely will take her to Animal Kingdom and MGM.

For those who have taken mom, was she too tired by the end of the day? We want to take MIL to Pleasure Island a couple of nights and a Cirque show.

 

[jamstew]

Glad to find this thread. DH & I are considering taking MIL who is 64 yrs old to Disney in the fall. This will be her first time. I was thinking Epcot would be a good place. I know she would appreciate the fountain/gardens/different countries. I wasn't sure about Magic Kingdom? Reading the threads, that may be a good choice. We definitely will take her to Animal Kingdom and MGM.

For those who have taken mom, was she too tired by the end of the day? We want to take MIL to Pleasure Island a couple of nights and a Cirque show.

I know that at age 60 I was too tired at the end of the day to go to Pleasure Island. Unless mom is a real high energy night creature, plan on leaving her at the hotel. Personally, I'd much rather have a decent night's sleep so that I'll feel like starting over early the next day. That said, if I hadn't seen a Cirque show before, it would be worth it. PI...no way.

 

[Quinn222]

I chose Epcot as the park for my mom, thinking it'd be her favorite but it turns out she loves MK the best! She was 80 this spring and walks all over the parks and loves the attractions at MK. She doesn't do any coasters but she loves Buzz, Small World, Pirates etc. Oh and Philharmagic.

 

[english rose 47]

Hey Er.......I am so confused.

I have seen you on a lot of threads and never knew you were 60 years old. I always thougth that pic in your siggie was your and your kids....

Is that your daughter then and her kids???

Hey Trent Mom Computor was down and all messed up I lost lots of my subscriptions Looking for Jo's thread and haven't found it yet Can you help???

 

[thejackattack21]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sound like Epcot it will be! I think she will like Epcot but though MK was the way to go for an possible "only" time. I have a lead on sharing a Mother/Daughter Wishes cruise with sound. I might do that the last night there. Thanks again!

What's this about a Wishes cruise with sound? It's always been a personal trick of mine to ride the ferry boat during MK fireworks to get a great view without the crowds, but I didn't know there was a way to do so with sound!?!? Mind sharing your secret?