Help! Need Advice about traveling with my 78 yr old mom

[ogzy2001]

We are sooo excited, we fly out to Disneyland in the morning and are taking my 78yr old mom, she is in great shape, we have a walker/wc for when when she gets tired, have made our dinner reservations.

She has never been to any Disney Park( I know, hard to believe)

What advice do you experienced travelers have for me to make this a truly memorable trip?

thx!!

 

[lalasmama]

While you have a walker and wheelchair if needed, I would really (really, really, really) recommend renting an ECV (motorized scooter). Why? Because Disneyland isn't flat, and pushing a wheelchair is going to suck. When added to the current heat wave (81º today, 83º tomorrow, 87º Monday, 88º Tuesday, and 90º Wednesday), I would do anything I could to avoid pushing a wheelchair! You can rent an ECV at the wheelchair rental in the Disneyland Resort Esplanade, or there are a few places that will deliver to the hotel so that she can have it to/from the parks as well. Deckerts, I believe, is one place located right near the parks on Harbor Blvd, and they are a bit cheaper. Seems like I have heard something about Apple Scooters here on the disboards, too, with good reviews.

Of course, along with the heat and general good-health maintenance, remember to hydrate well! I know when I'm at Disneyland, I'm having so much fun that I tend to forget that it's been hours since I last had a drink, because I just wasn't aware of it, since I wasn't in my normal element. No biggy for a relatively healthy 30-something year old, but a little more important for someone in their late 70s!

Now, for the fun stuff! I'm thinking of things my Mother-In-Law/Father-In-Law (early 70s) would enjoy most, and it would be things like....
Great Moments with Mr Lincoln (FIL is a history/presidential buff)
The Gallery right next to Great Moments with Mr Lincoln (lots of history stuff)
The Disneyland Railroad (the dioramas are one of my favorites! Plus nice and relaxing)
Storybook Canal Boats (MIL loves miniatures, the landscaping is amazing as well)
The Golden Horseshow show (not sure what it is now, but I've loved the past ones)
Walking through New Orleans Square, especially the back alleys
The Mark Twain
The Aladdin show
Beuna Vista Street and the accompanying shows (great 1920-30s theming!)

Of course, she may also enjoy the more typical rides as well, but these are the things I would make sure to hit that an older adult may find extra fun/neat/interesting.

Enjoy your time with your mom. I'll admit, I'm insanely jealous of you right now--I lost my mom 7.5 years ago (when she was only 56), and we never got to take my daughter to Disneyland together, which she would have loved so much! She was the main force that started my love of Disney.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

My number one tip would be to take each day at her speed. For example, she may have less energy toward the end of the trip, so going slower may make her experience much easier and more enjoyable. Take in the parks through her eyes -- that can be so special -- you'll get to experience the parks for the first time all over again! Use PhotoPass so that all of your group can be in the photos together, then make a photo book for your mom (and one for you!). Stop to smell the flowers with her -- each park is special in its own way.
Have a great trip!

 

[jdb in AZ]

I agree with renting a scooter instead of pushing a wheelchair. DH pushed his mom at Disneyland and it messed up his knee Disneyland isn't as flat as you'd think.

A different time DMIL rented a scooter and had fun, except the rest of us had trouble keeping up with her. When she was too old to drive a car, her reflexes were no longer quick enough to control an ECV, so we went back to the wheel chair, but DMIL hated imposing on people to push it.

People have used pedometers to see how far they walked while at Disneyland and it's not uncommon to walk over ten miles in a day. That's a lot of walking for someone even half your mom's age.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

I've been to DLR and WDW with my grandma when she was 80 & 81! She had never really traveled so it was amazing to be able to take her out on adventures (she is now turning 83 and we are taking her on a 3-week California Road trip in December)

She can't really walk, so we push her in a wheelchair - and for me (20) and my mom (61) it is not a problem. Of course it would be nice to all of you if she had an ECV! My grandmother can't control a scooter so it is not an option for us.
But I would say that eventhough she can normally walk on her own, Disneyland is a lot og walking - so I would actually expect that she would be happy to have a wheelchair/scooter all the time

My advice is to just go slow, remember to take a break once in awhile, drink a lot of water and just have a good time!
My grandmother usally sleep in in the mornings. So my mom and I leave the hotel around 7 am and enjoy the parks in the morning. We then go back to the hotel around noon and take her to the parks. Or we all leave in the morning and we take my grandma back to the hotel for a nap in the afternoon. This is a great way to do things if the entire day in the parks get too much....

Have a GREAT trip

 

[BunniLovesDL]

My family and I took my grandma to DL when she was in her mid to late 90s. This was back in 2008, I believe. It was the last time for my grandma to be in the parks with us so I knew I was happier pushing my grandma around than go crazy on rides. Then again, I've always liked pushing the wheelchair for her so no complaints.

Here's a fun little fact. According to my mom, she told me that my grandma was in her 80s walking around and doing DL with us from the early am until midnight. My family goes to DL at least once a year and she did it for a very long time. Truly amazing grandma

She would have been 105 this year.