Mother-Daughter Trip, "When I'm 64"

[msmileyface]

Hi everyone!

My mom and I are taking a Disney trip this June to celebrate our birthdays (okay, they're in Sept. and Feb., but summer is the only time we can go!). She'll be turning 64 and I will be turning 32. We've never gone on a trip just the 2 of us and I am super excited to show my mom how amazing Disney is. She has been twice before, but once she was responsible for me (I was 9) and once she was responsible for a bunch of teenagers on a school trip. She has no idea how amazing it can be to go without kids!

I am pretty familiar (ok, obsessed) with Disney, and was just there 2 years ago. But does anyone have any great tips for our mother-daughter trip? My mom is pretty content to just let me plan the whole thing so I'm trying to make it special. We're not into fancy dining so I made a reservation at the 50's primetime cafe for a laugh, and one for Teppan Edo (mom's never done hibachi). I also booked "Keys to the Kingdom."

Thanks!

 

[Bete]

Although, you stated you're not into fancy dining I think it would be wonderful to do the Lunch with a Disney Imagineer at the Hollywood Derby in Hollywood Studios. Also, I think doing the Fantasmic dinner package would be good, too. You get preferred seating for Fantasmic if you get the dinner package. We like MaMa Melrose the best for the Fastismic package. A meal in Cinderella Castle would be a wonderful experience together, as well.

You might want to consider doing other Disney tours.

The dessert party for the MK fireworks might be another good choice. Have afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian. Maybe, consider a Disney spa treatment.

Get a good understanding of what your mom will and will not do at Disney World ahead of time. She may not be doing roller coasters anymore. If she has any health issues then make sure you read the warnings for rides.

I would alternate activities with rides and shows and eating. Shows give you a chance to rest from the walking and standing. Notice if your mom is getting tired and needs a break at the resort.

Utilize fastpass to the utmost. If the wait for a ride gets ridiculous then skip that ride. Because, you are going in the summer try to go early to the parks, take an afternoon break and go back for the evening. Stay hydrated and drink and drink and drink. I am 60 and I have a weak bladder and I know every restroom in Disney World. Be prepared this way.

I was lucky enough to do Disney World with my mom a few times and those were some of my best memories with her. Enjoy.

 

[msmileyface]

Thanks for your suggestions. I think we'd both do well to know all the restrooms! Luckily, my mom is very active and super healthy. We both will definitely enjoy afternoon breaks at the resort.

I am going to look into your suggestions! Thanks!

 

[Gamegrl1]

Your trip sounds so fun! I'm taking my mom to WDW next January so I have similar things on the brain. The previous poster gave excellent suggestions. The things I'd add are things to make it extra special (love the tip about taking a tour):
- Take lots of photos (and video, if you can). My mom will be 67 when we go and she's also in really good shape and will ride rides but I know there'll come a time when one or both of us will not be around and I want to document-document-document! to memorialize this special time with her. We don't plan to do Photopass because I have a digital SLR already but you may look into that.
- I'm giving her a lanyard with trading pins for the trip so we can interact with the CM's more - I think that will kick the trip up a notch in terms of interesting memories! You probably pin-trade already since you said you're a huge Disney fan, but if you don't there's a thread on these boards that gives info on legitimate pin sellers where you can buy pins & lanyards for not a lot of $. Just do a search for pin trading.
- Surprise her with a TS meal? I'll be trying to score a unique one and won't tell her about it until a few weeks before our trip. What would really make your mom's jaw drop?
- I'm thinking about having t-shirts made that commemorate our trip. Not sure how to go about it because I stink at designing things but we've got 9 months.
- Also I made a "countdown chain" with WDW trivia to get her excited about the trip as well as provide some info/trivia about the parks. There are probably some online for kids but if you'd like the trivia I collected I'd be happy to email it to you. If so, PM me. I looked online for interesting factoids that are more adult-appropriate and copied them into a MS Word document. The trivia is just numbered so you'd have to print them out (I did it on various colors of paper), cut 'em and tape 'em into a chain. Should be fun.
- Last, I second the idea of finding out what your mom will do/be able to do ahead of time. Since your mum's in good health and that's not an issue and you've been there before, I'd make the trip more about her and show her before you go what they've got to offer and have her pick "A list" and "B list" stuff and try to hit those.
- Love the idea of interspersing shows with walking around. My mom is probably buffer than me, though, because I had foot surgery last fall and am still limping a bit. So we won't be going commando. Definitely take in to account your mom's stamina level. My mum walks pretty frequently but I'm trying to impress on her that we'll be walking 8+ miles a day and we both need to "train" for it!

Have a wonderful time!

 

[msmileyface]

Your trip sounds so fun! I'm taking my mom to WDW next January so I have similar things on the brain. The previous poster gave excellent suggestions. The things I'd add are things to make it extra special (love the tip about taking a tour):
- Take lots of photos (and video, if you can). My mom will be 67 when we go and she's also in really good shape and will ride rides but I know there'll come a time when one or both of us will not be around and I want to document-document-document! to memorialize this special time with her. We don't plan to do Photopass because I have a digital SLR already but you may look into that.
- I'm giving her a lanyard with trading pins for the trip so we can interact with the CM's more - I think that will kick the trip up a notch in terms of interesting memories! You probably pin-trade already since you said you're a huge Disney fan, but if you don't there's a thread on these boards that gives info on legitimate pin sellers where you can buy pins & lanyards for not a lot of $. Just do a search for pin trading.
- Surprise her with a TS meal? I'll be trying to score a unique one and won't tell her about it until a few weeks before our trip. What would really make your mom's jaw drop?
- I'm thinking about having t-shirts made that commemorate our trip. Not sure how to go about it because I stink at designing things but we've got 9 months.
- Also I made a "countdown chain" with WDW trivia to get her excited about the trip as well as provide some info/trivia about the parks. There are probably some online for kids but if you'd like the trivia I collected I'd be happy to email it to you. If so, PM me. I looked online for interesting factoids that are more adult-appropriate and copied them into a MS Word document. The trivia is just numbered so you'd have to print them out (I did it on various colors of paper), cut 'em and tape 'em into a chain. Should be fun.
- Last, I second the idea of finding out what your mom will do/be able to do ahead of time. Since your mum's in good health and that's not an issue and you've been there before, I'd make the trip more about her and show her before you go what they've got to offer and have her pick "A list" and "B list" stuff and try to hit those.
- Love the idea of interspersing shows with walking around. My mom is probably buffer than me, though, because I had foot surgery last fall and am still limping a bit. So we won't be going commando. Definitely take in to account your mom's stamina level. My mum walks pretty frequently but I'm trying to impress on her that we'll be walking 8+ miles a day and we both need to "train" for it!

Have a wonderful time!

Hi! Thanks for the ideas. I love the idea of the trivia.. if you wouldn't mind sending that to me, I would love to do that. I will post a few more times and then PM you my email. I was unable to PM you, having only 5 posts or so at this point (who knew you need 10? I'll be there soon!)

Also, I actually DON'T do pin trading. I was there 2 years ago but before that it was 10 years, so I am fairly new to being an "adult" at Disney. I might check that out. I'm not sure how much my mom would be into it, but it can't hurt. I don't want to bog us down with too much to do, but it sounds fun to trade with the CM's.

We're leaving in 2 months so I have much less time to plan. I couldn't book dining with the imagineer but I did get keys to the kingdom and I think she will really like going to hibachi having never been. I'm going to come up with more surprises. She thinks that I am SO ridiculous with all my Disney obsessions. Haha!

 

[Bete]

We're leaving in 2 months so I have much less time to plan. I couldn't book dining with the imagineer but I did get keys to the kingdom and I think she will really like going to hibachi having never been. I'm going to come up with more surprises. She thinks that I am SO ridiculous with all my Disney obsessions. Haha!

on dining. The 45 day mark from your trip is the best time to check again. People cancel trips at that point; it's the last day to do so without penalties. With trip cancellations comes dining cancellations.

I forgot about the idea of photopass. That's an important one. Do some character meet and greets for it. Also, there are some special photo moments where they will add characters afterwards to the photopass pictures. It's magic and very cute.

Also, we love the street entertainment at the parks. There are schedules to show you the location and times of these street shows. Epcot was always our favorite for street entertainment.

If your nationality matches one of the countries in Epcot I think I would spend more time in that country and I would eat there, as well.

 

[Gamegrl1]

Also, I actually DON'T do pin trading. I was there 2 years ago but before that it was 10 years, so I am fairly new to being an "adult" at Disney. I might check that out. I'm not sure how much my mom would be into it, but it can't hurt. I don't want to bog us down with too much to do, but it sounds fun to trade with the CM's.

She thinks that I am SO ridiculous with all my Disney obsessions. Haha!

Up until really recently I've all but ignored the pin-trading thing or at most been fairly scornful of it because the prices in the parks are just silly. Yeah, I got my mom a lanyard with all Mickey pins on it and I'm giving it to her for Mother's Day. I hope she likes it...I got two "lots" of 25 pins on eBay (so 50 total) but they are authentic. Anyway, I don't like the style of a bunch of them which is cool because - more incentive to trade! They were only $2 apiece and I'm giving her a few so she can trade too! And if she doesn't want to trade, she'll still appreciate the thought and I know she likes just having the pins.

Mom thinks I'm a bit obsessed too but now that the trip is getting closer I do things to help her look forward to it...like the other day I'd bought Cinderella on DVD and one of the special features was footage of the Fantasyland expansion and the Imagineers telling what would be there. So we watched it together and she said she's getting excited!

I'll keep an eye out for your PM about the countdown chain trivia. Maybe increase your posts by posting to a few polls...that'll bring your numbers up.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I took my mom on her first Disney trip - she was 70 something and I was 40 something - we had a blast!

One of the things I loved is tea at the Grand Floridian - extra special. I also planned 2 character breakfasts - I wasn't sure how we would like these but they were so much fun - I was really surprised at how much mom loved meeting the characters. Also our first night we had dinner at Artist Point - it was the best meal of the trip truly - if you have the opportunity to book a signature meal I'd highly recommend it.

Have a great time planning your special trip - oh one more thing we loved the photopass - had a lot of great photo memories.