Need suggestions for my parents first trip!

[harleyquinn]

Hi everyone!

I'm taking my parents for their first ever trip to WDW (they will both be 50). The other cast of characters inlcudes my grandmother, and our best friend-couple. So there will be 7 of us staying in a villa, which I've already picked out. We'll be going the fourth week of October for 7 nights, 8 days. I already plan to do MNSSHP and spend some extra time at EPCOT for the F&WF.

This could concievably be my parents only trip to WDW. And most likely my grandmother's last.

So I'd like to hear everyone's suggestions about "extra" things we should do or places we have to eat.

I plan to take them to see Hoop-Dee-do (my parents are from the South, and love that kind of thing.) I also plan on going to Whispering Canyon to eat, cuz I've wanted to do it, and I think my dad will love it.

I was thinking of doing a tour. DH and I did KTTK on our Disneymoon last year and loved it, but we'd want to do something else.

One big thing is I don't want to plan too much, because I know everyone would prefer a laid-back approach.

Thanks ahead of time, and let me know if more info is needed!

 

[SeattleMark]

I'd suggest a dinner at 'Ohana. Kind of like a little "second honeymoon in Hawaii" for the evening. You can watch the fireworks from there at night too, either from the restaurant or from the beach.

An Illuminations cruise would be great if you could get it.

How about the '50's Prime Time cafe at MGM? Followed by Fantasmic?

Anyway, there are couple thoughts.

 

[Daydreamer]

This isn't something that would be necessarily special during the trip but afterwards is priceless. Get pictures with each of the parks landmark in the background. Also, plan several pictures that you would like to have and make certain you get them. If it is your parents only trip to Disney then you will have captured memories that you won't get the chance to live again.

 

[harleyquinn]

'Ohana and 50s PT are great ideas. I've been wanting to do that anyway.

DH and I did the illuminations cruise last year and actually liked being in the park better though it was a cool experience.

Thanks Mark!

More suggestions please!

 

[harleyquinn]

That's an awesome idea Daydreamer! Last year Dh and I did that with the charaters we really wanted. i bought that really cool picture frame of the castle and put them in there.

I'm a scrapbooker, so i'll plan to do an album for my parents, too. Thanks!

 

[Madi100]

I took my parents for probably their only trip also. They LOVED the '50s Prime Time Cafe. And, we also did IllumiNations. I just saw that you liked it better in the park, but my parents LOVED it. When it's just a couple people it's not hard to talk during the show. But, when you have a group, it's hard to stay together. The cruise allowed us to be all together and have our own thing. I believe that is the one thing that I will always recommend. I wanted to make my parents' trip as magical as I possibly could since it would be their only, and my biggest mistake was planning too much. We just couldn't fit it all in. It was better just to play things by ear.

 

[Greg K.]

My in laws -- in their late 60s -- are joining us for the second week of our trip.

We're also taking it "nice and easy", and planning a few late mornings after some late evenings (sleeping in after Fantasmic and Wishes, for example).

We've got tickets for La Nouba, and have booked an IllumiNations cruise.

We've planned meals at: Crystal Palace (b'fast with Pooh before hitting the park!), Narcoosie's, Flying Fish, and Jiko, plus the Fantasmic dinner package at the Brown Derby.

Whatever you do, have a wonderful time! It sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime memory-in-the-making

 

[bigmerle1966]

Make sure you watch "Wishes". It is so magical.

 

[harleyquinn]

We'll definitely watch all the different shows and try to catch most of the parade's as well. I love Wishes! I'm so glad I got to see the old show, because I think it made Wishes that much better!

I only want to plan a few places to eat as we are on a budget, but I want those places to be really special! On my other trips I didn't make any PS's and we didn't do too many sit downs, so I want to make the one's we do this time, worth it.

Thanks!!

 

[K&K]

If you can, get a reservation for CRT! We had dinner there with my mother-in-law and she loved it. She is 55. It's nice to have that extra touch that they give. It's truly magical!

 

[harleyquinn]

That would be really cool! You all keep suggesting thing that I've always wanted to do!

I guess I'll make some magical moments for myself as well as my parents!

Any other ideas, besides food? i think I have enough of that now.

How about tours? I don't want to overwhelm them, so i was thinking of skipping that.

 

[bubba73]

Try to make as much time as you can for World Showcase. My parents love it more than any other part of WDW. Take them on the tour of Disney Animation and the Great Movie Ride. That will bring yesterday, today, and tomorrow together. You might want to make sure they see the Voices of Liberty atthe American Adventure, the Hall of Presidents, and the Country Bear Jamboree. Those were some of my parents and grandmother's favorites when they went.

I would add my opinion about the 50's Cafe. I wasn't a big fan of it myself. To me the food wasn't all that good. It was all fried and greasy. My parents and aunt and uncle enjoyed it. But it just wasn't my cup of tea. I woud recommend the Brown Derby or even the Sci-Fi restaurant instead.

Hope you have a blast!

 

[harleyquinn]

Thanks Bubba! I was thinking Sci-Fi too, since my dad's a big Sci-fi guy.

As for WS, we'll proably be there a lot due to the Food and Wine Festival, my parents love wine.

Thanks for suggestion American Adventure! I meant to do that last time and didn't make it.

Looks like I'll be doing tons of stuff I've never done!

Thanks everyone...keep the ideas coming!

 

[nocnurse]

My parent's favorite part of our trip last week was the Wishes fireworks cruise. All the boats have the music now, so we had a great view and music too! We caught our boat after dinner at O'Hana's. It was a great night.

 

[firen'ice]

My parents (50) took me (27), my uncle (37) and my grandparents (75). My parents and I go twice a year but the others had never been. My Grnadparents wanted to take it easy so we did this. Plan & reserve dinner each day and plan to meet there as a group. My grandparents best part of the trip (so they say) was watching there children (and grandchild) enjoy this magical place. They enjoyed the rides as much as we did but truely delighted in being with the family. They would follow us around for a lot of the day but go back to the hotel for a rest (either to nap, eat, or take a stroll around the resort). non of us felt streesed about knowing where each other was and what we were all going to do. My parents and I (the seasoned ones) did the world like we normaly did and if they wanted to join us that what happened, if not we made sure they knew what the options were and how to achive them. Hope this helps.