Planning a Trip for 70-80 year olds

[bryanb]

My four grandparents and five other senior relatives are going to Disneyland! Well, they’re going to watch my nephew perform in a band concert for a 15 minute set. They haven’t been to any theme park for maybe two decades and will definitely not be riding any thrilling attractions. Disneyland has got quite the deal going on here. In exchange for giving my nephew the opportunity to play a song or two, we get $139 tickets for everyone to come in.

I’m guessing they can last for about six hours before the first of them gets too tired and wants to go home. What are some fun things that the family can do together with seniors?

Some things I’m playing with in the itinerary:
Train trip around Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom or Mark Twain
Watch the kids go on BIg Thunder Mountain and take photos from the side
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
Fantasmic (if not too crowded)
Fireworks on Main Street (hopefully Disneyland Forever, so they can see how far the technology has come since their last visit)
Jungle Cruise
its a small world with the baby

Anything else I can’t think of?

What is the nicest sit down restaurant that you could take seniors, regardless of price?

Thanks all

 

[smartlabelprint]

My four grandparents and five other senior relatives are going to Disneyland! Well, they’re going to watch my nephew perform in a band concert for a 15 minute set. They haven’t been to any theme park for maybe two decades and will definitely not be riding any thrilling attractions. Disneyland has got quite the deal going on here. In exchange for giving my nephew the opportunity to play a song or two, we get $139 tickets for everyone to come in.

I’m guessing they can last for about six hours before the first of them gets too tired and wants to go home. What are some fun things that the family can do together with seniors?

Some things I’m playing with in the itinerary:
Train trip around Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom or Mark Twain
Watch the kids go on BIg Thunder Mountain and take photos from the side
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
Fantasmic (if not too crowded)
Fireworks on Main Street (hopefully Disneyland Forever, so they can see how far the technology has come since their last visit)
Jungle Cruise
its a small world with the baby

Anything else I can’t think of?

What is the nicest sit down restaurant that you could take seniors, regardless of price?

Thanks all

In park they may like carnation cafe or cafe Orleans. my fave is blue bayou but I think it would be too dark and they might complain. But with 6 hours I might go for something more casual like French market so it won’t take so long. (Maybe some of the younger folk could take everyone’s order) or somewhere that has mobile order.

Would any benefit from a scooter rental?

Maybe they would like some of the old school dark rides.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

What is your trip date (Halloween Time? Holiday Time?)? Will you have a hotel either on site or near by for a rest break midday? Will you be arriving for RD or later in the day? DL tickets only or is there the possibility of parkhoppers? Is everyone mobile or will anyone be in a wheelchair or ECV? Any other health or dietary issues? Lastly, does your group have any other priority requests other than seeing your nephew perform? Any must do's/must sees/must eats/must buys/etc.?

 

[tsumgirl]

I second the old school dark rides. They also may enjoy Casey Jr. for some nostalgia - it has several benched seats, and may be a more comfortable way to see all the miniature houses in Storybook. If anyone is using a cane, walker, wheelchair or ECV, look into which rides have wheelchair return times, as not all of the queues at DL are accessible.

Definitely plan on catching a few shows to take a break and rest. There's Mickey's Magical Map, Great Moments w/ Mr. Lincoln, Enchanted Tiki Room, and the various performers. They may enjoy the Main St Piano Player at Refreshment Corner, where they can sit and listen.

 

[tzeitel]

We have gone to DL a couple of times with my inlaws who are in their 70's and one of them gets a scooter and they take turns on it.
All of Fantasyland is pretty tame and classic Disney. There is also the daytime parade, Mickey and the Magical Map show and Storytelling at Royal Theater.

For the parade or fireworks I suggest a dining package. F! does not have seats, no options at all - we did the BB package and it was a mess since they could not sit on the ground and were not allowed to stand.

 

[ab21au]

Are they that inactive? Everyone seems to be writing them off. I’m over 70 and I’m going in 3 weeks with DW, DS, DDiL, DGD for 5 days and I intend to ride everything with DGD as many times as I can. In particular GOTG(both themes), IC, RSR, Space, Splash plan is 7-12 EMM each day then back to GCH till 4pm then park till close.

DAY 1 OBB
DAY 2 CC Frozen package the WOC Dessert Package all booked
DAY 3 BB F! Package booked
DAY 4 DCA 7-9:30 then Storytellers for DGD who loves the characters at 9:50
DAY 5 Goofy’s Kitchen booked for 6:45pm.

I figure we have to eat so are booking one meal each day and winging the rest.

Maybe they won’t like theme parks like me but they may!!!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We have gone to DL a couple of times with my inlaws who are in their 70's and one of them gets a scooter and they take turns on it.
All of Fantasyland is pretty tame and classic Disney. There is also the daytime parade, Mickey and the Magical Map show and Storytelling at Royal Theater.

For the parade or fireworks I suggest a dining package. F! does not have seats, no options at all - we did the BB package and it was a mess since they could not sit on the ground and were not allowed to stand.

F! does have the RBT Premium Package with chairs -- this includes dinner (seated on the RBT patio) during the first show. This package must be booked by phone. The view isn't the best, but it is the only package that has chairs.
There is no fireworks package that includes seats unless you do a VIP tour. The Skyline Terrace package has a very mediocre/poor view of the fireworks -- no view of the castle or any projections. And no refund if the fireworks get cancelled.
Most of the FL dark rides do not have FP, so use the app to see when wait times are lowest. Mickley and the Magical Map doesn't show every day, so check the entertainment schedule for your trip date. It is a fun show if you can see it.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I am almost 73 and go to DLR every other year. I ride almost everything and go from rope drop to well after dinner every day. My husband has physical limitations so he rents a scooter. The first thing I would do if I were you would be to talk to the seniors about what they would like to do. You may be surprised.
As to meals, we enjoy Storytellers and Carnation Cafe, but we also love corn dogs and pizza.

 

[Plip]

The first thing I would do if I were you would be to talk to the seniors about what they would like to do. You may be surprised.

I couldn't agree more!

And don't plan their day for them unless they ask you to plan it. Be prepared to offer thoughtful suggestions and information based on what they want to do. And don't assume that all nine of them want to tour the park together all day.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Fantasmic (if not too crowded)

I'd reserve the seating at Riverbelle Terrace for dinner for this. It's a nice way to be able to have a seat and not have to line up and wait for a long time before the show.

There's really an endless supply of things that they can do. If anyone gets tired and needs to take a break, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Tiki room are great places for some downtime. Longer rides that also give the feeling of taking a break are the train, Mark Twain, and It's a Small World.

As far as the "nicest" sit down restaurant in Disneyland, I have to say that I'm not blown away by any of them and prefer to go to Carthay Circle in DCA or one of the hotels if I really want a nice sit down meal. But, those take a big chunk of time, so I'd go with Carnation Cafe or Cafe Orleans. Or, book that meal at Riverbelle Terrace that includes Fantasmic and kill birds with one stone.

 

[Chickinvic]

Are they that inactive? Everyone seems to be writing them off. I’m over 70 and I’m going in 3 weeks with DW, DS, DDiL, DGD for 5 days and I intend to ride everything with DGD as many times as I can. In particular GOTG(both themes), IC, RSR, Space, Splash plan is 7-12 EMM each day then back to GCH till 4pm then park till close.

DAY 1 OBB
DAY 2 CC Frozen package the WOC Dessert Package all booked
DAY 3 BB F! Package booked
DAY 4 DCA 7-9:30 then Storytellers for DGD who loves the characters at 9:50
DAY 5 Goofy’s Kitchen booked for 6:45pm.

I figure we have to eat so are booking one meal each day and winging the rest.

Maybe they won’t like theme parks like me but they may!!!

My 81 year old mother's favourite ride is Space Mountain lol.

 

[Chickinvic]

They might be up to more activities than you'd think, however I think all the ideas you've listed sound nice. I love the train ride around the park personally. Mark Twain, etc. For restaurant I would go with Blue Bayou. It's just so cool, and unlike anything I've gotten to experience elsewhere.

 

[Indiana Scott]

IASW is probably one they would enjoy along with the Columbia.

 

[VandVsmama]

More information please.

• Will they be there just for 1 day in the parks or multiple days?
• Is it a 1-park-per-day ticket or a park hopper ticket? From what I understand, the school dance & band performances are often at DCA, but I could definitely have my facts wrong on that.
• What does their mobility situation look like? Does anybody need a scooter?
• If anybody needs a scooter or wheelchair, can they easily transfer on/off the scooter or wheelchair? If not, that can limit your options
• Watching fireworks will require them to stand for a long amount of time. If standing for long periods of time isn't an option, then fireworks are probably out.
• You could do a Fantasmic dinner package but keep in mind that other than the upgraded River Belle Terrace option, all the rest are seated on the ground. If they can't get up easily from a seated position on the ground, then I wouldn't recommend this.

Nicest sit down restaurants regardless of price:

• Napa Rose at GCH for dinner
• Carthay Circle
• Blue Bayou
• Steakhouse 55 at DLH

Good grandma/grandpa-style attractions:

• HM
• Pirates
• train
• Tiki Room
• Jungle Cruise
• Fantasyland dark rides - Mr Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, Alice. Skip Casey Jr Circus Train for anybody with mobility problems. Plus, it's a slow loader.
• It's a small world
• Animation Academy
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Little Mermaid
• Toy Story Mania
• Luigi's
• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Great Moments with Mr Lincoln
• Winnie the Pooh
• Mark Twain river boat
• Sailing Ship Columbia

Rides to probably skip:
- Autopia - because the seats are very low to the ground
- roller coaster or thrill rides for anybody with medical problems

 

[KPeterso]

My Mom is 81 and has an annual pass and goes with me all the time (at least a few times a month). She was also just at WDW for 13 days in September with with me. She does need a wheelchair for the parks now due to her knees. But she rides just about everything except GOTG and Incredicoaster, but she has never ridden those, so those don't count. She loves the rides. So I would not count out the rides for those older members of your party.

 

[VandVsmama]

I just had a couple more thoughts on your trip plans since it sounds like you'll be the tour guide for the large-ish group of senior citizens. We took my 73 yr old MIL to Disneyland in March of this year. It was a learning experience and sometimes quite challenging. So I'm going to share some of my own personal lessons learned here with the hopes of it might be helpful in your situation.

1. If the person's eye sight is too poor to not permit the person to drive a car anymore, then his/her eye sight is too poor to drive a scooter. So rent a wheelchair instead and somebody will have to push him or her.
2. The scooters (even from outside companies) often look alike. Make sure that for whoever is going to use a scooter, that somebody else pays attention so that the scooter user doesn't accidentally steal somebody else's rented scooter. Yes, my MIL did this. Everything worked out eventually, but it sucked up a good 60-90 minutes sorting it out.
3. The seniors could get pretty worn out even just in a wheelchair or scooter. It's because there's a lot of sensory input. Way more information incoming than probably their normal quiet life at home.
4. Since you have a whole group of seniors who you'll be herding, you need to figure out ahead of time how you'll handle the situations in which 1 or 2 people want to stop and rest but the rest of the seniors want to go on a ride or go shop. Plan now on the need to split up for a little bit.
5. Set expectations. Here's what I mean by this...ask each of them something like, "What is THE #1 thing you want to do during our day at DL?" Their answer will probably be something like "See grandkid perform." Then you say something like, "Great! So whatever else we do that day will be icing on the cake."
6. This might not work too well if you have like 10 seniors to corral, but consider asking all of them to pick ONE other "thing" that they want to do that day. Whether it's a ride, see a show, eat a sit down meal together, take a photo together in front of the castle, whatever it is. Then you'll have to prioritize. You probably won't be able to get all 10 of them (I'm picking that random # since I don't know how big your group is) on 10 attractions in 6 hours if anybody has fatigue or mobility problems.
7. Set expectations. One primary rule of thumb needs to be that if they need something, want to do something, want to stop in a store and browse/shop for awhile, they need to speak up. You don't speak up? Then there's nothing anybody else can do about it. Sometimes, some people in a situation like that will really want to stop for an hour and browse in a bunch of stores but they won't say anything. Or they really want to stop for a corn dog but are afraid to speak up since you're all on your way here or there. And then you can end up with frustration & resentment later on if you're not careful.
8. IT'S OK TO SPLIT UP THE GROUP! As long as somebody in the different splinter groups has a cell/mobile phone on and will respond to phone calls or text messages.
9. Plan on some of the elderly relatives to want to just park it somewhere on a bench while everybody else runs off to go on a ride. That's ok.

Edited to add...
10. If one of the seniors is hard of hearing, make sure that the person is looking at you when you talk to him/her to give directions/instructions on where you're going next. And even if they're looking at you, it might not quite register. Which could end up in Grandma or Grandpa taking off at break neck speed in their scooter towards BTMRR when you actually just told him or her that you're going to the Hungry Bear. Even though you pointed toward the Hungry Bear, the person nodded and said, "Ok." And then you'll have to send somebody sprinting after Grandma because those scooters go pretty darn fast!

 

[KPeterso]

My 81 year old mother's favourite ride is Space Mountain lol.

My Mom is also 81 and Space is also one of her favorites!

 

[deejdigsdis]

My Mom is also 81 and Space is also one of her favorites!

Count me in as a child of a just-about-to-turn-81 year old mom that loves Space Mountain. Yesterday she said RSR is her favorite at the moment.

 

[AndrewC]

There’s also the dessert party for World of Color and Frozen (and a lunch package where you can get great seats as a big group and not have to wait.)

While those aren’t rides, it might be something you can do toward the end of the day that can stretch the day out a little more without requiring being on their feet for a long time. Frozen I think is like 40 minutes, which is a wonderful break for anyone.

 

[mouschievous]

When we go in September, my husband and 71 year old parents will be on Space Mountain while I wait for them because I don't like it and they all love it But we will all ride Thunder Mountain many, many times.

My FIL is only in his 60s, but he is less active and has trouble with a lot of walking. He loved Mr Lincoln and the Mark Twain, so for people who need a break we always recommend those. He also rode Pirates several times, and Haunted Mansion. Oh, and even as hurky jerky as it is, Indiana Jones was a favorite for him too!