Senior Adults question

[jenn-n-okla]

We will be visiting May 30- June 6th. My in-laws will be with us and have NEVER been to WDW.
We are staying CL at Poly but I was wondering if there were any ideas that might help them have a special memory. Any ideas?

 

[jenn-n-okla]

We will be visiting May 30- June 6th. My in-laws will be with us and have NEVER been to WDW.
We are staying CL at Poly but I was wondering if there were any ideas that might help them have a special memory. Any ideas?

I'm sad no one has replied to my post.
Did I mention my in-laws are 77 and 79yrs old.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Are you looking for special activities? Perhaps an Illuminations cruise or watching the MK fireworks from the beach at the Poly. Taking a monorail tour of the hotels to explore is always fun. What are your parent's interested in? Do they like gardening? Perhaps the "Behind the Seeds" tour at Epcot. Watching the shows at American Pavilion and at France in the World Showcase is also a nice activity.

Not sure if you were looking for everyday magical moments or "extra" special activities such as the tour or cruise.

Hope I could be of help.

 

[jjb52]

We will be visiting May 30- June 6th. My in-laws will be with us and have NEVER been to WDW.
We are staying CL at Poly but I was wondering if there were any ideas that might help them have a special memory. Any ideas?

Is this a park vacation or a resort vacation? My Mom is in her early 80's-very mobile but I rented her a ECV in the parks. She could never have done all that walking and enjoyed herself. We went to the park on slow days so the foot traffic was manageable for her on the ECV. She enjoyed all the shows at Epcot and we did the Hoop de Doo show for dinner one night. She likes to fish so we fished on Bay Lake. We had dinner at Raglan Road one night to watch the Irish dancers-she loved when a little girl from the audience was asked up on stage to dance-she was outstanding and it was an unexpected highlight of our day. We were not in the parks daily nor all day long when we were there-it was nice and leisurely with a lot of resort time. I would make sure you know what they want to see and do and then everyone's needs will get met.

 

[Chuck S]

It is kind of hard to give any recommendations without personally knowing them, people have such varied tastes, capabilities and health issues, especially as they age.

My Mom was 86 the last time she visited WDW, and was in a manual wheelchair, but she rode all the rides, except RnR and Everest. She always enjoyed dining at the Brown Derby, as she has eaten at the original derby shaped restaurant when she was younger, she enjoyed all the technologies and designs in play thoughout WDW, and all the countries in EPCOT. Mission Space was one of her favorite rides, along with Carousel of Progress. (Although she preferred the 1968 Disneyland version of COP to the WDW incarnation.) She always rode Peter Pan, Small World and the Peoplemover/TTA.

For almost all WDW visitors, many of the most memorable moments aren't something that can be planned, they just magically happen.

 

[sue_88]

most older guests will have the most fun when they are watching YOU have fun. But I would recommend nice dinners. They might not be willing to stand in line to meet characters but they would probably enjoy the photos if they got to meet characters at a dinner. I would recommend Garden Grill at Epcot.
It might be nice to set up a photo shoot at the Poly. Disney takes really nice family photos on the beach.

 

[WDW in Pearls]

My grandmother appreciated MK and HS the most. She loves classic movies so just walking around HS and checking out the shops made her day. And of course The Great Movie Ride!

MK works for pretty much all ages because its the Disneyest(?) of all the parks. My grandmother liked Main Street and all of Fantasyland. She didn't necessarily know all of the movies but even if you don't, the music and theming is fun enough.

Another tip is remember that they are older than you and don't overdo it! I always felt terrible when my grandmother went back to the room and we went back out, but she honestly needed an hour or two of peace and quiet. When we would stay in the Hawaii building at the Poly we would rent water mice and ride by her and wave while she was enjoying air conditioning and lifetime movies lol. Retirees are used to doing things on their own time and are done rushing around, so most don't want to on vacation either.

EDIT: oh by the way, get theme park view club level! It'll be so nice to enjoy Wishes from an air conditioned room rather than fighting crowds to get back afterwards. Maybe grab some cookies from the concierge room for them to enjoy during?

 

[Bete]

The scooter idea is a good one. You'll be able to see more and not get as tired using one. The average walking in a park is about 6 miles. Many have done the pedometer to verify these results. They can always park the scooters if you want to walk some.

I'm older and my hubby is 77 and we've gone with older friends who are healthy and not as healthy and you need to pace yourself. Alternate activities so there will be rest periods. For example, do a ride and then a show, do a ride and then a snack, do another ride and then another show, do a ride and then a lunch. You get the idea. Find ways of getting into air conditioning. Make sure they stay hydrated. Use fastpass as much as possible. Don't miss the street entertainment. Be on the alert for restrooms; some how as you get older you need to use them more. Consider a break mid day at the resort. You can swim and your parents can take a nap. Stay away from the heat of the day in the parks.

Try to find out what interests them the most. Get the free DVD from Disney and have them view it. Use u-tube to show some of the rides and shows. Take into consideration any health considerations. For example, some rides are not meant to be done if you have a heart condition. Other rides are not good for those with back issues. My husband who loved roller coasters couldn't handle them after 70. He feels nauseated when he tries, now; so, it's very seldom that he does it anymore.

For some special activities that's a little dependent on the budget. Next door at the Grand Floridian Resort, the afternoon tea is wonderful. There are firework cruises for MK and Epcot. Doing the Disney Imagineer lunch is wonderful. You can have them do a spa treatment. Having some special meals like in Cinderella Castle is a good one.

Go on an adventure of finding hidden mickeys. You can find loads of clues here and on other websites for this one.

I think I would invest in photo pass and make sure you utilize it.

My 89 year old mother enjoyed the rides Soarin' and Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Mania and It's A Small, Small World and the Great Movie Ride the most. She enjoyed all the parades and fireworks. The street entertainment was good for her, too.