Travelling with Parents in their mid 70's

[Phil from PA]

Heading down to see the mouse from Dec 4th thru Dec 11th with my parents (Mom 76, Dad 77) and other family members (2 14yo girls, 25 year old nephew, & 3 adults in late 40's). Have a 6 day PH pass, all the FP are reserved, etc, etc. We are trying to build in some down time in the afternoons.

My parents are in great shape for their age and are quite active as they will bike 15 to 20 miles a day a few days a week and swim at the gym most days. My Dad says his hips have been bothering him on long walks so we are open to renting a wheelchair in the parks as needed.

Couple of Questions, they are fine on most rides by may one to bail out on some. Do these rides have a chicken out door (they would like to see the que on some of them but bail before the ride):

Tower of Terror
Rock N Roll Rollercoaster
Space Mountain
7 Dwarves Mine Train
Star Tours

If they do Mission Space they will just do the non-vomit inducing one.

Also, any suggestions or tips for an active older couple?

We are looking forward to going while my parents are still active enough to really enjoy the parks under their own power.

Thanks in advance and can't wait to be in the land that Walt built.

 

[Traveliz]

Absolutely all rides have a "chicken" exit so no problems there.

Liz

 

[nkereina]

For other activities, have you considered doing a tour? I'm taking my parents (mid 60s) next year, and one thing my dad is very interested in is the behind the scenes stuff so we're doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour. He's worked in logistics all his life and is fascinated by it. My parents were there when MK first opened and they remember everything about that time period, so I think the tour will blow their minds with how far WDW has come.

Another activity that came to mind is renting a surrey bike or paddle boat for an hour or two.

 

[Phil from PA]

I like the tour idea. I think I will look into that for them.

 

[minnie mum]

Speaking as a senior, I think your parents will do fine. A couple of things regarding your father- remember that he won't be constantly walking. There are lots of intervals of sitting and standing interpersed. Alternating shows with rides will also give him more time off his feet; particularly in the afternoon if you don't go back to your resort for a break.

I would suggest that if he is otherwise healthy that renting an ECV might be preferable for him. He can drive it as needed, and park it and walk when he chooses, rather than have someone pushing him around.

 

[disnut8]

Absolutely all rides have a "chicken" exit so no problems there.

Liz

Totally agree. Nine years ago, I broke my neck so for about four or five years, I didn't do any thrill rides. But, I went through all the queues with my husband and he rode. The one that I would recommend for your parents to do is Twilight Zone no matter if they don't want to drop. The exit area is themed just as much as what "normal" riders go through. So, they will get both the regular queue AND stuff no one else sees. Plus, at their age, they will identify with Twilight Zone. It's just not to be missed.

 

[TexasPete]

My dad (73) and mom (71) went with us last year - first trip for them since 1977. I thought my mom might need a wheelchair due to a problem with her foot and arthritis, but she did fine as long as we built in rest time and didn't walk too fast. She went on everything including Space Mountain (although I was afraid the whole time that she would have a heart attack or something, she ended up enjoying it while I screamed the whole time). I made sure we did all the classic rides and the sit-down attractions like Hall of Presidents. For my dad, it was more about him wanting to have the freedom come and go as he pleased. I told him my rough plans for the day, and he stayed with us until he was ready to go back to the resort. They both loved it, and it was an awesome trip for all of us. So, so glad to have those memories. Have fun!!!

 

[Keels]

If they need a "time out" from Epcot, they can go up to Boardwalk and rent bikes (even a tandem one!) to ride around that resort area. The can enjoy time alone at their leisure, stop to hang out on the beach or on a bench and enjoy the weather. The whole area is so charming and might offer some appeal!

Also, I get what he's saying about his hips - if they cycle more than they walk, cycling is a lot easier on hip joints than walking. I would just make sure that everything daily is broken up in pretty easy chunks - like sit-down time at meals, and then allow them to go sit and hang somewhere in case they don't feel like the added stress of standing and waiting in a line for an attraction you don't have a FP+ for.

 

[Nancyg56]

I like the tour idea. I think I will look into that for them.

One of our favorite tours was the behind the seeds tour in the Land. It was a comprehensive look inside teh greenhouses with a CM who worked there. It was not expensive, was only about 90 minutes, and was very informative.

 

[Nancyg56]

For other activities, have you considered doing a tour? I'm taking my parents (mid 60s) next year, and one thing my dad is very interested in is the behind the scenes stuff so we're doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour. He's worked in logistics all his life and is fascinated by it. My parents were there when MK first opened and they remember everything about that time period, so I think the tour will blow their minds with how far WDW has come.

Another activity that came to mind is renting a surrey bike or paddle boat for an hour or two.

My DH took that tour with DD and DSIL while I stayed with my DGD. He is still talking about that tour and all the magic he learned.

One thing my family enjoys is taking a little break on a party boat. We live on a lake and the pontoon boats are a way of life for most SUnday afternoons. It eally is a lovely wat to relax and enjoy the family

 

[MichiganKris]

I took my parents about that age 2 years ago. I ended up renting an ECV and they shared it. That worked out so well because they could both walk, but neither got too tired because they were each walking only a portion of the time. The ECV was also good for storage, both in the basket on the front, and we put the backpack on the back of the chair.

 

[Kimosabe]

Just went this summer with my 70-something parents. I would just make sure they know that if they want to stop for a while -- whether just on a bench to people-watch or even going back to the resort for a while to relax -- that is perfectly fine. As long as all generations can be flexible, it can be a fun time.

 

[disnut8]

One other hint that I've experienced with my now 79 year old mother-in-law (who is more active than this 53 year old body can stand). Wake up and bed times. With my mother-in-law, she can't last past 9:30 if we're just watching TV but can last until later (maybe 10 or 10:30) if she's doing something. So, we need to make sure she has a place to lay down for sleep. Fortunately, she can sleep though just about anything so we can stay up and talk and relax while she sleeps. In the morning, she's up earlier than us and needs her coffee so we have to adjust to that but she understands and will take her cup (or two) and go somewhere to read. So, make sure everyone understands about these routines.

 

[DisHmsklMom]

Another hint, if you are walking next to them hold their hand so they can look around. It was much harder for my dad to walk in large crowds when the traffic didn't flow smoothly. We watched the fireworks from behind the castle, he loves fireworks and felt it was the best fireworks he'd ever seen. He also loved spending time every day in the hot tub at the Yacht Club. We really worked our trip around him so he wouldn't get too tired. He is a very active senior (bikes and skis) but I was always very aware he is a greater risk of falling when in new surroundings so I always had a hand to help him getting on/off rides and when ever we got stuck in a moving crowd. Make sure to take lots of pictures of all of you together.

 

[Phil from PA]

Like to thank everyone for the great advice. I am having a meeting with all the gang next Tuesday and we will gently address these issues. I was so busy making ressies and getting days, parks, FP, etc I hadn't put that much thought into it. Now that is taken care of we can address these other things.

I know it will be fine but we just need to make sure everyone can walk by the end of the week (me included).