Why Grandparents Should Go To Disney, Too

Multigenerational trips—expeditions featuring more than one generation in a family—are on the rise. According to the Family Travel Association, which put out the 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey, 50 percent of families note that they plan to travel with children and grandchildren. Why? It might be because traveling this way can reduce stress by increasing the number of hands available to help while providing an opportunity to build lifelong memories for all involved.

One of the best places to do such a trip is at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, places world-famous for core memory-making. In my opinion, there are few places where people across generations can bond together quite like Disney World. How do I know? My mom, my four-year-old daughter and I spent three days and two nights at Disney World together recently, and it was a trip of a lifetime, to say the least.

Why you should take a multigenerational trip

I am a millennial, and I ask my in-laws and parents for help all the time, particularly my mom. I truly don’t believe I could live comfortably without their help and support in raising my kids. Taking a trip with them seemed obvious—we have road-tripped a bunch to the beach with my in-laws but had never taken my mom on a trip. As expected, though, she was instrumental in everything: from helping me get organized and packed in the days before to keeping my daughter entertained at the airport to helping corral her at the parks. Game for anything (long lines included!), my mom was a rockstar throughout it all.

Besides the help, having my mom there to make memories with my daughter was incredibly special. She was the one who splurged on an Ariel bubble wand, made sure every hair was in place when my daughter met her idols Tiana and Rapunzel, and was the first one to join in with her at a dance party we attended. “I liked having my grandma at Disney World. I got to see the princesses with her,” gushed my four-year-old.

Why Disney World is the best place to do a multigenerational trip

Our time at Disney World was packed so we could make the most of our time there—and minimize my time away from our infant, who was in the care of my husband (and my in-laws!). We ambitiously visited four parks: Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. To keep things from becoming overwhelming, we set out each day with just a few rides, character experiences and meals in mind.

I realized quickly just how many grandparents were reliving their past Disney experiences with their children and grandchildren. It felt like almost half of the park attendees were large families with several generations represented. I was surprised at how large some of the parties were, with both sets of grandparents in tow—we felt comparatively compact with just the three of us.

One of the most special parts of the trip was reliving past Disney World experiences with my mom, who's been attending with family members since the 1970s. She would add little comments here and there about what my sister and I did when we visited growing up, such as “Remember how much you hated the Haunted Mansion?” and “You and your sister loved the turkey legs.”

Two special re-lived experiences came via the character dinners at Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom, where my mom could somehow remember where we sat all those years ago and what characters we encountered (Piglet, Pooh and Tigger, if you're wondering!). She particularly enjoyed going on one of her favourite rides, It’s a Small World, with her granddaughter.  “I was so happy to see her eyes light up on many occasions, and I loved that she asked so many questions I had the answers to,” says my mom.

We also got to make memories at newer attractions, such as The Sea with Nemo & Friends, a multipart experience at Epcot. Both my mom and my daughter loved the gentle ride as well as the aquarium. Also at Epcot was Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, something none of us had experienced before (it was added to the park about 10 years ago). My mom shared that we loved eating at the Germany Pavilion as kids and a funny anecdote about the time my sister had a meltdown near the boat dock. She even ran into childhood friends of hers outside of the Japan Pavilion—who were also with their children and grandchildren. Only at Disney World!

Lessons learned during our multigenerational trip to Disney World in 2025

A lot has changed since I was last at Disney World over 30 years ago. Here are some tips I picked up on our multigenerational family vacation to help you make the most of your time there.

Download the My Disney Experience app

The My Disney Experience app, something that definitely wasn’t around when I was a kid, makes keeping your trip organized so much easier. We could check in and out of our property through the app, make reservations and see all of our photos in one place. This cut down on the planning time and freed up even more time for us to enjoy ourselves.

Make your life easier and stay on the property

Disney World Resort Hotels are unbeatable for access to the parks. There are 25 to choose from around the area. Our hotel, Art of Animation, was easily accessible via the Skyliner (there are several hotels on the Monorail, too). Anytime we didn’t have Skyliner or Monorail access, we could use the bus system, which runs quickly and efficiently. You don’t need car seats for these methods of transportation, which eliminated a huge stressor for me. Plus, my daughter adored the themed accommodations. Ours was Cars-themed, and she ran around the property shrieking every time there was a new photo op with a character she recognized.

Bring a stroller

Disney World has world-class accessibility for anyone who needs a stroller, cane, scooter or other form of assistance. I was constantly marvelling at how good the parks are at making sure that all are welcome regardless of physical restrictions. My daughter is four and stopped riding in strollers a long time ago, but we brought ours to navigate the parks. Doing 20,000 steps in a day is barely manageable for an adult, let alone a child! Plus, the stroller was a great place to keep everything, from water bottles to sweaters to rain gear. We never worried about anything being stolen or misplaced, and stroller parking is clearly labeled around each park. They are also available for rent if you don’t want to pack one, although I recommend bringing one (the Orlando airport is both vast and family-friendly).

The lightning lanes will be your best friend

If you can swing it, Lightning Lane passes are a game-changer for older adults and small children who might struggle to wait in the long standby lines. I think the most we waited for was about 10 minutes, except to see the princesses at Magic Kingdom, which was about 30 minutes—and well worth the wait.

Get the Memory Maker pass

When we first arrived, I was hesitant to approach the Disney World photographers who take pictures that get routed to the app. By the last park, though, we were fanatical, taking every picture opportunity we could find. The app makes it easy to see all of your photos in one place, and I could easily download them and share them with my mom.

Don’t be afraid to build in downtime

If you’re anything like me, when you commit to an experience like Disney World, you’re going to want to squeeze out every single last drop of family fun you can. However, I cannot overstate how important downtime was for our family. While my mom is a very young 70-something, even she got a little fatigued from all the fun. (Let’s face it, so was I!) Our hotel was the perfect place to recoup during these slower moments. My daughter loved the pool and posing for photos around the themed property.

Any moment of temporary stress is worth it for the memories

Was I stressed trying to navigate Animal Kingdom on our last day when our stroller wheel suddenly went berserk? Absolutely. But it dissipated as soon as we entered the “Festival of the Lion King” show, something all three of us say was a top highlight of the trip.

My mom's advice for grandparents heading to Disney is simple: Every second is a special one. “My advice is to cherish every moment. As a grandma, I felt like a kid again, and I hope that in the future, my granddaughter can share this experience with her children and grandchildren,” she says.

Disney World and the entire Disney universe hold just as much weight in our imaginations as they did when I was a kid—although the process of exploring them is much more efficient now. The parks are prepared to welcome guests of all ages and ensure they have everything they need to make lifelong memories. If you're unsure about taking a vacation with grandparents, this is the place to start.

If you’re ready to book your multigenerational Disney World trip, check out this awesome deal for 2025, where Canadian residents can get four-day theme park tickets starting at just $109 per person.