Disney World with Grandchildren at the Right Age
Having Fun With Grandkids at Walt Disney World Without Tantrums
Oct 30, 2009
But before rushing to get to Disney before the child has his first tooth, stop! Take time to consider the temperaments of all involved, children and grandchildren included, and create a trip that plays to everyone’s strengths. Not putting the time into planning out a trip can turn what should be great fun with the grandchildren into a Disney vacation disaster everyone will remember for years – for all the wrong reasons!
Too Young for Disney?
Babies don’t get a whole lot out of going to Disney, but that doesn’t always means they’re too young for a Disney trip. While they won’t remember anything, parents and grandparents will, and the memories can be priceless. Going when the grandkids are babies can be a logistics nightmare, though. Consider the following pitfalls of Disney with babies and very young kids.
Disney temper tantrums: No grandparent wants to watch a grandchild having a granddaddy of a temper tantrum in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. And grandparents can’t interfere as easily as if they were the parents, although they may want to. There’s nothing worse than a temper tantrum from the two year old leading to a loud argument between the child’s parents and grandparents over disciplining differences.
Naps, naps, nap: Small children need naps; very small children need two naps a day! This might not be such a bad thing, since grandparents at Disney often need naps too! But nap time can really cut down on park touring time if the grandchild doesn’t doze well in his stroller.
Eating out: Many grandparents have gotten used to quiet, leisurely meals on vacation. Add an under two to the dinner table and throw relaxed and leisurely out the window. Splitting up for a few meals during the trip may preserve grandparent’s sanity and give parents a chance to do a few things on their own, too.
Taking a Preschooler to Disney
The 3-6 year old set is, in some ways, the perfect Disney age – they’re awed by everything and really caught up in the magic Disney does so well. There are some downsides to this age group as well.
Children of this age are afraid of things. Not all children have fears of Disney characters, which are huge, fears of Disney firework, which are unbelievably long and loud, or fears of Disney dark ride, which are present in abundance. But many are, and a grandchild who’s afraid to go on rides can lead to frustration on everyone’s part, tears on the child’s part, and arguments on whether or not fearful kids should be forced on rides between adults.
They’re too short. Kids this age vary widely in height, and lots of Disney rides have height requirements. Children who are daredevils might be happier to go to Disney once they reach the magical ride height of 40 inches, at least. The big thrill rides require a height of 48”.
Going to Disney With School Age Grandkids
This is a great age to take grandchildren to Disney – their parents may even let them go alone with grandparents at this age. There’s little downside to taking grandchildren this age to Disney, beside the fact that they may move too fast to keep up with and want to ride rides that are too scary for grandparents!
On the plus side, they don’t need naps, can eat adult food, and generally no longer run and hide whenever 5 foot tall Mickey comes into view. They also tend to be obedient to grandparents at this age, and don’t disappear into a crowd in the blink of an eye, like toddlers do.
Dealing With the Parents
How grandparents on a Disney trip deal with their own children depends on how they deal with them during normal life – only exaggerated tenfold. Parents and children who argue a lot at home will argue even more at Disney, over everything – buying the grandkids souvenirs, feeding them ice cream before dinner, bedtime hours, etc. Don’t expect Disney magic to fix family problems. Be prepared, as the senior adults, to practice restraint; being right isn’t always worth a family fight.
Avoiding Disney Tantrums for Everyone
Remember that vacationing with family can be stressful, expensive and exhausting – but it doesn’t have to be a vacation disaster. Making a realistic day by day schedule ahead of time that takes everyone’s needs into account, using everyone’s input, including kids if they’re old enough, can help the whole family have fun with minimal stress.
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