Who is the perfect Disney travel partner? For each of us the answer is different. And for each vacation you may have a different answer. For this trip, and many others, my daughter and I were the perfect Disney partners. Why? Because we enjoy the same things, we like to eat the same things, we walk at about the same pace, we are both flexible and just enjoy being there! My daughter and I are just so much alike in the way we do theme parks, it really works!
Each trip we’ve taken to Disney World has been with a different mix of people. And each time, the trip was catered to the group’s needs. I think that is important. One trip plan of attach does NOT fit all. You need to definitely look at who will be going, what do they enjoy, what are their restrictions, etc. You want each person to feel like they just had the vacation of their dreams, like they got to do everything they wanted, and their needs were taken into consideration.
Our very first trip was in 99. Grandma came with us. Planning the vacation was tricky – I had both ends of the age spectrum, and we had never been there! Yes, we had been to Disneyland a bunch, but Disneyworld is different! Grandma cant walk far, gets tired quick, heat and sun make her not feel well. The kids were just wanting to go 100 mph, husband was content to stroll, eat, and skip rides altogether if there were lines. I scheduled lots of sit down meals, and lots of time at the resort – for rest/pool time. We went to parks in the morning, back to our resort for a few hours, then dinner, and then back to the parks. Tried to get to bed at a decent time, and up at a decent time. We stayed at the Beach Club for several days (the kids loved the pool!) and we took advantage of the location. We switched to Dixie Landings (now called Port Orleans Riverside) for the last couple days so Grandma could have some space. We all were a perfect family group. Everyone was willing to give a little, and didn’t push too hard to do anything in particular. Daddy was a good sport and let the kids dictate a lot of what we did. I planned downtime for Grandma, and Daddy took advantage of that, too. Overall – it was a fantastic vacation and all my planning really helped!
Another trip that really stands out was when my son and I brought my daughter for her College Program. The 3 of us traveled to Florida. We got to the hotel the night before she would check in. So we had some time to hang out prior to her whirlwind start. Once we dropped her off, went to Walmart to get all the stuff she needed, and got her settled in – my son and I were free to play for several more days. We stayed at the Yacht Club that trip. There was a tropical storm, not quite a hurricane, that stalled over Disney World for the entire week we were there. It rained, rained, rained and rained.. My son was the perfect one for that trip – he is a trouper. We just put on our ponchos and hit the parks! We had the dining plan, so we spent a good chunk of time eating, and really had a great time! He loves the rides, and enjoys exploring. The rain didn’t stop us. We loved being able to walk over to Hollywood Studios (it was called MGM back then) and into Epcot from the hotel. We had a balcony with a view of the water, so we enjoyed watching the stormy weather. We got to visit and park hop a little with my daughter once she got her main gate pass, and started her training for her job in Fantasyland It was another great trip!
While my daughter was doing her CP, they were offering 50% off resorts (it was in 2008/2009 – so crowds were way down). Anyway, we stayed at Grand Floridian for half-price! That was fun! My husband, son and I stayed in the room, and my daughter came and hung out with us a ton! That trip was focused on eating (we had the dining plan), and trying to spend as much time as possible with my daughter – we missed her!! It was Christmas time, so she was working a ton. We went and visited her at the parks a bunch. That trip, the perfect vacation partner was my entire family – because the trip was centered on seeing my daughter as much as we could.
Another trip during my daughter’s CP was with my ‘sister’. She is my chosen sister. She was not born as my sister, but I treasure her as if she was! Anyway she and I went to see my daughter. This time she was able to come stay in the hotel with us, it was not a peak holiday time, so she was working more normal hours. So the three of us had a ball enjoying the parks (and the dining plan) and each other! The 3 of us are all very similar in how we do the parks, so that made things easy to plan. My sister is a vegan, so dining was more of a complication, but we made it work! So for that trip, all 3 of us were perfect vacation partners – we all had a blast!
My husband, sadly, is not as much of a Disney fan as the rest of us. So we have never been to Disney World just the two of us. He would go if I begged him, but he doesn’t really want to go. He doesn’t enjoy walking, crowds, warm weather, waiting in line .. basically all the major parts of a Disney World vacation. We do other things together, but Disney isn’t something we are compatible in – but that’s ok. He lets me go have fun!
We’ve been a few other times. Its all about planning for the group you have coming along. Plan things that each member will enjoy. Think about the limitations of each person, and plan accordingly. Ultimately, each person can be the perfect Disney travel partner with the right planning. Dont push anyone past their comfort zones, make sure each person gets to do some things catered just for them, allow downtime, relaxation, and time to enjoy being together!
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