Watch an audience at the Country Bear Jamboree in Walt Disney World`s Magic Kingdom and you`re likely to see a grandma and grandpa giggling as hard as the 7-year-old they have in tow. That sharing of wholesome fun and fantasy is what convinces increasing numbers of grandparents to visit Florida`s family vacation mecca with their grandchildren.
The two generations find themselves ideally matched, particularly when the grandkids are of kindergarten and grade-school age.
”Their stamina levels are similar,” says Dorothy Jordon, whose July-August issue of Family Travel Times is devoted to advice on visiting Disney World and other theme parks. Jordon has visited the Disney complex numerous times with her children, now 11 and 14, sometimes accompanied by the youngsters` grandparents.
”Their timing is similar too,” Jordon says. ”Both generations like to eat early, for example. My husband and I can wait until 8 or 9, but if the kids don`t have dinner by 6 or 6:30, their stomachs growl and so do they. My father likes to eat then too.”
But without careful planning, grandparents and grandchildren may find their vacation in the 43-square-mile Disney complex more draining than delightful.
One key factor is the location and services available at accommodations.
”Find a hotel with kids` activities and programs in the evening,”
Jordon advises. ”Kids need some time to play with their peers, and it also will give the grandparents a break.”
Hotels with such programs exist on and off the Disney grounds. There are advantages to staying at Disney World, especially for younger children or a less mobile grandparent. It vastly lessens commuting time to and among the parks. There`s no extra charge for children under 17 who share your room.
Visitors staying at a Disney resort, condo or recreational-vehicle park receive preferred treatment for reservations at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue and other Disney dinner shows and may make restaurant reservations by telephone a day or two ahead. During busy periods they may be allowed into the theme parks ahead of others.
On the other hand, the least expensive Disney rooms cost $85 a night, and prices skyrocket to $400 or more nightly. Considerably less expensive accommodations-and food-lie outside Disney World, although a car or hotel shuttle service becomes essential.
In planning a budget, it`s important to decide what you most want to see and do. This is not a simple task, as Bob Sehlinger writes in his book, ”The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World” (Prentice Hall Travel, $11)
Disney provides such an array of choices that it is like being a kid in a candy shop. Chart out which of the minor theme parks, such as Discovery Island and Typhoon Lagoon, you and the grandchildren may want to visit, in addition to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center and Disney-MGM Studios.
Decide whether you will play tennis or golf, go boating, mount up for a trail ride or dine at a character breakfast or dinner show. This helps you choose or create a package without expensive extras you won`t use.
The Disney folks are masters of marketing, and many temptations to spend will lie along the way. So factor some unanticipated costs into the budget for snack foods, a Mickey Mouse autograph book or a trip to a video arcade.
Once at the parks, be aware of the scorching midday sun and humidity of central Florida, and plan the day accordingly. Arrive early. Visitors frequently are allowed into parks 30 minutes or more before the official opening time.
Plan a rest between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., as Sehlinger`s book advises. Taking a break then also means you`ll avoid the theme parks` busiest hours when lines are longest. If you or the grandchildren could use a nap, return to the hotel for lunch and a snooze.
As an alternative, Jordon suggests, take the grandchildren to the Coral Reef Restaurant at the Living Seas aquarium in EPCOT`s Future World. It`s pricey, but there is a children`s menu plus placemats they can color while identifying fish.
Another option is to bring along the youngsters` swimsuits and head for the River Country, Disney World`s smaller and less visited water theme park now that Typhoon Lagoon is the headliner. River Country is particularly good for grandparents traveling with older, higher-stamina grandchildren.
”There`s food there,” Jordon says, ”and if you arrive before 11:30 the lines aren`t very long.” The grandchildren then can swim off some of the extra energy while grandparents relax. Tom Sawyer Island is another spot where grandchildren can romp while the older generation take a load off their feet. Breaks like these probably will be necessary: Walking five or more miles a day in the theme park isn`t unusual. It would be a shame for sore, swollen feet to ruin a visit, so both grandparents and grandchildren should wear broken-in walking shoes that cushion the feet and provide support. Don`t don sandals; they may be cool, but feet will wear out much faster. Use sunscreen; sunburn is the No. 1 problem at first aid stations.
You might want to rent a wheelchair as a rolling rest stop, even if you`re in perfectly good health. Rental booths are near the entrance to each park. Pick it up when you arrive to avoid a long hike back when you already are starting to feel worn out.
Many of these same tactics for planning a grandparent-grandchild visit to Walt Disney World can be applied during overnight or day trips to other theme parks, such as Knotts Berry Farm in California or the Six Flags and Sea World Parks.
Planning and flexibility can make all the difference in whether each generation finds the trip frazzling or fantastic.
