Tips for Multigenerational Travel

More and more families are choosing to take multigenerational vacations. As baby boomers are retiring, more and more of us are beginning to travel with not just our immediate family but with our parents and grandparents, making multigenerational travel the number one Top Travel Trend of 2019. The AARP says the top motivation for travel for baby boomers is to spend time with family and friends. If the idea of taking everyone from 8 months to 80 on the same vacation seems arduous and a bit exhausting keep reading. I have a few things you can do to ensure that your family has the best vacation ever.

Let’s Talk About Money

It can be awkward to bring up finances and budgets but you need to do it. Knowing everyone’s budget allows you to pick something that the entire family is comfortable with. Have clear expectations on who is paying for what. Who is buying the groceries if you have a kitchen? Who pays for the rental car? Apps like Venmo or Paypal make it easy to transfer money on the spot. Taking a cruise or visiting an all-inclusive resort with extended family are great options because everything is paid for ahead of time.

Where Do You Want to Go?

Deciding where you want to visit, and where you are going to stay are important next steps. Are you going to the beach, the mountains, a ranch or visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort? Do you want to rent a house, camp or stay in separate rooms in the same resort? If you are staying in a rental house, set yourself up for success and make sure there is plenty of space to spread out and enough bathrooms to accommodate everyone. If you are visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort. the Disney Vacation Club properties offer 2-and 3-bedroom suites for families who wish to stay together.  If everyone prefers their own space, your Key to the World Travel® advisor will link all of your reservations together so that you can get rooms near one another.

Let’s Get Organized

Select one or two individuals to serve as the trip organizers, who will then be the point of contact with your Key to the World Travel® Advisor.  Your travel advisor let you know when rooms next to be booked, deposits need to be made and make dining reservations. If you are traveling to the Walt Disney World® Resort, your advisor will make sure to add the entire group as family and friends through your MyDisneyExperience account. This will allow everyone to make FastPass+ reservations and dining reservations for your entire group. Groups taking a cruise will want to link their reservations together as well.

Spending Time Together, and Apart

Plan a few special meals as a group. Make sure to get any reservations you need early. Consider eating at an off-peak time, if you have trouble finding a reservation. Your Key to the World Travel® Advisor will make any reservations for you as soon as any Advance Dining Reservation windows open up. If you are staying somewhere with a kitchen, consider cooking a nice meal as a group. If no one wants to cook find a caterer or restaurant that will deliver to your house. This allows for lots of time to sit and connect while the kids can leave the table when they are done.

Don’t try to do everything together, there is such a thing as too much togetherness. Plan some time apart. We typically try to do a few activities with just our immediate family. Also, a girl’s day or guy’s day is great. My son had zero interest in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but my Mom was thrilled to join my daughter and me for this special experience. Traveling with grandparents or Aunts and Uncles also offers a fun opportunity for parents to sneak in a date night on vacation.

Other Things to Keep In Mind

Allow more time for everything. Anything you are doing with a large group is going to take more time and extra bathroom breaks. Plan for extra time so you aren’t late and frustrated. Also, consider your group when planning activities. If you have a group with several toddlers, infants or individuals with mobility issues you aren’t going to be hiking or running from one side of Magic Kingdom® Park to the other to make a FastPass+.

Take plenty of time for pictures. You are making lots of family memories and you want to document this. Consider hiring a family photographer while you are all together. Another great idea is creating a shared album on your iPhone or another photo app. I love seeing the entire groups pictures once we get home. When traveling to the Walt Disney World® Resort, you will want to buy the Memory Maker Photo Package. Only one person in the group will need to purchase the package. Link your family and friends through the MyDisneyExperience app, and select to share MyDisneyPhotopass Photos. After returning from a group trip, I often make photo books for everyone.

I hope these tips convinced you that you can follow the travel trends, and have your very own unforgettable multigenerational family vacation!

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