A Multi-Generational Vacation Everyone Enjoyed

My daughter and I were lucky to go on another trip to Walt Disney World in July.  On this trip, we traveled with family ranging in age from 7 to 85 and everyone enjoyed themselves!  There are many options at Walt Disney World in Orlando and something for everyone.  Our pace may have been slower than on other trips, but at Walt Disney World enjoying the journey -  details appreciated details as you go along – is often as beneficial and seeing numerous attractions.

 

Originally, we thought there would be too much walking but Electric Scooters or ECV’s (Electric Convenience Vehicle) saved the day.  From prior trips, I knew that a stroller for my daughter was a MUST, but this was the first time that we used ECV’s.  Until you’ve visited Walt Disney World, it’s difficult to imagine the scale of everything.  The resorts and parks are huge compared to other venues.  It’s not even a thought for young, healthy people but if you have limited mobility it can be daunting.  But don’t let your age, or ability to walk distances stop you from sharing a magical trip with your family.

Disney recently established a list of approved vendors for ECVs.  Although you can rent them directly from Disney, the advantage of an off-site rental is that you can use it in every park, resort, etc.  With a Disney rental, you can only use the ECV or stroller in the location where you rented it.  Direct-from-Disney rentals are not trasferrable from park to park, but outside rentals are able to go anywhere you do!  We were provided a free rental from Buena Vista Scooter Rentals and were quite impressed with their service and the quality of the scooters.  Buena Vista Scooter Rentals is one of Disney’s approved vendors and also the recommend vendor of AllEars.net.  One of things I liked best was being able to reserve our scooters ahead of time with Buena Vista.  If you rent direct-from-Disney, you have to take your chances on their being a scooter available.  For us, having an ECV was a necessity and our day would be ruined without it.  By renting from Buena Vista, the scooter was waiting for us when we arrived.  Also, we could practice navigating before hitting the crowds in the parks.  But, how much does it cost?  Renting an ECV is only $30/day at Buena Vista Scooter Rentals – very reasonable!

Because this was a special trip with for my daughter and her grandma, I wanted to plan the highlights of any trip to Walt Disney World.  We made memories!  Kicking off our first magical day was an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  My mom loved seeing my little one transformed.  The whole experience was fun and memorable.  The look on my daughter’s face (and my mom’s watching her) when they turned her chair around for the big mirror reveal was like no other.  When she was leaving and someone asked for her autograph – first time as a princess, her face just beamed with pride.  Adorable!

My mom was a bit concerned about driving the scooter, but it went very well.  No children or small animals were harmed in the making of our vacation!  I highly recommend staying “on-property” at a Disney resort.  We were within walking distance to two of the parks and found the Disney transportation very accommodating to guests with ECVs.  You can just drive on to boats and the buses have ways of loading with either ramps or elevating platforms.  It takes a bit of time but overall it was easier than we expected.

Other special memories of our trip:

• Lunch at Cinderella’s table
• A Small World
• Hot air balloon ride
• Splash Mountain

It’s a trip my daughter will remember for the rest of her life.  Special memories of visiting Walt Disney World with Grandma!

We have such a short time with our children… I’m lucky to be able to have special memories of sharing magical times with the people I love.

Disclosure: BuenaVistaScooters com provided us with a scooter at no charge for the length of our stay.  I was a guest of Disney for the media portion of our trip and Disney provided my family with products and services during our stay.  They never require that I post about my experiences and what I learn, but the Disney trips are always full of helpful and important information for parents and families that I love to share with my readers.  All opinions are my own and as always, I love to share experiences with my readers that offer quality and/or value – and make you feel lucky!