Summer vacation: Four must-do multigenerational trips

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Summer vacation: Four must-do multigenerational trips

summer vacation ideas

Now that we're well into March, planning summer trips tops the to-do list of many a mama, grand or otherwise.

For your consideration, here are four of my favorite trips of the past couple years — all ideal for enjoying with multiple generations. Meaning, they're perfect places to gather together loved ones young and not-so-young plus everyone in between for an unforgettable summertime celebration.

The following trips cover far-reaching regions of the country — California, Colorado, Michigan, Florida — so there's surely one...

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That time my grandsons became pirates

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pirate boys

When my two oldest grandsons, their mom, and I all visited Walt Disney World in January for our grand-as-can-be Disney Grand Adventure, one of the delights for Mac and Bubby was when they became pirates. Real pirates, with real pirate names.

See, Walt Disney World has a special add-on experience called The Pirates League, in which boys and girls with a buccanneer spirit can be transformed into a pirate with their own pirate look and their own pirate name. All with the goal of becoming a new recruit to team up with Captain Jack and his...

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Multigenerational travel: My 5 fantasy vacations at Walt Disney World resorts

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Grandparents treating grandchildren. Parents inviting their parents. Mother/daughter, father/son trips together as adults — no youngsters allowed.

Multigenerational travel is the way to go for baby boomers and beyond. In fact, about 36 percent of families are planning such a trip for and with their beloveds in the next 12 months.

I recently had my first taste of multigenerational travel when Disney invited me for a Disney Grand Adventure to Walt Disney World, and my daughter and two of her sons (my grandsons!) joined me for the fun. It was indeed fun. And fabulous. And memorable. And it led me to consider other multigenerational vacations I'd be delighted to pursue.

walt disney world resorts

I had the grand opportunity to tour several Walt Disney World resorts on my Disney Grand Adventure. So, naturally, when considering future trips with various generations of my family...

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Introducing my Disney Grand Adventure co-adventurers

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My Disney Grand Adventure wasn't only about experiencing the sights and sounds, thrills, chills, and spills of Walt Disney World with my daughter and grandsons. No, it was about work. My work as a member of the media.

I was joined on the work portion of the adventure — if you can call touring Walt Disney World resorts work — by a great group of gals. I spent nearly as much time with my media co-adventurers as I did my family, and I couldn't have been included with a better bunch of bloggers, writers, media mavens. They were funny, generous, interesting, inspiring, supportive, worth getting to know, worth following.

I'd like to introduce them to you.

Disney Grand Adventure media 

From left to right in our one and only group photo, taken on the grand stairs of...

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Masterpieces for Mickey Mouse, plus GRAND Social No. 193 link party for grandparents

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Masterpieces for Mickey Mouse

My four-year-old grandson, Mac, (who would correct me if reading this, pointing out he's  actually four and a half!) was pleased as could be that our villa at Walt Disney World included art supplies. Meaning, the typical pad of paper and pen one might typically find in a hotel room.

To Mac, that pad and pen were perfect tools for creating masterpieces he could hand off to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and others we might run into on our Disney Grand Adventure. Unfortunately, Mac forgot to put his pics in his pocket the day we actually met Mickey, and the days he did remember, we had no luck in crossing paths with characters.

So I told Mac I'd take home his masterpieces for Mickey and the gang and post them in spots his Disney pals may see them. The renderings originally featured the artist's signature, Mac's real name, but in the name of online safety for my sweetie, I removed them. All the same, though, these are for you, Mickey, Minnie and more — from Mac, whose bloggy name must suffice.

drawing of Mickey Mouse 

Considering the talented artist is just four years old, I mean, four...

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What's so great about a Disney Grand Adventure: Multiple generations weigh in

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My daughter, grandsons, and I all agree that Walt Disney World just may be the most magical place on the planet. We all have different reasons for believing so, though, especially as it relates to our recent visit there together.

disney grand adventure

Here, a quick — and far from complete — list of what each of us thought most made our Disney Grand Adventure as magical, memorable, and grand as could possibly be:

Mac, age 4

  • The not-too-scary rides, especially The...
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Disney Grand Adventure finale! Plus GRAND Social link party No. 192 link party

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Final photo

Megan, Mac, Bubby, and I closed out our Disney Grand Adventure with a mad dash to Disney's Hollywood Studios. There was no way in the world we were leaving Disney World without riding the Tower of Terror.

Rode it we did — Bubby twice! Once with me, then once with Megan as we each took a turn sitting it out with Mac... who was no way getting on that thrill ride the rest of us love. (Photos to come once I go through them.)

Hollywood Studios was our last stop before boarding Disney's Magical Express, and it's where we had our final official Grand Adventure photo taken.

 

Farewell to a fabulous (and fabulously busy)...

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Final prep for our Disney Grand Adventure

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Our Disney Grand Adventure officially begins today! Early this morning, Bubby, Mac, Megan and I boarded the plane for Orlando and will be at Walt Disney World this afternoon.

In addition to packing our bags yesterday, a priority for the prep was making a wish list on the My Disney Experience site of all the must-do activities. So Bubby, Mac, and I sat down to peruse the offerings and mark those on the list the boys had already started with Megan — then added a few more.

disney grand adventure prep 

disney grand adventure prep

The boys checked their height...

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Wherein I repeat myself. Again.

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I've said it before: Yesterday on Instagram.

On Facebook, too.

And I'll now say it again.

And because I simply cannot wait for my GRAND Adventure to begin.

One week from today.

Woot!

Today's question:

What are you excited about today?