Multigenerational Vacations Matter

by Diane Schroeder, Lead Travel Planner with If You Can Dream It Travel

Growing up, most vacations in my family meant visiting my grandparents out of state. We would all pile into the station wagon and drive several hundred miles to reunite with them. Those were special times with 3 generations of the family together for holidays and other occasions. Whether we were at the house or at a lake, these times together were nice for the kids who played, and for the men who went fishing. But there was a lot of work for my mom and grandmother, prepping 3 meals a day for everyone, still doing laundry, tidying up, etc. Sound familiar? 

As an adult and a mom, I had a bigger vision:  I wanted to let the older generations go on a vacation where they could have just as much fun as everyone else with no chores or obligations. Everyone could have a shared happy experience. This became our first multigenerational vacation! 

My family, plus my sister and her family, plus my mom and her best friend all boarded the Disney Magic for what my mom called the “best vacation of my life” which right there made the whole thing 100%  worth it. 

When I asked my clients for their ideas about multigenerational travel, I got a lot of responses. Everyone who answered and submitted photos were passionate about how wonderful it is!

I’m sharing some of what a few of my clients told me about the multigenerational trips I helped them with. I truly appreciate them providing their photos and ideas for this article. They share why multigenerational cruise and resort vacations are magic.

I just think that grandma going on almost all the rides was pretty amazing. The memories that we all can share are always top tier for me.  It was perfect specifically for us because we had an adult per kid so just about the whole time everyone had someone to ride with. I’m a family girl all day so it just makes my heart happy having everyone together.

This past Disney Cruise I saw the benefits of multigenerational travel the most! Our teen LIVED at Vibe, my aunt did swimming, slides, napping in the sun, and us middle aged couple sat in the Adult area (that’s new) with cocktails! BUT we all met up for meals and shows, and occasional trivias which was nice! 

We’ve done 3 generations at parks and it’s nice that there are so many rides all can go on, but also ways for us to do our own thing. Plenty to go do while people ride the rollercoasters and you wait. Plus having scooters widely accepted is a plus for people who are older or have medical issues. 

Extended time with family members is the best part. It was fun to take Grandmother to Disney because she hadn’t been in a long time - she really enjoyed seeing what it was like now. 

It was a great trip and we all have memories that will last a lifetime!

I expect Multigenerational travel to be a part of my life from now on. In the era of texting, everything digital, it is so nice to just spend time with people you love, actually looking into their faces, talking to them in person, having unhurried extended time to just be present with them while having fun, meals, and new experiences.

Being on a cruise or resort vacation together puts everyone on a level playing field. Everyone can play (and rest) and no one is left to do all of the work for the group.

If this sounds like exactly what your family needs, let’s talk about the kind of trip that would be just right for you. I’ll bet that the resort stay or cruise we plan together for your family just might become the best vacation of your life too.

Diane Schroeder 

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