Tips to Enjoy Orlando With Grandchildren

Besides being a lot more fun, this also saves you money. Your biggest expense is attraction tickets, but their price drops as you add more days. If you’re a grandparent, you may be retired and have a very flexible schedule. If your grandchildren are younger than school age, or if they’re homeschooled, that gives you even more flexibility to plan a longer trip in any season. Buy as many days as possible and you’ll get the cheapest price. Yes, you’re coming to Orlando to see Disney World and/or the other theme parks, but there’s so much more to do. Grandparents often think that if they come down to Orlando for seven days, they should buy six days' worth of theme park tickets. That’s a mistake for several reasons.

First, depending on when you visit, you might end up coming in the rainy seasons, which run all summer. That means you’re stuck visiting the theme parks on stormy days to be sure you get your money’s worth. Second, the grandkids would probably love seeing other attractions. For example, they can spend an afternoon petting alligators at Gatorland or seeing gators in their natural habitat on an airboat ride. A day at the beach is another great option, and it’s only about an hour away. We often have free ticket promotions in which your tickets are provided by the hotels. For example, you might buy three days and get one free or four days and get two free. Watch for promotions, which come up frequently. “Cheap” means a good price, but it doesn’t have to mean low quality. If you have several grandchildren or you’re bringing the whole family to Orlando, you can rack up the savings by choosing a multi-bedroom suite, condo, or vacation home instead of multiple hotel rooms. Many suites and homes also have kitchens and laundry facilities, which you won’t find in a standard hotel even though you’re paying more money for two or more rooms.

Depending on how far you live from Orlando, driving can save you money in several different ways. It might be cheaper than plane tickets, but it also ensures that you have wheels once you arrive. Otherwise, you’ll have to rent a car or pay for shuttles to and from the airport and possibly from the theme parks if your hotel doesn’t offer this for free. If you do fly, a rental car is almost a necessity if you don’t want to rack up shuttle costs. The car also lets you come and go as you please, which is very important when you have grandkids in tow. You don’t want to wait for a shuttle when they’re cranky and exhausted after a long day. Walt Disney World and all the other theme parks have tempting souvenir shops around every turn. The grandchildren will beg and plead for just one thing they “have to have,” but you can head that off by putting them on a budget. Do as one smart grandmother did. She made an envelope for each grandchild and put $50 in it. When they clamored for a certain souvenir, she’d let them know how much it would take. If it was an expensive item that would deplete their entire budget, it didn’t look so appealing anymore. They got some fun things to bring home and an important life lesson in budgeting, prioritizing, and making hard choices. Many hotels have free scheduled shuttle service to Walt Disney World, and sometimes to the other theme parks as well. Even if you have your own car, you’ll have to pay for parking if you drive. Weigh the flexibility of driving against the savings of using that free shuttle.