Oldies But Goodies – How Ambitious Should Your Vacation Plans Be?

October 8, 2011 by 6 Comments

Oldies But Goodies How Ambitious Should Your Vacation Plans Be?

This is one of those questions that only you can answer for yourselves my Oldie pals!!! The answer depends mostly on your stamina and any mobility issues, but since most mobility issues are easily dealt with at Walt Disney World stamina becomes the major consideration. I generally plan to get a lot out of each and every visit but also plan a pace that allows time to recuperate from busy busy days. Our next visit will be a real test because the schedule is verrrrrry full and my stamina is down a bit from our last trip. I’ll let you know how I did when I get back.

The conventional wisdom says that you should schedule a daily break or at least go back to your resort for a quick dip in the pool but that is not always possible. Another approach would be to make sure each third or fourth day of your visit is a non theme park day or a sleep in with a short park day. Since we Oldies generally like to go to sleep early and get up early another plan would be to hit each park visit at rope drop and leave early rather than closing the park. And yes, one more, schedule lots of table service meals so you can sit down, relax in an air conditioned setting, and enjoy a good meal.

You don’t have to do all of the things I mentioned or even just one of them. You can combine any or all of them on different days, get your rest and enjoy some new Walt Disney World experiences at the same time. Please don’t try to go commando touring every day of your visit unless you are capable of this kind of pace. Also, if you are traveling with other Oldies please consider their needs and tour at the pace of your slowest buddy. Plan what you want to accomplish but don’t be afraid to cancel some of those plans if fatigue becomes an issue.

If you take take the time for some types of breaks every day you will absolutely find that you will get that much more enjoyment out of Walt Disney World. If you don’t get your rest, even if you visit every attraction, you will likely not enjoy or get the most out of all of them. A well rested Oldie is a Happy Oldie!!! As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

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Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles

October 1, 2011 by 7 Comments

Oldies But Goodies What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles

In another article I covered the Tangible things; those you can see, feel touch, and do, but here I will look at the more subtle things that go to make up all that is Walt Disney World. Intangibles are those things that are there, you know they are there, you experience them but they are not something you can physically touch. Let’s just take a look at a few of the intangibles that bring us Oldies back again and again!!

  1. CHEERFUL ATMOSPHERE - I guess us old folks are supposed to be grumpy by nature and perhaps some of us are. There is just something about being at Walt Disney World that brings out the best in us Oldies, makes us feel like kids again. I think a lot of it has to do with the tens of thousands (around 65,000) of Cast Members who seem to be terminally cheerful!! It’s difficult to be cranky when you are surrounded by that much good cheer and that many smiling faces. The photo above really demonstrates this well.
  2. EXEMPLARY SERVICE – Most folks think service might be a Tangible as opposed to an Intangible but I’m not just referring to the Cast Members who earn a living through service such as restaurant servers, Bell staff etc. The service I’m talking about is the Cast Member who has an assigned task and will interrupt that task to assist guests with something unrelated to what they do and do it like that is their only assigned task. You might notice I didn’t use the word job but rather said assigned task, I think all the Cast Members feel that their job is Exemplary Service and everything else is just an assigned task.
  3. AMBIANCE - Ambiance, as opposed to a cheerful atmosphere , is that which makes you feel comfortable in your surroundings because you are immersed in your situation and everything about it is just plain right!! Proper ambiance is achieved by intense attention to every detail to make sure it is appropriate for the situation you are in without you realizing it. This attention is obvious everywhere at Walt Disney World from the parks, to the resorts, to the restaurants etc, etc, etc. Thank you Imagineers!!
  4. NEEDS ARE MET – Many places that you might visit plan for guests without special needs and then make do for those guests who have needs over and above the ordinary. Let’s face it my more chronologically advanced pals, we make up a large portion of the special needs folks. Walt Disney World has made advanced preparations for those folks with virtually any type of requirement. All you need to do is inform a Cast Member of your needs and they will be met.

Intangibles are a bit difficult to describe just because they are the things that make a Walt Disney World experience what it is without being in your face. I try not to spend a lot of time searching them out on our visits, I just let them be there and provide that little extra that keeps this Senior coming back again and again. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

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Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles

October 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Oldies But Goodies What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles

As we get older we generally find that different things become important to us. When we were younger we looked forward to the thrill of riding the biggest, best, and most exciting attractions and some of us still do (me). But, when you reach a certain age (different for everyone), you find that the more subtle things that you may have passed by in the past become a bit more important in the overall enjoyment of your visit. Let’s look at a few of these things that we grow to love as we become Official Oldies!!!

  1. DINING - When we were a bit younger, dining might have been a burger and fries or some like fare when we were at Walt Disney World. I’ve found that table service dining serves a few purposes as opposed to just filling your tummy (and it does that too). First – with all of the truly fine restaurants at Walt Disney World you get to experience some delicious things that you just might not try at home. Second – it gives you a chance to chat with your traveling companions in a comfortable environment rather than on a bench or hard chair. Third – very important for us Oldies, it gives a chance to rest from the excitement of the day in air conditioned comfort.
  2. STAGE SHOWS - Many folks pass up the stage shows at Walt Disney World to ride the “thrill” rides and we may all have been guilty of that in the past. When you take the time to see these shows you might be surprised at how good they actually are. Shows range from the hokey Country Bear Jamboree to the absolutely spectacular Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba with virtually everything in between. They become a bigger part of our visits every year.
  3. GOLF - I’m not a golfer but many of my fellow Oldies border on the fanatical. Walt Disney World boasts several spectacular courses that beckon to golfers everywhere. It’s a great way to get outdoors for some relaxation and that’s a good thing.
  4. RESORT TIME - This is another item that becomes more important every year. Walt Disney World resorts are not just hotels/motels. They are spectacularly themed and meticulously maintained, most importantly there is one that will appeal to almost anyone. We no longer find that the resort is a place to shower and sleep but an experience to be  explored and enjoyed along with all of the other equally important parts of your visit to Walt Disney World. Find the one you like and spend some time there.
  5. ROMANTIC ACTIVITIES - NO, not that kind!!! There are so many ways to find romance at Walt Disney World from a wonderful dinner at Victoria and Albert’s to one of the many available fireworks cruises. Spending some quiet time alone with the one you love is truly a wonderful thing. It may seem odd to many people that this would be included but it’s not difficult to become a reborn romantic at Walt Disney World!!

These are just some of the tangible things; things you can see, touch, feel, and do that bring us Oldies back to Walt Disney World again and again. I’m sure that as you advance in age you will find these things more and more appealing every time you visit. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

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Why Do I Write For Disney Seniors?

September 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Why Do I Write For Disney Seniors?

Seniors see Walt Disney World differently from other age groups. I know this for a fact because in the last 21 years, going from early middle age to a bona fide senior, my perspective has changed tremendously. I write for my fellow Seniors to help them get the absolute most they can from their Walt Disney World visits.

We visit Walt Disney World in different ways as Seniors:

  • As experienced regular visitors – This group knows what to expect and I don’t worry about them, I learn from them.
  • Empty Nesters as first time visitors – I try to give these folks as much information as possible so they will be prepared for the size, scope, and complexity of the resort.
  • Senior Group visitors – Seniors who visit in a group generally have an instigator (experienced visitor and psycho planner) who has stepped to the front and develops initial plans, If there is no such person in their group, I also try to give them as much information as possible.
  • Multi Generational Group visitors – This group needs extra care so that they know what to expect at every turn and so that they don’t fall prey to the grandchildren begging them to go on rides where they may not belong for reasons of health.

Those are the major types of Senior visitors and I try to gear my posts to all of them at the same time. It is difficult but when in doubt I focus on the Multi Generational folks for safety reasons and the Empty Nesters so they can get all there is to get from a Walt Disney World visit. I also hope that folks traveling with Seniors read my stuff so they have an idea what Seniors face in the theme park environment.

I think my reasons for writing as I do are fairly straight forward, I love Walt Disney World and want all of my fellow Oldie pals to enjoy it as much as I do. I love to help my Senior friends, and yes, I am the instigator for groups of Seniors visiting together (including our visit with some pals in October). As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

P.S. Don’t forget to visit my Disney for Seniors Facebook Page!

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Oldies But Goodies – Seniors, Trust Yourself.

September 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Oldies But Goodies Seniors, Trust Yourself.

When we, Oldies, travel to Walt Disney World we can visit in a number of different group configurations. Some of these are: as a couple, as a group of folks our own age, or a multi generational family group. Seniors generally stay out of trouble with the first two because we are traveling with people who are the same age and are experiencing many of the same physical issues that all of us old folks experience. You are generally safe in these situations.

When you travel with a multi generational group you must rely on your own good judgement. Normally your children behave very well, they probably won’t try to talk you into trying a ride like the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster. You must however, watch out for your grandchildren. They are likely to try to talk Grandma and Grandpa into riding everything they themselves love to ride. They really do it out of love because they enjoy spending time with you. It’s these situations where we need to be careful and not exceed our physical limitations just to please the grand kids. You must trust yourself and your own good judgement to avoid putting yourself in a dangerous situation. One suggestion I might offer is to have your children talk to the grand kids and explain that there are rides that Grandma and Grandpa may choose not to try. They should also tell the grand kids that they can ask if Grandma or Grandpa would like to go on a ride with them but if they say no thank you, that has to be the answer. If they do this before the trip and remind them every once in a while your visit should go very smoothly. Better safe than sorry.

If you feel comfortable on some of the more intense rides then by all means enjoy them with the whole family. I might suggest that you could ask your physician before you go to see if  there are any types of rides you should avoid. Once again, better safe than sorry!! You are the best judge of what is right or wrong for you (if your physician is o.k. with it) so TRUST YOURSELF and don’t bow to pressure to try something that might be uncomfortable for you. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

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