Disneyland is a magical place and every kid who visits here will remember it for the rest of their life. Many grandparents are opting to take their grandchildren to Disneyland, as parents seem to be busier with each passing day and simply cannot find the time to do this. This is a great experience for the grandkids and the grandparents as they are going to have time to bond with one another, and they will have the shared memory of this trip for years to come. However, many grandparents realize that taking their grandchildren to this amusement park is taking on a huge responsibility. There are children kidnapped every day, and the risks of taking a child into such a crowded place can weigh heavily on the mind of a grandparent. In addition to this fear, many grandparents are not prepared for temper tantrums, boredom and attitudes that may ensue when taking grandkids to this wondrous park.
Grandparents should not be afraid of taking their grandchildren to Disneyland or to the neighboring park California Adventure. There are several tips that grandparents can utilize to ensure that they are avoiding any danger and avoiding any behavioral problems.
1. Be Prepared with Activities
This is very important, especially for those grandparents who are driving to Disneyland or flying. They will want to ensure that they have something that the grandkids are going to enjoy doing while not at Disneyland. Consider road worthy games that are going to be fun, portable DVD players may be a great asset to have while traveling to the amusement park, and the like. Most grandkids are going to be excited to get there, thus they may get a bit antsy when it takes longer than what they expected.
2. Have an Emergency Plan in Place
If for any reason you were to get separated from your grandchildren, make sure they know where to meet if they notice that they have lost you. Before digging into anything at the park, be sure that you have a designated meeting space. If you are taking older grandchildren make sure that they have a time schedule to check in with you and where to meet. Also make sure that younger grandchildren know who to talk at the park should they become lost, point out uniformed officials that are there to help children.
3. Rest Well
You are coign to be bombarded with things to do when you arrive, thus make sure that you are getting rested at night. This may mean that everyone has to go to bed earlier, but in the long run you will be thankful that you did this as it can mean avoiding temper tantrums from the kids and losing your patience.
You will also want to plan your day by deciding which land you will visit and what you will do there. Adventureland is very different from Frontierland and so on. Pay some thought about which rides you will and will NOT be doing with the kids. If you have a heart condition or don’t like fast rides you will likely want to skip Space Mountain and the Matterhorn. However, this doesn’t mean you won’t have fun! There are plenty of rides and attractions in each land for all to enjoy. We actually recommend Pirates of the Caribbean and the Autotopia for kids and grandparents alike.
Here is a table which shows the most popular areas of the park, as well as the rides within that area that are most popular with kids:
Disneyland Lands And Rides
| Name Of Area (Land Within Disney) | Popular Rides Within That Land |
|---|---|
| Tomorrowland | Astro Orbitor, Autotopia, Submarines, Space Mountain, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters |
| Fantasyland | Alice in Wonderland, Circus Train, Dumbo Ride, It's A Small World, Carousel, Matterhorn, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Storybook Land Boats |
| Frontierland | Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat |
| Adventureland | Indiana Jones ride, Jungle Cruise, The Tiki Room, Tarzan's Treehouse |
| New Orleans Square | The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean |
This is a huge adventure that you are getting to share with your grandchildren. You should be sure to take plenty of pictures to have as the kids get older and for your own collection to remember. The most important thing is to relax and have fun. The trip may not go as planned, but the grandchildren are going to have an excellent time.