Tips for a mom and daughter trip to Disney World

In this article, our guest author Amanda Kusek shares her experience of visiting Disney World in Florida with her mother and shares her tips for having fun together as a parent and adult child without driving each other mad!

I am thrilled to say I’ve just returned from 7 days with my mother in Disney World, sharing a villa along with her best friend and boyfriend, and have come home unscathed. We certainly had moments of tension, but by reaching toward each other rather than pulling away, we had a fantastic time. If you’re planning a similar trip, here are my tips from an adult child’s point of view so you too can bask in familial bliss;

Amanda and her mother enjoy a trip to Disneyworld together

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Table of Contents

Let’s Stay Together

Rather than staying in one of the many Disney World resorts, my mother and I opted for a villa at Liki Tiki Resort Village just twenty minutes from the park. We used my brother’s timeshare, but you may book the resort online. If you use 3111 World Dr. as your GPS address, Liki Tiki to Disney is completed in a flash on back roads. You’ll bypass main entrance traffic and slip easily into main parking via a back entrance. The villas truly do have one of the best locations outside of the parks.

I enjoyed staying away from the free-for-all that is Disney. With the villa, we were able to invite along two others, cook some of our meals, and laze by the pool just steps from our door. Not only was it significantly cheaper for all of us but having a joint space made me feel more at home. We had family style dinners, enjoyed wine, and played cards. It was a nice way to spend time together without hustling around the parks.

The Thin Line Between Doting & Nagging

My mother has explained to me on countless occasions that even though I am 26, she still feels an incredible urge to take care of me. She misses me and cooking dinner or picking up the bill makes her feel closer to me. While being doted on is something I can certainly enjoy, too much of a good thing can make me turn sour.

It’s important to remember that your adult children make hundreds of decisions about their lives every day. For example, in Epcot my goal was to eat everything in sight. I wanted to, I needed to, and I was prepared to outdo myself. And yet, my mother took it upon herself to warn me about eating a bite of sushi before our lunch reservations. Food is important to our family and especially to my mother’s nurturing, but in this case I was going to do what I wanted anyway, there was no need to mention it.

Admit When You’re Tired

Guess what? I’m not as young as I was once was either! I now know what it feels like to be tired, to rise early and want to be in bed equally as early. My late nights are few and I spend more time getting up and going to work than out partying and sleeping in. If you tell me you are exhausted, we can re-do the plans and make new ones, or just head home to have a glass of wine. Chances are, I’m probably tired too.

After we had a long day in Hollywood Studios, my team of middle-aged rock stars (I got 2 of the 3 on Aerosmith’s Rock N’ Roller Coaster) and I decided to call it quits and return to our villa for dinner. We canceled our dinner reservation and enjoyed a steak dinner and an early bedtime. It was just what the doctor ordered. We returned to Disney the next day totally refreshed instead of exhausted and cranky.

Some Things Are Still New To Me

My mother has been to Disney over 20 times in her lifetime. This was only my fourth go around. Though I have grown up, many of the parks rides and attractions feel new to me. While she may know Magic Kingdom like the back of her hand, I certainly do not, and she indulged my wonder with certain buildings, rides, and shows.

I know that some of this may have bored her but she embraced it as though I was seeing it for the first time. She must have asked me, “Do you remember this?” countless times but whether the answer was yes or no, we still participated and enjoyed. Together we made Disney World, something that risks being “too perfect”, exciting and suited to us. We just had to listen to one another.

I’d love to hear about what it is like to travel with an adult child and how I can be a better version of myself! Please share with Amanda in the comments below.