There’s no easier way to plan a togethering vacation — what small family reunions are sometimes called — than at a Disney theme park with grandparents in tow. Let’s look at some recent stats. We know that more than 37% of grandparents who travel, have traveled with their grandchildren on one or more leisure trips within the past year. According to D.K. Shifflet, 27% of all overnight leisure travel in 2014 was as a multigenerational group. These numbers make multigenerational travel a big trend.
There are lots of options if you’re looking for a place to take a big group. But the Walt Disney Company hasn’t been in the family entertainment business for nearly 50 years without learning something, and perhaps that is why Orlando’s Walt Disney World (WDW) has been cited in various surveys as the Number 1 “dream” family reunion destination.
There’s also few places that can cater to both toddlers and grandparents while still appealing to teenagers and weary parents alike. Disney properties have varied activities which are well executed and appropriately planned. This means you won’t find action-packed Indiana Jones stunt shows next to the Dumbo ride. But Disney also knows how to make just about any ride or experience magical for anyone.
To be inspired by some togethering reunion ideas, check out Disney’s Magic Your Way Vacation Packages. Their staff of experts can help coordinate accommodations, activities and dining for your group, keeping everyone’s needs and interests in mind.
Tech Tools to Make Your Reunion Magical
Traveling with a small family, let alone a huge group, is no easy feat. Simplify your vacation by using the MagicBand system before you ever leave your house. This “smart” wristband comes with your WDW hotel bookings, and can hold all your travel information, hotel room key, reservations for rides, restaurants and more. Bands for every family member are sent in the mail two weeks before your departure.
Booking a free MagicalExpress ride from the airport to the resort enables you to check your luggage curbside from your home airport, and watch it magically appear in your resort hotel room up to three hours after you arrive. You don’t have to use the luggage service, but it sure comes in handy when traveling with toddlers and a gaggle of relatives.
MagicBands can also be used to unlock your hotel room and pay for park purchases. Ask your resort’s concierge to hook-up your MagicBand to your credit card and pick a private pin number. Go to the park and pay for meals, treats and souvenirs by scanning your band at the register and inputting your pin.
With so much to see and so little time, WDW has developed other technologies to ease your theme park phobias. Fastpass Plus, Disney’s reserve-a-ride system, enables you to avoid lines by choosing a return time slot and scanning your MagicBand or Magic card at the kiosks set up outside most attractions. One fun perk — when you scan the MagicBands, it tells the Cast Members your name. Bonus if it’s your birthday. You’ll get a “Happy Birthday” all over the parks and warm smiles.
To save even more time, download the My Disney Experience Mobile App to check wait times and adjust your Fastpass on the go. Guests get three picks per day at one park, and if you use them all, you can pick up a fourth option as it’s available. It’s worth checking out the wait times on the app first. During slower periods like after Labor Day and the first week of December, rides like “It’s a Small World” are often slow. Just get in line for the 5 or 10-minute wait and save your Fastpass option for the more crowded character meet-and-greets and more popular rides like the new family-friendly Seven Dwarfs Mine Train rollercoaster.
Preserve the Memories without Selfies
Especially useful for group travel, the Disney PhotoPass service can connect right to your MagicBands and store photos taken by the parks’ professional photographers. Purchase the service and leave your camera in the hotel room. Next, ask any park photographer to snap a photo and afterwards they’ll scan your band. The photos go right to your account to view, download or purchase prints. You can even add other users to the account so everyone can get in on the action and pick and choose their favorites.
Plan Some Adult Time for Grown Kids to Meet Up
As noted, there’s lots to do outside the theme parks. Disney has created two fantastic world-class water parks -– the snow-themed Blizzard Beach and the tropical-island-style Typhoon Lagoon -– which are very cool(ing) but probably not worth the extra fee unless you have at least a half-day and plenty of warm weather to enjoy them.
Beyond the theme parks, you’ll find five top-quality golf courses that reserve tee times and shuttle service for on-site WDW hotel guests; rental equipment for power boating, sailing, wakeboarding, bicycling, tennis and other sports at the various hotels.
The WDW on-site hotels use local Orlando childcare services to provide in-room babysitting, a worthwhile investment for some quality adult time. At night, most of the WDW hotels also offer a group kids camp for ages 5+ so that adults can try local clubs and nightlife. Downtown Disney has an attractive branch of Wolfgang Puck’s where all family members can dine together, and a purpose-built theatre for “La Nouba,” an incredibly original combination of gymnastics, dance and music from Cirque du Soleil. Some families may not want to buy tickets at Broadway prices for exhausted little ones, but I guarantee a performance by this Montreal-based avant garde circus will astonish spectators of all ages.
Why a Disneyworld On-Site Resort is Good for Family Reunions
In general, Orlando, Florida is a good reunion destination because air service is frequent and available from almost every corner of the globe. With so much competition for the market, airfares are reasonable year-round. Additionally, the on-site WDW hotels provide more than 31,000 hotel rooms at rates ranging from $85/N for value resort hotels on up to over $300.
A key advantage of staying at a WDW Resort is the ability to enter a designated park earlier than the public each day with extra Magic Hours. The perk is extended for guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Swan and Dolphin Hotels, Shades of Green Resort and Hilton Orlando Resort on Hotel Plaza Blvd. Check their online calendar for daily extended times, as hours are subject to change. Want an example? At the time this was written, extra magic hours extended from 9pm to 11pm at Epcot.
If your reunion group wants to linger over breakfast, then this perk may not hold much value; however, if you’re traveling with early-bird preschoolers, choosing a resort within the enormous parks will give you a head start on a typically short day. Try to book a resort on the monorail line (buses, ferries and trams shuttle guests around at a much slower rate) so you’ll be able to return there for regular naps. And remember, though the WDW hotels may cost more than others outside the park, you’ll save on a rental car.
How to Choose a Reunion Hotel that’s Right for All Ages
Accommodations will largely depend on how many people in your group will stay in each room. To book accommodations for more than five people, call 407/939-7725 for assistance. To get an idea of where to start, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort near Animal Kingdom sleeps up to 6 guests per suite with separate bedroom pull-out sofas, two bathrooms and kitchenette.
Each resort has its own perks, personality and vibe. The turn of the century style Boardwalk Inn had a nostalgic vibe complete with a juggler performing live in the lobby. Suites had kitchens, a fold-out couch in the living room and separate bedroom. While most convenient to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, you can still grab a shuttle to get to the Magic Kingdom in less than half-an-hour.
But if you have little kids and grandparents who tire from the over-stimulation and need to decompress, consider Fort Wilderness to stay at the Lodge, park an RV, pitch a tent or rent a cabin. Evenings are filled with roasting marshmallows, free Disney films, wagon rides and the promise for horseback riding in the morning. The Wilderness Cabins sleep up to six guests with over 500 square-feet of living, dining and sleep area complete with private patio and BBQ grill. The maid service will even take care of your dishes so you can just enjoy dinner at the picnic table with the family.
Big groups should look at the Deluxe Villa Resort hotels with one and two-bedroom villas sleeping up to nine guests at select locations. Full kitchens, laundry and whirlpool tub are all available. The Boardwalk Villas sleeps up to nine, as well as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House.
If you prefer not to stay at an on-site WDW resort, the Nickelodeon Family Suites Hotel, with its themed two to four-bedroom units and enormous zero entry swimming pools with water features, is a wonderful alternative and very good value. Of course, Orlando boasts many family-friendly hotels — here’s our pick of the Top 10 Kid Friendly Places to Stay.
Plan Your Days to Acknowledge Everyone’s Interests
One of the biggest assets at WDW is the sheer variety of recreation. Magic Kingdom, source of the magic for most young children, boasts strolling character figures who give out autographs, hugs and pose for pictures. A melody of Disney songs swells to a fireworks spectacular during evenings at the Magic Kingdom. Keep an eye out for Tinker Bell as she soars over the park during the show.
At Epcot, in addition to the World Showcase pavilions hosted by 11 countries, exhibits such as Test Track and the Mission Space simulator ride have the right combination of cutting edge technology and thrills to engage adults and older children. Epcot recently announced plans to replace the Maelstrom ride in Norway with a Frozen princess-themed ride by 2016. Some may be sad to see the 26-year old ride go, but it’s part of Epcot’s effort to steer some focus towards kids.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the park’s answer to Universal Studios Florida, but with family fare, stunt shows and rides. Strolling characters, 3D movies and gentle rides are based on Buzz Lightyear and other heroes from “Toy Story,” “Frozen”, “Star Wars,” “Disney Junior,” and other shows and movies. Come back in the evening for Fantasmic, a 30-minute fireworks and water show with characters and sounds from favorites like “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Peter Pan”.
One of Disney’s newer theme parks, Animal Kingdom, boasts a dazzling array of African animals now living comfortably in central Florida, strolling outside the deluxe Animal Kingdom Lodge and easily tolerating the action-packed Kilimanjaro Safari tour. Within this park’s elaborately carved, 14-story Tree of Life is a theater showing an imaginative, interactive 3D film based on “A Bug’s Life” that will give adults the creepy-crawlies, too. Especially popular here and appreciated by all ages, no matter how fearful, is the log-flume-style Kali River Rapids ride.
Organizational Tips for Reunion Planners
When you’re in charge of reunion planning, everyone will be grateful for your frugality. Don’t be shy about checking with AAA to see what discounts your local club in offering at the Orlando resorts and theme parks; Mousesavers.com and Undercover Tourist are other websites devoted to finding the best bargains at the parks.
No matter where you purchase tickets, you will want the advice of the experts at Walt Disney World. They have a variety of vacation planning tools and a helpful Moms Panel online, with this guide to Family Celebrations and Reunions reserved for tips for reunion and multigenerational vacation planners.
The experienced reunion planners at Disney suggest you start by finalizing who is coming to the reunion, and make notes on their ages and any special needs. (By the way, Disney has a lot of programs for the-mobility impaired or other handicaps). Timing is everything. You can begin to select a date by focusing on one of the many special events or seasonal festivals being celebrated at WDW, or discuss the family’s schedule and, when dates are set, decide how long everyone will stay. All of this information should be circulated back through your group so that everyone can research which accommodations they prefer.
Once hotels are booked, you can select your WDW admissions passes. Although the economical Park Hopper Plus tickets give access to all four theme parks–Magic Kingdom park, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, most families won’t have the stamina to accomplish this. Especially if you’re traveling in the hot and humid Florida summer, discuss how much time you can be out in the sun, and how much time you’d like to spend together at your hotel, or at the beach, touring the Everglades or taking in another attraction.
When it comes to the WDW theme parks, plan your stay so that no more than two theme parks are scheduled on any given day, or you’ll waste a lot of time traveling between them.
Ready? Set? Start doing your research. Each season, WDW puts together a number of packages incorporating theme park admission with on-site hotels and other perks that make for an unforgettable –- dare we say “magical” -– gathering.
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On January 15, 2015, Google announced that it would stop selling the Google Glass product to consumers — who became its “Explorers” — while it makes more improvements to the technology and hardware. Simultaneously, the product will move from its test phase at Google X and become its own department within the giant technology company.
For complete details, please see this story: Google Glass Sales Halted.
This is a great summary of emerging family travel trends in 2015. I am very excited to see ecotourism evolving to include the youngest travelers as well as multi-gen travelers. Very interesting to see uber attempt to dig into the family market. As for all-inclusive hotels, after years of resisiting, I am finally a convert. My kids have always loved them and now their parents finally see the ease and economy of the pay-one-price concept. Happy Travels in 2015!
great feedback on what we’re seeing for 2015; agree that ecotourism has become so mainstream that it’s time all ages and all abilities (including those with disabilities) are included in nature-focused travel.
And yes, disruptive technologies like uber and airbnb are usually started by young people and grow by appealing to young travelers, but as we all know, they too will settle down and have kids and then look at new ways to make their services more “family-friendly.” So that’s an area where we see tremendous growth potential and hope for fresh ideas.
excited about what’s coming in 2015! Thanks for your comments.
I’m in, would love to win a stay at the Camelback water park in Pennsylvania. Close to my NJ home and sounds like a fun snowy or rainy day break with my boys. Sign me up!
After returning from a vacation with her daughter, C.S. shared this review of the Dreams Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.
“Hi, we did not get sick at Dreams Punta Cana, stuck to bottled water, they were nice there not really attentive at concierge or lobby not knowledgeable and internet not working well, entertainment was okay and food just okay beach nice, tours not organized very well for swim with dolphins and no shopping for malls provided.
Yes the food was not great at all, hoping for better at gourmet restaurants, they always burnt the steak and not great the food, the world café was fine, buffet.
Kids club for my 8 year old she was bored, most of the kids were younger and not a lot to do for the 8 to 9 year olds, riviera maya dreams does a better job with kids club and takes them out to the real pool for kid games that is always nice.
I like Riviera Maya Mexico still a lot better.”
“The Singing Tower.” Bok Towers Gardens. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2014.
The Vera Bradley outlet sale sounds like a midwestern version on Filene’s Running of the Brides! It sounds like a paisley lovers dream and a fun Mother/Daughter bonding event. Thanks for sharing!
How’s the weather up there now? Would it be warm enough to swim outdoors in late April, or still chilly? Seems like a fun spring break getaway since we only have a few days. Thanks for sharing.
I love Rocky Mountain National park! It’s great for all Colorado seasons. In the winter, when other parts of the park are closed down, they open up sledding areas. When I went, we shared the hill with just one other small group. A great afternoon for all ages!
In spite of all the cold weather we have been experiencing, this story makes me want to head up to Montreal for a frosty weekend of fun. The Montreal en Lumiere festival sounds like a winner, as does the hotel. Thank you for the terrific seasonal suggestions!
Skiing is such a wonderful way to experience Colorado’s beauty! There is such pride in that state and I love that so many resorts really cater to children too.
Eldora Mountain Resort wasn’t mentioned on this list, but on Saturday, March 8, they are hosting a scavenger hunt to raise money for Leave No Trace, an organization dedicated to teaching people to take care of the world around them, while also having fun. How awesome is that?! Can’t wait to hear more about it.
This is an excellent article. Well researched, thoughtful and motivating. I know as a parent right now considering a family cruise this Spring Break in March, kids drowning will be on my mind even though my son is on a swim team and swims two miles five nights a week for practice. Drowning can happen to anyone, any time, at any age. As a former swim instructor and lifeguard myself for many years to earn summr spending money and put myself through college, I know how water is dangerous — whether in a pool, lake, baeach or bathtub. But we all need reminding and education about what drowning looks like. And that is what you’ve done for me today. Thank you.
As a teen life guard, I saved a kid at our local pool who was “just floating.” It was a crowded pool on a sticky, hot Midwest day. A swimmer in the middle of the packed giant kids’ pool started yelling at me and pointing to the child “floating.” I’ll never forget doing mouth-to-mouth, his wide vacant eyes, his limp body, and then him catapulting upwards, spitting, sputtering to life. I tear up as I write this. What if he hadn’t lived? The guilt, the fright, the parents, the park district, the system…who to blame if the child had died? Would I be blamed for not seeing him inactive sooner? Would the pool be blamed for allowing too many people in? Would the park district be blamed for booking the swimming event? Did anything change after this incident? Yes. I got fired. And went to work for another pool heading up their swimming lessons program.
Thank you for writing this and your call to action for everyone to take responsibility for children around water at all hours of the day and night. Your “unthinkable” article has given us all much to think about.
Would be a fun vacation if you could really save money by doing it too!
What an adventure, I would love to do embark on a journey like this with my teens. The flora and fauna seem incredible, the guides professional. Thank you for sharing!
We’ve heard the Boeing factory tour is really interesting – wondering now if there any exhibits or parts areas that relate to the new Dreamliner. Would love to see one up close, especially being assembled after all the battery snafus.
Wish we all could have been there, Morocco looks fabulous and during the winter it would be a very productive coder’s retreat.
Congratulations to ALL of the students who entered in the FTF Writing Scholarship contest :3 Of course a big "congrats" should be merited to our winners, but I think every student who entered deserves a pat on the back–hopefully they'll be inspired to continue writing, too!
This sounds like a great resort for my all-inlusive loving teen children, who have a " bigger is better" attitude. I love that it is so close to the Cancun Airport, so you can get right to the fun as soon as you land.
I love the idea that guests at the hotel can "assemble" their own favorite meals from a variety of healthy offerings. Sounds like a great idea. If only I had time to cook so many different options every night at home!
This looks like a fascinating experience to remember and to go too! I have always wanted to go to Dubai and going there is a vacation never to forget!
Enjoy
One of the best states to come visit!
You make me want to go there and spend weeks on end, reconnecting with nature and making friends. And blobbing too. Thanks for sharing this.
Cincinnati, Ohio. Just another city in the Mid-West, right? Wrong. Cincinnati is one of the greatest cities in Ohio. With our stunning river front view, our bustling downtown, and the newly gentrified Over-the-Rhine, what else could we have in store?
For starters, Cincinnati has the 7th best zoo in the nation.Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a great location for exploration and learning. People of all ages can appreciate the wide variety of animals found in the Zoo. Not only are the animals astounding, but guests get the chance for a hands on experience with many of the animals. For example, in Giraffe Ridge, guests can purchase a snack for the Giraffes and then feed them over the balcony. These moments will be remembered and cherished for the rest of a person's life.
Another great accessory Cincinnati has is the new, urban planned area called "The Banks. The Banks features apartments on the second floor of the buildings and restaurants and music venues on the first floor. This is a great area for younger couples to hang out at night.
Findlay Market is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon or weekend. Findlay Market is the oldest public market in the state of Ohio. The market is open every day but Monday and is one of the best places to find locally and organically grown foods. Another great feature about Findlay Market is that the area surrounding the market is newly gentrified, meaning that it has been refurbished. This makes the area even more desirable.
The Newport Aquarium</a>is not located in the city of Cincinnati itself but it is an awesome place for family fun. Newport, Kentucky is only a 10 minute drive from downtown Cincinnati and has other amenities. Other places to visit while in Newport would be Dewey's Pizza, Brothers, Brio, and the Haufbrau House. All these restaurants give a different essence to the name "Cincinnati". Dewey's is a local pizza joint that runs the gamut in available options. Clever names and quick service make for a great time. Brothers and Brio are Italian restaurants that serve authentic Italian cuisine (Brothers is the less expensive option). The Haufbrau House is a German Bier Garten style restaurant that offers a large selection of beers and sandwiches. Along with normal options, the HaufBrau House also provides authentic German food. After you eat, the chicken dance is played, giving patrons the opportunity to dance on the table tops.
Other Cincinnati food traditions are Goetta and Skyline. When German immigrants came over to America, they settled along the Ohio River, then called the "Rhine". The Germans created a meat similar to sausage called Goetta. Goetta consists of ground pork or beef, oats, and a variety of spices. This specific meat can only be found in Cincinnati and occasionally there are large festivals for Goetta and German heritage. On the other hand Skyline is chili, created by Greek immigrants. The name "Skyline" originates from the owner believing that the Cincinnati skyline was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Skyline chili has a unique flavor due to the large amount of chocolate used in the chili.
Come one come all! Memphis is the breeding grounds to fun and adventure!
I truly love my City of Houston. Though I don't know where my education will take me, Houston will always be my home.
Austin is a great place to live, love, and visit. It has wonderful sites, people, and things to do. Everybody should visit Austin.
Say what you will. An open mind is insightful.
Thank you for this spot-on mini-review of Greve and Panzano, two of the most scenic and charming towns in Chianti. Daniel Ferro's summer music program only adds to the area's beauty, with music in the piazza to entertain locals and visitors alike. The rental property sounds like an excellent choice for families who choose to vacation in and explore the area. Thanks for sharing!
Ames, Iowa provides many opportunities to experience American culture and become immersed in American history. Since the mid 1800s, Ames has become a booming college town. Culture has had lots of time to flourish in this time, and evidence of the age of this town can be found everywhere. Tourists coming to Ames can also feel safe and enjoy Ames' attractions without fear of crime. Gun fights in Ames are practically unheard of, and the friendly people never hesitate to wave, even at newcomers to the area. Any tourist can appreciate the age and personality of Ames, as well as its safety.
To experience the culture in Ames, tourists must visit Stephen's Auditorium on Iowa State University's campus. This theater hosts a variety of concerts, plays, musicals, and other theatrical performances. Comfortable seating and awesome acoustics make this location a worthy contender for a relaxing night out. Big acts such as Bill Nye the Science Guy and the band Needtobreathe have to known to reserve this venue so one feels included in a special and popular event, but the space does not have an overwhelming size, so overcrowding and overheating will not deduct from the experience. Stephen's Auditorium will help in discovering the culture of Ames.
Tourists wishing to discover some of Ames' culture would greatly benefit from attending Ames' Farmer's Market on Saturdays on Main Street. Vendors have local and homegrown produce, meat, eggs, pastries, jewelry, art and many other items for sale that offer a taste of Iowan culture. Musicians often perform for shoppers, so they can be entertained while shopping. Ames' Farmer's Market provides an excellent opportunity to experience the culture of Ames and Iowa.
Evidence of Ames' history can be found in a visit to Iowa State University's campus. Founded in 1858, Iowa State University was the sight where George Washington Carver decided to do much of his botany research. Visitors to the college will see evidence of the age of this college in the buildings from this era that still exist. Iowa State University also housed the master minds who created the first computer. Tourists to Ames can take a trip to Durham Center in Iowa State and view the replica of this first computer. Main Street offers a taste of history also. The buildings in this area of Ames give a taste of what architecture looked like back in the early 20th century. A mural on Main Street depicts some of the founders of Ames. History holds great importance in Ames, and tourists can experience this without too much trouble.
To curb tourist's hunger, Ames offers many excellent places for dining. No tourist should visit Ames without eating at Hickory Park. This restaurant is famous not only for its deliciously moist chicken but also its tangy barbecue sandwiches. After the main meal, enjoy sweet and creamy ice cream. Dublin Bay offers wonderful Irish cuisine for tourists to enjoy. Try the moist Shepherd's Pie with perfectly salted fries for contentment. For fans of Mexican food, El Azteca guarantees friendly service, free chips, and delectably flavorful food. Many restaurants with amiable service and food that delights the taste buds are available for hungry tourists.
Though a relatively small town, Ames offers visitors a chance to learn about the history and culture of not only Ames, but the state of Iowa without fear of crime. Numerous attractions exist for this purpose. Visitors can also talk to the mayor of Ames, Ann Campbell, about the culture of history of Ames. City council members happily will answer questions from tourists. Tourists will not be sorry for visiting this town.
Northern Nevada never stops to amaze.
Sunday River has been on my radar for a potential family ski trip for quite a while. This story is so loaded with good information, it seems like it is worth the extra time spent in the car to ski at such an excellent family resort. Thanks!
Wow, this sounds likea great merging of chocolate and history, two of my favorite subjects.
I am looking forward to experiencing this for myself, thank you for the informative post.
I love this post so much! I hope I will come here one day!
This is a terrific article that I am so glad to have read. I didn't know there was a car-free way to appreciate the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Sounds like a fun, scenic and eco-friendly option.
Your essay moved me to tears. I am also a finalist in the scholarship and I wrote about visiting Poland’s concentration camps. I would love your opinion on my essay.
I wrote this essay hoping to bring people closer to understanding, as close to understanding as we can get. I want to share an experience that had an impact on me. This trip truly changed me, and what I want do with my life. I suggest if you have the means or are able to visit Poland or go on March of the Living. I know there are teen and family trips with BBYO.
Thank you so much for what you said. I truly appreciate what you said. I also visited the picture of your family. Your family is beautiful and I am so glad that they were able to make it through such a devastating time.
I loved reading about your romantic return to what sounds like a beatiful and vibrant island. Thanks for sharing some of its treasures.
This is a great story, thank you for sharing the glories of Octoberfest in lesser known Nerumberg. My mouth was atering reading about all of the regional delicacies that accompany the beer!
Oh goodness, this is so sad! Thanks for sharing all of this information, a lot of these things I did not know until just now. We're taught about the Holocaust at school, but I'm sure that there is nothing like actually being at a concentration camp to understand how it actually was. Thanks for sharing.
wow! This sounds like such a wonderful experience. I'm sure it was very enlightening, and it really makes me happy to read that last paragraph. I think it's beautiful that you see things that way, and I hope to some day personally come to that realization through my own experiences. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Hi Debbie,
You will want he Medical Authorization Form from each child's parents with a photocopy of their insurance card.
Then you can use the last form which is for group tours, school outings etc. It is fine for domestic travel, Include travel info for each child so that parents assign you guardianship for certain period of time only.
Get these forms notarized. Make several photocopies in case an adventure tour operator wants to keep one. Or, if you all travel on same flights, get one long form, like a petition, and be sure both of each child's parents or guardians sign it.
You should be fine with it. Does the hotel know? Many states say it is illegal for a minor to occupy a room without an adult present. You may need connecting rooms guaranteed.
Enjoy the trip and write about what you did!
JaguarZ writes to the Admin with a very good question:
I will be traveling to Hawaii, originating on the eastcoast, with 4 minors (only 1 is my child) – they will all be 17 at the time of travel. I need to be able to "act as their guardian" — for example, sign waiver forms for activities, seek medical coverage if necessary.
I found a form or two on the site, but they seem geared toward international travel and do not seem to include the ability to "sign the waiver forms" I mention above. Any suggestions? I realize I may be able to get some of these forms signed before we leave, BUT for those activities they decide on when we are there — H E L P!
Thank you so much for your anticipated support
Debbie
This is really incredible. It is a dream of mine to visit Alaska, and I hope that if I ever do get to go, that I can experience what you did. My dad and I are avid kayakers, so it was somewhat relatable, although I doubt that Miami waters are NEARLY as cool (haha) as those in Alaska.This truly sounds like the trip of a lifetime.
I wanted to add that I loved the way you described everything, it was so beautiful and real.
Aw, I'm so sorry that happened to your dad but I'm glad something good came out of it. My family was actually planning on going to Gatlinburg next summer but we're all way too chicken to do this white water rafting haha. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing this! That sounds like a truly beautiful experience. I love the bit about never underestimating yourself the most, very true.
*2009 not 2008
This is about my trip to South Dakota.
This trip was indeed and enriching expreience.
If you copy and paste the URL at the bottom of the post into your browser, it will take you to a video clip of the event, and if you skip to the last 12 seconds of the video you will see myself and one of my good friends sprinting in to the finish. We ended up tieing for 9th place.