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Are you planning on taking your grandchildren on vacation with you this year? According to statistics, grandparents are taking their grandchildren on vacation like never before. I want to share 3 Must Do Water Activities when on Vacation with Grandchildren at Walt Disney World.

One of my greatest joys is the time I’m able to spend with my grandchildren.

This past year we were fortunate enough to take the grandchildren to Walt Disney World (WDW) twice. The first time we spent four days in WDW and went to all four parks and Disney springs. We had so much fun, but we were exhausted at the end, whew. It was a whirlwind of awesome Disney magic! The second time we were invited by Frank Peterson the President and CEO of The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation for the TakeMeFishing.Org campaign and WDW to experience a Walt Disney World vacation in a different way.

TakeMeFishing.Org is a one-spot resource for everything fishing and boating. You can learn how to fish, where to fish, you can even find out where the best place to fish close to you is located. There is so much more that they offer then I can list here, so make sure you check out the website. It’s great, easy to navigate… even for us baby boomers, lol.

Statistics show that more than ever grandparents are taking their grandkids on vacations with them. Many of my grandparent friends vacation with their grandchildren. We have a great time with the kids, but boy they can tire us out. That’s why we need these 3 activities when we’re traveling at Walt Disney Worldlike these so we can get a break, and get away from any crowds for a bit.

When we were first invited by TakeMeFishing.org to go on a fishing excursion I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I’ve been fishing a few times in my life because my father was an avid fisherman. When he was able and had the time he went fishing. I grew up right by a river and have spent plenty of time at and in the river, usually wading, swimming or crossing the rocks. I was alway a bit more squeamish about worms and crawdads so when fishing I always let someone else bait my hook.

I was excited about going to WDW to fish and learn more about the things you can do on the water in WDW. After all, we were going to the most magical place on earth!

We stayed at the Contemporary Hotel in WDW, it has the shuttle that travels through the center of the building, it’s very futurist looking. It’s also on the lake with a Marina, transportation, and fishing excursions.

3 Must Do Water Activities when on Vacation with Grandchildren at Walt Disney World  

The first evening we went on a Fireworks Boat Cruise. This is our boat captain and guide. He was from Florida and has always loved the waterways of Disney World. He’s a guide only a few times a month because he has a day job. He lives an hour away but drives to Disney because he loves being on the water and sharing the things he knows about the waterways. He took us on a tour and pointed out so many cool things.

We met some fellow bloggers on the trip. That’s Dude’s Mom snapping a selfie with her little dudes. Wonderful family, I was so excited to meet her! The pretty brunette is  Andrea, she was our contact and coordinated the trip for all of us. She did an amazing job.

This is the Water Parade. There are several lighted barges and the music is coordinated with the lights.It was amazing!

Next up, the Fireworks show. Watching the fireworks from the boat was awesome. The reflection off the water, and with the clear view of the Magical Cinderella Castle, it’s pure Disney magic!

The boat captain gave the kids the balloons that decorated the boat. Wow, were they happy!

Tyler wasn’t about to let go of his balloons. He hung on to them until he fell asleep, which took him about a second.

We all woke up bright and early the next day, and we met everyone for breakfast, then we headed out to the Marina for our two hour Bass Fishing Excursion. We look seaworthy, don’t you think?

The Bass Fishing Excursion is a “Catch and Release” fishing experience. Our experienced guide Tom supplied everything we needed for two hours on the water. He took us out on the lake, taught the kids how to cast out their lines and how to reel it back in when they got a bite. He was so great with the kids. Patient and full of information and fun facts. Best of all Tom baited our hooks. 🙂

Tyler was killing it, he caught thirteen fish altogether, more than the rest of us. He was having a blast. He wasn’t sure what to expect, he’d never been fishing before. After he caught his first fish he was freaking out, he couldn’t believe he had caught a fish. After that, he thought he was an expert.

Katie didn’t catch as many fish as Tyler did, but she still loved it. She wasn’t afraid to touch the fish like Tyler was. That’s my girl, she doesn’t mind getting her hand dirty and trying new things!

Of course, I was super excited and couldn’t wait to catch a fish. I proudly caught a few fish myself.

Honestly, the day was so beautiful even if we hadn’t caught so many fish it would have been an amazing day. Tom was pointing out where the eagles have a nest on an island. A little later an eagle swooped down right in front of us and grabbed something out of the water and flew off. That was incredible!

We had the pleasure of Frank being on our boat and fishing with us. Here’s Frank showing off one of many fish that he caught that day. He’s such a great guy, lots of fun! I love his passion for the fishing and spreading how much fun it can be for families to get out and fish together. It’s a great way to connect with the family and get the kids outside enjoying something simple and in tune with nature.

After lunch, we were off to ride the Sea Raycers for a half hour. Each Sea Raycer holds two people. Katie and I rode together, I had to drive the boat because Katie was too young. You need to be 12 to drive the boat and at least 5 feet tall. Being able to boat around the beautiful Disney waterways on our own was awesome! I have to admit I could ride in that little Sea Raycer for hours. It was so much fun exploring on our own and of course seeing how fast I could make the boat go!

I have to say since we’ve been home from our vacation, the grandkids keep talking about where can go fishing around us. We are in the process of planning our first spring fishing trip at a local fishing spot. We found plenty of great spots close to home by searching the interactive Places to Fish and Boat map at TakeFishing.org. So if you are looking for something different to do on your next trip to Walt Disney World, include one or all three of these activities and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

3 Must Do Water Activities when on Vacation with Grandchildren