How do you keep track of your party? When I started this website, there were several different types of people and groups that I hoped to help. One of those groups consists of people who are traveling with extended family. I know that often people decide that they’d love to take a vacation of a lifetime with their kids and grandkids, and I hope that some of the information here has been helpful to you if that is what you are planning.
If you are going on such a vacation, how do you keep track of everyone in your party? What happens if Billy Jr. does not meet the height requirement for Soarin’, or Granny doesn’t like the look of the hill on Expedition Everest? If Cindy and Billy Sr. are expecting their second child, there will be several rides that Cindy should stay off of. Don’t forget about Gramps, and how his doctor has said Mission: SPACE would be too much for his heart. When planning with a group not everyone will stay together at all times, but you will want to be together some of the time. Here are a couple of suggestions.
Probably the easiest way to keep track of each other is with texts. Almost everyone has a phone these days, so your loved ones are just a few characters away. (No, I’m not calling your loved ones characters…unless it fits.) Check your phone often, because Walt Disney World is a loud place and you might not hear your phone ring.
Phone batteries die, and not everyone wants to keep their phones on them for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. After all, it does go upside down three times. Is there another way to keep track of each other? I’d suggest the old fashioned way, pick a meeting place and time and stick with it. You should always have a spot and time picked as a backup, even if you’re texting each other. If it’s a particular ride that not everyone is going on, see what the Wait Time is and plan your meeting time accordingly.
What about something such as Tile Key Finders? Could such a device help you to know where the other members of your family are? In theory, yes. I’ll admit that I do not have any experience with the devices, but I’m pretty sure that they need Bluetooth in order to work properly. Walt Disney World WiFi can sometimes be spotty, so keep that in mind. If you’ve ever tried these, or if you are hitting Central Florida soon and plan to use them, please use the contact form or write to me through Facebook. I’d love to hear how they worked.
You might think that your MagicBand would work to help keep track of your family members. I’m sure that the technology is there, but I doubt that it will ever be available because of privacy issues. Think of it this way, do you really want Aunt Bertha to be able to track your every move? Do you want to be able to track hers?
The bottom line is that no matter how you plan to keep track of each other, have a meeting place and time as a backup. It worked for my family when I was a kid and we’d visit the local amusement park. If everyone in your party makes the effort it should work for you as well.