Welcome back, Stacey!
As the weather gets downright chilly here in Ohio, like me, you must be really looking forward to a warm weather cruise with Disney!
When we've sailed with extended family, we've really enjoyed having
connecting staterooms, so I highly recommend that. Because the door opens between the two, it's created a larger space for us all to chat and talk. Now, that being said, we don't spend that much time in our staterooms because there are so many activities going on all day and night and fabulous venues that are perfect for gathering and catching up on our days. If you choose verandah connecting staterooms, that's a bigger bonus because most of the dividers between the verandahs can be folded back by the stateroom host, creating a larger shared verandah. My kids loved this when we sailed in connecting verandah staterooms with my parents because they could go back and forth through the inside door or the verandah! When you book your cruise, you'll get to choose your exact staterooms, so check out the ship maps so you can decide where you might like to be!
The bathrooms do have a very small step up unless your mother chooses a
handicap accessible stateroom which has a small ramp. And for dining, just link your reservations and ask that a request be noted that you dine together and that will be all set for you!
I can't wait for you to set sail, Stacey!
Marcy