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Family experiences have become more popular recently as many families are desiring to spend time together and more organisations are attempting to appeal to the family market. The family accessibility conceptual framework was developed by Agate et al. (2011) to help organisations meet families’ needs and facilitate enjoyable experiences for all family members in a variety of settings. The purpose of this study was to test that framework. Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents who had been to the organisations examined when the framework was developed (Disney, IKEA, and Max & Cheese). Results indicated that all three stages of the framework were important to family members’ enjoyment of experiences. The main themes that emerged from the data indicated certain aspects of the framework that were being ignored or should be emphasised to provide enjoyable experiences. This study has important implications for any organisation attempting to facilitate enjoyable family experiences.

Providing experiences for families have become increasingly important for many organisations in recent years. These increases may be due, in part, to the fact that more families are seeking opportunities together, and because many organisations are attempting to appeal to more customers and increase their revenue in economically challenging times. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework of family accessibility that can be used to meet families’ needs and facilitate enjoyable experiences for all family members in a variety of settings. A collective case study was conducted that examined Disney, IKEA and Max and Cheese. Multiple sources of data were obtained from each organisation. Using the main themes and overall theme that emerged from the data, a family accessibility conceptual framework was developed. This framework has important implications for businesses that are looking for innovative ways to facilitate enjoyable family experiences and increase satisfaction of family customers.