Dealing With a Sleepy Tween

Pooh Lover

Well-Known Member
My husband and I will be taking my 12 year old niece to WDW in September along with my parents. While I know she is excited to be going, the first thing she asked me when I told her our flight for Orlando leaves at 9:00 a.m. was "What time do I have to get up?". This girl can easily sleep in on the weekends when visiting us until 2:00 p.m. I don't want to be the "mean aunt" and I'd like to be tactful, but I want it understood that we will be leaving for the parks much earlier than 2:00 p.m. Anyone have trouble with a sleeping beauty or tactful advice?
 

ShookieJones

We need time for things to happen.
Just got back..

week before last and I'm at that stage where I hate even go on this board for fear of seeing "I'm leaving next week" "two more days"..ahh hate those people :)

Spent my wonderful 8 days with my 14 year daughter who loves to sleep and is very mean when waking up.

1. Get your niece to shower the night before right before bed.
2. Get up well before her - get ready and start the waking up process slowly and gently 45 minutes before you need to even start going anywhere.

At home there are totally different rules, and I would never be afraid to use ice water or some bed sheet removal or some good old fashion "get your @ss outta bed or you lose your ipod, phone, etc..-- BUT in Disney -- I do play nice so that we can all stay happy and enjoy my favorite place in the world.
 
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joel_maxwell

Permanent Resident of EPCOT
This can be handled in one of 2 ways.

1. Give her her tickets brief her on the bus system and let her get there when she get there. (not the best idea at 12 years old)

2. Inform her that all of you will be getting up at X and that is she can not handle that then coming on this trip might not be the best idea.

Both sound pretty harsh but there is nothing more infuriating that wanting to leave a 8:00 and then having to wait until noon for someone to wake up.
Harsh, but like you said, the OP shouldnt sacrifice WDW time for a sleeping teen. I sure wouldnt.

I have found that a 32 oz cup of ice water works quite well.:drevil:
Sure does

*college roommate knows this back in the day*
 
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Pooh Lover

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So many great ideas! Thank you so much. I really appreciate everyone's input and am keeping a list of your advice. I absolutely plan on getting up early, turning on the tv and lights, making coffee and trying to ease her into getting up on her own. I will also have a nice "chat" before we leave about what a great time we all will have and eventually "mention" times that we normally leave for the parks, return for a nap or pool time, and when we will usually leave again for dinner. If and when all of these ideas fail, I will have my Plan B thru Z list! I'll leave the ice water tossing and the mattress flipping to my husband. :lol: Thank you again and I will keep checking back for more ideas for "the list".
 
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