Teenager Worries

[EmmaC]

Hi. New to this forum. We went to Disney 6 years ago. We have just booked again to go next year when my son will have just turned 14.
Can anyone give me ideas of teenage stuff to do? I'm jjst worried it may be too young for him?

 

[tor29c]

There are rides in each park that should have enough of a thrill factor to keep him entertained. Assuming you aren't trying to keep this a secret from him, I suggest getting him fully involved in the planning. Let him look over menus and make suggestions for where to eat. Get his input of the resort you will be staying at. Ask him to suggest 3 must do activities for each day you will be there. I find that at his age, engaging them in the details helps to build excitement for him and the whole traveling party. Have a great time!

 

[Hakunamatata]

I'm jjst worried it may be too young for him?

We have an almost 18 year old and 12 year old. Neither have issues with WDW being too young for them and we do absolutely no planning around their likes or dislikes. We go and do and have fun.

 

[EmmaC]

i like those ideas of choosing meals as we are doing the dining plan so that we can regeoup at the end of the day.
As we have booked so far in advance, a year. , My son wants to try and forget about it and remember closer to the time. So I'm not sure about too much planning before hand, but we can look at that closer to the time
Thankyou

 

[EmmaC]

We have an almost 18 year old and 12 year old. Neither have issues with WDW being too young for them and we do absolutely no planning around their likes or dislikes. We go and do and have fun.

Yes I think the issue is more mine than his

 

[officialtom]

I wouldn't worry. I went twice as a teenager, with younger siblings, and always wanted to go back. Everyone reverts back to kids when they're at wdw, even "hard to manage" teens.

 

[DisneyGirlNY]

I have a 14 year old son and I've recently asked him if he would want to go back to WDW and he said absolutely. He is not a thrill seeker by any means, but he does appreciate the parks and the stories. I would probably have the same concerns as you, but as we have been there many times and he knows exactly what to expect, I would def go again with teens.

 

[niffer5150]

i've never had an issue with my teen not having fun at wdw. when asked what she wanted for a graduation gift, she picked wdw. she only ever decided she was too cool to do something once(sing with yehaaw bob) and she still regrets not doing it.

going with teens is awesome. DD can go off and do her own thing for a bit and that gave her a chance to feel grown up. last trip, mine got grumpy one evening so we left her and had a kid free evening in magic kingdom.

 

[JIMINYCR]

WDW isnt age specific. If anything I think theres more to do for older kids and adults than younger ones. Every park has attractions that will interest him. Both the Unofficial Guide to WDW and Passporter guide books have ratings listed for each of the rides and attractions that can give you an idea of what teens may enjoy.
Going with teens can have a great benefit for you as a parent. You dont have to watch them so closely, its a great place to begin giving them some freedom and start feeling more adult like. It was a great place for us to connect with our DS when he was a teen and going through that awkward time of his life. Away from home and the peer pressure of others, we could relax and have fun. It really helped us as family and DS now as an adult looks back on those WDW trips as highlights of his teen years.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Download the MDE app and have him help with ADR's and FP+, they are great with the technology.

 

[hanwill]

let them plan the fast passes and be in charge of them in the park, getting new ones, etc. We still do the hidden mickey game... if we are slightly bored- but being bored really never happens.

 

[Disney4family]

My daughter is 14. As much as she enjoys the crazy roller-coasters and thrill rides of other parks, there is nothing like a WDW experience. It never gets old or boring.
Your son is also old enough to appreciate the efforts of the Imagineers and CMs - the backstories for each attraction, the Hidden Mickeys, the park designs. He can read up on anything that interests him and be the "expert" on the trip.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I would suggest the little Raycer boats that you can rent from the Contemporary. It's only $30 for half and hour and I know my son would've love it, I wish we would have fit it into the schedule. We just went and my son is 13. Disney isn't really his thing but he had a great time. As suggested already let him pick a meal or two, the pool was a big hit with him so I had to make sure and plan down time for him at the pool. Also there are two mini golf courses that my son would like (usually you can get free coupons with a package for the mini golf).

Even if he looks like he's not having a great time they usually are, at least with my kids that's the way it is.

 

[ninjaprincess]

My daughter is a 17 and has gone to Disney World every year since she was 2 and she would rather go to Disney than anywhere in the world

 

[popcenturylover]

We took our then 15 & 17 year old kids in 09'. Along with our baby of 8 months. We gave them a lot of time to explore on their own & just had them meet up for some meals & gave them a reasonable curfew. They were upset that we were going to Disney & not the beach but, they ended up having fun. They both have been with us at one time or another on our last few trips as adults.

 

[JillC LI]

We try to go about every other year to a Disney park. When DS was 12 he lamented that he would be a teenager for his next Disney trip and might not enjoy it as much. He is now 17 and has been back to Disney 3 times since that conversation, and he always LOVES it. He focuses on thrill rides and Disney snacks that he loves but he also genuinely enjoys being with the family and spending time doing even some of the more "juvenile" Disney activities because he feels the freedom to be youthful and carefree. I know he will never outgrow it.

 

[carriebeth]

My 15 yr old daughter says daily how she can not wait for the next year's trip and starts her Disney countdown on her phone the day our current vacation ends (we book the next years before we leave WDW). Definately not a thing everyone will outgrow!

 

[TXDisney]

For me this is the biggest age group where WDW falls short. Not enough thrill rides to keep a teenager amused. But it really all comes down to what your teenager is into. Some love Star Wars so there's stuff to do. If not I might recommend going to universal for a day maybe even 2.

 

[YozhikRoth]

I brought my 14 and 12 year old recently, and the most important part is to get the involved in the planning. My kids are big Disney fans, and despite being enormous thrill ride fans, they enjoy Disney for what it is. They particularly were excited about pin collecting, dining and exploring World Showcase.

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

We have an almost 18 year old and 12 year old. Neither have issues with WDW being too young for them and we do absolutely no planning around their likes or dislikes. We go and do and have fun.

18 & 15 year old boys and this is is exactly. It depends on your kids.