The Teenager!

[powlessfamily4]

I know those feelings. My son got engaged during Wishes 2 weeks ago. It told me that in all the places in the world... WDW was the place he chose to start the next phase of his life. We have been fortunate to take 4 major trips since 2010 and my grown kids "demand" to go along.

I think an important part is as they grown let them have more responsibility in the parks. Don’t insist they ride the Tea Cups like they did when they were 3. Allow them to grow their experiences and know when to tag along and when to let them go. If they are 13, 14 or even 18 and you are still doing the same stuff at Disney you did when they were 5, they are going to associate it with being treated like a kid. If you let them grow it at their pace those 5 year old rides will develop into awesome memories. They will then WANT to go back and do those things with you again.

 

[JillC LI]

I know those feelings. My son got engaged during Wishes 2 weeks ago. It told me that in all the places in the world... WDW was the place he chose to start the next phase of his life. We have been fortunate to take 4 major trips since 2010 and my grown kids "demand" to go along.

I think an important part is as they grown let them have more responsibility in the parks. Don’t insist they ride the Tea Cups like they did when they were 3. Allow them to grow their experiences and know when to tag along and when to let them go. If they are 13, 14 or even 18 and you are still doing the same stuff at Disney you did when they were 5, they are going to associate it with being treated like a kid. If you let them grow it at their pace those 5 year old rides will develop into awesome memories. They will then WANT to go back and do those things with you again.

That's a great story. And au contraire about the tea cups - it will be a day to rejoice when my kids no longer insist that I go on those nausea-inducing teacups with them anymore!!!! LOL

 

[JimJam]

Im 16 and i have been going twice a year since i was born and I still love it

 

[ThinkTink721]

My oldest will be 14 on our next WDW trip...it will be his 6th trip.
He still enjoys it...he wants to be an imagineer when he grows up!

 

[BigNormsMom]

In 2011 by son celebrated his 30th birthday at WDW with his sons and wife. He has been going since he was 3. He does all the planning and reservations and he has since he was old enough to read. I hope he never loses the MAGIC!!!

 

[J03Y]

i'm 18 and i've been obsessed with Disney since i was 2-years-old. when it comes to Disney, i will never, ever, ever grow up. it's more than just a childhood to me, it's like my second home. i honestly don't care if i'm a legal adult, i will never be one in my heart. it's just not in me...

i'm obsessed about the Fantasyland Expansion, and i'm way overdue the expiration date for caring about Magic Kingdom. it just depends on the person, if your son is the kind of guy who is just a big kid at heart, then he will never get too old for Disney

 

[Ravenclawdia]

i'm 18 and i've been obsessed with Disney since i was 2-years-old. when it comes to Disney, i will never, ever, ever grow up. it's more than just a childhood to me, it's like my second home. i honestly don't care if i'm a legal adult, i will never be one in my heart. it's just not in me...

i'm obsessed about the Fantasyland Expansion, and i'm way overdue the expiration date for caring about Magic Kingdom. it just depends on the person, if your son is the kind of guy who is just a big kid at heart, then he will never get too old for Disney

I can vouch for all of this. Except being 18; you're still 17 (like me!) for another month, you bum.

Joey here and I have been OBSESSING over Orlando since we met and we are currently very, very obsessively anticipating our day trip there in May. Disney is my home. I want to be there all the time, and when I am I am in heaven. And I still do character interactions, cry during parades, and plug my ears during fireworks with every bit of enthusiasm-- probably more-- that I had when I was a tinier guest.

I do enjoy going by myself more, but I'm just naturally an introvert and my family is by no means a Disney family so they don't understand my park rituals/habits at all. I took my first by-myself trip over the summer for a day at the Magic Kingdom and it was probably one of the best days of my life thus far.

But I'm just generally unconcerned with societal norms and stuff, so the "too cool" thing has never played its part; I don't think that's the same for a lot of teenagers.

If any of your teens go the way of the Cool Kid, I am totally up for trip-length adoption. :lol:

 

[Walt Disney1955]

All I can say is that I never got too "cool" for Disney at all. I first went when I was 10 and a half in 1991. As you can see from the years in my signature I went pretty regularly as a teenager. In 2009 I took my wife for the first time and in 2010 we went back with my parents. I never get sick of it and even when I had a long hiatus from 2002 to 2009 I remember saying in my mind: "Look, don't be disapointed if the place just doesn't feel the same anymore, you are a grown man now."

Well, all that changed as we drove to the airport to our resort (we stayed offsite a mile away from the entrance). I "accidentally" took a wrong turn and went under the sign to Disney World. My wife was ecstatic even though it was 7pm. I so badly wanted to just drive all the way to the Magic Kingdom and go in there but I stopped and turned around just before the Epcot parking lot. But the second we drove under the arch all those feelings came back to me that I hadn't had for a long time.

Our son is almost a year old. I want him to grow up with Disney just like I did.