Help! My daughter outgrew WDW!

[friskylady]

Can anyone help me convince my 16 yr old daughter to return to WDW? I absolutely adore the resorts, that's why I'm posting on the resort forum. In the past, my daughter has loved them too. But we've gone every year since she was 7 yr old. So now she really doesn't want to go again. We have vacationed in other places too every year (Dad doesn't do WDW).
It's been so special that I hate the thought of never going again with her! Anyone have any ideas?:pinkbounc

[AuntBJ]

Has she ever taken a friend who hasn't been before. This could really show her WDW through a newcomer's eyes. Also, she and a friend could go off on their own using WDW transportation.

[Disneydenise]

What about including a friend for your DD and maybe even one of your friends? This is such a tough time for kids. They are trying to assert their individuality but they aren't real secure in it yet. There are ons of things the girls could do with out you and then you can meet back up with her later for a meal and a few favorite things. Good Luck. I know how you are feeling.

[cindyfan]

Hopefully you can convince her this year, take a friend, suggest Downtown Disney (movie theatre, shopping, etc.)
But I do believe it is a phase most teenagers go through.
When my DD was 13 we went to WDW and she pretended to have a horribly boring time!! It wasn't "cool". She was embarrassed to tell her friends where we went on vacation. They were all "hanging out" at the beach.
But when she graduated college at 21 yrs old.....she couldn't wait to go!!!
That was her graduation gift!
Then last year she went on the Disney Cruise for her honeymoon.
And this year we are all going down for a week.....she has been saving all her spare change and money from her 2nd job just to be able to go!!!!
Her husband didn't think it was too cool either til he was able to experience WDW as an adult (he was with her for her graduation trip) !! He loves the Boardwalk!
So.....have faith.....she will come around, and you will be enjoying WDW together again!! :D

[mikesmom]

You won't get quite as much time with her, but you'll get some, and she'll discover a whole new WDW. My DS is 19 and has taken a friend for the last 2 years. He's in college now and wanted to take a Spring Break trip (with the parents springing for the air fare, of course). Basically, I told him he could have the ticket for the Spring Break if he wanted to drop out of the family WDW trip - I couldn't swing both. He chose the WDW trip without even a pause!

[whalewatcher]

See if she's interested in Universal/IOA. They have great resorts there as well.

[whalewatcher]

See if she's interested in Universal/IOA. They have great resorts there as well.

[Simba's Mom]

Just wanted to say, from personnal experience, she'll grow out of it. When DS got to be a teenager, he didn't want to go ANYWHERE with Mom. Since DH isn't a big WDW fan (he'll tolerate it once every few years), I got used to solo trips. Well, I'm still kind of in shock, because now DS is in college, and just last week when he called, I half-jokingly mentioned going to WDW on a family vacation next summer. Boy, did he jump at the chance. "Oh, Yeah, Mom. That would be great! We haven't been to WDW as a family in years!" So, I know it's sad now, but she will change. And besides, solo vacations are kind of fun.

[Rhonda]

We've been bringing our son since he was 5 - he's 18 now, and he still looks forward to our WDW trips! When he was 16, he started bringing a friend along and that made a huge difference! They were able to go on their own, and he could show his friend around the parks and resorts.

Maybe she could bring a friend, and you could bring a friend too, so you're not alone? I know you look forward to these trips, just the two of you - but this could be a new chapter - just for awhile, until she's not too cool to go with you alone anymore! :D

[padams]

I have some friends with teenage girls who are planning a mother-daughter group trip to WDW. Are you friends with any of your dd's friends' moms?

[donnamerry]

TAKE ME! TAKE ME!

(I think my son @ 11 has already grown out of it and I myself worry about that problem. He would REALLY rather be at a pool all day! He already mentioned if he can go to one of the waterparks when we go June/July ~ I may be throwing a waterpark into the itinerary from now on!) Of course, I'm sure he would REALLY have more fun if I took a friend, but I just don't think that I would do that in fear of this friend getting homesick, sick, hurt! ooooh May do this when he is older. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[skiwee1]

My son is 13 and outgrew WDW on his last trip at age 11. So now he doesn't go with us! Since my husband doesn't like to go to WDW too much, I leave our son home with him. I take my youngest daughter and my mother for our twice yearly ventures. I also had to force my then 16 y/o daughter to go with us two years ago and she was miserable. All she wanted to do was lay on the beach at CBR and work on a tan. At the price I paid for the UPH, I was not happy. So that was the last year to bring those two. I'm much happier going to WDW with ones that like it as much as I do. :D

[wdwnut]

hi: taking friends is a good idea (we've been doing this since 93). newbies are a lot of fun to have along. i love going with teenagers too (masochistic, huh?). i've always allowed the teens to go off on their own for parts of the day/night. we just establish a meeting spot and time. cell phones and radios help too. if your dd really doesn't want to do wdw, take a ladies only trip. my sil and i are in the planning stages for one right now. my youngest son and hubby are doing a "guy" type vacation in june and july, so i get to do a "girl" vacation. the last time we did a ladies only was around 5 years ago. i think we're all ready again.

[shrpgrl]

I know what you mean. For the last 2 years my son has hated to go but we still do. He stays at the room or goes to DQ(he is 16 now). We spend time together at the water parks and special meals. He will relent and go to Epcot but that is the only park he will go to. He knows that we are not going to let him ruin our vacation and we will compromise and take him other places that he enjoys during our trip. I hope he will go back to wanting to go again.

[SpecialFXKid]

Hmm..

There are alot of posts here, so I hope i don't post anything that has already been said.. ;)

I don't know if age has anything to do with it. The last time i went to the World I was 16. I'm turning 22 this year and finally going back. I've been looking forward to it every year......

I think Disney is a Magical Place that you can't grow out of. Perhaps it may be a case of WHEN your going? Your daughter may have something planned only to have it interrupted by this vacation.

Then again, some people lose touch of their inner child during their teens, and your daughter really DOSEN'T want to go to Disney.

Just a thought.

Andy!

[Pooh's Pal]

Next month I will be traveling to WDW with my DD (15)and her friend, who just turned 16). Just me and the two teens :rolleyes:
The other day my DD says "You aren't going to hang around with us ALL the time in Disney are you??? I laughed and said "Do you want to eat?" We are staying at the Boardwalk for the last 4nts of our trip, so they can walk to MGM or Epcot if they'd like..But like the old saying goes...They'll be back when they are hungry!
I footed the bill for the airfare and the hotel..They each saved $500.00 (this was the deal we made 6 months ago) for their own passes (around $300ea.) and some extra spending money.
I expect to get some rest on this trip while they are off on their own.

[Mickeyfaniam]

I am also going next month with a sort of willing 13 year old son and an unwilling 16 year old son. :rolleyes: It is sad but they are going to make the best of it so i can enjoy myself. My sons will meet your girls Pooh's Pal...lets hope at least one of them isn't too shy to start a conversation ;) :D

[mikesmom]

And the previous post, ladies and gentlemen, is the crux of the matter, LOL. If they go off alone they will discover other teens (of the opposite sex) who have managed to get away from parents for a while. My boys always seem to hook up with some other teenagers around the pool and they are usually girls.

[friskylady]

I really appreciate all your posts. I can't tell you how lovely it is to meet up with a bunch of people who haven't outgrown Disney World. I don't know anyone who's as nuts as I am!
So, I'm going to look into the idea of daughter bringing a friend. She's taken a friend with her on our beach vacation before, so it's not a new proposition for me.

But I'm wondering how to broach the subject with parents. The friend will have to pay for her own airline ticket and WDW tickets. I've never invited someone along but asked them to pay their way :rolleyes: Any suggestions on how to handle this?

[Glory Days]

The past two years we've taken our daughter (now 16) and a friend and it really has opened up a whole new world for my husband and myself too. We start off together, have meeting times when we check in. I was surprised how much fun my husband and myself could have there without little kids. (Just like the t.v. commercials!) And my daughter gets so excited planning out the trip with a friend. I mean, two teens could go on Pooh just for fun, but never with mom and dad anymore!
As far as the expenses. Last year she asked a friend before the holidays for spring break, so her friend could save money from presents and earn a little. The friend paid for her flight, and last year she paid for her own tickets. For her friend this year money's a little tighter, so we're picking up the Universal tickets, and she's paying for the Disney. (1 free day with Universal) The kids stop and eat on the run a lot, and we pick up the nicer dinners as a treat. It's worth it to us to enjoy our vacation and watch 16year old girls enjoy the magic like they were still little kids. Good luck!!!!!


:)

[Pooh's Pal]

I told them when I asked them both last year to have $500.00 saved or they weren't going! They had 8 months to save! Both did babysitting,holiday money & birthday money from relatives etc. and now both have partime jobs.
As I stated above...I footed the bill for the airfare and the hotel (I got some great deals!) and they will pay for thier UMP's. I have some vouchers for 2 Character Breakfast's and 10 Quick & Casual vouchers for lunches..They can share.
I will take them to Dinner at night, nither eat that much! They are both great girls and I just love having both with me!:D
I did speak with the girls parents 1st and told them that she would have to have the money for the ticket and spending $$ too!
They of course aggreed right away!

[pnelson]

These answers are making me sad!! My son is 9 and is really excited about going to DW. I hope this is not the last trip where he will enjoy himself!!! Did someone actually say there son outgrew Disney World by age !!?? I can't believe that!! It seems there is so much to do-I can't believe teenagers don't like it. Are there any teenagers that like Disney World?

[danicaw]

What if you two did a spa day together at WDW. Some of the things she couldn't do a few years ago that she might be old enough for now.

I remember going to WDW for the first time the summer before my Junior year in High School. Wow! I was a pain. My poor parents spent all that money and I was such a grumpy girl. It even shows in some of the pictures (I am standing with my arms crossed and a fake smile on my face, just about rolling my eyes). Looking back I laugh at how silly I was. But thank goodness we don't stay in that mindset forever.

I honeymooned at WDW and hubby and I have since bought DVC so we can go a lot more often, so far its been almost every year since our honeymoon.

Good luck. She will come around.

[erikthewise]

At 16, I think she's old enough for any of the "insider" tours. They would probably be something different for her.

I'd say if she really doesn't want to go, don't force it. It's a big world out there and if she wants to see more of it than WDW, that's good.

[cindyfan]

OMG.......danicaw........you sound just like my daughter when she was 13!!!
We have these horrible pictures of her with Goofy, crossing her arms with this aweful smerk on her face.......kinda like saying "this is the worst thing you have ever done to me, Mom!!"
But just like you....she did the Disney honeymoon, but she did the cruise.
And her DH has really turned into a huge WDW fan!!!!
So, friskylady.....your DD will come around.....like I said before.....it is just a phase :D

[Ricola]

Oh, I am so not looking forward to that stage with my kids!

We took my 2nd cousin a couple years ago (she was just turning 14) and it was quite a challenge. She was so quiet and brooding all the time, but once in a while, when she thought I wasn't looking, I caught her grinning out of the corner of my eye.

I guess my advice is, offer the friend plan, but if that doesn't work out, don't force her to go; it's probably just a stage she's goiung through, but making her go could lead to a miserable trip for both of you that might kill the possibility of a future enjoyable trip for a long time to come.

Good luck!

[mickey7861]

Wow....guess I'm really lucky but my kids, DS 19, DD 16 1/2 have never tired of our yearly WDW trip. We've gone at least once each year since 1987 and they've always loved it. DD keeps hoping her brother will out grow it now that he's in college so she can bring a friend but no such luck.

[DisneyMim]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents here, especially for pnelson. I guess I am really lucky also because my 2 kids are teenagers (13 and almost 18) and they LOVE going to Disney and everywhere else with us. We go 2X a year and they have never said they don't want to go. It could be because their parents are such kids themselves!! LOL!! They really look at Disney as their second home. We have been DVC members since it started and my kids were very young. They have grown up there and really do look at it as a "vacation home". Often times we have other family members with us with neices and nephews so all the kids are together. They haven't brought a friend yet, we like to spend our vacation time as a family, but I could see this working for a lot of teenagers. Disney is such a great place, there is something for everyone from very young to very not-so-young, I don't know many teenagers who don't like it.

[RumpleMom]

My DD 16 & DD20 have enjoyed doing different things at WDW as they got older. They went through a stage where we only took one picture with a character-their very favorite, instead of every character.

Nice meals have become more important to them. Our itinerary now includes a ps for 1 sit down meal each day.

Waterparks are a must! They have done the biggest slide at BB-can't remember the name.

We go to PI 3 evenings each vacation for Comedy Warehouse and Adventurer's Club.

We have explored DD and spent 2 hours in the Virgin Megastore during a thunder storm. They were in heaven, I was bored, but dry and had a place to sit. We could see they were thrilled, so we were patient.

Disney Quest is a must do too.

In summary, our vacation activities have changed, but most importantly we are spending time together as a family. WDW has so much to offer for all ages.

There is hope! DD went to WDW with 11 friends for a high school graduation present. They all had jobs to pay for their trip. They planned this the summer before senior year. They had everything settled before the school year started, they had agreed no one else would be added at the last minute. This plan was invaluable help for getting through senior year. It helped relieve the stress of writing college applications, waiting for said college acceptances , and getting through all those AP tests.

When they felt stressed out and wanted to hang out together, all 12 of them would be in our basement watching a Disney movie. Boys and girls. They would take turns hosting a Disney party. Also known as "trip planning". Yes, they consumed a lot of pizza too. Anyway, we knew where they were, who they were with and what they were doing. One boy joined the WDW college program. They are planning a trip this summer to visit him at WDW.

[DawnCt]

We have four boys, 23, 20, 17, 14. Our family vacations were usually WDW, sometimes a twice a year. (making good use out of annual passes). When the youngest was 7 we started going to other destinations; cruises, Hawaii twice, California, Whistler, and they have enjoyed those vacations very much. HOWEVER; their favorite vacations are still WDW and they all want to go back. We have been going with "the boys" since the oldest was three. Besides the fact that they have a lot of fun there, there is also a sense that it is a home away from home, sort of like returning to the same cottage or beach year after year. She will come around. In the meantime you might want to try other destinations. Its a good learning experience and also it makes them appreciate other things as well as Disney.