Dine with an Imagineer with a 13 year old?

[MermaidMommy]

DD13 is a huge fan of all things Disney, and wants to be an Imagineer when she grows up. So, I thought the Dine with an Imagineer would be a great idea, and I've seen lots of positive reviews. However, I'm a little worried about the time commitment -- it seems like most people are there for three hours. I can see her being interested for a while, especially if it's someone with one of the more "glamorous" Imagineering jobs, but if it's a more obscure job or someone who's not as enthusiastic, I wonder if she'll get bored.

Has anyone had any experience taking a young teen (or similar-aged) child here? Or, if you've done it without kids, can you tell me if you think it would be fun for this age group? (Oh, we'd be doing the Hollywood Brown Derby one.) Thanks!

 

[klangkat]

I did it at 15, a few years ago now. I wasn't bored in the slightest - but then it would very much depend on the child! My sister was 13 and we didn't even contemplate bringing her, she'd have listened for half an hour and then been checking her phone.
At the meal there were six of us (three groups of two) and all were very Disney knowledgeable so there were some pretty 'deep' conversations iykwim - as in, it wasn't a case of the Imagineer telling funny anecdotes the whole time, there was like a half hour discussion of the pump used for Splash Mountain!
I LOVED it, but it was definitely more serious discussion rather than bells and whistles inside anecdotes in my experience.

 

[kate2961]

We've done several lunches and we have taken our son. I think he was 9 at the first one.

Each lunch has been very different, with some more interesting than others. It all depends on the Imagineer and how outgoing they are.

I would not hesitate to take my son again. When the program is great, it is well worth the cost and my son is engaged. In any case, he always learns something.

My largest complaint is that they recently started allowing larger groups for the lunch. I think there were 12 (or 10) at our last one, and we sat at the end of the table. We basically felt out of the conversation. We were so far away from the Imagineer that I thought it would be rude to shout questions down the table. I would recommend trying to get a closer seat if you have a large group.

Hope you enjoy your lunch!
Kate