Activities for 11 yr old boy

[CM'sMom]

Friends of ours and my family will be on the Magic in December. We are all very excited to go, except for their 11 year old son. He thinks that there will be nothing for him to do since he is not into the characters anymore. We keep telling him that he will have plenty of fun. I was just wondering if anyone can tell me any specific activities that boys of his age can do on the cruise. He is very much into sports.
Thanks

 

[alexandrew]

1) Oceaneers Lab has great activities and games for an 11 yr old
2) Quartermasters arcade is great!!!
3) ping pong and basketball on deck 9 and 10
4) swimming in the goofy pool
5) pizza, hot dogs, ice cream
6) Castaway Cay offers adventure and water sports....snorkeling and the like

and one more thing.....kids who say they are over with the characters often change their mind when encountering them "live and in person".....

 

[alwayslisad]

Our first cruise was when our DD was 11. She is now 13 and will cruise again at 14.

DD constantly talks about how
" I had to be told to come back to the stateroom"
" I had to go to dinner (rollseyes) "
"I didn't want to leave my friends" and
"I still email and AIM with some of the friends I made on the Wonder"

There is SO much to do that I was amazed at how organized and fun this was for young preteens. DD has looked at the Navigator for the Teens and took copies to show all her friends.

I do not believe he would not find things to do. The ship is full of activities!

And let me add - Our DD was "NOT INTO" any of the characters. When she boarded - she saw Pluto - she ran up to him and HUGGED him - got two pics with him and then went off running to see Cinderella. Funny thing is, just recently she landed the lead in the play Cinderella at our Local Theatre and she kept telling everyone that the "REAL CINDERELLA" wore this or had her hair such and such - and it was the cruise ship Cinderella she was talking about!

also...I am not into them - but I sure got me a pic with EEYORE!!! ( at WDW)

 

[logan1_2000]

Walt Disney really felt there was a little kid in every adult that needed a place where it come out...nowadays there are even two ships where that inner kid can come out. Anyone who doubts me, um, so what exactly are you doing here at DIS again?! Fess up, gang, anyone with more than 30 postings here probably lights up as much or more than the kids when the characters come around--I love character breakfast more than DS.

DS is 9, an all star in two sports, very popular (okay, he's the kid I wanted to be, I admit it) and like some of the other mentioned on this thread, feels he is too old for the characters. So why does he have a smile like no other when we have character photos taken? The camera may add 10 pounds (or in my case, 30) but otherwise it doesn't lie, any good kid, age 3 to 103 (with flexibility on both ends of that range if needed) enjoys a character photo op. Otherwise why did I start talking to Scooby Doo in my scooby-speak impersonation last sunday at Turner Field.

DS didn't really like what the lab had to offer this past cruise. So he found a couple friends at the ping pong table, or on the basketball court, and pretty soon he was opting out of dinner, or staying out to go to the late movie even though DW and I were asleep (he came in at 1 a.m. the last night of the cruise...sure, he slept for 500 miles while I drove that traffic on I-75--Iknow lots of y'all were there).

Sorry--I've rambled. I think the litmus test is--is the child, or teen, a good kid? Like, not dark, troubled, or recently voted President of his or her chapter of the Frowning Kids Club? If none of the above, then the child will find enjoyment on DCL. And the optimist in me hopes that even the unhappy kids might find a smile from a tropical shirted goofy hugging them for a photo.

Okay, so in my case the camera adds 40 pounds. I still like Mickey shaped food, be it a waffle, ice cream bar, ravioli, or the chocolate covered pretzels from the ship's store I brought back to my office.

 

[MrsMork]

Logan1, Well put. We are kindred spirits.

 

[tuckermom]

Kudos to Logan1. There's something so special about WDW and DCL. I can't even explain it. However, I too light up when those characters come around. My kids are 12 and 10 and can't wait to get back on that ship (in three weeks) Yippeeeee!!!!

 

[geffric]

to answer the OP question - my youngest was 11 on the last cruise and he met several very nice boys his own age at the Lab and they hung around together for most if the cruise. They spent their time in the lab, on the sports deck, playing ping pong, eating pizza and ice cream. They went to the movies one afternoon. They had a great time and my son said it was the best vacation ever.

 

[jhorstma]

I second what everyone else has said (except that he will be a bit bored on the last sea day before CC - at CC he'll have a blast and ask when he'll be going back).

DS11 was sitting on deck 10 watching the sail-away party on the 3/19 Eastern when I noticed some kids playing on the sports deck. I shepherded him over there, he got to know them, and that was the last time DW and I saw him. When I went to get him for dinner that night I found him and a friend in one of the alcoves next to the elevators with a mountain of french fries from Plutos between them - realized then and there that I wouldn't be doing too much with him on board (different experience on the islands - we rocked his world pretty good with all the different water excursions).

Your friend's son will likely have the same experience - he'll meet similar boys on the sports deck, in the arcade, or in the Lab the first day or so and that will be the last you see him. He'll probably be a bit bored with OL (and he will have sign-out priviledges), so he'll be spending a lot of time on the sports deck, in the arcade, watching movies, and getting food from Topsiders, Plutos, and Scoops (but he won't be swimming unless he's with his family). By about Thursday, though, your friend will likely get a little phone call from Guest Services letting him know just how much his son's racked up in arcade cards unless he deactivates his KTTW card (but he shouldn't - his son's on vacation too - just give him a stern talking to and he'll appreciate the freedom and trust, at least mine did).

Fair warning - your friend won't be able to get too cozy at Quiet Cove, as he'll be wanting to do a little search for his son every hour or so to make sure that he's staying out of trouble and having a good time. It's a safe environment so no worries, and if he's a good kid to begin with your friend won't have to worry about him staying out of trouble. He'll come away with an appreciation for the independence he was allowed.