Activities for 13 year olds

[jenanderson]

Okay, my daughter could not wait for this cruise because she would be 13 this time. She thought that this would mean that she does not need to be in the "kids club" and that she would be able to be in the teens area.

She is a very mature and studious sort of child and it is not that I want her hanging out with 17 year old kids but I am concerned about what her options are going to be. She goes to a school that is grades 6-12 and is used to being with older students.

When I look on the Disney Cruise line website, it seems like she could participate in the Ocean Quest activities (Disney website states ages 11-13), hang out at the Aloft (it states ages 13-17), and possibly to to the Stack (it states it is for teens).

Can anyone clarify this for me? I want to be prepared and not have her be totally disappointed when we get on the ship. When she looks at what goes on in each of the areas, she indicates that she would like to do the things that are not at Ocean Quest.

Thanks so much for helping us with this!

 

[lbgraves]

You do not say if you are going to be on the Wonder or the Magic. On the Magic a 13 yo will be in the Ocean Quest. On the Wonder a 13 yo will be in Aloft since there is no OQ area onboard.

On the Magic the activities listed on a 7 day cruise are the following:

Ages 10 - 12

Welcome Party - Let the Carnivale begin! It's the perfect start to the cruise for the kids as they create crazy costumes from all sorts of "silly stuff." There's magic, a talent show and contests.
Goofin' Around with Animation - Gawrsh! The kids will have a great time learning how to draw Mickey's fun loving friend.
See Ya! - All of the kids are a piece of fruit in this fun game. Watch out, you don't want to end up in the blender. Good thing that there's a "smoothie" spot where you're safe and can enjoy a yummy fruit drink.
Nautical Mystery Tour - The kids will explore the ship in pursuit of clues that will help them to solve the puzzle put before them.
Mysterious Islands - The sea is full of stories of mystery and intrigue. The children will hear tales of ghost ships and islands that seemed to have vanished into the watery depths.
Science Sorcery - The kids will use their science skills to create a gooey substance.
Hangin' in Aloft/The Stack - The Teen club is the destination for a fun time watching a movie, playing games, foosball and just hanging out.
Splish and Splash - Mickey's pool is all yours for an evening party followed by pizza.
Boyz and Girls Chill - While the boys head to the basketball court, the girls enjoy activities designed just for the feminine set.
Search for Atlantis - The children embark on an exploration of Castaway Cay in pursuit of their "live source."
Lights, Camera, Improv - The kids get a tour of the fantastic Buena Vista Theater and get an introduction to music and drama through improvisation.
Culture Shock - In this fun game, diversity and different cultures are explored through Disney movies.
Oceaneer Rangers - This team building experience enlists the kids in the Oceaneer Ranger squadron.

 

[jenanderson]

We will be on the Magic and from the way it sounds, she will be in the kids club (she is not going to like this at all). I have a feeling that she will be spending most her time with us.

I was hoping that she could have someplace where she could hang out, possibly watch a movie or something and not have to participate in group activities.

On the Disney Cruise website, it says that the Stack is for "teens" - do they specifically say that 13 year olds cannot go here?

I want to follow the rules but I am somewhat saddened by the fact that she may not be able to go to the teens area but rather be in an area where it is still structured group activities like the younger kids clubs.

I would love to hear from anyone who had a 13 year old on the magic and what they ended up doing. My DD enjoys doing things with others, just not from activity to activity. She also just enjoys visiting and hanging out versus a lot of the activities listed for the 10-12 year olds.

Can't wait to hear more advice about this!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Ocean Quest is not like the Kids Clubs, in that she will have the freedom to come and go as she pleases. While they do have structured activities, she can also just "hang out" with kids her own age. It is for younger teens, 11-13 years old.

 

[lbgraves]

Exactly. Some parents don't like it because they have too much freedom, no pagers and such. Check out the link in the FAQ page under KIDS CLUBS to find our more info and see pictures.

 

[jenanderson]

Thanks you guys!

Shared the news with my DD - she is so upset (and I knew she would be). We will now work at spending time learning more about how Ocean Quest works. I am not at all worried about her having too much freedom, she is a very responsible girl.

Thanks again!

 

[luvcruisn]

We have taken 5 Disney cruises and dd was really looking forward to going to the Stack on this last cruise. They changed the ages not long before we cruised in Jan (I found out about a week before we went) and dd and dh were extremely upset. We did not sign dd up for Ocean Quest. She went one night to check it out and there was no one over 11 there. She then went up to the Stack to check it out. The counselor asked her how she was and she did tell them 14 but no one checked. It turned out several of the friends she made there had done the same. I usually would have punished her for not telling the truth, but the counselors did eventually find out and didn't seem to mind. DD would have been miserable in Ocean Quest and she ended up having the best time with all of the new friends she made in the Stack.

 

[frdeb1999]

OQ is wonderful. We had our dd 13 in there this past Dec and she had a wonderful time. They have scavenger hunts, crafts, video games and alot of free time also and she loved every min of it. We had issue's before hand also and once she saw what they had available and went the 1st time it was next to impossible to get her out of the area!! Hope that helps a bit!

 

[jenanderson]

luvcruisn - Thanks for your view point. I have wondered if they are letting some 13 year old kids in, and if they are, how that happens. I was thinking about just asking when we get to the ship.

While I know that some 13 year old kids would like OQ, mine is not one of them. My DD has been looking forward to the Stack for the 2 years we have been waiting for the cruise - the fact that they have changed the age limits is a bad deal for us.

She really did not like the clubs when she was 11, and I do not think it is going to change at 13. On the Wonder, she would check herself out and go back to our stateroom and sit by herself. I do not want that to be what she does on this trip.

 

[Hannah_Montana94]

I was in ocean quest on 12/6/08 I at first wanted nothing to do with it I wanted in the lab but when we got on the boat after we ate lunch, we went to ocean quest and talked with the counslers and I went in the quest it was great the first night was boring after that it was so cool there was animation cells,scavenger hunts a private pool party with ocean quest, crafts and icebreakers,flubber, they also had game systems wii,xbox computer games .And also the cut off is 13 so if your 13 you can go in with no problem.
I hope this helps

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

luvcruisn - Thanks for your view point. I have wondered if they are letting some 13 year old kids in, and if they are, how that happens. I was thinking about just asking when we get to the ship.

While I know that some 13 year old kids would like OQ, mine is not one of them. My DD has been looking forward to the Stack for the 2 years we have been waiting for the cruise - the fact that they have changed the age limits is a bad deal for us.

She really did not like the clubs when she was 11, and I do not think it is going to change at 13. On the Wonder, she would check herself out and go back to our stateroom and sit by herself. I do not want that to be what she does on this trip.

the thing is you keep mentioning her not liking the clubs- on the magic an age 13yr old is NOT in the clubs! She'd be in the OQ (with other kids her age) which is basically like the stack except for younger teens. That's all. It is nothing like the clubs- it is way more "hanging out", playing video games and/or on the computers, and the activities are more geared towards teens just like the stack is geared more towards OLDER teens (IMO basically lots of just "hanging out" -with up to 18yr olds keep in mind!!!) but the same activities. for instance OQ does scavengar hunts- so do those in the stack. Just an example. Another example is that in BOTH OQ and the stack the kids are free to come and go (whether the parents like it or not- so there won't be like some kids in the OQ unable to leave without parents and whatnot- they can all roam in/out at will same as the stack)

It would depend on the cruise and what ages the kids are- one time you might go and the OQ be jam packed full of 13yr olds (or even 14yr olds that the parents managed to get their 14yr old in the OQ- which I would have done on the last cruise my DD was 14 had I known that was a possibility! Only found out towards end of cruise. LOL) and another time it might be where a lot of 11yr olds or a lot of 12yr olds. but on the flip side- same thing could happen in the stack. One cruise it might be tons of 14yr olds in there- another time it might be primarily 17/18yr olds! You just never know.

I don't see how you can say your daughter is not one of them that would like the OQ- it's obvious from this thread you don't even know what it is/never seen it neither has she experienced it... so I don't see how you can say that. It's not in the lab or club- it's a seperate area for younger teens and it's nothing like the clubs like you keep referring to it. I think you should give it a try and not think negatively about it or your daughter will also. I wouldn't suggest sneaking in a 13yr old in the teen stack- I've read other posts where once found out they were kicked out and banned from coming back. So that's a toss up whether she'd be able to stay there or not (the one on this thread MAYBE there were lots of 14yr olds in there so they didn't feel it was a big issue to let that 13yr old sneak in... *shrugs* who knows) and really IMO it's not an atmosphere that's great for young teens- even 14yr old IMO let alone a 13yr old...

(ps. keep in mind the stack can have 18yr olds in there- if they have not graduated highschool OR haven't gone to college yet- ie: the summer after highschool- they can still be in there even though they are 18. Knowing how schools are here with the age cut off- it's possible some 18yr olds still in highschool and/or just graduated and not in college yet could be ALMOST 19YRS OLD in there. Seriously. If we went when my son was in 12th grade or the summer after- he'd be almost 19yrs old. It is not only up to age 17yr olds in there)

 

[jenanderson]

Thanks for all the views from both sides. While I am disappointed that my daughter feels bad about this change in where she has to hang out, I have never allowed myself to be negative towards OQ with her. In fact, last night I printed off a bunch of information for her and tried to help her see that she can still "hang out" versus doing planned activities. I guess I viewed OQ as more of a club because it still has a lot of the time as planned activities. From the printed material I have and from the videos, it does not seem like this is a place where the kids can just hang out. I could be wrong but I am going by what I have available.

I will not allow her to sneak into the Stack. If she checks it out at all, it will be with me and after getting it approved from the staff.

Knowing my daughter, here is what she will love to do on the cruise...read a good book and have a smoothie or two. She might be interested in meeting some other girls but she might not. She is not shy, she is just a quiet independent type of kid. I would imagine that in the end, she will hang out by the pool with us during the day and in the evenings she will be in our cabin.

We will continue to encourage her to try out OQ and we may all be surprised by her reaction to it. I think the key will be if she finds anyone who she feels comfortable being with (and that is true of both OQ and the Stack).

Again, my main disappointment was that at the time we booked the cruise and throughout much of our wait time, she has been researching the Stack and was excited that is where she would be. At age 13, she feels that having to go back to hang out with the "younger kids" is not where she wants to be (much of this is just because she does not want to hang out with her younger brother who drives her nuts ).

Thanks again everyone. We are all going to have fun regardless and there is enough for everyone to do on the ship.

 

[lbgraves]

In the threads that have talked about the OQ since last May when this change took place with the age groups one of the things that is said quite a bit is that their kids were bored because of the lack of activities that were actually done in the OQ. There are things planned but they are not organized like in the lab or club. If kids don't want to do it, they just hang out...much like in the stack. It sounds like this is more along the lines of what your DD is looking for.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

My DD's(12) first cruise is coming up in May. I understand they will be in OQ, but can they go to the lab if they get bored with the OQ activities? They tend to be a little immature for their age.

 

[Princess Row]

I was 13 on our last cruise, and i hated the fact i may have to bee with younger kids. Me and my mom decided for me to go to the stack and i had a great time. I am now 14 and can fit in better but plenty of 13 year olds go in there.

 

[jajomo0118]

Both DS's (12 and 11 at the time) Loved OQ and they are not into planned activities, they just hung out on the big comfy sofas and took it easy with some other kids.

We had our own rules and they followed them, because they knew the trouble they would have been in if they would have broken any of them.

My oldest will be a few months shy of 14 when we cruise (Wonder) and is not to happy about the fact there is no OQ doesn't like the older teenager idea!!!

There really is a big mature factor from 13 to 18...I know what I did at 18 and would not want my 13 year old around that..LMAO...

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Thanks for all the views from both sides. While I am disappointed that my daughter feels bad about this change in where she has to hang out, I have never allowed myself to be negative towards OQ with her. In fact, last night I printed off a bunch of information for her and tried to help her see that she can still "hang out" versus doing planned activities. I guess I viewed OQ as more of a club because it still has a lot of the time as planned activities. From the printed material I have and from the videos, it does not seem like this is a place where the kids can just hang out. I could be wrong but I am going by what I have available.

I will not allow her to sneak into the Stack. If she checks it out at all, it will be with me and after getting it approved from the staff.

Knowing my daughter, here is what she will love to do on the cruise...read a good book and have a smoothie or two. She might be interested in meeting some other girls but she might not. She is not shy, she is just a quiet independent type of kid. I would imagine that in the end, she will hang out by the pool with us during the day and in the evenings she will be in our cabin.

We will continue to encourage her to try out OQ and we may all be surprised by her reaction to it. I think the key will be if she finds anyone who she feels comfortable being with (and that is true of both OQ and the Stack).

Again, my main disappointment was that at the time we booked the cruise and throughout much of our wait time, she has been researching the Stack and was excited that is where she would be. At age 13, she feels that having to go back to hang out with the "younger kids" is not where she wants to be (much of this is just because she does not want to hang out with her younger brother who drives her nuts ).

Thanks again everyone. We are all going to have fun regardless and there is enough for everyone to do on the ship.

She'll probably still have fun in the OQ- I hope she gives it a try with an open mind. She shouldn't think of it as hanging out with the "younger kids" because really it's not. It's hanging out with kids HER AGE. She IS one of those "younger kids" -she fits in that age group. It's not hanging out with "kids much older than her" so maybe that's what you mean when you say she feels that she's having to go back with younger kids? Younger as in her own age group instead with those much older than herself?
Just keep in mind the stack is up to age 19... if they aren't in college yet (ie: summer after graduating highschool) and as mature as she may think she is- that might be a wee bit more mature than you'd want her to be around. atleast that is my personal opinion on the matter.

 

[jenanderson]

It is so interesting hearing everyone's views and ideas! While my DD is still a bit disappointment (again, because when we first booked and she started looking into our next cruise she would have been the right age for the stack), she has decided to have an open mind.

I don't think she would have minded being with younger kids but it is her younger relative boys that she would have liked to have gotten away from. Last cruise my DD met a girl who was younger then her at the Poly before the cruise and the girls got along great! DD is being open minded because I don't think she is totally comfortable with the older crowd either.

I think overall that 13 is just a difficult age. She is getting old enough that she would like to be with the teens (just the younger ones but not so young that she is with the her younger relatives) but not old enough to be with the 18-19 year olds.

I really do appreciate everyone's input. We are rule followers and will abide by what Disney says. We are also open minded enough that we will all have fun no matter how it turns out - be she loves OQ or hates it - or possibly something in between!

Thanks!
Jen

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

Both DS's (12 and 11 at the time) Loved OQ and they are not into planned activities, they just hung out on the big comfy sofas and took it easy with some other kids.

We had our own rules and they followed them, because they knew the trouble they would have been in if they would have broken any of them.

My oldest will be a few months shy of 14 when we cruise (Wonder) and is not to happy about the fact there is no OQ doesn't like the older teenager idea!!!

There really is a big mature factor from 13 to 18...I know what I did at 18 and would not want my 13 year old around that..LMAO...

I had no idea they changed the age until I read this. However, after I read the 13 vs 18 year, comment...scary!! DD was able to hang out in DQ last time we cruised, I think the age was 10-12 then. She will be fine in there again. If not, I guess I will see more of her on this trip.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

It is so interesting hearing everyone's views and ideas! While my DD is still a bit disappointment (again, because when we first booked and she started looking into our next cruise she would have been the right age for the stack), she has decided to have an open mind.

I don't think she would have minded being with younger kids but it is her younger relative boys that she would have liked to have gotten away from. Last cruise my DD met a girl who was younger then her at the Poly before the cruise and the girls got along great! DD is being open minded because I don't think she is totally comfortable with the older crowd either.

I think overall that 13 is just a difficult age. She is getting old enough that she would like to be with the teens (just the younger ones but not so young that she is with the her younger relatives) but not old enough to be with the 18-19 year olds.

I really do appreciate everyone's input. We are rule followers and will abide by what Disney says. We are also open minded enough that we will all have fun no matter how it turns out - be she loves OQ or hates it - or possibly something in between!

Thanks!
Jen

Personally- I agree with you on the age thing. I know others might not agree but our first cruise my oldest was 12 and had a blast in that age group in the Lab. I think it would probably be better (again in my opinion!) to keep the lab ages the way they were and then have OQ for like 13-15 or something like that. Or maybe 12-15 or something like that. In other words younger teens NOT with kids up to age 18 (or almost 19) NOR having them with kids that are barely turned 11 (or in some cases some 10yr olds almost 11 allowed in the OQ). I think the younger teens would like that better. I'm not sure why they felt the need to take some kids out of the lab to put in OQ like that- unless they just have a HUGE amount of 8-10yr olds? Because it just seems weird to me to have 3-4 and 5-7 in the club... but only 8-10 in the lab and now all the 11/12yr olds that used to be in the lab are now in OQ. Maybe others didn't have such a great experience with 12yr olds in the lab as we did. I dunno.
I'm glad they don't have 13yr olds in with the older teens anymore- but personally I think 14yr olds are still too young to be grouped in with the older teens all the way up to almost 19yrs old! I still find it unbelievable that they'd put minors in with adults- whether they started college or not matters not (they are legal adults!)

I hope she has a great time. I tell ya though- even if she doesn't spend much time in the OQ it probably wouldn't be any different in the teen stack. It didn't seem like to me that most of the kids in the teen stack really stayed in there much to begin with- except during the few activities they really liked later at night. I'm not sure if the navigator's were different on that PC cruise though.. but if it's the same, they are pretty much doing the same things in the stack as in the OQ (hanging out, playing games, etc.) and pretty much hanging out all over the ship (out of boredom in the stack) anyway. LOL So if she wants to hang out OUTSIDE of the OQ the majority of the time- just keep in mind she probably would the same if she was in the teen stack.