Has your teen flown solo to DW?

[pirateofthecarolinas]

If so, at what age. We're thinking about going before Thanksgiving and my DS16 will need to stay in school for 2 more days. He has been to MCO many times.

Did your child use ME or towncar?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Okay, I never flew solo to Disney, but the first time I flew alone I was 13. Did it again at 15, and even made a changeover in Atlanta by myself. I'd suggest the towncar only because then there will be someone looking for them when they arrive.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My DD flew solo to MCO when she was 13, but my niece picked her up there. I'd think either a town car or ME would be fine for a 16 yr old.

 

[brittanyherndon]

I would think ME becuse that is a free service from my understanding, and you have to pay for the town car. Also if posible I would bring DS16 clothes and just have him take care of his carry on

 

[Dancemom03]

DD20 has flown in and out between MCO & BWI solo quite a few times since about eigth grade. Occassionally, she'll bring a friend along who'll fly back with her and a couple times it was the friend who needed fly home early alone. Flying into MCO is a piece of cake b/c there's no time to kill in the airport, especially if you don't check luggage.

She's had boyfriends who've flown in and out of wdw to meet her when we were there for Nationals during the high school years. They've usually taken ME and have only had carry-on luggage to keep check-in/security simple. Unlike the rest of the family, I actually enjoy the fifteen hour drive but am not especially fond of cooling my heels for hours trapped in an airport so I don't mind transporting everyone's luggage.

I know it's silly, but I feel better about boys flying alone than girls. Either way, if we can mange it, I like to drop off/pick up at one end and make sure the kids are met at the other end. I just feel better seeing them go thru airport security myself and knowing there'll be someone to meet them at the other airport instead of worrying about the endless "what-ifs" that my over-protective-motherly-anxieties imagine could happen during the 2-3 hour wait in the airport before take-off...

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I would think ME becuse that is a free service from my understanding, and you have to pay for the town car. Also if posible I would bring DS16 clothes and just have him take care of his carry on

We would bring his clothes. That would help a lot. He would fly SW out of Raleigh.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

When I was a senior in high school I flew down to MCO to meet my mom. I was only staying for 3 days so I was able to bring all my clothes in my carry on. I took a town car right to the hotel.
The next year I started college in Indiana and I flew back and forth between Massachusetts and Indiana for the next 4 years.

 

[Rose&Mike]

DS first flew solo at 15, not to DW, but to Miami. I think I would have felt comfortable with letting him take ME, especially since he's familiar with it. If your ds has taken ME before, I say go for it. In December we met DS at MCO. (He's 18 now). He went to ME and took care of checking in and when we landed we all got on the bus together. He had no problems and said it was easy! Good luck!

 

[Magic Mom]

My teen never flew to MCO, but he has flown alone all over the country since he was 8, and he was just fine. Of course when he was younger I paid for the escort fee, but by the time he was 14 he was flying on his own (well... in a plane.)

 

[karen l]

I let my DD fly to MCO alone twice. Both times I had a car service for her & there were no problems at all. She thought it was pretty cool to be picked up with a car & driver.

 

[sue1013]

DS did a few years ago. I'm assuming your DS has a cell phone if so he can do what mine did. He called when they landed I told him how to get to the ME desk called when he got there then called again when the bus left so I would know approx. when he would be arriving. We were at AK got the bus back to BW and he arrived shortly after.

 

[scottishduffy]

Never flew to WDW but from the age of 9 I was flying to and from summer camp alone. At the age of 12 I no longer had the attendants from the airline watching me and was able to navigate changovers in airports without any help. Even when I was put in an airport I had never seen before I was fine.

I would say by 12 or 13 a decently mature kid can easily navigate an airport without help. Catching a taxi isn't that hard either and the first time I had to navigate that I was about 14.

Just make sure he has cash on him, a cell phone, and basic instruction of what to look for. He should be just fine.

 

[lilybrooke14]

I mentioned that we would be meeting my niece at the airport when I was making our reservation with Disney a few weeks ago, and the CM was quick to inform me that minors couldn't ride ME unassisted. She's 17, so not a little one. You might call and do a double check on that. I know they can give mixed information sometimes.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

He has taken ME and towncars from MCO. Good to know that minors can't ride ME alone. That may be the deciding factor right there.