Help! 12 year old son is wondering things to do!

[Pluto's Honey]

DS is 12 and we are going on our 1st trip. We have a Princess storybook breakfast planned after a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment for my DD 9. We looked at the pirarte cruise and he's to old. He's a little bit of and and alot !! Any ideas ...thanks

 

[groovy~disney]

He's a little bit of and and alot !! Any ideas ...thanks

He might enjoy Disney Quest?!?!?

 

[Katy Belle]

Disney Quest...or a water park...or maybe one of the family tours. What about a regular character meal, like Chef Mickey for dinner? Good luck!
Katy

 

[torinsmom]

My son is 11. We're going to Disney Quest and Typhoon Lagoon. As far as Character Meals--we are doing Chef Mickey's, Donald's Breakfastosaurus in AK, and O'Hanas(Lilo and Stitch)

Marsha

 

[catbertdave99]

I have a DS 14 and DS11 -- Disney Quest and the Water Parks -- he'll have a blast and need nothing else!

 

[Pixiedust34]

Yep! BB or TL can be his special thing! That Summit Plummet at BB could thrill him to no end.

(I look at Summit Plummet and think that it should be on Fear Factor. If I went down that thing, dh had better be at the bottom of it with a bottle of aspirin and a cell phone to call 911 for a heartattack. I thought that the Marti Gras slide at POFQ was wicked. ).

 

[cstraub]

Glad to see you posted this thread. It will be very helpful for those with pre teens!

*parasailing
*mouseboats
*fishing
*horseback riding
*behind the scenes tour of one of the parks
*surfing/snorkleing at water park
*pin trading (you can trade with people at scheduled times in DTD)
CM's trade pins too!
*a meal at Sci Fi or Prime Time

Hope that helps you and others to plan some fun things for your pre teens!

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Both of my boys are and definitely .....MGM is their fav park, can't miss the Rock n Roller Coaster. Disneyquest is a MUST do at this age. Don't look past a character meal for him. Although my 14 yr old wouldn't do the princess meal my 10 yr keeps bugging me cuz he says the princesses are hot (that's probably why I won't take him! ) they loved Chef Mickeys and Donald's breakfastasaurus so much that they have reminded me to book another on our next trip (they are now 10 and 14) and even my 16 yr old brother loved Chef Mickeys. Also, if you are willing to go off property for a meal then I'd go to Medieval Times Dinner. All of us (ages 8, 12, 15 and 16 and me) had a great time.

 

[java]

My DS(11) plays VMK online..In the parks they have in park quests- You need to search for items to answer questions(they are not obvious either) When you find all the answers you turn them in for some game codes and a yellow rubber bracelet- and last year you got a special VMK tour! He loved it and can't wait to do the new quests this year(and best of all it is FREE!) He felt like an insider- So if you are ok with him playing online games-This is a fun one.

 

[ls1222]

Our son is 11 and he really enjoyed BB, MGM and EP. Another thing that seemed to help when we were riding some of the "smaller" rides for his sisters was looking for hidden Mickeys, he really seemed to enjoy this (much to my surprise as he is just too cool). It took his mind off riding Snow White or what he considers the "girly rides".

 

[lovethattink]

My son enjoys VMK too. If your child creates his character at the Magic Kingdom there is more cool virtual stuff. There are quests to do in the park as mentioned by Java. If you don't want to spend your time searching for the answers, there is a Cheat sheet posted in the DIS VMK guide on the DIS VMK board. But we had a blast searching for the answers.

My son loves BB especially the ski patrol area.

Epcot is his favorite park.

Expedition Everest is his favorite ride.

 

[Brian Noble]

Water parks. I have a nephew that age, and he can't get enough. Whether it is the attractions or the girls in bikinis, I can't say!

 

[MouseWorshipin]

At 12, all my boys loved DisneyQuest. In fact, it is still their favorite thing at Disney. They also liked mini-golf.

And at 12, as much as they protested about character meals, their faces still shone when I'd take their picture with Mickey or someone, so I'd recommend a character meal, too.

But the thing they liked (and like) best in Orlando is Universal. I've got two who ride the thrill rides, and one who sits them out, and all three love it over there. Especially when they can eat at NBA city. Ug.

 

[Hadjii]

Don't forget to try the Innoventions pavillions at Epcot. Tons of hands on fun stuff to do. A lot of it is geared toward teens. He could probably be amused in there for hours at a time lol. While you're at Epcot, don't forget to let them try Ice Station Cool. Free coke drinks from different countries. Kids usually get a big kick out of it. I agree with the previous posters about Disney Quest. When my son was a teenager we had to practically drag him out of there. The Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt sounds like a good idea too. I bet your kids would both enjoy doing that together. You could get your kids to have an autograph collecting contest as well. We gave our kids each a list of characters that they had to collect autographs from. They had so much fun seeking out the characters in the parks that were on their list. Don't forget to get a pic of the character. You can use the autograph next to the photo if you scrapbook. This activity is fun no matter what age you are.
Hope you have a magical trip -Nancy-

 

[aunt kelly]

I have a 13 year old son and I second everyone's suggestions about Disneyquest, Blizzard Beach, etc. The only thing I can add to their suggestions is to eat at ESPN Zone at Boardwalk if your son is a sports fan. The food is good and there is sports memorabilia everywhere! Of course, there is a gift shop. We bought some very cool t-shirts for my son and our nephews.

 

[schuh]

I have 2 boys 12 and 9 and they love to do the kids fishing trips and have also done the regular fishing trips (They cost alot more) they have ablast on both. They also love the water mice and next trip we are going to try the parasailing! Have a great time!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

But the thing they liked (and like) best in Orlando is Universal. I've got two who ride the thrill rides, and one who sits them out, and all three love it over there. Especially when they can eat at NBA city. Ug.

That is my suggestion as well. If you have a car it would be easy enough to get over there. Better yet, since he is and if you have an extra night try to stay on site at the Hard Rock Hotel. That will give you two days of front of the line acess to 99% of the rides and attractions at Universal. If your DD is still 9 at the time of your trip, you cn get her a free ticket. Bonus (5 days for the price of 2) will cost about $300 which will give you unlimited access to both parks for the 5 days.

 

[Pluto's Honey]

Wow! so much info. Better than dialing 411. I need 10 weeks not just a week. Thanks!!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

My ds is now 13. Over the past year or so, he has spent the majority of his Disney time at DQ. He just loves it! When not there, you'll find him riding the more thrilling attractions: MS, TT, Tot, RNRC, etc. Sometimes he enjoys the water parks, other times he's chosen to go to DQ rather than accompanying the rest of the family to BB or TL. The night time shows (Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic) are a big hit with him. He sometimes goes to these by himself. While he really enjoys good food (Marrakes, Kona, and Boma being at the top of his "Must Do" list each trip), he does NOT enjoy character meals. I think they make him uncomfortable. He will occasionally sit through one for his younger brother's or sister's sake, but he's the first to leave the table. He also has an excuse NOT to attend more often than not.

 

[Pluto's Honey]

I read this somewhere else on the internet. Is it still true?

Take a Spin on a Watermouse Boat. - Rent one of these two-seater mini-power boats and zip around one of Disney’s lakes at 22 miles per hour. Kids love them, particularly because they need only be 12 years or older and at least 5 feet tall to drive one without adult supervision. Available at the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, the Yacht and Beach Club, Downtown Disney, and the Wilderness Lodge. Approximately $22 per half-hour.