Help - DS bringing a friend

[BeckyH]

I know there are others out there that allow their children to bring friends to WDW with them. We are staying at VWL in August and are bringing my sons friend along with us. Are there any suggestions on things I should bring along with us? I'm planning to get insurance and doctor info. This is our first time traveling with teens that are not our children. He's 16 so he will have his drivers license for ID. Any advice? Thanks.

Becky

 

[kristytru]

Be sure to have a letter signed by the parents that gives you permission to authorize any medical treatment along with his insurance info and list of allergies, chronic conditions, etc.

 

[Donald is #1]

Along with the info that kristytru mentioned, you may also want to find out about his eating habits. i.e. are there major types of food that he doesn't eat?

For example, taking either of my nephews to WDW is easy from a food point of view since they eat most stuff. However, my niece is a real challenge. Basically she eats breakfast stuff, pastry, PB&J, chicken fingers (with fries of course) and cheese pizza. So finding TS restaurants with something on the menu for her is really challenging.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

The main thing we have done is to have a sit down discussion with all invited guests and parents as to exactly what the ground rules are for the trip. For example curfew, general house rules,where and when they can leave on their own etc.We have found that if the rules and expectations are put out for everyone including our own kids it makes for a better trip with no problems. I am a true believer in making sure everyone is on the same page before we leave. As for medical consent most hospitals will not accept them unless it is a life or death situation then they will treat the child anyway. The facility at which I work requires a phone consent from a parent or legal guardian before treating anything that is not life threatening. With all your planning IMHO I think you will find that once you take a companion for your child you will never go without one again.We like the fact we do not have to feel as if we need to go along on every adventure. It gives a new meaning to having a vacation with your kids

 

[Junebugwv]

We took our DS15's friend with us last summer and it was a wonderful experience. This September we are taking another friend for him. In both cases it was/is the first time for each young man to visit WDW. Along with a notarized medical permission slip (which I agree with another poster that it would not be needed), we took copies of his insurance cards. I also asked his mom for a typed list of info that would be pertinent in case of an ER visit: full name, address, medical history, weight, height.

I gave them general info about what they would need to take as well as the amount. Last summer I also gave the mom a list of things we provide at the hotel, such as toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, beach towel. We made it clear what we were paying for and suggested an amount for them to take for spending $. I also told the mom that my guys are not interested is buying souvenirs so there would be no pressure for her son to spend much money.

In the case of both the boy who has gone with us and the one that will, they have stayed overnight with us many times and gone on short guy trips with my husband and sons. We knew they would be compatible to our way of life.

 

[YoTony2]

The main thing we have done is to have a sit down discussion with all invited guests and parents as to exactly what the ground rules are for the trip. For example curfew, general house rules,where and when they can leave on their own etc.We have found that if the rules and expectations are put out for everyone including our own kids it makes for a better trip with no problems. I am a true believer in making sure everyone is on the same page before we leave. As for medical consent most hospitals will not accept them unless it is a life or death situation then they will treat the child anyway. The facility at which I work requires a phone consent from a parent or legal guardian before treating anything that is not life threatening. With all your planning IMHO I think you will find that once you take a companion for your child you will never go without one again.We like the fact we do not have to feel as if we need to go along on every adventure. It gives a new meaning to having a vacation with your kids

These are great suggestions. We are about to start bringing our kids friends along on DVC trips, and the pre-travel sit down is a brillant idea!

Many Thanks

 

[wdwfan1]

I also confer that the signed Consent for Treatment is a waste of time.

Enjoy your trip!