Letting Teens Roam Alone @ the Parks

[3boymthr]

Crazy question, but why don't the kids want to go to Universal too?

 

[Corryn]

Hi again,
Thank you for the honest responses!
My girls are responsible - me and DH are disciplinarians, but not too overly strict as we realize our kids are turning into mini-adults and need a little responsibility as they get older!
The friends they chose to bring had to be "cleared" by us before they made their decision. Thankfully, our girls have friends with parents just like us and are also responsible teens. They are not the type to start mixing it up, getting into trouble. They realize the repercussions of their negative actions.

My one sticking point is Halloween Horror Nights. My girls don't want to go and neither do their friends -they're scaredy cats. Me and DH totally enjoy doing HHN's and specifically arrange our trips each fall so we can attend.
I am going to have to talk with the girls' parents before making a final decision on this. I don't want to put anyone's safety in jeopardy. Thanks for your honest answers, and if anyone has any ideas, post them here - thanks!

 

[clc053103]

I would not leave WDW and go to Universal without the kids, but at that age I would feel comfortable letting them go around by themselves, with cell phones.

17 year old kids are minimally chaperoned in the parks every year on their senior trip.

I always laugh with my sister that back in 1979, we were 11 and 13 and were allowed to go around by ourselves all day in the Magic Kingdom! We just met up for lunch with our parents. Definitely, times have changed!

 

[Darcy03231]

How about getting a room at one of Universal's on-site resorts for the night (teens usually love the Hard Rock) and letting them hang out there for the evening. That way you can attend HHN, have an adult beverage or two if you are so inclined and spend the night on-site. US is about a 10 min walk from the Hard Rock.

 

[Carolina Mouse]

I see no problem with it. Once ours hit about 15 or so, we turned them loose if they wanted. But WDW is the only place I feel comfortable doing so. We used these guidelines:

1. Age is less a factor than the individuals. We know ours are smart, and have been taught proper conduct.

2. They are clear that the rules are non-negotiable and zero tolerance. Even one minor violation completely removes this privilege.

3. They each have cell phones and are required to keep them on and pay attention to them. We reserve the right to call any time, and as frequently as we want, and they must answer. If on a ride or show, they must call back as soon as it's over.

4. On-their-own time is limited; most of our time is spent together as a family; getting away from us is the exception, not the rule. If that gets to be an issue, perhaps it will be time for me and Momma to go alone and leave the kids home- or they could pay their own way. Thankfully it's not yet an issue, because we still have a lot of fun together.

5. They will re-read and remember guideline #2!

Being that they have been taught correctly, their cards have charging privileges, so they can feed themselves; any other purchases require a phone call for pre-approval. This has worked with zero problems.

Only way this won't work is for folks that have neglected to give any discipline to their kids as they grew up. In that case, all bets are off!

AWESOME! I could not have said it better. We have let our son go to a park with a friend that traveled with us on one trip. I was absolutely shocked that my DW agreed to it. It was a trial, and they passed. DW and I like to go out alone at least one night, so we order pizza for the kids and tell them to stay in the room. For some reason, I'm not yet comfortable with them wandering around Boardwalk by themselves. Not just yet, anyway.

 

[rwrocksme]

How about getting a room at one of Universal's on-site resorts for the night (teens usually love the Hard Rock) and letting them hang out there for the evening. That way you can attend HHN, have an adult beverage or two if you are so inclined and spend the night on-site. US is about a 10 min walk from the Hard Rock.

Ohhhh. From the teen girl perspective, this sounds fun!

Anyway, when I went with my 2 best friends to Disney for my sweet 16, we were allowed to go around in 3 of the parks by ourselves.Animal Kingdom is a bit different because it was not laid out as well. I've been to Disney 200+ times, and I can't navigate it.

We had fun. The one problem we had was a cast member who was rude to us and didn't want us to use my GAC (I'm in a wheelchair). But I'm stubborn. And I know my rights. So we got on!

Also, have a slow day in the middle of the trip....if you can, maybe even separate them. We didn't, I had a breakdown in the middle of the World Showcase and made Emily cry using some very choice words.

One more thing--don't eat in the fast food spot in China.

 

[Corryn]

How about getting a room at one of Universal's on-site resorts for the night (teens usually love the Hard Rock) and letting them hang out there for the evening. That way you can attend HHN, have an adult beverage or two if you are so inclined and spend the night on-site. US is about a 10 min walk from the Hard Rock.

Ooooh!!!!! That sounds like a great idea!!!!! We stayed at the Hard Rock one night and it's a hop, skip and a jump....

Also the suggestion of separating the kids on the trip - you mean separating the sisters and their friends, like my 15 y.o. with her friend and the 16 y.o. with her friend?

 

[rwrocksme]

Ooooh!!!!! That sounds like a great idea!!!!! We stayed at the Hard Rock one night and it's a hop, skip and a jump....

Also the suggestion of separating the kids on the trip - you mean separating the sisters and their friends, like my 15 y.o. with her friend and the 16 y.o. with her friend?

No. I mean separating all of the girls from each other. If you don't, they'll KILL each other. Let them have some space (well, make them), and the trip will be about 500% more fun.

 

[marvali]

Three sons are currently 19, 16 and 12. Two years ago we let the two older ones roam the park we were in and meet up with us at times, plus they both had cell phones so we could contact each other. Allowed oldest one to stay in DHS a couple extra hours one evening and ride the bus back to the resort. Last summer, we let all three roam together some, even when DW and I stayed at the resort and didn't want to go back in the evening. The two older ones know the rules we have; they are responsible for their younger brother's safety so stick tightly together, AND, if there are any problems with them touring the parks unsupervised then they will spend all of their time within sight of us (BIG deterrent).

Over New Years we had a friend of DS12 with us, and the four of them went back into parks at night without any issues.

Now, all three sons are scouts (oldest is an Eagle, next is a Life Scout working on Eagle). DS19 is currently in a Military college and DS16 plays football and wrestles (DS19 also wrestled in HS) so that also plays into our decision.

Overall, with so many CMs easily found at WDW and so many security measures in place, I think your girls will be okay within reason if they have been taught what to do if put in a compromising situation (scream, draw attention, etc.) and about avoiding dangerous situations (dark, out of the way places at resorts, traveling alone). Only you can decide their level of responsibility and preparation to know if they will do the right things, stay in groups and can handle less parental supervision. Just make sure like anything else they understand the rules, the dangers, and the consequences if they aren't followed.