Oldest child getting tired of Disney!!

Can your dh and ds do other things in Disney while you take the younger ones to the parks? Or have dh and ds have a vacation of their own, male bonding type stuff, while you do disney? My hubby and ds go fishing in the keys while dd and I do disney.

Even when ds was younger, he'd do a little time in the parks, then be done, whereas dd wanted to go all day long. We'd split up. We stayed in the cabins at Ft. Wilderness once and rented a golf cart. DD and I went to MK, dh and ds slept late, watched tv in the cabin and ate junk food, drove the golf cart for hours around the fort, etc. It was a great day for all :)

Dh and ds have parasailed at the contemporary, done bass fishing there too, there's disney quest at downtown disney, bowling & the movies.

If ds said Hawaii, would the caribbean or Mexico be a good alternative?
 
My answer might not make people happy, but I am totally obsessed with Disney, so I would tell my boys, "When you pay for the vacation, you get to decide where you go!! If you don't want to go, you can go stay with GRandma. I'm still going!!"
 
...

Problem with him lately is he never seem to wants to do anything. Even at home on weekends, he doesn't want to mini golf or go hiking or do anything he used to want to do. I suppose I'm new at dealing with this teenage angst.

Ouch! That is tough. It sounds normal that he wants to "separate" himself from the rest of the family, as a new way of asserting his independence. But given that he had a good time last year, I could see being hesitant to leave him since it could just as easily turn out that when the trip comes around, he is upset that the family "excluded" him... Is his interest in Hawaii really an interest or do you think he was saying something that he knew you wouldn't do so that he could "prove" that he'd be unhappy no matter what?

I have no answers; just hope that you all get through this stage ok.

....

Even when ds was younger, he'd do a little time in the parks, then be done, whereas dd wanted to go all day long. We'd split up. We stayed in the cabins at Ft. Wilderness once and rented a golf cart. DD and I went to MK, dh and ds slept late, watched tv in the cabin and ate junk food, drove the golf cart for hours around the fort, etc. It was a great day for all :)

Dh and ds have parasailed at the contemporary, done bass fishing there too, there's disney quest at downtown disney, bowling & the movies.

If ds said Hawaii, would the caribbean or Mexico be a good alternative?

This totally cracks me up, especially driving the golf cart all over the place! HAHAHA!

I know this sounds totally fake and cheesy, but would doing the Luau at the poly be something OP's son would be into? Or would he be too cool for school anyway? Man, I am not looking forward to puberty with my kids.
 
My daughter is 13 and is in that stage where she wants to just stay in her room and text her friends or play video games. Her favorite vacations are Disney cruises. If you could swing it you should try one. The little kids will still have character interactions and your oldest can go to the teen clubs. We also have done a couple weekend getaways to cities but it is just her and I for those.
 

Cruises are a good idea, however the reason we haven't done one is because I get very motion sick on boats. I have not ever been on a cruise ship though so I don't know if it would bother me or not. It is something I will at least look into.
 
Cruises are a good idea, however the reason we haven't done one is because I get very motion sick on boats. I have not ever been on a cruise ship though so I don't know if it would bother me or not. It is something I will at least look into.

I get very motion sick on boats too. Can't be on a fishing type boat in a bay. Only on a lake if the water is 100% flat. I also can't do a cartwheel or summersault anymore, can't go on a merry-go-round, etc. Can't ride in the back of a car, and even have trouble in the passenger seat sometimes. But I can cruise. I take Bonine a day before the ship leaves and take it each night on the cruise. I've only had sea sickness once (we've been on many cruises), but we had 23' seas that day, so everyone was seasick.
 
I'm in the same predicament. Have an almost 13yo and almost 3yo. We just got back from spring break and my 13yo asked to try something new and take a break from Disney. He's been to Disney a lot. We are going to try a cruise for Christmas and next spring break, some long weekend beach trips in between and then back to Disney Christmas 2018. It's a hard balance with an age gap but I want the youngest to have the same great experiences in Disney that the oldest did. However I am going to be working in some trips more geared for him...which sounds like what your doing with D.C. I will say we stayed the GF and I gave him time to go back to the room while we were at the pool or go to gasparilla and grab a snack to give him some breaks. Also we rented boats and he could drive and thought that was the best thing ever! I think it was his favorite part of the trip. You have to be 12 to take one of the small ones out by yourself. We rented a bigger one and drove by him but the CM at the Marina said parents drop off their 12yo and let them go out alone(there are tons of boat police everywhere). Good luck! It's not easy being parents of teens. Mine is the same way moping around one minute and back to normal the next!..honestly I think the three year old is easier most of the time:rolleyes1
 
What about giving him a bit of freedom on the Disney trips? Pick a day or two that he gets to walk around the parks for a few hours wiout you. If he thinks Disney is for little kids, then walking around by himself may help him feel like he's not being treated like a little kid.
 
When DS was 1 we started going to Disney every year. When DS was 8 and DD was 6 we started alternating years between Disney and Cruises. They both like Disney but have become Disney'd out. They are now 18 and 16 and would much rather be on a cruise. It has something for everyone. This past spring break DS asked if we could go to Mexico. So, we went with another family to Cabo San Lucas. Had enough airline points for the airfare and we found a condo on VRBO that was $1400 for the week ($700 per family). 3 Bedroom, 3 Bath, Full Kitchen, Washer/Dryer, 2 Decks overlooking a Marina. It was a lot of fun and much cheaper than Disney by far.

I am one of those that likes her family vacations every year and can't imagine not going with any of the kids. DS starts college this fall and we already have a cruise booked that leaves New Years Eve. He will still be on break and DD will have to miss a few days of school, but she is fine with that. They both have different spring breaks now so will have to find other ways to vacation together. (and they both still want to so that is a plus).

So, maybe try and think of other places. I think a cruise or beach vacation is what a lot of teens like.
 
I think a lot of it is your frequent trips. My sister's two teens have never been and are super excited to go for the first time next year. Its a blessing you can go so often but the novelty has worn off for your son. Maybe give him a day to chose everything to do - pool day, Disney Springs, la nouba etc. if worse comes to worse, my friend's daughter chose just to hang back at the resort by herself some of the days!
 
At around 13 we switched to, bring a friend, here's a park hopper, go have fun and we will meet up for meals here and there during the day.
 
If he doesn't want to stay behind, and in general, doesn't seem to like to do anything as you indicated, then majority rules. Just go, but try to do some things you've never done before. There is so much to do there.

We have gone numerous times and I would agree that it might get a little boring if we did the same thing every time. Last time, we tried the dessert party which was new. Over the years, we have transitioned into more of the thrill rides as the kids have gotten older. We have always stayed off-site because we like having a huge place where everyone gets their own bedroom. Our next trip will be on-site for a change of pace. In the future, we may concentrate more on dining as a change of pace. There are still many things we haven't done yet and we are still excited for each and every trip.
 
My 13 year old son has never even been to Disney, and he is already balking. He wants to bring a friend and be independent. Which would be awesome if I had room in the car or the budget for an 8th person! He wants to stay home with his Nana and sleep all day while we are gone! It's just the age.
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE







New Posts







DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top