Solo activities for a 14 yr old? (Feb 2022)

[DISNEY1975]

The deluxe resorts have many daily/nightly activities. She might like movie under the stars, cookie decorating at Saana, story telling by the campfire. Try to make your date night a little later in the evening and after a few days at Disney. She will probably be tired enough to appreciate and want an early bedtime! Even my 17 yo crashes as soon as her head hits the pillow at Disney, regardless of the time. At home, she is up until 2am!!!

 

[Psymonds]

You know your kid best. DS started breaking off from us in the parks around 14 to do stuff on his own. I’m not sure if he would’ve felt comfortable doing any transport alone? Never tried back then. Maybe though.

You’re staying at AKL which has so much to offer right there. Maybe suggest different things available. I’d have recommended for DS walk the animal trails, check out the store, getting food at Mara maybe to bring back to the room and anything else there that interested him. Then let them ultimately decide when the time comes. If she’s comfortable it’s a nice experience to spread her wings a bit in a relatively very safe space. It could be fun for her to have a budget to shop and eat and explore. Good prep for navigating the world. She might enjoy the ‘adulting’ aspect. Pushing our comfort zone isn’t always bad and it can help build confidence. If she’s not up for it that day, plan B hanging in the room isn’t horrible either. No biggy, there’s always next time. I don’t see anything wrong considering something like this. It’s also fine to balance all of your families needs, some may even say healthy. These kind of skills need to be developed and within reason WDW offers a pretty safe environment.

agree,

we let DS12 go on rides by himself (with phone) and have worked up from waiting outside the ride while he does this to going on an adjacent ride, to letting him go to one across the park. I think it's your understanding of how they will behave, what they're comfortable with and what the "safety valve" is: in our case, if there's any issue, he's to call us, and if he can't get either of us he's to go to a designated spot and wait.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

My daughter and I are frequent WDW visitors but in February my husband is coming with us for the first time in years (last visit in my profile pic from 5 yrs ago). It's likely that DH will propose a date night (which doesn't have to happen at night) at some point during his part of our trip (4 nights, DD and I are staying longer). I'm beginning to brainstorm things DD (will be 14) could do by herself besides hang out in the room on electronics.

However, she's far more capable than she thinks she is. She's very mature for her age and used to interacting with adults, but she's an introvert, tends to be anxious about new experiences, and is not terribly bold about asking for attention from cast members. Something she has a ticket to (or at least a designated start time) would probably go over better than something she to navigate that might be interpreted by her as "imposing" on anyone else. Unfortunately, it looks like most organized activities require a parent to participate along with teens. Is there something I'm missing?

This will be one of the first trips she's officially allowed to enter the parks solo, though she's looked old enough for some time and no one ever questioned her when she has gone through the turnstiles without me (usually because I was stuck in bag check, which is no longer as much of an issue). But I'm not sure going to the parks solo will be something she's excited about.

Other ideas? We'll be at Animal Kingdom Lodge, btw.

I'm far past 14 now, but at 14 my idea of a perfect evening at AKL would have been doing the hidden mickey hunt around the resort, taking photos of each one to document, and by the time I got finished having a set amount of cash to buy myself a 'prize' in the gift shop, then grabbing pizza and watching TV in the room with a hot chocolate...

I mean, swap the hot choc for a glass of wine and at 33 that's still a great evening tbh...

 

[DL1WDW2]

This seems weird…the trip is in 2/22 and OP posted in May and no response from her…Maybe not interested in assistance anymore.
No clue

 

[Sinder]

I think it would work best if she wanted to watch a movie in your room. I don't consider it a good idea to let a young teen walk around on their own no matter where you go on vacation. Perhaps your husband should wait on that 'date night' until you are back home.

Perhaps the OP knows that her 14 year old is mature enough to walk around on their own in WDW.

OP, since you guys are frequent visitors maybe just ask her what she would like to do if she had the chance to be out on her own there. She may have some ideas of her own, or she may just want to hang out and chill in the room or by the resort pool.