Taking a friend???

[ajh88]

I'm a long time Disboarder, but I've been AWOL for awhile. We have traveled to Disney several times (18? I lose track...) over the past 15 years. Early trips included my stepson (now 24), then both he and my daughter (now 14), and now we have a toddler (2). My stepson doesn't come with us anymore - he's married now and is responsible for his own trips.

Anyway, we are thinking of letting our daughter, who will be 15 on our next trip in May, invite a friend. We are willing to foot the bill, save souvenirs, but I was just looking for some yea or nay insights. It will obviously change the dynamic a bit, but I think it would make things more fun for her.

Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated!

 

[tcherjen]

Our past three trips have involved our son and his friend in tow. It has been great for them. They explore and have a great time. His friend brings his own money for souvenirs. It has worked out awesome for us. For his upcoming 18th birthday we will be taking him and his two friends. One hasn't ever been to DW before.

 

[hollybearsmom]

We are taking our dd (17) friend with us. We talked to the parents about expected behavior and how much freedom the girls would have. They pay airfare and spendin money. Hoping it turns out to be a great experience.

 

[kddlm]

My DD who will be turning 16 day after our Fantasy cruise ends is bringing her best friend. The parents are paying for airfare and her cruise portion (we are staying on DVC points so she was cash) and she has her own credit card for spending $$ since we will be staying in WDW a few days after cruise. She came with us to WDW for a long weekend in Sept. and my DD has gone away with them as well. No issues or problems anticipated! If past experience on the Fantasy holds true, we will rarely even see them! IMO you just need to know the child and be close/comfortable with the parents. Her friend is totally comfortable around us and she is treated as another daughter would be (rules, etc..). We always have them sign a medical authorization form authorizing us to act on their behalf in the event of an emergency and it includes their medical insurance information. Also there is a specific minor authorization form that needs to be signed by them by DCL as well.

 

[J'aime Paris]

We let DD invite her BFF to come along with our family for her 16th bday.
We paid for everything except for spending money.
We had connecting rooms at POP. The girls had their space/privacy, and it was more comfortable for DH too.
Having a second bathroom also made getting ready much smoother.
The girls had a blast, and I wouldn't hesitate doing it again in the future!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Bringing a friend is always nice. You figured out the hard part, what you're covering for her. For the most part, my friend and I were allowed to go off in the parks by ourselves. If we had an ADR, we had a time and a place to meet. There were one or two days when we were asked to stay with our group and spend time altogether, but we were given a lot of free reign in the parks.