Teens unsupervised?

[marybrat]

This year when we go to WDW, the kids will be 14 and 17. We are thinking we will let them hang out without us some of the time. Our plan is that they have to be in the same park as us and they will have their cell phones on. Anyone let their teens go off together or are we crazy?

 

[mjkacmom]

I let my 15 and 17 year olds take the bus into NYC, take the train down the shore, drive to Great Adventure to spend the day. Dd17 takes the bus alone 5 hours to visit her boyfriend in Boston for the weekend.

I'd have no problem giving them some freedom at WDW!

 

[3princes+1princess]

I let my boys, 13, 10, and 8 go off by themselves (but together) at DW to ride on rides that my daughter can't go on and we don't enjoy. I would have no problem with it whatsoever

 

[JillyBean1899]

This year when we go to WDW, the kids will be 14 and 17. We are thinking we will let them hang out without us some of the time. Our plan is that they have to be in the same park as us and they will have their cell phones on. Anyone let their teens go off together or are we crazy?

Do you trust your kids to behave and not act stupid? That's the biggest concern. My mom let us loose when we were 12 & 14, before cell phones. She knew that we knew the parks well, and we had to meet up with her at a certain place and time, otherwise our wandering privileges got revoked.

 

[SEA333]

Not crazy at all. My 13 and 8 year old rode Star Tours about 8 times last time in DHS, and I shopped. They went swimming at the quiet pool at POR together with 9 year old DD, too.

DS is in 8th grade and walks home from school every day, has taken the metra train from our suburban downtown to the downtown a couple stops away to make orthodontist appointments in the summer (so I don't have to take off work), knows how to get around in Downtown Chicago, and will be riding the suburban city busses to and from high school in a few short months. If he can do all of that, he can certainly navigate Disney! He can read a map, isn't shy about asking adults for directions/information, and is a responsible, well-mannered kid who remembers to say thank you and hold doors for people. I have no problems at all letting him go off and do things alone. Even better would be to have someone his age to do it with...we often bring my 15 year old nephew with us so they can hang out together, and DD9 and DS8 can pair up with us.

 

[Hannathy]

For heavens sake yes at those ages! Mine were a lot younger than that. The 17 yr old has to be a high school senior or soon , I would hope a Senior could handle anything at Disney, or they are going to be in big trouble when they leave for school.

Remember tens of thousands of band kids go to Disney and are off in small groups alone and they can be in 7th grade.


It wouldn't even have crossed my mind that there would be a problem with it.

 

[AZMermaid]

Totally. I would let Jr High age kids do what you described. I would be willing to let high schoolers be in a different park- or at the park while I am at the room.

The only way I would not allow a 17 year old to do this is if he/she has proven to be untrustworthy in a way that I strongly felt they would leave WDW altogether, drink/ drugs, or ditch the sibling.

 

[3Gsandme]

This year when we go to WDW, the kids will be 14 and 17. We are thinking we will let them hang out without us some of the time. Our plan is that they have to be in the same park as us and they will have their cell phones on. Anyone let their teens go off together or are we crazy?

If they agreed to stick together and keep their phones charged, I'd have no problems

 

[MSSANDRA]

We pretty much were ok with those rules when DS was 13 and we tend to be a bit more hovering than some of our friends. At 17, I would pretty much be ok with freedom anywhere on property and using WDW transportation. It's the perfect place to let them spread their wing a bit. They will be fine.

 

[poohfriend77]

My DDs were 11 and (almost) 9 on our last trip, and we gave them a bit of freedom (go to bathroom alone if we were nearby having a snack, ride Primeval Whirl multiple times while we waited in a gift shop, etc.) We didn't totally split up, because we all like doing the same things anyway (except PW... my neck and back can't take that one! ).

I think there are really two questions here:
Is it acceptable for 17 and 14-year olds to go on their own? Absolutely!
Do I want to allow my family to split up on our family vacation? Well, that's a tougher one. I wouldn't allow my teens to split from us for the entire week, because it's our family time. But I would not hesitate to let them go off by age 11 or 12, to have a little "free" time, or so DH and I could have a nice dinner. By 17 and 14, I'd be fine with them going to a different park or staying out for EMH while I go back to bed.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Your 17 year old is old enough to drive and have a job. I think that is plenty old enough to be in a different park with their 14 year old sibling.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

That I definitely old enough! Our school takes 8th grade kids to an amusement park for their field trip, and the kids go off in groups or pairs. My boys are 12 and 13, and I was disappointed when Disney made the rule that they have to be 14 to enter the park without an adult. I would have no problem with my boys going into a park without us. Sometimes they want to sleep at the hotel, and I want to get to rope drop. Now I will have to walk back to the gate to get them in.

We actually do spend most of our time together on a family vacation, but sometimes it's nice to have the option of splitting up if we don't all want to do the same things.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My DS is 14. Last time we went he was 11 and pretty immature for his age. Next trip he will be 15. I am definitely letting him go off alone and he will most likely take DD9. It'll be nice for them to make some memories of their own.

To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to some time away from them. And I'm sure they will be thrilled to be away from me. I'm also looking forward to them heading to the pool before I'm actually ready and me being able to get dressed alone. Instead of being hounded "are you ready...can we go..hurry mom....how much longer mom.....can we go now mom...."

Before you judge, we stay in a studio....for 10-11 nights. I get a bit stir crazy with them up my butt for 11 days straight. Plus a car ride from NJ.

By day 5 it's all

 

[jezebel73]

I plan to let my 14-year-old niece and almost 10 yr daughter have some freedom this fall. We are a family that likes/chooses to be together most of the time, but I would be completely fine with them going ahead to the food court of the hotel while I finished getting ready in the morning or doing a couple of rides while I shop or grab a drink. They're both very responsible and would have cell phones as well.

The only thing that freaks me out is the pool because they'd want to use the quiet pool with no lifeguards and I won't go for that without an adult there.

 

[marybrat]

Thanks everyone. My kids are very well behaved so I'm not concerned that they will cause or get into trouble. We will be in WDW for 11 days, so we will have lots of family time. There are just some thing they don't like to do, like the WS in Epcot. DH and I enjoy walking around the showcase and shopping, eating, drinking around the world.

 

[Asnell]

I'm glad you asked this question, as I was considering how much "leeway" we'll want to give our boys next year, when they'll be 12 and almost 15. I can see my husband and I wanting to have a "date night" at a nicer restaurant while the boys might go to the arcade and QS restaurant nearby.

Certainly within the same park I'd allow them to go to a different ride and meet back up with us, as they have phones. I'll have to give some thought to whether we'll allow them to go between the park and hotel without us. It's certainly a possibility.

 

[Greyhound22]

We have been discussing letting our DD's 15 & 13 have a "little" freedom this Summer. Sounds very similar to what your situation is. I'd agree with everyone else who has been posting. I think we will let our daughters with the same stipulations this year (together, same park, cells on, etc.).

Good luck, I'm sure they'll be fine.

 

[kohlby]

I don't have teens yet. However, I went to Disney with the Boy Scouts one year and was able to go around the parks without adults. (My brother was in the pack and my mother was a chaperone. Plus, one of my best friends was the scout master's daughter). I can't remember if I was 14 or 15. My friend was a year younger. We did not have cell phones, as this was 25 years ago or so. Our parents weren't in the parks with us either. The rules were to stay together, tell somewhere where we were going when we left the campsite and be back in time for dinner. We had a great time and really enjoyed our freedom!

When my kids are older, I'll be okay with them roaming around the parks without us as long as they use the buddy system and check in when they're supposed to with us. (Not sure about cell phones, as I still don't have one).

 

[maciec]

That I definitely old enough! Our school takes 8th grade kids to an amusement park for their field trip, and the kids go off in groups or pairs. My boys are 12 and 13, and I was disappointed when Disney made the rule that they have to be 14 to enter the park without an adult. I would have no problem with my boys going into a park without us. Sometimes they want to sleep at the hotel, and I want to get to rope drop. Now I will have to walk back to the gate to get them in.

We actually do spend most of our time together on a family vacation, but sometimes it's nice to have the option of splitting up if we don't all want to do the same things.

Where did you find out the information about them having to be 14 to enter without an adult?

***** I found it - thanks anyway!

 

[happymommy]

They must not enforce that rule about 14 years old to enter the park alone. My nephew went to meet his friend at the parks several nights without his parents (took the bus from AKL) and had no issues - he wasn't 14.

I definitely don't see any issues with letting two teens go around the parks without their parents at all.