Trip planning with Teenagers

[Wendydagny]

Though we've been to Disney many times, this next trip will be the first where we have a pair of teenagers who are old enough to both go off on their own. We want to make sure we plan enough together time, that we make sure they actually eat, but also that they have the opportunity to go off together and explore. We will be onsite for 10 days at the Poly. How have you planned a successful trip that allows freedom for your teenagers, especially in the era of FP+?

Thanks!

 

[mgentry210]

We've taken our niece 3 times now from ages 14 to 16. I give her the most freedom at the pool. Just check in every hour. I think it depends on the kid. I see you are staying at the wilderness lodge. She doesn't know I can see her from the room.

 

[AuntDJ]

I am interested in what everyone has to say! After many trips with small ones they are all grown and we are headed back after 8 years with a 18 and a 19 year old.

My thoughts in planning are that I am planning our meals and FP+, then if the older adults get tired we can head back to our room and that is when the "young" ones will get their freedom to roam.

 

[MomofKatie]

Teens don't love getting up at the crack of dawn to make rope drop every day. I let DD and her friends sleep in a bit and take the bus to the park later. We set a time to meet up and keep in contact via text/call.

Factor in pool time! When DD was younger, she wanted to be at the parks all day. As a teen, she wants to take afternoon breaks almost every day to get in some face time at the resort pool.

Shopping becomes very important, especially in Epcot WS. DD and her friends wanted to go to the stores in Japan, China, Morocco, and UK almost every day (and spend lots of time just browsing).

Get hoppers- the girls really loved going to Epcot almost every night. They liked going to 2 parks in a day, or being able to hit up one or two favorite rides every day, no matter what park we were "officially" visiting that day.

Make sure cell phones are charged fully every morning, and vibrate is on. Turn volume up to max, so they can hear when you call. We carried around a charging cable and a portable battery charger. I also let the girls know where the charging stations were at each park and made them check their battery often. You don't want to be unable to get in touch when you need to.

Teens eat a lot and snack often! Make sure they have either charging privileges on their magic bands, or give them gift cards, cash, or a debit card to use for food when you aren't together. Lots of sit down dining might not be best when they are teens- sometimes it is hard to get them to meet up at a certain time and place, and they tend to just get a little something here and there all day and night. Ours loved the F&W Festival and used all of their snack credits eating around the WS.

Plan on together time, but also know that they will want to spend time without Mom and Dad. Being able to roam around the parks, resort, and other areas is pretty exciting for them. It is up to you to set limits (can they go wherever, whenever, or do you want them in the same park as you? How late can they stay out? Where can they go alone?) and enforce consequences if they break your rules.

I can't comment on fp+- the last time we visited, we were still using "old school" fps.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I do like to Rope Drop...so I guess that really depends on your teen.

Try and plan all your FPs for a certain part of the day, either all in the morning/afternoon/evening. Allot a certain amount of time for them to explore and make sure everyone has their cell phones on them and charged. I really enjoyed being allowed to travel to the parks and explore by myself even after my family was done exploring, and taking advantage of late EMH hours.

 

[Donnainnj]

When we went it was with five 16 year olds. Two different trips. Only one in each group was ours. We had fp+ for the last trip. For the trip with fp+ I made our ride plans overlap when we wanted the same rides, but let them decide what they wanted theirs for. Even when they overlapped we rarely saw them on line. I only planned one or two early mornings, one was breakfast at the castle. The other mornings we worked around their clock. We were always in the same park and they were told to stay together. We met up to eat at least one sit-down meal, and tended to meet up before nighttime entertainment. One trip we were on free dining, the second I had gift cards for each girl for each day to cover their counter service meal and their snacks. Both trips were in August so I made it a point to go over staying hydrated, and that you can get free ice water anywhere there is a soda fountain.

 

[joanchris]

When we went in Oct 2014 we had our 15 yr old and our 16 yr old exchange student. We went together to the parks almost every day (the couple of times they went alone one of us had to drive since we stayed off site---easier for you staying on site), but as soon as we got there we set them loose to hit a couple of top rides first thing before crowds. We didn't schedule any fastpasses until later. We planned to meet up after they hit the big rides, so they would text usually when they were done. We'd meet up by lunch (usually early since we skipped breakfast most days). Most of our fastpasses were scheduled for after lunch, some were scheduled for just them, some for all of us.
Are they interested in scheduling with you and having input? My daughter gets as much out of scheduling as she does out of the trip itself! Towards the end of the trip they stayed late a couple of nights when we were too beat to stay out. Again, staying so centrally located at the Poly makes them being independent much easier for all involved. My girls were required to text every couple of hours (I told them every hour expecting every 2 hours which I got!) just so I knew all was well with them. Usually they just texted a photo/selfie, which was good enough for me.

 

[pixarmom]

I always think the "Disney with teens" threads are interesting, and agree entirely with those who say that it depends on the teens. Our teen boys are ages 15 and 16 (and then we also have a younger son) and they are different from many of those I've seen described on these threads.

Our teens aren't really interested in going off on their own. We've offered for them to do stuff on their own, and they aren't shy or clingy, but they always choose to stick with us. Same on DCL. The there are a few exceptions, like the day I ran the marathon needed some rest and my husband watched a playoff game in the club lounge. Our teens took their little brother to MK for a few hours. Also, when my husband arrived later than the rest of us and went to the runDisney expo to get his stuff, we didn't want the kids to have to go back to the expo again, so they went to DHS and Epcot for a few hours. And then usually once per trip, my husband and I grab a drink in the lounge - but that's our choice, not theirs! And they are free to go do something during that time, but they often watch a movie in the room or shop at the resort.

Also, our kids have been going to Disney since they were tiny, so they know the value of rope drop. FP+ does make it easier to sleep in a little, but they usually want to get to rope drop anyway - it's just less crowded and more fun.

Other differences: our teens are into silly, fun stuff generally. So we still do a couple character meals, they still think Hoop Dee Doo is fun and they won't shy away from a good character photo. They wear ear hats and carry their stuff in silly string bags. They like fun custom order cakes. They appreciate good theming in resorts and restaurants and since we travel to non-Disney locations frequently, they tend to prefer enjoying all the fun themed stuff at Disney while we're there. They dress in costume (including full princess dresses) for runDisney races and get up super early for those.

In thinking about what has changed, I guess their tastes are getting increasingly expensive! Not just more food, but better quality food is important to them. So we're able to enjoy more signatures and choose meals for the food and not just the experience. Also, they love an "eat around the World" day at Epcot where we stop in each country for a snack and share it. They also love Food and Wine (minus the wine) and Flower and Garden for the food kiosks. And finally, they appreciate the overall environment and atmosphere at Disney - not just the parks. So that's fun to see.

So in the end, I entirely agree that it depends on the teen! Our kids have opinions and are happy to share them, so if OP's teens are interested in participating in the planning, that will help a ton!

 

[SanDiegoDayTripper]

Chiming in-- I went this past summer with my 16 yo daughter for a week. I completely agree with many previous posters who recommended bringing the teens in on the planning. My daughter had a few ride requests, definitely wanted to shop (not possible with brothers and dad on a trip!) and had many restaurant requests!

I was happily surprised that she wanted a character meal, so we actually did two, the dinner at the Garden Grill, which we picked for the family-style food and the mellow atmosphere, and the Crystal Palace buffet for breakfast food and her buddies from the Hundred Acre Wood. Ask teens what they want to do! You will be surprised!

One of the great things about traveling with teens is the ability to have nice sit-down meals for lunch or dinner. We were on a dining plan with one table service a day. We mostly planned lunches, to get an hour or so of A/C and a comfortable seat. Favorites for us were Le Cellier, Sci-Fi Dine In, BOG, and Yak & Yeti. Loved being able to try varied cuisine and not just stick to the old stand-bys (again, brothers and dad!).

As far as touring and Rope Drop, we varied each day. We both wanted a few sleep-in days, one off day, hit two rope drops, and came back every afternoon for a break and a nap in the A/C. Yes, we napped! The heat is killer! One night the MK was open until 3 am and we closed it down! There was also one day that she really wanted to sleep, so I went to MK. She slept, texted me when she woke up, and I met her at the Grand Floridian for lunch. She took to boat from Wilderness to the Contemp, and the monorail from there. I felt that was safe for her age, and I talked to her on the phone when she got on the monorail.

I would completely recommend having the teen help plan, add in a few extra sleep hours, take advantage of more adult palates and sit-down meals, and give them a few free times to do their own thing. As ever, also plan for the unexpected