Trip with 16 year old's this summer?

[SunshineSneezy]

We're going to be travelling to WDW with 18 people this August with some family-friends, and it's considered a birthday present for 4 of the party members who are turning sixteen. We want to get them their freedom, but with limits. We'd like for them to be independent and do more things on their own. They've been to WDW plenty of times before so they'll be able to navigate fine. But how much freedom is too much? Any ideas on how to plan how much independence they will get?

P.S. We'll be eating our meals together.

 

[The Hendies]

I'll bet each one of them has a cell phone right? You know the kids better than anyone else, so you are the only one who can truly decide. We started letting our kids wander around the same park we were in, but they quickly earned our trust and we even let them go off to another park without us. And this before cell phones! Funny, though, they didn't stay away from us very much. We go to WDW as a family, for the family, so splitting up defeats the purpose of a 'Family Vacation'. That is their choice, not ours!

 

[TraceyDisney2008]

I am taking two 16 year olds in August and the way we have decided to do things is that we will all start the day at Rope Drop together and when the girls are ready/ wanting to go to their own thing or we are ready to take a break and they are not we will split up. We will then meet for our scheduled ADR that evening. Everyone must have dinner together. I have no problem leaving the girls in the parks alone as long as they stay together. Our only rule is no Downtown Disney alone after 7pm as I have not seen as much security (but I am sure it would still be fine). We have a schedule of parks for each day so I will atleast know what parks they are in.

 

[iluveeyore]

We are going this August as well, and DD (14) is taking her best friend who is also 14. They have their own passes, and we have told them they can come and go as they please, except to meet up with us to eat a few times. (We're in a 2 bedroom with another family, so there is always food they can fix if we're not there). We went in '06 when her brothers were 14 and 15 and brought friends, and they were able to do whatever they wanted. She's more mature and responsible than they are even now, so I have no problem with her freedom and neither does her friend's mother. She has been going to WDW every year since she was 4, so she knows her way around very well, and how to ask a CM for help if needed. She's actually very excited to show her friend around everywhere since she's never been before. After years of being my park buddy, she's excited for me to 'cut the cord' and let her enjoy things her way. Although she has said she wants us to join them for neat things like Wishes and Fantasmic, so I'm still part of the 'loop' while we're away.

 

[Aliceacc]

Forgive me the mind of a high school teacher who has done a lot of chaperoning.

Are the teens all the same gender? Are they "couples" or "just friends"??

 

[SnowandMittens]

Let them roam the parks by themselves until the meal later. They'll be adults in 2 years, and if they all have cell phones and are good about keeping in touch, they'll be fine.

DO however, make it a rule that they NEED to be good about communication and that you can revoke the freedom if they aren't meeting for dinners or not contacting you back, etc...

As long as it's more than a group of one, they'll have a fantastic time!

 

[disneyatl]

We are going in November with my DD15 (two months from being 16) and her best friend. I asked her the other day if they were going to hang with us sometimes and she said "why would you ask that?" I told her I thought they'd want to separate from us some and she said "no". I'm excited she wants to stay with us!