TWEETYS???? My son just invite his best friend to join us!!!

[disneymom71]

After planning our WDW Family Vacations, finally tonight I just received the confirmation that my son's best friend (12) is coming with us....

Any ideas dealing with Tweetys (12)and my daugther who is 5.....How independant I will allowed them to be...We are staying at ASmu with connecting rooms but just wondering how secure will be to let them hang ourt around the hotel or parks??? Including the Water Parks....


Please need your wisely advice.....

 

[Briarprincess]

It really depends on their maturity and responsibility levels. At ASMu, I would say, if they can be respectful of others, let them have their run of the place. It's great for preteens/teens to spend timd. For the parks, I think you could let them go on their own if you knew what park they would be in and they were willing to check in at some point during the day, or even better, if you were in the same park as them, just not "with them". Waterparks, probably the same as the regular parks. Would you be able to give them a cell phone to use in case of emergency? Is your son one of those 12 year old kids who thinks they're "too cool" for their younger sibling? Cause if not, and they get along well, you might ask him and his friend to stick around with you one day to take his sister on rides. It'd be a special thing for both of them, especially her-- her great big brother and his friend are showing her around DISNEY WORLD!
I'm only 18, and my sister is 23, but when she was like 15 (I know, there is a difference in the age but she wasn't a very responsible person!! ) my parents let her go to "Japan" by herself in WS for the first time while my mom, dad, aunt, uncle and I did some rides (I was 10 so it was great having FOUR adults offering to do rides with me). If you think they can be trusted alone in the parks, I would say go for it and let them have some freedom

 

[EthansMom]

It really depends upon the kids, but I think that generally 12 year-old boys are a bit immature to be doing a lot on their own. I wouldn't let them go off to the pool on their own for safety reasons -- you never know if the lifeguard is paying attention. Also, I wouldn't let them wander the hotel on their own because there isn't much reason to it. If your daughter needs a nap in the afternoon, maybe DH could take the boys to the pool or wilder rides then?

If your DD isn't interested or able to ride some of the wilder rides, then I would send DH off with them while you do the kiddie rides with DD. (That's the way we do it. DH and DS will pull fastpasses for a ride like Splash Mountain and DD and I will meet up with them later. By using fastpass, we avoid them having to wait in a long lines.)

If they just being amazing kids, then I might let them go off alone to do something important to them, BUT I would have them take a cell phone (warning: some coverage/reception is spotty at WDW) and I would let them know exactly where/when I expected them to meet me. For instance, maybe let them spend an afternoon alone together at DisneyQuest and meet them outside the entrance at X time.

Just my opinion....

 

[disneymom71]

Thanks for all your ideas.......I LUV this board!!!!

 

[Mom to Jordan]

12 is such a hard age. YES, I have a 12 year old DS too. It really is the boarder line as to let them have some independence or not. My thoughs are to give them just a little bit. In the parks, let then maybe do TOT and R&R and then meet back with you. Let them walk to the food court, or arcade but you be perhaps 30 minutes behind them.Always with a cell phone. I think they would be fine to hang out in the room with a pizza and TV for a hour or so as long as you were at the resort perhaps having dinner in the food court or pool with your DD. I think the age for being in the pool without an adult is 14, and I'm not sure that is a really safe idea anyway .
I think it is inportant to talk with the parents of the friend and be sure that you are in agreement as to what is ok for the boys. We have considered taking a friend for DS next year. Please let us know how it goes.

Jordan's mom

 

[Disney_1derland]

Well, at that age I was allowed to be inside the same park as my parents but off on my own and we had to meet every 4-5 hours. My mom was big on making us have lunch together then splitting back up. I think now I would make them carry a cell phone turned on at all times so we could check in with them. Also, at the resort, give them guidelines......They are NEVER to go into anyone else's room but their own. They are to use one pool specifically so you can walk down and check on them when you want to, they are NOT to leave the resort without checking with you first.

Really, it's up to the maturity level of the kids. At that age I could have had the run of the property and been just fine, but I know some 12 year olds who just couldn't handle that responsibility.