What age teenager would you let roam?

[5kidsmommy]

Age 14 for my kids is the age I am okay with them going off on their own. They rarely ever want to though, they prefer to stay with us.

 

[Accident]

I believe the official disney age to enter a park alone is 14. I think it depends on the child and you'll know if your teens are responsible and able to navigate and get themselves where they need to be.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I suppose it might be helpful to turn the question around, why are you asking?

If you are asking, then there is probably at least a kernel of doubt in your mind. Perhaps the answer is to find that kernel and decide how best to satisfy it.

Maybe just hearing others are okay with that age is enough. I'm not trying to be alarmist or anything.

At the one end - I don't know you - maybe some folks aren't okay with sending off their kids because they - the adults - suffer from anxiety of some kind, or they would simply miss their children.

On the opposite spectrum, there's no real reason your kids HAVE to go off by themselves. If the whole point of your trip is to spend a few days together having fun together, that is okay as well. If your sons are teenagers, they will likely be living independently in the very near future. It is also fine to opt for together time this trip.

 

[cduff0908]

I've gone on Marching Band trips and Choir trips and the high school kids (ages 14-18) go by themselves.

 

[lustergirl]

Sounds old enough for me. I would make sure they have a cell phone in case.

 

[danny1649]

I would say a 14 yo would be fine , just set a time and place to meet up .

 

[Red1116]

Oh, I suppose it probably has as much to do with my anxiety as anything. I also LOVE thinking up Worst Case Scenarios and I am having a hard time really seeing that much could go terribly wrong. I guess I was just waiting for someone to tell me about something that has gone wrong with them in this situation so I can be prepared.

 

[kj2mom]

I would just try to cover the rare, but possible scenarios....like what if a ride breaks down and someone in your group is stuck for a little while or what if a cell phone is dropped and broken? What would the plan be? As long as you plan/prepare I think everyone will have a great time. My twins were 13 when we went in July and on our second MK day I had told them to let me know if they wanted to roam a bit together without me (it had to be in the same park though). Their eyes got soo wide and excited but in the end we never separated, we just never felt the need.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I agree with those that said you need to know your child. If in every day life they are responsible and follow your ground rules then it shouldn't be a problem to let them go off in a park alone. As a parent it's really tough to let them start doing things on their own. Even though you logically know they can and need to be given the freedom to be able to grown up. They will always be your baby and that's what makes it hard.

 

[Hudson Hornet]

It would depend on the teen. Can the teen navagate the park, be responsible with money/credit card for food, navagate the transportation system, sense potentially dangerous situations? It is about maturity level at that age.

 

[GoofeyAboutDisney]

Y'all are definitely making me feel better. So, if he wants to go to a different park, using bus service on his own, do you still agree? He's not immature in any way. He is intelligent. Definitley looks his age (over 6 feet). I say that because I'm not really concerned anyone will mess with him. He has a phone. We are staying on property. Not sure what I am concerned about. Just worrying. He is very excited. But I am second guessing myself.

I think it would all depend on how well he understands WD transportation. As long as he knows how to get from park/park and park/resort and has a cell phone he should be fine. I've taken my nephew 15 year old and would have no worries allowing him to navigate "the world" on his own. Now my 57 year old very intelligent mother (who has been to WDW 20+ times) is not even allowed to meet us at the park. She is clueless when it comes to Sidney's transportation

 

[EpicRain]

I remember back in 2000, we went to Disney the year before I started high school. Our trip overlapped with a very good friend of mine's family. I was 14, my friend was 13 and a half. It wasn't in the cards for our families to spend a whole day together, but my friend's parents did allow her to ride Disney transportation alone over to Animal Kingdom and spend the day with my family. Then my family allowed us to go off together some during the park. We survived and are both fine upstanding young women. And this was back before cell phones! Sometimes I think it's crazy we were allowed to do that without a cell phone (I mean that's clearly all our security blanket today) but I guess it was a different time. I would hope that Disney is one of the more safe place to allow children some free rein though!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I agree with those that said you need to know your child. If in every day life they are responsible and follow your ground rules then it shouldn't be a problem to let them go off in a park alone. As a parent it's really tough to let them start doing things on their own. Even though you logically know they can and need to be given the freedom to be able to grown up. They will always be your baby and that's what makes it hard.

Which is the lesser of two evils? A next generation that is able to do things on their own, or a next generation that can't function without help.

Personally, the idea of permanently infantilizing the next generation is the more frightening prospect.

But then, I often wonder: maybe the real fear isn't centered on letting the next generation grow up, but rather comes from the parents' fear of aging or being unneeded.

 

[niffer5150]

it depends on the kid but 15 is nearly driving. teens *should* be able to at that age at least navigate a closed bus system. my kid? no problem so long as she's got a phone, a magic band, and her debit card. she's been navigating much more complicated situations since she was 13. i guess disney is a great place to get your feet wet for that sort of thing. it's pretty idiot proof and ANY of the staff is more than happy to help you, sometimes even being proactive with a "are you lost? can i help?".

 

[sandy77d]

I was 14 on my first trip to Disney and my parents let my friend and me wander on our own - and this was pre-cell phone days. They just wanted to know which park we were in and we had set meeting times. This was in the mid-80s, so a long time ago but I think 14 is a reasonable age to go off on their own. My girls are only 10 and they are not ready.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I offered to let them start wandering the same park we were in at 13 - interestingly enough they chose to stay with us parents instead.

Once they hit 16, they could go to another park if they wished - they only did this a couple of times on our last 7 day trip. They could also choose to stay in the room at 16 and meet up with us later which is what they did alot that trip.

They both had phones and knew when we had ADR's made.