Traveling with children brings different types of challenges depending on the age of the kids. Babies and toddlers require a lot of gear and you have to deal with diapering, feeding and nap schedules. School age kids can get over stimulated leading to meltdowns and they tend to spend a lot of time begging you to buy them things. Teenagers bring their own issues (wherever they go, not just to Disney!) So let’s talk about how to not just survive a Disney trip with teens, but to have the vacation of a lifetime with them.
Sleeping
Anyone with a teenager knows that they need a lot of sleep. Unfortunately, its not always when the rest of the family is sleeping. They need more sleep than us, and their internal body clocks are usually set to staying up late and sleeping in – and there is science to back this up as more than just a preference. But most Disney experts recommend getting up early – so what do you do?
I have two teenage girls. One of whom can get up early without much trouble. She’s a senior in high school and in the past four years I’ve never had to wake her up for school. This kind of kid is rare (and I know this all too well as my second child is MUCH more typical in her sleep habits). If your teen is like this, you’re pretty lucky – you can probably decide as a family that you can get a lot more done if you forgo sleeping in on this vacation.
But for the other 99% of teens, it can get a little hairy. My younger daughter could easily sleep 12-14 hours a night. I have to wake her up at least twice (after she’s already snoozed her alarm twice) before she will get up for school. And talk about grumpy? She’s a totally different person in the morning than the rest of the day.
If one or more of your kids are like her, then you have some decisions to make. Depending on the preferences and ages of your other family members, you may want to consider focusing on evening touring. Schedule in the p.m. Extra Magic Hours. Maybe book an after-hours event. The family can sleep in and stay out late each night.
Now this will definitely impact the amount of attractions you’ll be able to experience and the amount of time you’ll have to wait, but it might be worth it if your teens are more pleasant to be around. You can schedule your Fastpasses to start later in the day, but that will limit the likelihood of being able to get a 4th or 5th or 6th Fastpass that day. Not such a big deal if you are able to book your Fastpasses at 60 days out so you can choose the headliners – a good reason to stay on property!
Another way to plan your days it to include a midday break each day. You might be able to get those kids up early if you promise to come back and hit the pool after lunch. They can nap or just relax and recharge. Then head back to a park in the late afternoon or evening. I actually like this model for families of any kind. It’s always nice to build in some pool time. We all could use some time off our feet. And it gets you out of the parks during the hottest, most crowded part of the day.
You can also do what we do – I’ll call that the hybrid model. I can convince my girls to get up early if they know they don’t have to do it every day. So I’ll plan a mixture of early days with a midday break and late arrival / late night days. My husband and I get up early no matter what, so those late days give us a chance to sit and drink coffee on the balcony for a while, or go do something on our own.
Dining
Most teenagers aren’t known for their stellar diet choices. Given the choice, my girls would subsist on carbs alone – and not the green kind. Yep, I still have to make them eat their vegetables. On vacation, I relax on this, but dining still has its own hurdles.
I highly recommend the Disney Dining Plan for families with children 9 and younger. Once your kids graduate to the adult dining plan at age 10, it’s a tougher call. It still may be right for you, but you’re going to need to do the math. If your teens and tweens eat a lot, you may find you still save money on the plan.
My daughters rarely want to order a main dish entrée at table service restaurants. They are much more likely to order an appetizer (for which I’d have to pay extra). So if we are going to do a lot of buffets, or plan to do some signature restaurants which require 2 credits (I can use their extras) then I may go ahead and use the plan. If we are booking mostly table service with regular menus, then we will usually just pay out of pocket for our dining and forgo the plan.
Dining is an important part of our Disney vacations and we really look forward to our table service reservations. Now that the girls are older, I involve them in the decision making. We compile a list and vote on our favorites. Your kids will be more excited and engaged with the trip if you let them have input in the planning.
With teenagers, you’d think we wouldn’t be doing character meals anymore – but we still do. At least one per trip, and sometimes more. They also really like the restaurants that have a fun or unique theme but without characters. Places like Ohana, Whispering Canyon Café, Sci Fi Dine In, 50’s Prime Time, The Yak & Yeti, San Angel Inn or Teppan Edo.
Park Touring
Teens preferences will vary depending on if they have been to the parks before or not. Mine have been going regularly since they were little, so there is almost no ride they don’t love – many just for nostalgia’s sake.
But if this will be the first visit for your teen, they may be less than impressed with some of the attractions that are considered fan favorites like Peter Pan. It’s kind of like when I decided the girls might like what I considered the most terrifying horror movie from my youth: Poltergeist. They laughed me off the couch!
Let the teens help you plan the Fastpass choices. The best options (rides that develop long lines without Fastpass) are generally going to be the ones that will appeal to them. Check out my Fastpass Planning Guide and choose the options near the top of the list.
A day at a Disney park can be a long day – a lot of time together. Which can be great, but also can lead to people getting on each others’ nerves. Which leads me to my next topic:
Independence
Should you let your teens go off on their own? This is a hot button issue. There is a good chance that they may ask if they can do this – especially if you have more than one teen or older kid. You may even appreciate some time away from them too. But when you’re in a strange place, this can be a tough call.
Every family has to decide this for themselves, but here’s how I made my decision: When my girls reached the age where I let them go places on their own at home, I felt comfortable letting them break off from our group for a while at Disney World.
My kids know the parks like the back of their hands, but even if they didn’t, they could read the park maps, check the app or ask a cast member if they needed help finding their way. And I certainly believe they are safer at Magic Kingdom than they are at my local mall!
If you’re going to let them go off on their own, here are some tips:
- Make sure their phones are fully charged so you can get a hold of them
- Make sure they know how to use the My Disney Experience app
- Make sure they know how to identify a Castmember if they need help
- Set a specific meeting place (e.g. the entrance to Buzz Lightyear) rather than a more general one (e.g. in front of the castle)
- Make sure you’ve allowed them charging privileges on their Magic Bands and they know the PIN
- Speaking of charging privileges – be clear about how much they can spend
- Have them set an alarm on their phone for 10 minutes before you’re to meet
- Decide whether they can leave the park using Disney transportation
Phones / Social Media
Ugh, just hearing the topic of teens and phones triggers me. I teach high school – so I deal with this issue all day everyday and then again when I get home! We all know how addicted we’ve become to our devices as a society – but teens are the worst. They MUST be in constant contact with their friends or FOMO kicks in. Your first inclination may be to ban the phones. After all, this is supposed to be family time, right? However, an all out ban may backfire and result in surly teens (and what’s more fun than a surly teen?). I suggest allowing phone use, but setting some limits.
Here are some tips:
- No phones out at meals – except to snap some pics and put away
- Try NOT to be on your phones while waiting in lines – that’s a good time for conversation. Or try using the phones for a family game while you wait. Try the Play Disney Parks app. We also like Heads Up or various trivia apps. Hint: have the teen be the one leading the game – then they have to interact.
- A great time to allow them to get caught up on their social media and texts is when riding Disney transportation (you’ll probably be using the time for a some quick shut-eye anyway).
- If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em: Nothing a teen likes more than a great Insta-worthy pic. Make it a contest to find as many of the great “walls of Instagram” or other photo photo locations.
- Of course, sometimes limiting phone use is just as hard for us! Hey- you gotta be on the look out for that 4th and 5th and 6th Fastpass on the My Disney Experience app! But resist the urge to scroll through Facebook every time you get a bit of downtime. It’ll be good for you too!
I’d love to hear how you have survived trips with your teens. Leave me your tips in the comments below. Wondering where to get started planning your trip? Check out my Plan Your Trip in 10 Easy Steps. Need some help or just want a no-obligation quote for your trip? Fill out my CONTACT form or email me at rebecca@magicaltravel.com.
