9 Tips for Visiting Disney with Tweens

Disney with Tweens

Walt Disney World is certainly a place that can be enjoyed by all ages.  However, folks may enjoy different things at different ages.  We took Boy to Walt Disney World for the first time for his sixth birthday.  Now, as a tween, he still enjoys many of the same things that he did then.  However, we recognize that, as he is a bit older now, he also has different entertainment tastes and different needs as a maturing child.  Since we are certainly not the only parents with a tween, we thought that we might share some of our tips.  Here are some ideas that might help you when visiting Disney with tweens.

1.  Let them help you plan.

Whether you plan everything in advance or plan to go with the flow when you arrive, include your tween.  Your tween is at that time in life when they are no longer a young child, yet they have also not come in to their place as a teenager.  They are at an age when they would like to be treated as though they are maturing.  They may appreciate being given more respect and responsibility.

Set a time to sit down with your family and discuss what you want to do when you visit Disney.  If you are the type who likes to schedule everything and create an itinerary for your trip, then let your tween have input.  Ask them what are some things that they would like to do or see while your family is on vacation.  Allow them to be involved in choosing shows, restaurants, Fast Passes, etc.  Let them have some of their choices put on to the schedule.  This can help them feel like you respect them and that what they have to say matters.

Even if you do not intend to schedule everything, still sit down and have a chat.  Ask your tween the same questions about what he or she might like to do or see at Walt Disney World.  If you are not making a schedule, you might consider making a list of your tween’s choices and agreeing to make sure to do some or all of what is on their list.  Then bring that list with you to show your tween that you took their thoughts and input seriously and do plan to do some of those things.  Your actions may also give a boost to their self esteem when you show that you believe that they are mature enough to help the family plan.

2.  Where will you stay?

Are you planning to stay on property or off property?  Once you have decided that, come up with your top few choices.  Consider amenities, dining, and convenience to the parks.  One thing that we would suggest is to seek a fabulous pool with fun features.  Access to a great pool for your tween to enjoy could be helpful during down time.  This is our favorite off property resort in the Walt Disney World area, and our tween loves it.

After you have come up with a few options for accommodations, show them to your tween.  Tell him or her why you think that those particular resorts are good options for a place for your family to stay.  Then ask for input on which resorts your tween likes and what it is about each resort that catches their interest.  I am not saying to let them decided where you will stay, yet allowing them to give input can make them feel like they had an important role in planning your trip.  In addition, while on vacation, you can point out things that you like about the resort where you are staying.  Then mention to your tween that you think that they did an excellent job helping you choose where to stay.

3.  Start the Days with Energy

This is actually a good practice for your whole family.  Start the day with a healthy, filling, hearty breakfast.  Make sure that your tween does not start the day hungry or with sugary junk foods.  Feed them a well rounded, healthy meal for breakfast, and that will help them start the day with energy and pep.  It will also help your tween last longer before they get hungry, leaving more time to enjoy the first part of your day doing the activities that you choose to do.

While a hearty meal can help them — and you — keep fatigue away, it can also be beneficial for your tween’s mood.  If his or her body is satiated, and your child has had some healthy nutrition put into them, then they can enjoy the day feeling good.  In turn, you can smile as you and your tween have fun together.  Would that be better than dealing with a hungry, moody tweenager?  We think so!

4.  Enjoy Those Ride Photos

Many of the rides at Walt Disney World have cameras.  Do you ever see other people’s pictures online and smile or laugh because they are having fun?  Why not create some of your own funny pictures while you ride the rides?  Our family even uses the time waiting in the queue for our turn on the ride to discuss options.  We come up with ideas, and then we plan what we are going to do together for the camera on that ride.  Teaming up with your tween to be creative is a good bonding opportunity.  Besides, why not have some laughs when you look back at your memories?

Click here to see some of the crazy pictures that we have shared on Space Mountain.  If you get some good natured people riding with you, they may even join you in the goofiness and laughter!

Keep in mind that your opportunities to create memory making pictures is not limited to rides.  Wherever there is a PhotoPass photographer, you can get creative, too.  You do not have to merely stand there and smile — unless, of course, you want to.  Your tween may be all for doing something different, or they may be embarrassed.  They will appreciate that you wanted to have fun with them, though, and there is a good chance that they will smile when they look back at those pictures later.

5.  Give Some Form of Independence

As your tween is growing up, they are probably learning more about responsibility and showing more independence.  Giving your tween some form of independence can be good for learning opportunities and for developing decision making skills.

One thing that we do for our tween when we go to Walt Disney World is give him a Disney Gift Card.  We set a predetermined amount, we tell him how much is on the card, and then we tell him that that is his money to spend as he pleases during the vacation.  He can buy souvenirs.  He may choose to get Mickey pretzels or popcorn.  Whatever he chooses to do with it, that is his money.

On our last trip, Boy made some spending decisions that made us proud of him.  One example is when he wanted to buy something at Magic Kingdom.  It was early in the week, though, and he did not want to use his money so soon.  He struggled because he really wanted that thing.  In the end, he decided not to get that thing in case he might want the money for something else.

Later in the week, Boy did find something else on which he would like to spend his money.  He was glad that he still had that money on his gift card.  Boy did realize that making the decision not to purchase the other item earlier in the week was what allowed him to buy what it turned out that he desired more.  This was both a lesson in patience and a lesson in handling finances.  We think that he made good choices when we gave him the independence to decide for himself.

6.  Snacks, Snacks, Snacks

We asked Boy if he has any tips for parents who bring tweens to Walt Disney World.  His instant response was to have lots of food available!  These children are growing and sometimes growing fast.  With all of the parks and activities and walking — not to mention the excitement — they may be using a lot more energy than they do on a regular basis.

As with breakfast, a healthy, hearty lunch or supper meal can be good for your tween for both sustenance and longer lasting satisfaction.  Beyond meals, Walt Disney World is and incredible place for snacks.  They have a wide array of options for folks who like salty snacks, sweet treats, fresh fruits, frozen goodies, even vegan doughnuts!  There are kiosks and counters all over the park for your convenience.

You may be thinking that it could get costly to buy your tween a snack every time they are hungry.  Another thing that Walt Disney World does for its guests is to allow you to bring your own food and drinks with you into the parks.  You can go to the grocery store and buy food to bring with you.  Fresh fruit and multi-packs of snack bags are some ideas of things that would be easy to grab and enjoy throughout the day.  Remember that no glass bottle or hard sided coolers will be permitted in the Disney Parks.

7.  Choose Age Appropriate Activities

While your sweet, little girl may have felt over the moon to meet Disney Princesses and ride It’s a Small World when she was five, now your tween may enjoy even more adventures like heading to Space Mountain to shoot through space on a rocket and dancing at the Tomorrowland dance party.  While your courageous, little boy may have been thrilled to soar through the sky on Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride and wield a sword at the Pirates of the Caribbean store, now that he is no longer four, he may like adding even more thrills and excitement by watching Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and riding Everest.

Most everything at Walt Disney World is for folks of all ages.  It is our attitudes that keep us young, not our years.  Even as adults, we still enjoy taking pictures with characters and riding the Dumbo ride.  However, as children get older, they often have a yearning to experience more adventurous attractions.  You are experiencing Disney with tweens now!

If you are used to choosing more youthful rides and attractions for your child, and you suddenly realize that they are growing up, maybe you can discuss with your now tween what new-to-them rides and attractions they would like to try.  Are they not aware of all of their options?  You can sit down together at a computer and look up all of the different options that Walt Disney World properties have to offer.  You may need to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to accompany your tween on a ride that they are excited to experience.  They may be quite happy that you are willing to do that for and with them.

8.  Cell Phone

Whether or not you have chosen to allow your tween to have their own cell phone, you might considered giving them one to carry with them while on vacation.  In addition to some added responsibility taking care of the telephone, your tween will also have the freedom to take pictures when they see something that they want to remember.  Also, if you get separated from your tween, you or they could use the telephone locator to find one another.  Be sure to set that up ahead of time.  They could also call you.

Another quick tip is to have a plan ahead of time for if you get separated.  Maybe choose a certain place at each park where they will know to go and you will go if you get separated.  You could also train your child to look for a cast member if they get separated.  Security is great for helping children find their lost parents.

9.  Remember Disney Springs

Many times people focus on the Disney Parks.  Sometimes people take time to enjoy the resorts, as well.  There is a lot to entertain us even at the resorts.  You can even find lots to do at The Boardwalk at Walt Disney World.  How many folks actually realize how much there is to do at Disney Springs?  For children, for adults, and, yes, for tweens and teenagers, too.  It is not only dining and shopping.

While we encourage you to look up the multiple and varied activities at all of the Walt Disney World vacation locations, there is one experience that was neat for our family at Disney Springs.  It is Riding in the Amphicar.  Have you done this?  It is a unique experience that allows up to three people and a captain to drive a car right out on to the lake and enjoy a boat-like cruise.  Your captain will also share interesting stories about the Amphicar’s history and Disney’s participation in their preservation.  It is fascinating to learn about these boat cars, and you and your tween can ask questions.  Plus, the ride makes for some very cool photographs which they could share with their friends as they tell about their vacation.  After all, how many young people do you think have experienced this?

Savor the Moments

Hopefully we have given you some ideas that will both help you and make your next trip to Walt Disney World even more special for  you and your tween child.  The main thing that we hope that you will take away from this is to involve your tween aged child.  Show them that you believe that their thoughts matter and their opinions have value.  Be sure to plan some things that show them that you were thinking specifically of them.  They will notice, and you may even get some extra cool parent points for making them feel so important.