Printable View
As a Mom of a teen daughter I've wrestled for several years about giving her and her older brother some space away from Mom and Dad. When she was in Jr. High and her brother in high school they went off to Blizzard Beach without the parents. The letting go process....then this:
Man arrested for fondling girl at Typhoon Lagoon - WDBO Local News on wdbo.com
Now she is an older teen and you just wonder when to give them space. :inquis:
As A teen, I am now not sure If I want to go off alone on this vacation, even though my parents said I could.......
I feel that letting a teen as I am to go off alone in the parks would be ok with meeting area's set and a way to contact the other group just in case.
I have let my teens roam for about six or seven years now, although they remain in the same park that I am in. We always carry the family radios and cell phones and generally there are three of them together, my older three. The oldest of the group is now twenty, and the youngest is now twelve, about to be 13. We have never had a problem other than the younger two having to help the oldest with directions. We also regularly have check-in points and times.
We play a fun game from time to time, and especially when we are traveling to WDW, where I ask them to get me from point A to point B, typically from ride to ride. This insures that they know there way around the parks and can make any check-in points. This has evolved as they have gotten older to getting from park to park for different rides and events.
They love trying to trip me up in the game by asking me for more difficult directions, but never have.
I am in my last year of teenage years and never at Disney have I wanted to seperate from my parents. I am NOT too cool for school. I believe that when at Disney it is time to be with your family, and if you seperate what's the point of going on a family vacation. During the rest of year, life is so busy and family time is harder to come by. Walt Disney World is the perfect place to reconnect with your family. Walt built the park so family members of all ages can have fun together.
When we go. We all put the electronics and cellphones away to just be together, and that is why we love Disney so much.
Though Disney is incredibly safe you still have no idea what other people are thinking. Disney can not control everything, so I believe it is not wise to let your teens go somewhere alone.
I was a very independent teen, especially at MY parks - and just couldn't handle going at oh-so-slow-parent-speed. At MK, I would go off alone for about 1-2 hours at a time - that was starting ~ 1979 and 13 years old. That was enough to keep me very pleased. It was a different era, and I sincerely doubt my parents worried during those times [I also bargained for a lot of freedom during a European trip at 14 years old - looking back now, that was at times probably risky].
About a month after Epcot opened, I was there essentially on my own, camera in hand, meeting up with parents only for lunch, then a late dinner. What fun!
But now, at 40-something, with a 3 1/2 year old daughter I fear the day when she wants the freedom I had. I certainly still believe that the WDW park system offers a very safe environment and experience, but as the years go by the parks get busier and busier - and security can only watch so much. Luckily I've got a few years before I have to deal with my daughter - but I am so thankful for the liberties that I had, as they included some of the fondest memories I have today.
In another 10 years we'll all have personal GPS chip implants anyway, so I'll know EXACTLY where she is - well, at least within 3 or 4 feet. ;)
It's not that much fun actually.
You kinda miss all the magic, that you get with your family.
When I was 14, I was lke BEGGING to go and walk around by myself, it was nice cause I could do whatever I wanted, but you don't just get the same feeling that you do with loved ones. It seems like some ordinary amusement park otherwise.
Just my thoughts. :D
While I've always enjoyed being in Disney with my parents, my mom and dad are never quite as thrilled about the theme parks as I am. ;)
My only visits to WDW as a teen began the summer after my graduation from college, and my mom was happy to let my best friend and I go off on our own. We had cell phones, would call at various times, and were never out of touch. That being said, my best friend and I also never separated.
My mother would have never let me go simply ALONE, or if she thought I'd wander off on my own, either. Besides, its just more fun with at least SOMEONE with you, I think.
Being a teenager myself, I think 14 is a good age to let the teens have some space.... with conditions.
1. They need to have a way to contact you... radios or cell phones. You need to have a meeting place, and meeting times. If they are in line for a ride at a meeting time, they can call or radio you to tell you they will be late, etc.
2. Test them to see if they can handle it. Let them go for an hour, and see how it goes, if all works out, extend the time.
3. Don't let them go to the waterparks/downtown disney/resorts UNLESS they have a buddy with them, as these are public/cheap for creeps to get in. Chances are, they're going to pay $30 to go to blizzard beach, not $60 some to go to the Magic Kingdom.
4.Make sure to spend family time too. They can't be on their own all the time. Memories are usually better when shared with others.
5. Make sure they know their way around the parks/have a guide map. I feel sure that if someone was following me in a park, I know my way around enough to get away from them. At the very least, make sure they have a map.
and finally the most important....
6.Tell them that if they win an experience or prize, you get a share of it. haha ;)
When I was a teen at WDW, I spent most of the trip with my family. However, I did like getting some alone time. A good time for me was EMH (my parents didn't like staying up that late, so I would stay with my sister and brother). Or I would go off for a couple of hours during the day to do my thing, then meet back up. It worked well for everyone.