Info: 5 Tips for Traveling Disney World with Your Teenagers

I have been going to Disney World ever since I was 10 days old. Seriously, my parents brought me to Magic Kingdom a week and a half after I was born. I lived through 17 Food and Wine Festivals, the relocation of the Dumbo ride, and even the dawn of MagicBands. I’ve seen countless moms scouring Pinterest, looking for tips on traveling the parks with their 4 year old in hand. However, traveling WDW with teenagers is a bit trickier. As a teenager myself, I know exactly how to take your trip to the next level with your family.

1. Plan with us. Especially if you are booking FastPasses in advance, talk to your teenager. Ask them what rides they want to ride before you start booking. There is no point in wasting a FastPass on The Seas with Nemo when your teen wanted to ride Test Track.
2. Take advantage of our independence. In your daily life, you spend some time with your teenager, but definitely not all 24 hours. Use this same mentality on your vacation. Eat breakfast and dinner together, sleep under the same roof, ride some of the best rides as a family, but give your teenagers some space. Before your child grew up, a Disney trip involved 24/7 togetherness. Now, while your teenagers are riding Expedition Everest, you can lay out by the pool or sip wine in Epcot’s Italy. After the afternoon separation, come back together for dinner. Your teenager and you will find so much more enjoyment and relaxation in this setup, rather than staying tied to one another.
3. Portable chargers are your best friend. Your teenager is going to have their cell phone on them; this is an inevitable fact. Their cellphone will give you peace of mind (constant communication throughout the 30,000 acres), unless it dies. My cell phone always dies quicker at Disney, as I am taking millions of selfies with the scenery, the characters, and the purple wall, of course. Portable chargers are the key to keeping the communication intact. You can find them for a minimal amount of money at stores such as Walmart or Target.
4. Opt for the late night activities. Teenagers are more adjusted to stay up late than wake up early, especially on vacation. Rather than force your teen to wake up at 6 AM for Magic Hours, explore the different late night opportunities at Disney. Ride some of the more popular rides closer to closing time, as the families with smaller children will be leaving the park. Once the parks close, go for a walk in Disney Springs, so you don’t waste precious park hours here.
5. Face your fear and ride the bigger rides. Your teenager is going to want to ride the big rides. That is to be expected. To make the most memorable trip, ride the big rides with them. Even if you’re afraid, your teen will thrilled that you rode with them. Also, the family picture will be much more meaningful.