Articles Menu
PassPorter Articles |
Planning |
Disney Dreaming
What Keeps Us Coming Back
Disney for Veteran Visitors
Rumor Round-Up
Finding Answers
Best Disney Trip Advice
Getting Your Disney Fix
How Young Is Too Young?
Top Ten Disney Questions
Tipping (Gratuities)
Timeshare Vacation Offers
Disney World on a Budget
Credit Cards 101
Money-Saving Strategies
Preparing Kids For Disney
Taking Toddlers to Disney
Planning Trips for Others
Convincing Others To Go
Importance of Being Lazy
Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
Ten "Must Pack" Items
Touring With A Group
Chaperoning A Group Trip |
Traveling |
Ten Travel Tips
Luggage Tips
iPhone, I Travel
Driving to Disney
Driving With Kids
Child Safety Seats
CARES Harness Review
Rental Cars
Amtrak Auto Train
Airline Security
Flying With Kids
Surviving Long Flights
Surviving Bumpy Flights
Surviving Bad Vacations
Surviving Long Airport Waits
Staying Healthy
First Aid on Vacation
Solo Travel
Pregnant at Disney
Dress For Travel
Traveling With Pets
International Travel
Taking A 'Greener' Trip to WDW
Orlando Sanford Airport |
Lodging |
Choosing a Resort
On-Site Lodging vs. Off-Site Lodging
Disney Resort Primer
Reserving a Room
Key to the World Card
Fun at Resort Hotels
Disney Vacation Club
All-Star Movies
All-Star Music
All-Star Sports
All-Star Vacation Homes
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Perfect for Teens
Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club
BoardWalk Inn & Villas
Contemporary Resort
Ft. Wilderness Camping
Old Key West
Wilderness Lodge
Home Sweet Home
Grand Californian #1
Grand Californian #2
Grosvenor Resort
Hilton Resort
Orlando Airport Marriott
Priceline.com
Radisson Resort Parkway
Shades of Green
Westin Century Plaza
Making The Most of Bell Services at Disney's Deluxe Resorts
DVC's Old Key West Resort |
Cruising |
Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
New Ships!
Cruise Security
International Port Security
Convincing a Husband to Cruise
Palo Dinner Review
Vow Renewals Onboard
Cruising With Special Diets
Cruising St. Martin
One in a Million Cruise
Zip-A-Dee-Zip-Line: A Canopy Adventure
A 'Magic' Time In The Mediterranean
A Wrap-Up From DCL's Inaugural Mediterranean Cruise
DCL: Not Just for Kids!
Spa Villas Review |
Touring |
Laugh Floor Comedy Club
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Fantasyland For Adults
Mission: SPACE
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Star Wars Weekends
Animal Kingdom
Expedition EVEREST
Surviving the Parks as First Time Parents
Surviving the Holidays
Overcoming Kids Fears
Planning Park Days
Four Parks in One Day
Touring with Toddlers
A Kid's Perspective
A Teen's Take
Educational Epcot
Flower & Garden Festival
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Scary Places (Halloween)
Playing "Millionaire"
Winning "Millionaire"
A Day With Allie
Past Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Meeting Mickey
Disneyland at 50
Future of Disneyland
Beyond the Disney Parks
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Monorail System
California Adventure
Expanding Disney's California Adventure
10 Reasons to Love Disneyland
A WDW Veteran's First Trip to Disneyland
A Disneyland Veteran's First Trip to Walt Disney World
Disneyland Homecoming
Walt Disney World With Pre-Teen Boys
Keys To The Kingdom Backstage Tour
Pirates & Princess Party
WDW with Teens? Absolutely! |
Dining |
Disney Dining Plan
More Dining Plan Tips
Dining Plan Revisited
Dining Plan Answers
Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) Strategies
Artist Point Review
California Grill Review
Nine Dragons Review
Spoodles Review
The Turf Club Review
Crystal Palace Review
Yak & Yeti Review
Tutto Italia Review
Character Dinners
Dine With A Disney Imagineer
Eating Healthy at Disney
Food Allergies
White Water Snacks
MurderWatch Mystery Theatre
Disneyland Dining: Yamabuki
Disneyland Area Dining: Pirate's Dinner Adventure
Party For The Senses
Artist Point
1900 Park Fare Dinner Review |
Making Magic |
Romance At Disney World
Beating The Post Trip Blues
Discovering the Magic
Magic of Slowing Down
Unexpected Treasures
Wishes Fireworks Cruise
Backstage Tours
Epcot's Segway Tour
Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
Taking Great Photos
Taking Great Fireworks Photos
Digital Photo Q & A
Souvenirs on a Budget
Pal Mickey
Birthdays at Disney
Reunions and Gatherings
Holidays (Christmas)
More Holidays
Disney Intimate Weddings
Disney Vow Renewals
Custom Events
Scrapbooking
Preserving Memories
Scrapbooking Supplies
Finding Scrapbook Supplies at WDW
Memories and Milestones
Scavenger Hunts
Geocaching
Hidden Mickeys
Hidden Mickeys Book Review
Richard Petty Experience
More Richard Petty Rides
Ft. Wilderness Trail Ride
Disney Podcasts
MouseFest 2006
Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba |
Sharing |
Making of PassPorter |
Rest of the World |
United States:
Big Apple Greeter
City Pass Cards
Hawaii
Hilton Head Island #1
Hilton Head Island #2
Celebration, Florida
Key Largo & Islamorada
Miami, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Space Coast, Florida
Tampa-St. Petersburg
WonderWorks (Orlando)
Knoebels, Pennsylvania
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
Anza-Borrego Desert
Grand Canyon
The Poconos
New York City
New York Splash Tours
New York City Dining
New York: Antiques
New England
New Orleans
Nashville, Tennessee
Adventures by Disney: Wyoming
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Zoos of the World
Universal Studios Orlando
New Attractions at Universal Orlando
Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Universal Orlando
Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Universal: For Non-Thrill Seekers?
Madison County, Iowa
The Great Smoky Mountains
Yosemite
Discovery Cove (Orlando)
Busch Gardens Africa: SheiKra Coaster Review
NASCAR AllState 400
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Niagara Falls, New York
Blue Horizons at SeaWorld Orlando
International Travel:
London
London Museums
London's Globe Theatre
Kent, England
Bath, England
Great Britain via Harry Potter
Stonehenge
Ireland
Paris
Marseilles
Rome
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Quebec City, Canada
Prince Edward Island
South Africa
Leeds Castle
Pompeii
Windsor Castle
Wimbledon
Menorca
Dover Castle
Florence
Monaco
Niagara Falls, Ontario
|
|
|
My Three Sons: Walt Disney World with Pre-Teen Boys
by Rose Colson, PassPorter Guest Columnist
Visiting Walt Disney World is such a treat, isn't it?
Visiting Disney with my three boys makes it even more special. We've been
vacationing in "the World" since summer 2000; through the years, as the boys have
gotten older, we've learned some tricks that may help other families with
pre-teen boys. Think Walt Disney World is all Princesses and Fairy Tales? Think
again!
Before we get started, let me make some introductions. We
are: Mom (that's me, obviously), Avery (13 and quiet), Bailey (11 and
thrill-seeking), and Clayton (10 and mischief-making). You'll see occasional
interjections from them during the course of this article. We hail from rural
northwest Pennsylvania, and I'm a teacher, hence
the summer trips.
The first thing we consider, of course, is where to
stay. We've stayed off-property, on-property, in a house, cabin, cottage, hotel
room, and a tent. Our favorite resort by far, which we've stayed at four out of
the eight years we've been going to Walt Disney World, is Fort Wilderness.
Three out of those four stays have been in a tent. Tenting at Fort Wildernessin the summer isn't as bad
as some might think, but that's another article.
There are so many things for the boys to do at the
Fort. Of course, there's swimming and games at the pool; there's the campfire,
complete with s'mores, and the movie every night. There are the playgrounds and
wide open fields for running around; but the hands-down favorite, and what puts
Fort Wilderness ahead of the other resorts we've stayed at, is catching (and
releasing, thanks!) the little lizards that seem to be everywhere. ("Salamanders,
Mom!") For all of these reasons and more, we love Fort Wilderness and are looking forward to
returning this August.
The next thing we discuss is which park to visit first.
Epcot usually gets the vote due to Test Track being our unanimous favorite
Walt Disney World attraction. Even the quiet guy loves this ride! No trip to Disney is complete
without at least four or five rides on Test Track. There's just something about
that last few minutes...
Rounding out Epcot's "Big Three" are Mission: Space and Soarin'. They
both run a close second behind Test Track. The other "must-dos" include Ellen's
Energy Adventure (my favorite because it's dark and cool inside), Spaceship
Earth, Living with the Land, and The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This year
we're also excited about riding the new "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three
Caballeros!" in Mexico.
The next park is usually the Magic Kingdom and its "Big Three" are
Space, Splash, and Big Thunder Mountains. The darkness of Space
Mountain, the last drop of Splash Mountain, and the craziness of Big
Thunder Mountain make all three of these the highest priority for us.
Pirates of the Caribbean is right up there (I can't tell you how many
times they've seen the movies), as is The Jungle Cruise. In Fantasyland
there isn't much to hold the boys' attention except Mickey's
PhilharMagic. That has become our favorite 3-D movie in "the World."
After Epcot and Magic Kingdom, it's the Disney-MGM Studios. There, the
"Big Three" for us are Tower of Terror, Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, and
Star Tours -- always in the last row for an extra-wild ride. The boys
are divided over their favorite shows at Disney-MGM. It's Indiana Jones
for one of them and Lights, Motors, Action! for the other two (although
we all HATED waiting in the blazing hot sun to get into the stadium).
Finally, we take the Backlot Tour for Catastrophe Canyon, and the Great
Movie Ride for all of the awesome movie scenes. ("And the gangster,
Mom!")
The last major park is Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's "Big Three" are Expedition
Everest, Kali River Rapids, and Kilimanjaro Safaris. We rode Everest
for the first time last summer and loved it. Be warned, though, that
riding it more than two or three times in a row is not advised! The
thrill of getting a good soaking on Kali keeps the boys wanting more,
and the excitement of seeing so many different animals on Safari makes
us want to ride again and again.
The favorite show at Animal Kingdom is Festival of the Lion King,
followed by It's Tough to be a Bug. And we always take the short train
ride and hike to Rafiki's Planet Watch because the boys enjoy seeing
some behind-the-scenes magic. ("And don't forget the sound booth,
Mom!") At Rafiki's we never fail to pop into one of the Song of the
Rainforest booths for a little sound thrill in the dark.
Okay, so that takes care of the four major parks. Their most important
advice to other guys - always do the Big Three at each park!
Which leads us to the water parks. This is a bit more difficult for the
boys to agree on because their tastes are so different. They like
Typhoon Lagoon for this and Blizzard Beach for that, but we narrowed it
down to just a couple of favorites for each park for the sake of my
sanity and the length of the article.
At Typhoon Lagoon, the boys are all agreed on the wave pool being the
best part, but Crush-n-Gusher was awesome, too. The two younger guys
are a bit more adventurous than the oldest, so they rode it over and
over during the Extra Magic Hour one morning last summer. Shark Reef is
very exciting, albeit a tad cold, and the lazy river is fun for playing
around in.
The favorite attraction at Blizzard Beach is the Toboggan Racers. The
youngest guy likes it best because some lifeguard always takes pity on
him and shoves him off well ahead of the rest of us. I still win,
though! ("Because you're bigger than me, Mom!") Teamboat Springs is a
hoot because we all get to experience it together and we spin around
like a top. The boys enjoy the Ski Patrol Training area, too, although
they get restless there pretty quickly, preferring the bigger, more
exciting slides.
The last thing to take into consideration, for me, is where to eat so
that I can afford to feed these boys for two weeks at Walt Disney
World. It's almost always counter service, except for one character
meal, which is usually Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. We eat
breakfast at the campsite or on the way to the park. In earlier years,
I could get away with the boys sharing a meal and being satisfied. Not
so now, my friends! Adolescence has kicked in and the appetite with it.
Sometimes even an adult meal - burger, fries, and water- doesn't always
fill the boys up so I'm coughing out extra cash for another burger or
two. I also make sure the boys eat something besides burgers or
chicken, so the occasional salad gets added to the rotation, much to
their dismay.
I think that covers the basics. There is so much to do and see in the
World, and it always changes. Walt Disney World is, without a doubt,
our most favorite place to vacation, and with the three boys, there's
never a trip that's not exciting for all of us.
Related Links: A Teen's Take
Return to PassPorter.com |
Ask a Question on the PassPorter Message Boards
Updated 04/06/07
Read additional articles from PassPorter.com
Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter, PassPorter News, published for more than 58,000 opt-in subscribers worldwide.
As an added bonus for subscribing, you will receive a 20% discount coupon for the PassPorter Store -- no catch!
We respect your privacy and never sell or rent our subscriber list. Subscribing will not result
in more spam! We guarantee it.
|
Copyright 1999-2015 by PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.
|
|
|