Walt Disney World With Teens? Absolutely!: An Adventurers Guide

There are so many things for a teen and pre-teen to do and, no, it's not riding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster over and over again. (Even though my teenager did do that once!)

Let's begin at the beginning -- the resorts. If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort there are so many things to keep a teen amused. Every resort has a swimming pool. My sons like to bring along a couple of those soaker balls. They can toss that to each other for hours in the pool. Many times other kids (and adults) get into the game.

Each resort also has an arcade where teens can go and play all of the latest video games. The only drawback is this can become quite expensive as each game costs between 50 cents and $1 to play. Teens can go in the arcades without adult supervision.

If you are lucky to be staying at a resort that has a marina, I highly recommend taking advantage of the Family Plan. For a little over $200 you can have unlimited use of the recreational facilities at the resort for your length of stay -- bicycles, water racers, pontoons, paddle boats, kayaks, etc. Several of these can be used by a child over 12 years old without an adult along for the ride. You can also rent by the hour and by the day. Last May we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and we purchased the Family Plan. All three of our children (ages 8, 11 & 13 at the time) were able to rent bicycles while my husband and I took a boat ride on the lake. My oldest son was also able to take the Sea Raycer out on the lake by himself.

Okay, now you're ready to go to the parks. We don't like to tour the parks "commando style" -- racing to see "everything" on a tight schedule. We like to visit a park in the morning, then when we get hot or tired (or both), return to our resort to swim, relax, or play, and then return to the park in the evening! Of course when you are in the parks, your teen will probably want to ride all of the thrill rides. You might think your teens won't want to go to Magic Kingdom to ride Dumbo or the Teacups but they might surprise you! My teen loves getting his picture taken every visit on Dumbo and has never turned down his little sister or Mom when asked to ride Teacups. Another favorite of my kids is the Hall of Presidents. They think it's so cool to see the things they are learning about in school. So, don't pass up an attraction or downplay it as a reason to take a nap -- you never know what might capture your teen's imagination!