All a bit different now that they're teenagers!

[duchy]

Eldest step grandson was always still in bed when we were all ready to head out for the day. We used to send his four year old sister in to get him up and out (she and her brother were always first up and in the pool , my early morning cuppa by the pool was always interrupted by two faces peering out at me as they knew they couldn’t go in til an adult said so).
Four year old was far more effective in sloth shifting than Mum nagging

[Evil queen]

We are here currently with our 15 and nearly 18 year old in a villa and it’s been by far our trickiest holiday to navigate. People wanting different things at different times, it’s so hot, a couple of us got covid not long after arriving etc etc etc. I’m not sure we will be rushing back but if we do, having stayed in villas on each of our 8 stays I think we will look at doing some sort of onsite split stay to give the kids the freedom to go back to the room or come out when they want. I wish I’d realised how tricky it would be but this holiday was rearranged from 2020 when I think we would’ve been fine in a villa. I did have a slight wobbly a few days ago and we seem to have co-ordinated a bit better since then.

[Maryj]

We’re here at the moment with our 15 yr old. We are just doing Universal, KSC and a couple of other things, plus shopping. Our 15 yr old loves to shop!
After a number of stays at villas in Kissimmee over the years and mainly going to Disney, we’re staying in a condo in Vista Cay. We have all the amenities of a villa, we can make our own snacks for the park, it’s less than 15 minutes in the car from leaving the park to arriving back to the condo. We’ve plenty of space and our 15 yr old still has the space of her own bedroom. She seems to be really enjoying herself, despite loving her lie ins, she is up and ready to go when we want to go out. She’s also fine to stay herself if we need to pop out to the shops etc.

[darbs]

Originally Posted by Maryj

We’re here at the moment with our 15 yr old. We are just doing Universal, KSC and a couple of other things, plus shopping. Our 15 yr old loves to shop!
After a number of stays at villas in Kissimmee over the years and mainly going to Disney, we’re staying in a condo in Vista Cay. We have all the amenities of a villa, we can make our own snacks for the park, it’s less than 15 minutes in the car from leaving the park to arriving back to the condo. We’ve plenty of space and our 15 yr old still has the space of her own bedroom. She seems to be really enjoying herself, despite loving her lie ins, she is up and ready to go when we want to go out. She’s also fine to stay herself if we need to pop out to the shops etc.

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We were at vista cay last week and loved it, we were in the reserve and found it so peaceful and condo such a good size, lovely place in a great location. Beth's burgers near publix is fab, recommend a meal there!

[inky1]

We’ve just come back our DS is 17.-He was 10 last time we went.
I had already intended that this trip would not be the military campaign that the first one was.
We did have DAS this time DS has ASD but was a bit hurt if I’m honest about the fact that he wanted to go back to the room sometimes.
However I understand he needs some time to himself we had later starts and an all round more relaxed holiday .We found that he was just as happy at the beach as he was in the parks.
We too found evenings better than early mornings and just went with the flow.
We had a lovely relaxed time ,did what rides we wanted to - although this would definitely not have been the case without DAS.
I tried to relish the time together.

[Princess Jools]

So glad found this thread! 9 weeks to go and DS 14 is a typical teen. Last time we went when she was 9 and this is the 2020 reload trip... Me and hubby having those "hope she has the energy\gets up early\not moody... " Convos . I am so obsessed with Orlando and don't want it ruined. Staying on site so will definitely be back in room in afternoon for a break...then switch earlies for lates week 2.

Good luck everyone, glad we are not alone!

[Disney45]

We have just returned and did 2 weeks in a villa and 5 days in the 2 bedroom suite at Cabana bay with a 14 and 17 girls and if we go back with both of them we definitely would just do the hotel. At the villa our 17year old very much stayed in her room or went to the gym it was too hot the pool was too warm you name it. She came back to her old self at the hotel was a lot better than the villa. It was great that the 2 of them could nip for a Starbucks ect themselves.

[2littleboys]

I posted my highs/lows and observations last week after just returning with my 16 and 11 year old.

I am not going to sugar coat anything and tell it like it is, and we had several teenage incidents with my eldest whilst there. At times he just wasn't very nice at all. I felt it was all rosy when we were doing what he wanted to do and there was zero compromise with him.

The only time he was happy was when he was lying in his room in the villa facetiming his girlfriend, if we were out and about and he couldn't get WIFI his behaviour could actually be quite erratic. I have said that I wont be taking him again, as I refuse to waste thousands of pounds to look at his miserable face. I recently read the thread about paying for children's holidays and then felt guilty though.

Whilst there we went to see an Orlando City Game and there had been a pitch invasion at the end with someone running on the park and they were chased by security. DS said that was the highlight of his holiday and everything else was just "meh"

He is currently in Majorca with his dad which is "the best ever" apparently. I honestly think he does it just to get a rise out of me, my SIL tells me to "ignore and don't boil my own water" - this time shall pass hopefully!

[babbymint]

Here at the moment with a 16-year-old and a 17 (almost 18) year old.
The eldest can be very sourly. He has complained about the food a lot, is fed up with American food (but always orders a chicken sandwich ). Actually said he misses my cooking which is probably the nicest thing he has ever said to me!
He did really enjoy New York though.
The younger has found the heat difficult however he found it hard at home too and recently spent the day in the medical centre at Thorpe park when he went with friends during the last heat wave.
Now we’ve moved to a villa and my plan is to let them lie in and probably buy genie+ and stack rides for any remaining days.

[ginwithaslice]

I hear they turn human again in their early 20s 😂
Great tips here, if I book for next year I'm looking at on site Universal so it's easy if anyone wants to go back to the room.
Love interests are a teenage nightmare, one of our friends booked 2 weeks in France for her family then her 16 year old daughter refused to get on the plane because she didn't want to leave her then boyfriend. She had to go home to her aunts house in a taxi. She's 32 now and we still laugh at her about it (the boyfriend is long gone) 🤣