Are your kids too old to enjoy Disneyland?
Many people ask, “are my kids too young to enjoy Disneyland?” But, others ask the question, “are my kids too OLD to enjoy Disneyland?” Both are valid questions. The age of your children often dictates what you focus on. If you have young girls, you will want to know if you can get a reservation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. But if you have teenagers, you may not be sure what if anything they will enjoy at the Disneyland Resort. I’m here to tell you, there are many things for teenagers to enjoy!
1. Attractions- one of the fun things about your children getting older is that you might actually enjoy some of the same things together. While our children were small and we were at Disneyland, we focused on the Dumbo attraction or King Arthur Carrousel. But now, they are tall enough and old enough to look forward to many of the more thrilling rides. They look forward to Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. While I still make them ride Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters with me, they prefer the more adventurous rides. For sentimental reasons and often when lines are long elsewhere, we will duck into Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s fun to reminisce when they were young and that was all they wanted to ride. But, it’s great that now they’re older and we can enjoy Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad without one of them crying.
2. Dining- when my kids were younger, meals were different. We focused on quick service meals often finding ourselves eating a corn dog from a street vendor. Now, their palates are a little more refined. They now have their favorite restaurants like Blue Bayou located in Pirates of the Caribbean, Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel, or Carthay Circle located in California Adventure Park. They look forward to the family sitting down together for a little while to regroup and consider how we’ll fill the remaining hours at the park. They appreciate the great food and delicious desserts. When they were younger, character dining was all the rage. While we still have a meal with Minnie and Friends now and then, more often we find ourselves at Carnation Café, having a conversation with Oscar the Chef. We are still eating Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and pancakes. It’s just a little more relaxed and there is much less crying.
3. Shopping- when young children go to Disneyland, they are often swept up in wanting things. They want Mickey Mouse ears, they want glow sticks, they want light up wands, they want Snow White dresses, and the list goes on. Now that my kids are older, they still want things for sure! But, the shopping is now more enjoyable. We have gotten into a rhythm. We start out usually at The World of Disney store in Downtown Disney. We look at all that is new since the last time we visited. If we find something unique, we will ask a cast member if we might find the item inside the park as well. If they say no, we will snatch it up right then and there. And so begins the shopping. If they say yes, we will usually wait. Then we shop our way throughout the entire resort. We look around at the gift shops as we exit the attractions. (You do know there is a gift shop at the end of most attractions, don’t you?) And then, on our last night, we end our trip at the Emporium on Main Street of Disneyland. We think about what other treasures we’ve already purchased and had sent back to our hotel room. (A perk just for guests staying at the Disney hotels.) We consider what else will fit in our suitcase or what we’re willing to carry on the plane. So, you see, we have made shopping an adventure- something younger children just don’t usually understand. Only teenagers begin to see shopping as an art! And now that they’re older, there is a lot less crying about that lollipop they really, really want.
So, why not call or email me today? I can help you book and plan your next fun trip for your teenagers to the Disneyland Resort! There is so much to enjoy now that they’re older and definitely, a lot less crying! 
I’m Jeri May and I enjoy Disneyland with my teenagers every chance I get!!!
800-670-4312 ext. 147
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