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Trip with a brand new teen first timer!

dragonflycurls

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
My wife and I had a two day girls trip planned with my best friend on the 25th and 26th, and in a crazy whirlwind of the past two weeks we are in the process of adopting a 16 year old and she moves in with us on Saturday (OMG!)

So, of course we are taking her with us! She's never been! We are former APs who used to live in OC but now live in Seattle, so we're mostly used to everything. We haven't used Maxpass before but probably will (does this work for ToT?)

Any recommendations for a first time teen? We have WoC dessert party booked and a fantasmic meal so that waiting for a spot won't eat into park time. We're also hiring a photographer we've used before to get some family photos in the park on our second morning.

What's a good amount to give her to spend on souvenirs?
 
i would say the amount to spend depends on your budget and what you consider . my son (13) usually gets money from Christmas and birthday and can end up with up to $300. to take , our trips last 9 says and we do other stuff than the parks.. that money also pays for his snacks over the day,,, we pay his meals.. sometimes he comes home with money.. others not.. just depends if he sees something at the airport on the way home he NEEDS ..!!!

RSR. is fun. Paradise Pier has been shut down so no Screaming.. Soaring is always a winner.. we still love to do the character meets.. everything .!!! lol

Cant help you will the Max pass, we havent been there since they started using it. but a friend used it in Oct and she swears by it ..

Good luck for Sunday and hope you all have a great trip !!!!
 
Let her look through the app, watch some You-tube videos and get to know the parks. Don't assume everyone loves rollercoasters!:scared: She will get a better idea of what she wants to do. One of my 15-year-old's biggest DCA priorities last fall was meeting Spiderman and Captain America :lovestruc. If she's into a particular character, or music or drama, or shopping, that will guide some of your choices.

As for souvenir money, there's no right answer. It will all be overwhelming for a first-timer. Maybe something from a couple categories like Mickey ears and a sweatshirt.

And yes, there is MaxPass for the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride that replaced ToT.

Best of luck,
PHXscuba
 
First, make sure you have the clearance to take her out of state. Don't overlook that. It was always a big problem for us as foster parents and a new adoptive placement that age is likely to be technically a foster placement. Actually, I have a ton of thoughts as former foster parent and an attorney who represented teens in foster care. I'm going to pm you my email. Oh!!! I forgot the most important part! Huge congrats!
 


First, make sure you have the clearance to take her out of state. Don't overlook that. It was always a big problem for us as foster parents and a new adoptive placement that age is likely to be technically a foster placement. Actually, I have a ton of thoughts as former foster parent and an attorney who represented teens in foster care. I'm going to pm you my email. Oh!!! I forgot the most important part! Huge congrats!
We're beyond covered in all those aspects- have the pages and pages and pages of paperwork that we had to go through to get her passport since before our two days in disneyland we are spending a week in Mexico. She's good to go :)
 
I give my 15 year old $75 a day but all up front. This money can be for anything she wants all day long or she can spend it all on one big purchase. But I only buy meals and one snack the rest is on her. She loves to do everything Disney from rides to shows to meet and greats we even do character meals. WOC is her favorite show and the dessert party is awesome. But just let your new kid guide you to what she wants to do and see and the best trips are where there is no pressure or expectations.
 
Honestly. I would give her almost nothing. Maybe 10 bucks daily, not a bigger sum for the whole trip. You are trying to establish a parent child relationship. You want her to learn to depend on you before you give her wings. So I would have her ask for anything she wants. I would almost always say yes but have her ask. I suspect she won't ask for much. The concept of souvenirs is likely foreign to her. The biggest eye opener to me with teens in care was sitting a a meeting. We needed the teen to leave and told her to go get a soda and wait in the lounge. She was worried about how expensive it was. Its hard to conceive of their frame of reference.
 


Hello from Seattle! I just went with my 17 year old daughter. Her favorites were Guardians (we rode it four times with Max Pass), Fantasmic with Blue Bayou dining package (she loved it more than WOC), meeting characters (she's did some serious stalking to find Groot, Peter Pan and Gaston), Turtle Talk w/ Crush and Animation Academy, the Frozen Show and I think one of her favorites was running around and riding the Bugs Land rides about an hour before close. It was practically empty and we could ride most rides multiple times without getting off and totally act like goofballs. Screamin' is normally her big favorite but it's currently closed.

I don't really set a dollar limit, more of a "you can get one souvenir" per trip deal. Last trip she got a Stitch Pillow Pet.

Oh, if you can, go to the World of Disney store on arrival day and pick up buttons...we got I'm Celebrating and wrote "My Awesome Mom" on her button and "My Awesome Daughter" on mine. :-)
 
I would make sure that she has some $ of her own to spend however she likes. I try to give my DD between $20 - $30 a day. I buy meals a snack a day and all the water you want. If she wants something (snack wise), then it comes out of her money. I also budget to get something she likes to remember the trip by. Last time it was a couple of Alex and Ani Disney bracelets.

One strategy that I have used that seems to work for us is we will do shopping throughout our visit, but, will not purchase (unless it is something that she knows ahead of time that she wants). She will take pictures, write it down, or somehow remember it. Then the last day, we schedule several hours of great concentrated shopping and she makes her purchases with whatever leftover $ she has collected from the daily money, birthday $, etc. It forces her to save, make a good decision, and doesn't overwhelm her.

Congratulations! This is exciting for your family.
 
Congratulations on the adoption!!!! My kids are adopted. Have you known the child long? I wouldn't do this trip. This is prime opportunity for meltdowns and overwhelming her before she trusts you. Cocooning even an older teen is a good idea. At least you'll cocoon her with your presence even if you can't get out of the trip! I wouldn't give her spending money. I too would encourage her to ask. Or offer her choices-which of these do you like better? Would you like to get it? Lots of choices the whole trip. My life is two choices! Our teacher pointed to two seats for an adult walking in late-do you want to sit here or there? Haha! It will become ingrained in you! In my trauma class they also taught us to play games with m&m's. Choose one and tell us what feeling the color represents. Everyone in the family does this while relaxing. Feelings is just one idea. It's kind of like an ice breaker. Another one to help them learn to trust and ask is make them ask for an m&M. DOn't hand them the bowl until they ask. The teacher found her child "stealing" candy. Because they thought if they asked they'd get told no. Try to make lots of gentle eye contact, and lots of touch. LIke a nb needs kangaroo care--but always ask before touching. Can I give you a hug? Can I touch your shoulder? Let's go this way. Let me see those beautiful eyes. Now, do you think we should have Mexican food or French market? Let me see those brown eyes, Now. How are we feeling? DO we need a break? Holding hands as a group in the park could be a fun way to integrate touch, build trust and help her feel safe in a new, loud, visually stimulating place.

Take lots of breaks. Bathroom, water, food every 2 hours. Set a timer. It can be some snacks you bring, make sure there is some protein every two hours. (nuts are good if no allergies) A lot of kids from hard places simply can't tell if they need to do these basic body functions, even at what we might think of as an older age. It's OK to think developmentally maybe she's 8 or 10 or 12--there have been real changes in her brain chemistry and wiring from all she's been through.

If she is having hard time standing in line or is dysregulated because of all the overload of sensory input you can ask at City Hall or one of the green tents for a DAS. That way you can wait for your rides in a restaurant, or quieter area of the park where she won't be touched. My oldest is super sensitive to touch and can't handle being in lines.

White noise for the hotel room may be nice. We use an app called white noise baby. You can put it on phone or ipad.

She may have never been on a plane. Describe in detail what the steps to traveling are. It may be nice to make a visual to check off. So if she's afraid of asking she can refer to it so she knows what's happening next. You may want a similar visual schedule for Disney. Plan out your first two rides of the day and alternatives in case they are not open yet. OUr kids need super predictable schedules to start off the day. We list out our preferred morning rides, and where we'll have lunch. Also a few rides we could do as alternates.

Also, riding in a car, a certain color, being in a bathroom. These are all things that might trigger something from her past no one has told you about. In one case I heard of the girls job was putting the trash out. THey started finding trash all over the house. Turns out the kid was hiding it before the trash got full so they didn't have to take it out. THey had been abused behind a dumpster. :(

Sorry I"m all over the place and probably writing more than you want to read or some things you've already considered.
 
Yes! I can't go into detail but we have known her for 4 years now :) She has been on multiple planes, but I like the idea of having the predictable schedule! We've made some dining reservations so I'm trying to build my way out from there!
 
Phew. Totally not my business but I feel much better now. I'd still keep the cash you give her to a small amount. But now that you shared a little more, I bet its going to be the best to ever. What a great bonding experience to be away from the real world but together experiencing it. Try to sit next to her on thrill rides. That thrill releases the love hormone and its good for bonding.
 

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