Charging priveleges for 13 yr. old DD. Yes or No?

[MELSMICE]

My oldest DD will be 13 1/2 on our trip in a few weeks. I am trying to decide whether we should give her charging priveleges on her room key or not.

We usually don't, but I thought maybe this time I would only because on the last trip she was allowed to go to the Food & Fun Center with her sisters. Instead of them having to carry cash if they wanted something I thought I would do this & let her have a little more "responsibility".

What do you think? Bad idea?

 

[HM]

Only you can really make that decision. It has a lot to do with her sense of responsibility and that she'll follow whatever limits you set for it's use. -HM

 

[Jessie The Cowgirl]

Can front desk put a spending limit on her key!? That way, you can give her a set limit and once she "blows" through that, she has no more left to spend. I know that when I was last at Disney, they asked what spending limit I wanted on my key. Maybe they'll do the same for her!?

You know your daughter better than the rest of us. I know that, at age 13, I would have gone crazy buying up every cute little thing that I saw if I had free use of the charge card. I know that at my current thirty-something age, I still want to go crazy but know I must curb myself or get into major debt!

 

[crisi]

It REALLY REALLY depends on your kid.

I hope when mine are 13 to have charging privledges on their keys....but with understood limits. They will be allowed to charge food, for instance, but not go over $X a day. Souveniers should be bought with cash or with Mom and Dad present. And abuse wiill result in revocation of the privelidge for the forseeable future, plus having to pay Mom and Dad back.

How about getting two room keys - one with charging privledges and one without (We've gotten extra non-charging room keys in the past). You can hang onto the charge key - except for the trip to the food and fun center.

I believe you can also get daily accounting on your charges, may be easier to review them with her each evening and make the decision daily - she is more likely to behave with the card if she knows transgressions will be found immediately and may result in changes to the quality of the rest of the trip (i.e. no souvieniers cause you blew your budget already).

 

[vicb]

We have not done this for our children yet but my sister did for her DD's ages 11 and 12. She told them there was a limit per day on the card (don't remember what exactly, something like $10-15). They thought it was a Disney imposed limit and never tried to go over. They stayed at WL and in the mornings the girls would go get juice and cereal on their own, or could go to the store and get a snack or drink later in the day. They thought they were pretty big stuff!

I have read here that others put charging privileges on their younger kids cards and let them "pay" for a character breakfast for sit down dinner so they can feel important too!

 

[BevS97]

my dd is only 5, so no charging for her, but I know a friend of mine let his 13 year old charge - but only with his knowledge. She got a big kick out of asking 'Can I charge it, Dad?'

Can I ask, what is the Food and Fun Center? I seem to have missed that one on my travels.

Bev

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by BevS97
Can I ask, what is the Food and Fun Center? I seem to have missed that one on my travels./B]

The Food & Fun Center is at the Contemporary resort.

The "food" part is just their counter service restaurant. The "fun center" is a giant game room right next to the restaurant. I have been told that it's the largest game room at WDW, outside of Disney Quest.

It's great for kids that are into video games (of course what kid isn't now-a-days!)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you have to be a resort guest to utilize the Food & Fun Center.

 

[elgerber]

We have been to the Food N Fun center a couple of times, and we have never stayed at the Contemporary. My dh and ds visit there when they rent boats at the marina.

If you feel your child is responsible and won't go nuts spending, I think it would be a great idea to give her charging on her card. It would be a good lesson in managing responsibly.

Erika

 

[marypopfan]

Hi, when I went in December I tried to get my DD a different limit then mine. The CM said that they couldn't make the cards have different spending limits. They had to be exactly the same.

 

[bianca]

Our girls were each given charging priviledges when they turned 12. We have a 14 yr. old and 12 yr. old. As the 14 yr. old has been charging for a couple of years now, her 12 yr. old sister could not wait until our last trip to get that priviledge. They both are very responsible and it really made the trip easier. They were able to do their own shopping without us knowing what they bought. We go twice a year to WDW and they purchase whatever gifts they want for the coming months while there (birthday, Christmas, mother'd day, etc.). This way, I don't take them out to the stores when we get home AND they get to keep their purchases a secret! The other people that posted about the spending limit were correct. Disney does not assign different credit limits to each card. You either have charging priv. or you don't. One tip ...... before each of my girls' 12th birthday I took them to the Secretary of State office and got them a state I.D. This looks just like a driver's license, but provides them with additional I.D. when they were using their room charges. I told them that part of the "deal" when using the cards was that they always had to show the CM their I.D. Another plus to the I.D. was that they always had proof on them when doing activities around the parks or resort. Example: you must be 12 to use the transportation without an adult, rent water-sprites, etc.

 

[HM]

Bianca----you've got lots of great advise in your post. Thanks. -HM

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I never knew about the age limit on the WDW transportation. Glad to know that. That goes right along with my advice. If they are mature enough for you to allow them to go off alone, then I would think them mature enough to handle the responsiblity of some spending money. If you can trust them to only go to the food court or gift shop or whatever the limit might be, You should be able to trust them to only buy dinner or spend 10.00 in the gift shop etc.



jordan's mom