So when we first joined DVC, we said when the kids reached a certain age they could bring a friend. YIKES! Well, we were fortunate to have our trip just before all the restrictions, but here are a few things I recommend. As we plan on doing this again, please let me know other things that worked out well for your teen group.
- Plan to meet back for dinner so you spend SOME time together. I avoided too many formal sit down meals mostly for a reduction in time, but we did have at least one. The Rose & Crown dining experience was a big hit with the group, but was a bit expensive for teens since they pay adult $$, but don't have alcohol included that made the cost much more reasonable for the adults.
- Counter Service Meal plan was a life saver. Rather than having to budget for appetites or make sure the kids had enough money to cover snacks, they had a certain number allocated and could manage themselves. Very easy and worked like a charm.
- Drawing has moved the the FAR part of Animal Kingdom (you have to take Rafiki train), but it's cool there and it's a good down time activity without having to actually rest. I didn't have to use fast passes on it as the room is VERY large now, but I did to make sure we got the time we wanted. There is no priority seating for FP vs standing line as they're all lapboards, but this was something all ages liked and we did multiple days.
- Life 360 or the like - I was very nervous about all the people and being responsible for someone else while down there. We had these on all the phones and the older group was allowed to park hop with them on and the younger teens were able to wander within the same park as us. We checked in occasionally and were very confident to always know where they were without having to constantly be asking for check-ins. Definitely helped the Mom anxiety!