Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
prep measures (described later in this section) will enhance his or her experience and
make life easier for the rest of the family.
Parents who understand that a visit with 4- to 6-year-old children is going to be
more about the cumulative experience than about seeing it all will have wonderful
memories of their children's amazement.
The Ideal Age
Though our readers report successful trips as well as disasters with children of all
ages, the consensus is that children's ages ideal for family compatibility and togeth-
erness at Disneyland are 8-12 years. This age group is old enough, tall enough, and
sufficiently stalwart to experience, understand, and appreciate practically all Disney
attractions. Moreover, they are developed to the extent that they can get around the
parks on their own steam without being carried or collapsing. Best of all, they are still
young enough to enjoy being with Mom and Dad. From our experience, ages 10-12
are better than 8-9, though what you gain in maturity is at the cost of that irrepress-
ible, wide-eyed wonder so prevalent in the 8- and 9-year-olds.
Disneyland for Teens
TeensloveDisneyland, andforparentsofteens,Disneyland Resortisanearlyperfect,
albeit expensive, vacation choice. Although your teens might not be as wide-eyed and
impressionable as their younger sibs, they are at an age where they can sample, un-
derstand, and enjoy practically everything Disneyland Resort has to offer.
For parents Disneyland Resort is a vacation destination where you can permit
your teens an extraordinary amount of freedom. The entertainment is wholesome, the
venues are safe, and the entire complex of hotels, theme parks, restaurants, and shop-
ping is easily accessible on foot. Because most adolescents relish freedom, you may
have difficulty keeping your teens with the rest of the family. Thus, if one of your
objectives is to spend time with your teenage children during your Disneyland vaca-
tion, you will need to establish some clear-cut guidelines regarding togetherness and
separateness before you leave home. Make your teens part of the discussion and try
to meet them halfway in crafting a decision with which everyone can live. For your
teens, touring on their own at Disneyland is tantamount to being independent in an
exotic city. It's intoxicating, to say the least, and can be an excellent learning exper-
ience, if not a rite of passage. In any event, we're not suggesting that you just turn
them loose. Rather, we are just attempting to sensitize you to the fact that for your
teens, some transcendent issues are involved. (Children must be at least 14 years old
to enter a Disneyland Resort park without an accompanying parent or guardian.)
Most teens crave the company of other teens. If you have a solitary teen in your
family, do not be surprised if he or she wants to invite a friend on your vacation. If
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