Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you are invested in sharing intimate, quality time with your solitary teen, the presence
of a friend will make this more difficult, if not impossible. However, if you turn down
the request to bring a friend, be prepared to go the extra mile to be a companion to
your teen at Disneyland. If you're a teen, it's not much fun to ride Space Mountain by
yourself.
One specific issue that absolutely should be addressed before you leave home is
what assistance (if any) you expect from your teen in regard to helping with younger
children in the family. Once again, try to carve out a win-win compromise. Consider
the case of the mother from Indiana who had a teenage daughter from an earlier mar-
riage and two children under age 10 from a second marriage. After a couple of vaca-
tions where she thrust the unwilling teen into the position of being a surrogate parent
to her half sisters, the teen declined henceforth to participate in family vacations.
Some parents have written the Unofficial Guide asking if there are unsafe places
at Disneyland Resort or places where teens simply should not be allowed to go. Al-
though the answer depends more on your family values and the relative maturity of
your teens than on Disneyland Resort, the basic answer is no. Though it's true that
teens (or adults, for that matter) who are looking for trouble can find it anywhere,
there is absolutely nothing at Disneyland Resort that could be construed as a precip-
itant or a catalyst. Be advised, however, that adults consume alcohol at most Disney-
land Resort restaurants outside of Disneyland Park. Also, be aware that some of the
movies available at the cinemas at Downtown Disney demand the same discretion
you exercise when allowing your kids to see movies at home.
About INVITING Your CHILDREN'S
FRIENDS
IF YOUR CHILDREN WANT TO INVITE FRIENDS on your Disneyland vacation, give your
decision careful thought. First, consider the logistics of numbers. Is there room in the
car? Will you have to leave something at home that you had planned on taking to
make room in the trunk for the friend's luggage? Will additional hotel rooms or a lar-
ger suite be required? Will the increased number of people in your group make it hard
to get a table at a restaurant?
If you determine that you can logistically accommodate one or more friends, the
next step is to consider how the inclusion of the friend will affect your group's dy-
namics. Generally speaking, the presence of a friend will make it harder to really con-
nect with your own children. So if one of your vacation goals is an intimate bonding
experience with your children, the addition of friends will possibly frustrate your at-
tempts to realize that objective.
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