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If you google “family Disney Cruise” you are going to see pages upon pages of adorable families…mostly with toddlers and young children…in matching t-shirts, color coordinated outfits, or Mickey ears, posed to perfection on a very picturesque staircase. Don’t get me wrong, this is the image I conjure up in my head of my own children on our first Disney Cruise (see picture to the right). But if you are routinely trying to figure out where the smell is coming from in your teenager’s bedroom or you find yourself avoiding eye contact so that your tween doesn’t snap like Regan in “The Exorcist”, you might see these images and think, “There ain’t a chance in hell my teens are going to go for this.” But I am here to tell you one very important piece of information. You are NEVER too old for a Disney Cruise!
The truth is, the magic that Disney has perfected so well is the nostalgia that teenagers need…even if they don’t realize it. There is an element of a Disney Cruise that allows teenagers to just be kids instead of desperately trying to grow up. (Insert cheesy Peter Pan lyrics here.)
Each Disney ship has plenty of ways for teenagers to meet other passengers their age. There are tween clubs and teen clubs, complete with smoothie bars and video game consoles. They have organized activities and scheduled take overs of some of the coolest places on the ship (The AquaMouse and Incredicourse take overs on the Disney Wish were among my girls’ favorites!). There are drawing classes and trivia games. Charades. Karaoke. Cupcake decorating. Basketball games. Ping Pong tournaments. The activities are truly endless. On our last DCL sailing aboard the beautiful Disney Wish our teenager was the first one ready for dinner. She pulled up the app and said, “There’s an animation class going on in 5 minutes in Edge (exclusive “club” for passengers ages 11-14). I’ll meet you at dinner.” And just like that, she was gone. After I picked my jaw up from the floor I turned to my husband and asked, “What happened to her?” Bella is shy. Not one to put herself out there. We thought it would be really great for her sister to be able to join her in Edge this time (Sophia turned 11 the last day of our trip, but you can sign a waiver and give 10 year olds permission to hang out in Edge). As it turned out, Bella was all in for the scheduled activities. It was pretty amazing.
If I’m being honest with you, we don’t actually see our tween and teenager much on a Disney Cruise. And if I’m REALLY being honest, that’s part of the fun of it all. Jason and I have opportunities to relax, reconnect, and unplug while the girls are busy exploring, participating in activities, and really making the most of a chance to be independent in a safe, contained environment. The DCL Navigator app does allow you to text other passengers on your sailing without purchasing the Internet package (with super cute Disney emojis), so we had some peace of mind about being able to communicate with them. We set parameters for them (dinner together was a nonnegotiable, check in with us if you leave an activity, blah blah blah. You know. Normal parenting stuff.) but we also allowed them the opportunity to be independent, have fun, and enjoy being on vacation in the ways that make sense for them (they are not interested in sitting by the pool for hours reading a book…their loss!).
If you’re on the fence about a Disney Cruise because you have older kids, stop hesitating! Let go of the images of matching shirts, grab a few portable phone chargers and some mouse ears, then take the leap. Enjoy the adult only area for a cocktail or two knowing your kids are having a blast! And make the memories! You won’t regret it!
Full disclosure policy…I am a member of the Amazon Associates program. If you purchase an item from a link that I’ve shared, I will earn a commission from your purchase. My opinions are my own (or my kids’ if I let them get ahold of my keyboard). They are honest (I wouldn’t have it any other way) and I’ve personally used every product, visited each location, read every book, or used every travel hack I write about. Affiliate links do not cost you anything (and can sometimes save you money) but they do keep me planning my next travel adventure!
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