Need advice for activities for 11 year old

[julfre]

I'll be going to WDW with my 11 year old niece this December. My sister(her mom)and my Mom will be going also. The last time we went together, she was 5 and it was easy to plan for her. I'm trying to come up with some special things to do with or for her, but she is at the age where she is a kid one minute and a teenager the next.

She lives about 2000 miles from me so I only get to see her once per year so it is hard for me to keep up with her latest changes. last summer she spent a week with me and I noticed how she was starting to turn into a teenager. I'm in charge of making all plans for this trip and I'm not sure what she is going to enjoy.

Will she be too old for the character meals? I'm thinking of the luau instead of the hoop de do? She has mentioned getting a silhouette picture done so I think they do that at the MK. She also liked hair braiding last year which they used to do at the cbr. of course, what was COOL last year- may not be cool now! Help!

Any advice from parents of preteens would be great.

 

[MELSMICE]

I have two 11 year old girls (twins). Here's what they enjoy while at Disney:

--hairwraps
--shopping for souvenirs
--although we haven't done it, I know they would enjoy having a silhouette done
--anything Lizzy McGuire (if she doesn't have the CD from the movie stop in at the Virgin Records store for it with her)
--mini golf
--they would prefer Hoop Dee Doo to Luau
--they absolutely love the carnival games at the Boardwalk & the game room at the ESPN club.
--Love the water parks
--Rainforest Cafe
--renting bikes or boats at Fort Wilderness
--Renting water mice from one of the MK resorts
--The game room at the CR

I'm sure you'll have a great time with her. Enjoy yourself.

 

[julfre]

Thanks for the list. I've never been to the boardwalk so that might be a good thing to do with her. She does like the games at carnivals so she'll probably have a good time there.

 

[fan_of_wdw]

There are also carnival games in the dinosaur section of AK. And Primeval Whirl is great for this age.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Pin Trading... my 10 1/2 yr old loves pin trading. They have special pin trading sessions on Thursday night at one of the All Stars & one on Friday night at the Contemporary. They are for kids only....I think 13 and under. My daughter also still enjoys going to Character meals (so do my 14 & 16 yr olds). In addition to what the other posters have said, she also collects pressed pennies, they make a great cheap souvenirs. She likes looking for Hidden Mickey's on rides, in the parks & at the resorts. She likes going to Epcot (yes Epcot!) to the countries and talking to the CM's about different foods & games( still goes to the Kid Spots).

 

[julfre]

Thanks for the ideas. I forgot about the pressed pennies- I like to collect those also. I was afraid that an 11 year old would think she was too old for character meals( even though I'd like to go and I'm older than that). Maybe I'll make a PS and then just see how she acts around the characters in the park before we go. Hopefully if all the grownups are acting like kids, she won't feel too old to have fun also!

 

[funhouse8]

How about a afternoon tea at the GF . this is what i'm doing with my girls this year.

 

[funhouse8]

Oh, my kids also enjoy eating around the countries in Epcot. we try a different food from each contry. My kids don't interact with the characters in the parks but at the meals they seem to enjoy this. The characters always get them to laugh no matter how cool they think they are.

 

[TinkerBellPixie4GOAL]

If you don't mind spending an extra few hundred bucks try out Presentations: Gifts of a Lifetime (www.giftsofalifetime.com) They have some GREAT events that would make the trip special for an eleven year old...Jane and her pixies work to make everything just right...

If not, then I would suggest Disney Quest and Cirque De Solei at DTD...those would be perfect!

If she likes Hoop Dee Doo then try out Murder Watch Mystery Theatre at the Grovesner Hotel right at the entrance to Disney property...she would absolutly LOVE that...

And remember...hair wraps are always nice!!!

 

[ahutton]

DisneyQuest would be a lot of fun, but make sure someone is with her. There are several attractions there that are way more fun with a group, such as Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, and many other VR or simulator type games. While they may group you with someone else or you be able to play alone it is much more fun with the entire group.

 

[TinkerBellPixie4GOAL]

of course! Not many kids her age would like to go to Disney Quest alone...it is much more fun to go with someone you know!

 

[julfre]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I went to the gifts of a lifetime site- nice stuff. I probably can't afford one of their events, but they do have some nice looking gift baskets.

 

[auntkelly]

You never know what kids will enjoy. I have been trying to decide what we will do on the first night of our trip this November. When we went to Disney in 2000, my son, who was then 8, and my daughter, who was then 5, loved going to Chef Mickey's on our first night at Disney. I have begun to plan this year's trip and I have been asuming that my son, who is now 11, would think that he was too "cool" for the characters at Chef Mickey's and would want to do something different on the first night of our trip. However, he asked me today if we could eat at Chef Mickey's again this trip. I loved Chef Mickey's, so of course I said "yes." You never know, if I were in your shoes, I'd give my niece several options and let her decide what she wants to do. Her choices may surprise you!