Hey there, Kim! Welcome back to planDisney. Thanks for bringing us another great question! I love sharing tips and advice with fellow Guests like you from my own experiences. When I read your question, I was very excited, as I am a mom of a teen and tween and we recently figured this out for ourselves!
My 15-year-old daughter downloaded the
Disneyland mobile app and created an account for herself using her personal email address. She can access most of the functionality she needs, like linking her own ticket and other tickets in our party, managing
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane selections, checking attraction wait times, accessing interactive park maps, and using
Disney PhotoPass to link her photos taken around the parks.
I had noticed there wasn’t a place to associate a credit card with her account, so I spoke to a Cast Member who explained that Guests ages 13-17 can create an account but
cannot store a credit card in their account. However, there's a helpful workaround to this! You can
purchase a Disney Gift Card for your child, which can be used for in-app purchases such as adding Disney Genie+ to a ticket, purchasing Individual Lightning Lanes, and placing mobile orders for food and beverage. The Disney Gift Card can also be used in person to purchase food, beverages, merchandise, you name it!
You can purchase a Disney Gift Card online, or you can give your child cash to purchase one upon arrival at any Disney gift shop. Your child can scan the Disney Gift Card into their Apple Wallet or Google Pay. (As a side note, using a Disney Gift Card is a great way to give your child a budget for spending on their trip.)
Note that Disney Gift Cards cannot be reloaded online at this time, but they can be reloaded in person at a Disney location.
Kim, I hope this information is helpful to give your child some independence while at the parks. I love that my girls can explore the parks on their own for a bit during our family vacations. As much as it tugs on my mama bear heart strings to see them grow, teaching them to be independent is building their confidence and makes me proud.
Feel free to stop by with more questions. You have a friend in me!
Kamini