Hello, David!
Welcome to planDisney! I can totally relate to your question as my own kids are getting old enough to be asking about venturing out on their own for a ride or two. We haven't done it just yet, but I have been researching the options for when we feel like they're ready!
The minimum age to have your own Disney account is 13 years old. Teen accounts have some restrictions, including not being able to make purchases, which I confirmed with a Cast Member (thanks, Peyton!) this morning. Peyton did say that teen users should be able to select Lightning Lane return times, as long as a parent has purchased Disney Genie+ Service for their ticket.
If you choose to share your account information with anyone then it's important to remember that those people will have access to make or modify dining reservations, purchase Disney Genie+ Service or Individual Lightning Lanes, purchase food and drink through mobile ordering, and more. So I highly recommend being very careful about sharing your account, even within your family. Please also remember that
guests under 14 years old aren't allowed to enter the theme parks without someone over the age of 14 to accompany them.
My kids aren't teens yet and they don't have their own mobile devices (much to their disappointment) so I use
MagicBand+ to give them a little more independence in the parks. While they are still always with me or another adult in our family, the bands let my kids "tap" to enter the parks without waiting for me to scan my phone for them. They can also enter Lightning Lane queues (I just make the selections on my phone for them) and they can even collect our photos from
Disney PhotoPass Photographers. If your kids are on their own and want you to select a new Lightning Lane experience for them it should be pretty quick for them to text you and make the request. Then they can use their bands to join the queue when it's time, no app required.
Did you know that
digital attraction photo downloads are complimentary during the Disney100 Celebration? That means you don't need to miss seeing your kids experience the thrill and adventure of rides like Space Mountain or Radiator Springs Racers, even if you aren't along for the ride! Just make sure your riders capture the code on their ride photo preview at the exit of the attraction so that you can link it to your account in the
Disneyland Mobile App. I usually take a quick picture of the code so I can enter the code on my phone later.
I hope that both you and your kids have some amazing adventures at the Disneyland Resort, David! If you have more questions about the app, using technology in the parks, or anything else,
please let me know.
Keep moving forward!
Amanda