Hiya Kathy,
Welcome to planDisney! Thank you for bringing your question to us today; I’m so happy to help you prepare your teen for their upcoming trip to Walt Disney World Resort. I’m sure your Mouseketeer will have a magical vacation!
I could probably talk your head off with a ton of tips, but if I had to give you my most helpful tip, it would be to send your teen to Walt Disney World Resort with a
Disney Gift Card. Cash can easily be misplaced and hard to recoup if it is lost. Also, credit/debit cards can lead to overspending (at least if your teen is anything like me). With a Disney Gift Card, you can register the card, and if it is lost, you can retrieve the balance of the lost card. You can also help your teen budget their shopping and food expenses with a fixed amount (up to $1,000 a card). But should your teen run out of money or need a little extra, you can refill the Disney Gift Card from home! You can figure out how much you want to add to the card by looking at the Walt Disney World Resort Dining options and adding up the anticipated costs. I like to budget for a couple of table-service dining locations a day and a quick-service lunch.
Regarding shopping, you can always look at
shopDisney to get a sense of the prices of popular souvenirs such as spirit jerseys and Mickey Ears. The online options may not be available in stores, but they can help you determine what your child may be tempted to purchase. My final tip is to ensure your teen has a portable charging device. When I visit Walt Disney World Resort, my battery tends to drain quickly, and if you are trying to get in touch with them, it can be frustrating if their phone is dead. So I highly recommend packing the charger so they can keep their phone fully charged throughout the day.
Kathy, I hope this was helpful. I tried not to overwhelm you with tips, but if you would like any more, please come back and see
me.
I hope your teen has the Most Magical Time at the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.