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I was talking about my son John yesterday at work. The woman I work with asked how old he is now, and when I said fifteen she asked me about different things that her son did and does John do these kinds of things. He wasn’t like her son much, but he is a typical teenager, we see him at meals and have to keep on him about bringing glasses down from his room and doing homework and stuff. But he’s a great kid, I can’t complain. I have mentioned that when we visited Walt Disney World this past summer, we went with John’s friend and his family. These two young men are so much alike they could be brothers. Before we went we had talked about how great it would be for the boys to have someone their own age to hang out and to go off in the park with. I mean they are both around the same age and we trust them and trust Disney to keep them safe, so it was not a problem. But what happened and what we found when we were there still amazes me, and as I thought about it more, it became an Unknown Magic. So, I’d like to share with you today the Unknown Magic of the effect of Disney on the Teenage Mind


I guess,I can see how a teenager
might find this embarrassing

 Not that John is one of these kids that is totally embarrassed by us (although sometimes he has a right to be), he is pretty good about going out to the store or mall with us, even when we aren’t getting him anything, but he is at that age when it just isn’t cool to hang with your parents. And as I said his buddy is just like him. They are typical teenage boys. So, when we were in Disney and they only left us once to go off on their own; that kind of surprised me.

The one night they went by boat from the Saratoga Springs Resort to Downtown Disney. They were gone for a total of 2 hours, maybe, and part of that was looking for our room, because they couldn’t remember what building we were in (in their defense it was only our second night there). Both boys said they had a good time, and John mentioned a few different places they went to and what they did, but they didn’t seem like they really needed to do it again.

It could be that we usually do certain things when we are in Disney, go to certain places to eat and ride specific attractions, so maybe John didn’t want to miss anything, but I don’t think either one of the boys really cared that they were hanging with their parents. They seemed to enjoy what we were doing and had a lot of fun doing it.

We did have Dining Reservations for a few of our meals, but even then they both had a good time. The one was in Le Cellier, where we had a ball, and laughed all through the night. We also enjoyed the Spirit of Aloha Luau, and our last night we went to ‘Ohana, in the Polynesian Resort. Both of the boys ate as teenage boys can and savored every bite. You could tell they were enjoying the meal, but you could also see that they were totally into the Feeling of ‘Ohana (Family). I look back on these meals as Magical Experiences that we shared as families.

I sum this all up to the Magic of Walt Disney World. If we were home, the boys might hang out with us for a little while and then they would disappear to their rooms or go out, but when we were there, even though they both had a game system with them, they didn’t leave us much. Five Days they spent with us, and not just for meals. It was a great trip and an amazing time. And we all had a good time. That’s not to say they didn’t roll their eyes at us or complain that we were getting up to do an early Magic Hour, but they didn’t dwell on those things they moved right along with their lives.

Not that I think there is any place on earth more wonderful than Walt Disney World, but in my mind, there is no place else to go with a family, even ones with teenagers, than Disney. We have friends that own Disney Vacation Club points and for eight straight years they would ask their two teenage sons what they should do for summer vacation. They gave them choices ranging from the North Carolina Beaches to trips out west and each year the boys picked Disney. And each time they told me about the trip afterwards and showed pictures, it was a “Family” trip. The boys were like John and his friend, they hung with their parents. It is an amazing thing, that you don’t think would happen, but as you walk through any of the Disney Parks, you see families with teenagers having these Magical Experiences.

So, now you know, there is a Special Unknown Magic that happens when you are in Walt Disney World that makes the teenage mind stop being a teenage mind and actually lets it enjoy their family. And when this happens, all kinds of Magical Experiences can happen. So, don’t worry if you are going to Disney with a teenager, they’ll probably surprise you and enjoy themselves.