Must do things for teens?

C

Corii

Earning My Ears

Joined

Oct 7, 2016

• Oct 23, 2016

• #1

I have three children, young teens and a preteen. Next February will be our first DL trip ever. My husband and I have been once before, but it's the kids' first trip (and first plane ride!).

We're all excited, and while I'm very much a planner, I'm hesitant to do an itinerary because my husband hates planning to that degree. So.. What are some must do activities, places to eat, etc. in and out of the park that teenagers will love? We'll be there four days, three nights, staying off resort property and taking a shuttle or Uber anywhere necessary.

Thanks!!

 

lalasmama

DIS Veteran

Joined

Sep 25, 2011

• Oct 23, 2016

• #2

There's great thrill rides in the parks, which is what my preteen (12) is all about right now.

Blue Bayou is cool to eat at, especially if you ride Pirates first, and then are able to point out that you are in the ride when eating at Blue Bayou.

If they are Star Wars buffs, they should like Star Tours, Hyperspace Mountain, and the Star Wars Launch Bay. For some "behind the scenes" fun, you can ride a tram in Downtown Disney to the Mickey and Friends parking lot, then ride the escalator up to the Minnie level (6th floor), and look out over the railing on the right side once you are off the escalator. Ta-da! It's Star Wars Land in progress. My daughter is getting a kick out of seeing pictures of the building of the land, and is really sad that she missed getting to see it in person last week. I've had to promise to take her up there to see it when we go in June.

If they like shopping, there's a mall in Garden Grove, I believe, that has some celebrity sightings.... Or there's always those sleezy TMZ-style tours. (Okay, I'll admit it... I read gossip magazines and watch TMZ, and would totally love to do this myself! Kiddo has zero interest in it )

There's beaches nearby if you don't normally live near a beach.

 

Darkbeer1

Theme Park Reporter and TV producer

Joined

Dec 3, 2012

• Oct 23, 2016

• #3

Let's see, two good Dinner Shows in nearby Buena Park, Medieval Times and Pirate's Dinner Adventure.

Knott's Berry Farm is a nice change with lots of Roller Coasters.

The Outlets at Orange has VANS Skate Park and other entertainment options.

The Buena Park Mall has a Trampoline Park.

Not Cheap, but the FlightZone is a venue with advanced Flight Simulators.

So those are some good nearby choices that your kids might like.

Also, you have the Angels that play Baseball, and the Honda Center hosts the Ducks (Hockey) and the LA KISS (indoor football), plus other special events like College Basketball tournaments. So the Ducks in February, plus depending on the day, Professional Rodeo, the Harlem Globetrotters and Twenty One Pilots performing.

http://www.hondacenter.com/schedule.aspx

 

Last edited: Oct 23, 2016

Darkbeer1

Theme Park Reporter and TV producer

Joined

Dec 3, 2012

• Oct 23, 2016

• #4

One more thought, Universal Studios Hollywood and the Wizardly World of Harry Potter. Gray Line Tours will provide a ticket and transportation package. Not cheap, but very popular with Teens and Tweens.

 

NannyBeBe

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 3, 2015

• Oct 23, 2016

• #5

Just a side thought. If your kids have any problems with motions sickness, do not forget the Dramamine for the plane ride.

 

ADLFAN

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jan 29, 2015

• Oct 23, 2016

• #6

The Pacific Wharf and the Paradise Pier area in DCA are both nice because they offer several food options close by so teens can choose their meals from a wider variety and both spots have large, partially shaded seating areas that we love.

They'll probably love using FP's to go on CA Screamin, Tower Of Terror, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Star Tours. If you and hubby don't want to try any of the thrill rides, your two tickets can be used to get extra FP rides in for two of the kids.

Have fun!!

 

rentayenta

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 28, 2007

• Oct 23, 2016

• #7

My teens love the Art of Animation in DCA. They love to draw and watch the videos.

 

Laundress

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 10, 2011

• Oct 23, 2016

• #8

To help my teens have a bit of independence we gave them a Disney gift card to carry so they could get food and drinks when they wanted and not worry about change.

 

C

chickapin parterre

DIS Veteran

Joined

Dec 18, 2014

• Oct 24, 2016

• #9

single rider on Calif screaming while you sit in the Cove Bar....that is what adults like..I, mean that is what young folks like to do.....

 

T

theluckyrabbit

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jul 23, 2012

• Oct 24, 2016

• #10

The Anaheim Packing District is a kind of gourmet food court, not far from the parks. Your kids might like choosing from all the options. Sometimes there is live music, too. There is a shuttle that stops at several resort area hotels to go to South Coast Plaza, an upscale mall in Costa Mesa. The Citadel Outlet Mall is about 30 minutes north of DLR. ESPN Zone in DtD has an arcade upstairs. Depending on where you live, your kids might enjoy eating at In'N'Out Burger (Ball and State College), about 5 minutes or so from DLR. In'N'Out serves simple, fresh fast food with super friendly service. They have a cult following here and a "secret" menu that gives lots of way to order your food. You can check Ticketmaster and similar sites to see if there will be any concerts or events in the Anaheim/Los Angeles area that will interest your kids. The gift card idea is a good one. It allows the kids some independence in choosing snacks and souvenirs, while cutting down on impulse spending. The kids know that once the card is empty, that's it. That alone made our kids much more careful about what they wanted and when.

 

Darkbeer1

Theme Park Reporter and TV producer

Joined

Dec 3, 2012

• Oct 24, 2016

• #11

The South Coast Plaza private Shuttle has been replaced, and now access is through ART Route 22, which doesn't have that many trips a day, and limited stops, though for some, taking a different ART Route to Disneyland and then transferring to Route 22 is an option.

www.rideart.org

The easiest In-n-Out Burger to get to using public transit is the one at the corner of Harbor and Orangethorpe in Fullerton, about 3 miles north of Disneyland. Take OCTA Route 543 to the corner, about a 20 minute ride. Lots of shopping options nearby.

 

BriannaRuth

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 29, 2012

• Oct 28, 2016

• #12

My girls are 12 and 16. They like all the thrill rides mentioned above, but they also love rides like Peter Pan, Alice and Pooh. Actually there's not much they don't like other than kiddie rides in Toon Town and Bugs Land. And they will both ride Splash like 6 times in a row late at night when you can do that. They'll ride Star Tours, Space, Indy in DL multiple times. The oldest had no interest in Tiki Room but the youngest did. In DCA -- RSR, Screamin, GRR, TSMM, GSS are all favorites, as is Ariel, believe it or not. The older one loves Mickey's Wheel of Death but the younger one won't go near it.

One thing they definitely like more now that they're older is shopping. Both of them wanted more time out than they did when they were younger to shop, both in DtD and in the shops in the parks.

They both loved the nighttime parade and WoC. We did the Dessert Party, which was a highlight of their trip even though neither one of them cared for the actual desserts that much.

Both love Pirates and eating at BB. They also both enjoy Carnation Cafe and just about any food cart they stumble upon. In DTD, Rainforest Cafe is still a favorite. In DCA they like to eat at Flo's and Cozy Cone.