Articles | Disneyland | Walt Disney World
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: How do you do the parks with groups of teenagers?

  1. #1
    Registered User Chewyswimmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Northern Colorado

    How do you do the parks with groups of teenagers?

    Looking at traveling with students from out of state over Spring Break 2015. What procedures and freedoms do you put in place for groups of middle schoolers? Let loose? Keep them in a line with one hand on a rope and avoid stores? Some structured time, some free time in the parks? Free time with check ins?


  2. # ADS

    Join Date
    Location
    Posts
     

  3. #2
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    Having been to the parks as a teenager with a youth group, as well as chaperoning our 8th grade trip more than once, check ins.

    When I was a teen there was only one park.

    Our 8th grade trip is structured to a point.
    We are 8 hours away. We board the bus at 11:30 (tour bus not school bus) at night and sleep on the bus on the way down. We stop at the tolerance museum (appt needed) the next morning at opening. We board the bus to Anaheim to arrive by 1 because that is the time the driver has to be off the road.
    From there, our teacher checks us in (we stay at the Ramada Maingate, their group sales are great to work with), and we head across to DCA. They can not leave the park and all groups have to be 3 or more. (This is for safety, if one is hurt, one stays, one gets help, etc. My youth group worked the same way.) They are only in the park until 6 or so, so no checkin this day. We all meet in a designated place and walk back to the hotel. Rooms are ready by now, the kids get their stuff from the bus and get in their rooms. They are allowed to go to the gift shop in groups. The hotel arranges a pizza dinner, poolside. This last year we were down our second teacher at the last minute, so I took some of the kids back to Cold Stone for ice cream, the teacher remained with the kids. Now, there are differing opinions and depends on the group of kids for us. When I went with our nephew, the boys weren't allowed in the vicinity of the girls' rooms, and vice versa. Seperate buildings even. With our daughter's group last year, it was a smaller group and there was only one other mom along. I was in one end of the rooms, the teacher was in the other, boys one side, girls other. They were allowed in each others rooms, with the door open (not alone), until lock down. Curfew is like 9, and once the doors are closed they are taped in, if the tape is broken they get to stay on a bench with a teacher.
    The next morning everything is placed back on the bus. They then attend the Physics in Motion class in DCA. (Part of the Youth in Education program). After the class everyone then moves across to DL. Once inside DL, they may not be outside the gates for the rest of the day, this includes the monorail. There are usually 2 check-ins between this time and closing time.
    Any infraction, gets them benched. We usually have all of the kids checked off before the meet time let alone the 10/15 minute cut off time. They also get a talking to by our principle about how "happy" she or their parent would be about having to drive all that way to retrieve them if needed.

    Oh, our first year, they hired a security guard to watch the rooms that night.

    TA: Oops, at park closing they meet back and we then head to the tram, to the parking structure together, and board the bus home.
    Kids are counted (double or triple) constantly.


  4. #3
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Chicago Area
    Blog Entries
    17

    While not to Disney, Ive done trips with MS kids before. Here is my take:
    - Gotta stick with groups.
    - Each group should be supervised.
    - Behavior guidelines are a must.
    - If there are structured parts to the trip, make it well known so that people are where they need to be when they need to be there.
    - Communication with group leaders via cell phones is pretty much a must.

    One other thing - this is where some Disney education for the leaders/supervisors is key. Share insight with them about what to do and not to do. For example, if they know they need to be somewhere in 30 mins, dont get on an attraction that normally takes 45 mins to go through.

    To be honest, many of the Parenting in the Parks articles can help summarize a lot of the best tips, especially if they have never been to Disney.

    Disney-Inspired Author and Blogger
    CoHost of the Behind The Ears Podcast... Check it out on iTunes
    Admin of The WDW Community Facebook page.

    The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!

  5. #4
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    There was a thread, oh about 5 years ago or so, that Asked about this same thing. I believe in the Disneyland trip planning thread. I will look later, when I am on the computer.


  6. #5
    MousePlanet Staff
    MousePlanet Staff
    adriennek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    In Toxic Levels of Testosterone
    Blog Entries
    8

    I wouldn't put a chaperone with each group unless you have a group you just don't trust.

    I haven't gone with an official group, but I have gone with "a" small group who did not want to stay with parents.

    One nice thing is that everyone has cell phones these days. We make sure they have our phone numbers and that we have theirs.
    We sit and tell them where we will be. Now, since it's such a small group, they tell us where they're going, text back where they want to go next, and if we want to move, we tell them where we're moving.

    With a large group, I would select a "Station" and show them: Here is the chaperone station. Leave a chaperone there - all day. Multiple chaperones can take turns at the station. Then make mandatory check-in times.

    Parenting in the Parks[/url]
    Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do with what happens to you.[/b]
    "You should do totally do this thing, but just remember, it's going to suck eggs" #ThingsMyFriendsSayToMe

  7. #6
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    When I was in the youth group, we did have a station that always had a chaperone available. I still see this at times I see school groups in the parks. That was pre-cellphones. With the school group, less than half of our kids had cell phones, but either being with someone who did, or coming across other groups that did make it work.


  8. #7
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Chicago Area
    Blog Entries
    17
    Quote Originally Posted by adriennek View Post
    I wouldn't put a chaperone with each group unless you have a group you just don't trust.
    Just elaborating on my comment from before - being that the group in question are middle schoolers, I would say that having someone with them might be more of a very strong preference. Both from a leader and parental perspective.

    Ive worked with MS kids for the past 22+ years... and while most can deal with being on their own, they are still at that age where a bit of guidance from someone a bit older could be a big help. (Not to mention I think most parents who are not going on the trip would prefer such supervision.)

    Keep in mind, supervision does not have to come from parents. There might be mature HS or college students from local leadership organizations that might be interested in helping out in that way. Possibly older siblings, etc...

    I know that there could be differences of opinion here, and I am totally respectful of that. My opinion is that I am just not sure if a young person age 11-13 should be unsupervised, even with a group of those of the same age.

    (I also know as a guest, one of the biggest complaints I have is when you have a gaggle of young people, unsupervised, being very disruptive.)
    Disney-Inspired Author and Blogger
    CoHost of the Behind The Ears Podcast... Check it out on iTunes
    Admin of The WDW Community Facebook page.

    The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!

  9. #8
    Registered User Chewyswimmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Northern Colorado

    Thank you for the insights. I have been to Cedarpoint with groups before when I was in school, but never to the world. I don't know how big my group will be, but I am thinking around 15 to 20 students. I may have just as many parents, aunts, uncles, etc... tagging along. The company I am working with, Worldstrides, I have traveled with before, to Washington D.C. and to the Florida Keys, however with those trips, we were 100% structured and stayed as a group. They provide night chaperones so I can get some sleep at night. I have a lot of interest in this trip, but our numbers will not be huge so I do not think we will need to "man" a station all day. I have a lot to ponder now.


  10. #9
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    YES has a minimum as well as a maximum chaperone limit for the class. At least in Cali, the ticket prices are significantly less. We were able to get the tickets for the overage of chaperones on the trip with my nephew, but at least half of us were asked to step aside for the class itself. (Gee, left to our own devices in DCA, with no kid responsibilites. )
    We are dealing with 13/14 year olds. A few might have even been 12.


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •