Planning an Orlando Villa Holiday with Teenagers

Orlando might seem like one of the easiest destinations in the world for a holiday with teenagers.

There are huge rollercoasters, water parks, shopping malls, restaurants, entertainment and some of the world’s best-known theme parks.

But planning a successful family holiday with teenagers isn’t simply a matter of buying theme park tickets and filling every day of the itinerary.

Older children often have very definite opinions about what they want to do, when they want to get up and how much time they want to spend with the rest of the family.

Involving them in the planning – and choosing an Orlando villa that gives everyone a little space – can make the holiday considerably more enjoyable.

Give Teenagers a Say Before You Book

Rather than creating the entire Orlando itinerary and presenting it to your teenagers once everything is booked, involve them from the beginning.

Ask everyone to choose the attractions that matter most to them.

One teenager might be desperate to experience the biggest rollercoasters at Universal Orlando and Epic Universe.

Another may be more interested in Disney, a particular water park or shopping.

Someone else might want a day away from theme parks altogether, especially if you’re staying in villas in Kissimmee and want to leave some time to relax at your accommodation.

You don’t have to agree to every request, but understanding everyone’s priorities makes it much easier to build an itinerary the whole family is enthusiastic about.

A simple approach is to ask each person to choose their 3 must-do experiences.

Those become the starting point for the holiday.

Don’t Assume Teenagers Have Outgrown Disney

Teenagers who haven’t visited Orlando before may initially imagine that Disney World is aimed primarily at younger children.

That can change fairly quickly once they start looking at the attractions.

Disney offers thrill rides, immersive themed areas, restaurants, evening entertainment and plenty that appeals to older children and adults.

Equally, don’t assume every teenager automatically wants to spend the entire holiday riding rollercoasters.

Orlando offers considerably more than rides, so allow your teenagers to help choose the mixture.

Think About Bedrooms Differently

When children are small, sharing a bedroom on holiday can be part of the fun.

Teenagers may have a different opinion.

If your budget allows, consider a villa with enough bedrooms to give older children more personal space.

This can be particularly important if you’re travelling with several teenagers of different ages or if 2 families are sharing the property.

Look at the bed configuration rather than simply the maximum occupancy.

A villa that sleeps 10 doesn’t necessarily provide the bedroom arrangement your particular group wants.

When comparing properties through Debbie’s Villas or another Orlando villa specialist, look at the individual bedroom photographs and layout before booking.

That extra bedroom might be appreciated far more than you expect after everyone has spent an entire day together at a theme park.

Choose Facilities They’ll Actually Use

The private swimming pool is an obvious attraction, but look at what else the villa provides.

Depending on the individual home, facilities might include a games room, pool table, table football, games console or cinema room.

Some larger properties also have additional television or loft areas where teenagers can spend time without occupying the main family living room.

Don’t automatically choose the villa with the longest list of facilities, though.

Ask your teenagers what they’ll genuinely use.

There’s little point paying more for a particular feature if nobody in your family is interested in it.

Companies such as Debbie’s Villas offer a wide range of individually owned Orlando homes, so comparing facilities can help you find a property that suits the ages and interests of the people actually travelling.

Don’t Schedule an Early Start Every Morning

Theme Park advice often emphasises arriving early, and there can be good reasons for doing so.

But a family itinerary consisting of alarm clocks every morning and late nights every evening can become exhausting.

This is particularly true if your teenagers naturally prefer staying up later and sleeping longer.

Choose the days when an early start genuinely matters.

On other days, allow a slower morning.

Have breakfast at the villa, spend some time beside the pool and head out later.

You might arrive at a park in the afternoon and stay into the evening instead.

A holiday shouldn’t feel like a 2-week military operation.

Balance Theme Parks with Pool Time

Teenagers can be surprisingly enthusiastic about doing very little.

After several long park days, an afternoon beside the villa pool may be exactly what everyone wants.

This is where villa accommodation can work particularly well for families with older children.

Parents can relax, teenagers can swim, listen to music, use the Wi-Fi or disappear indoors for a while, and nobody has to be anywhere at a particular time.

You could then head out for dinner, shopping or an evening attraction once everyone feels refreshed.

Don’t regard these slower periods as time you’ve failed to use.

They’re part of the holiday.

Agree Spending Money Before Travelling

Orlando presents teenagers with plenty of opportunities to spend money.

Souvenirs, clothes, snacks, drinks and shopping can quickly consume a holiday budget.

Agree how spending money will work before you travel.

Will they receive a set amount for the entire holiday?

A daily allowance?

Will parents pay for meals and drinks while teenagers pay for souvenirs?

What happens if someone spends most of their money during the first few days?

There isn’t one correct approach, but agreeing the rules beforehand avoids having the same conversation in the middle of a theme park gift shop.

It can also be a useful opportunity for teenagers to take some responsibility for their own holiday spending.

Sort Out Mobile Data

Teenagers and smartphones are rarely separated for long.

That can actually be useful in Orlando.

Phones provide navigation, theme park apps, attraction information, mobile food ordering, photographs and an easy way for family members to keep in contact.

Before travelling, work out how everyone’s phone will connect.

Check whether your UK mobile plans include suitable US roaming or whether another data option would be more appropriate.

Don’t wait until you arrive and discover that somebody has accidentally generated a large roaming bill.

Villa Wi-Fi is useful when you’re at the property, but you’ll still need to consider connectivity when you’re out.

Have a Plan for Busy Theme Parks

Large Orlando theme parks can be extremely busy.

If teenagers are old enough to spend some time away from parents within a park, agree the rules beforehand.

Make sure everyone has a working phone where appropriate and knows how to contact the rest of the family.

Choose a specific meeting place and time rather than relying solely on messages.

Phones can run out of battery, lose signal or get damaged.

A portable charger can therefore be one of the most useful things in your park bag.

Younger teenagers may require much closer supervision, and families should make decisions appropriate to the maturity of their own children and the rules of the attraction they’re visiting.

You Don’t Always Have to Ride Together

One advantage of travelling with teenagers is that family members can sometimes divide into smaller groups.

Perhaps one parent and teenager love major rollercoasters while another parent and child don’t.

There’s no reason for everyone to spend an hour waiting for an attraction only half the family wants to experience.

Split up temporarily and arrange to meet afterwards.

The same principle can apply outside the parks.

One group might go shopping while another stays at the villa pool.

If you’re travelling with 2 hire cars, you have even more flexibility.

Give Everyone a Little Independence

A family holiday doesn’t require every member of the family to be together from breakfast until bedtime.

In fact, a little independence can make the time you do spend together more enjoyable.

At the villa, teenagers might want to use the games room while parents sit beside the pool.

They may want to watch a different film, sleep later or eat breakfast at a different time.

Having separate bedrooms, living areas and plenty of space makes this considerably easier than it would be in a single hotel room.

That’s one of the reasons villa accommodation can work particularly well as children get older.

Leave Some Days Flexible

It’s tempting to produce a perfect day-by-day itinerary. Try not to fill every space.

Your teenagers may discover something in Orlando they hadn’t considered before travelling.

They might want another day at Universal.

They may decide they’d rather go shopping.

Everyone could be tired and vote unanimously for a villa day.

Weather can change plans too.

Leaving some flexibility means you can adapt the holiday around what everyone is actually enjoying rather than sticking rigidly to decisions made months earlier.

Let Them Help Choose the Villa

If your teenagers are old enough to have opinions about the holiday, involve them in choosing the accommodation too.

Give them a shortlist rather than access to hundreds of properties and ask what they think.

Would they rather have separate bedrooms or a bigger games room?

Does a cinema room appeal?

Would they prefer a larger pool area?

Is being close to particular attractions more important than additional villa facilities?

When browsing Debbie’s Villas or another Orlando villa website, choosing the final property together can help teenagers feel that this is their holiday too.

Aim for a Family Holiday, not a Family Timetable

The best Orlando itinerary for teenagers isn’t necessarily the one that fits in the greatest number of attractions.

It’s the one that includes the things everyone is genuinely excited about while leaving enough space to relax and change plans.

Agree the big decisions before travelling: theme park priorities, spending money, phones, independence and the things everyone wants from the villa.

Then allow the holiday to evolve once you’re there.

Teenagers may not want to follow their parents around Orlando every minute of every day.

Give them some choice, some space and a little flexibility, and you may find they’re considerably happier to join the family when it really matters.