I'm in the same spot Tanyia! Katie is 14, and Hannah 11.
I have to agree with Jenn. What about Halloween Horror Night at Universal? Disney is pretty kiddish this time of year, but still fun. I don't think I'd spring for the Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween if you can just go in during the day with your passes. Katie went to HalloScream at Busch Gardens this past weekend with her Y group and loved it! Of course it's not my thing at all and I have no desire to go. But you seem to be a lot less scardy cat than me!
We still do the pumpkin patch, but that is totally for me to take pictures and really nothing more. The girls still enjoy carving pumpkins and we do a family carving night with my parents and sister and brother and his family so that is fun. They still like some of the Fall things we've been doing since they were younger - specials on TV, apples with caramel, pumpkin spice lattes, etc. We also have been decorating those foam pumpkins either by painting or carving each year. We have a nice little collection going and they're easy to set out. You just can't store them in your attic or they melt.
I've decided to make November, between Halloween and Thanksgiving our fun time. We're starting our Sunday Fun Days again. We'll be taking one day to go to Barnes and Noble and look at books and magazines with Christmas ideas. Then we're going to picnic at a park near by and plan out what we want to do for the holidays. Are we making a theme tree? Do we want to do certain colors? Will we do Elf on Shelf again or not? What foods do they want? What cookies and candies do they want to make, etc. I like have them help me plan now that they are older. Then we pencil in when we are going to do these things.
Other Sunday Fun Day things - hosting a tasting party with their friends and their friend's moms. Ask the mom/daughters to bring a tasting (appetizer, small dessert, small main dish) with recipe and an adult or kid holiday themed beverage. We'll set up tables all over the house and everyone can mingle and taste and sip and visit all before the holidays wrap up us completely. I plan to decorate the house fall like because we're hosting two Sundays before Thanksgiving.
My kids also like to go look at Christmas lights. We go in our PJ's. put on Christmas music and make Jason drive us through Mc D's or Steak and Shake for milkshakes to sip while we ride and view. We all think it's funny that he won't wear his PJ pants and has to wear jeans b/c he doesn't want to get pulled over or the drive thru person see him. LOL!
We also buy lots of extra can goods and donate to local charities and each of the girls' schools.
Last year we did Elf on the Shelf and the Advent Calendar. Which meant treats every day. (Left over Halloween candy stashed away helps out!) We even let each of the girls have a turn each week deciding where to put the Elf. They seemed to enjoy it because she was always somewhere funny. Hannah enjoyed it more than Katie, but Katie is nostalgic and I know she secretly loves that kind of stuff.
There is a botanical garden that decorates with lights and has some entertainment. We try to go to dinner and then walk around over there at least once during the holiday season.
Watching holiday movies, putting up the tree is always big and they love to talk about our ornaments and the stories they remember about each one.
A few years ago we camped in St. Augustine the week of Thanksgiving. A few nights before Thanksgiving they did their town lighting. It was really cool and pretty and something a little more grown-up in the way of fun. It's not too far from you to go over for the day and then stay for the lights. Have dinner at Harry's - they have an awesome patio area!
Other ideas - a sporting event - maybe a basketball game or come to Tampa for a day in Ybor City then a hockey game. A day in Winter Park (I think I got that right), walking around looking at the shops. What about the art & craft festival at Mount Dora? Would they like that?
Making gifts for their friends, baking cookies/making candy, having a fire and roasting hot dogs (or turkey sausages at our house) and then making smores (served with hot cocoa or some kind of Christmas/fall flavored hot drink).
Hope that helps! It's hard when they get past elementary to come up with stuff, but trying to make new traditions helps and asking them what they think would be cool - they might come up with something you never considered.
