Unchaperoned 14yr. from MCO to Pop

[mom of five]

I need help from the experts...

A friend of my son (14) is flying down on his own and meeting us there. We are driving--23hrs with 5 kids. We need suggestions on the very best, easiest, safest way for him to get from the airport to Pop. Yes, I know we should go get him, but we aren't arriving until 10 or 11 pm and DH and myself are not thrilled with the prospect of logistically navigating the airport after driving 23hrs. Also, I don't want to get lost at night. I thought about the new magical express service, but cast member checked into it and children must be chaperoned, so that's out.

Any ideas anyone?
Thanks guys!

[DebbieB]

Would a towncar service pick him up?

[Lew]

Personally, I'd be picking the boy up myself...he's just 14. Would you want your son to have to make the trip by himself? You're driving all the way from upstate New York...a few more miles to and from MCO won't kill you.

MCO is one of the easiest airports to get around, even if you've never been there before. Travel to and from the airport is a cinch and there are pleny of good signs to get you where you need to go.

If you just can't bring yourself to make the trip, I'd follow up on DebbieB's suggestion. It's probably the second best option.

[FLAsomeday]

Go pick him up. WHoever drove the most stay with the kids at the hotel. the other person drive to mco. It's a fairtly straight run.

[dudspizza]

The first question is: Has this 14 year old boy traveled to WDW before? I traveled round trip from Minneapolis to London when I was 15 and had no problems.

If he is comfortable with traveling, he can follow signs from the airside to baggage and then follow signs to Mears. He can then take the Mears shuttle to your resort.

It all depends on his comfort level. I was just fine doing it on my own at that age, so it is up to him. If he is not comfortable, then you should go get him. Heck, he would have to get to baggage on his own, anyway since you can't meet him at the gate. He could easily go downstairs one level to find Mears and they can make sure he gets on a shuttle.

It would help if he had a cell phone and you had one so he could communicate with you if he had any problems....

Just my 2¢,

Duds

[Brian Noble]

If you don't relish driving to and fro (and I wouldn't): schedule a towncar to take you to the airport to meet him, and another towncar to take the two of you back.

Here is a complicating issue: check with the airline. On some airlines (Northwest, for example), a 14 year old *must* take the unaccompanied minor service. I believe, for that service, that a named individual *must* pick the minor up directly from an airline agent at the arrival gate (you get a special gate pass to pass through security to do so.) So, unless you can schedule transportation where you know the name of the person picking him up in advance, and that person is willing and able to retrieve the child directly from the gate, you may have no choice but to do this yourself.

Here is NWA's description of their policy. I'd imagine other airlines are similar.

http://www.nwa.com/services/onboard/minor/faq.shtml

[DebbieB]

I just checked, USAir has the same policy - up to 14 they are unaccompanied minors. They charge $40 each way to take care of them.

Southwest treats 12 and over as adults and do not need special arrangements.

[safetymom]

I agree with the others that one of you should pick him up at the airport. He will be glad to see a friendly face and you don't have to worry about him.

It is very easy to get to MCO from WDW. If you take 417 you will have a nice relaxing drive.

[mom of five]

This boy is very independent and is practically raising his 6yr. old sister.
I don't understand his parents--who are very uninvolved in his life. This is not the way our family is. My son is 11 and if he was 14, I would not allow him to fly alone, but this boy's parents don't seem concerned at all. To quote the mom, "He'll be fine, he knows how to ask for help and directions." This boy practically lives at our house because no one is home at his and he likes to be around others. I think he could navigate Mears, but if getting to MCO is that easy, maybe we will pick him up. Keep in mind, last year we got lost for an hour trying to find HIFS--that's how bad we are with directions off of major highways!
Thanks for all your help!
P.S.--This boy is paying for his airfare himself out of his paper route money! We are covering the rest. He's a great kid and I'm happy we can share WDW with him.

[safetymom]

Then I would spoil him a little bit by picking him up at the airport. He may be an independent kid but he still is a kid. It is really easy to get to the airport.

[Lewisc]

Picking him is the best solution. I'd consider Magical Express, I can't see the driver asking for ID to prove his age. If he's refused he should be able to use Mears as an alternative.

[DebbieB]

Which airline is he flying? I would check if any special arrangements are needed, otherwise they may not let him board.

[gigi1313]

if you really don't want to drive, i would suggest taking a cab to and fro or a cab to the airport and magical express back (if you are both staying onsite)... another luxury option which would really make him feel special is towncar/limo service but it is the most costly option!

[Brian Noble]

mom of five: please go re-read my post above, and check with the airline in question. He may not be allowed to board the plane without the unaccompanied minor service, and if he isn't, you almost certainly HAVE TO PICK HIM UP YOURSELF unless you find an extraordinarily accommodating towncar/limo service with which you can make the appropriate arrangements.

Meaning: the service can tell you, in advance, the name of the specific driver who will pick the boy up, and that driver has to be willing to get to the airport early enough to check in at the airline's check-in desk, obtain a security gate pass, and pass through security to meet him at the arrival gate at or close to arrival time. I guarantee you that if you find a towncar service willing to do that, that they will charge you quite a bit for the additional time required for this pickup.

My second suggestion is if he hasn't already bought his plane ticket, can you squeeze him into your vehicle, or does it only seat 7? Even if it does, it might actually be cheaper (or close to it) to rent a full size van for the drive than it would be to hire what amounts to an hourly towncar service.

[TracyK]

This boy is very independent and is practically raising his 6yr. old sister.
I don't understand his parents--who are very uninvolved in his life. This is not the way our family is. My son is 11 and if he was 14, I would not allow him to fly alone, but this boy's parents don't seem concerned at all. To quote the mom, "He'll be fine, he knows how to ask for help and directions." This boy practically lives at our house because no one is home at his and he likes to be around others. I think he could navigate Mears, but if getting to MCO is that easy, maybe we will pick him up. Keep in mind, last year we got lost for an hour trying to find HIFS--that's how bad we are with directions off of major highways!
Thanks for all your help!
P.S.--This boy is paying for his airfare himself out of his paper route money! We are covering the rest. He's a great kid and I'm happy we can share WDW with him.

He sounds lucky to have you in his life. I hope you all have a great time :sunny:

[laurfisher]

Where in upstate are you? I am from that area too!!! we are going to POP in April 23-30 cant wait first time

we are from New Hartford

[mom of five]

Where in upstate are you? I am from that area too!!! we are going to POP in April 23-30 cant wait first time

we are from New Hartford

We are in Plattsburgh and we are really Disney dreaming today--school was cancelled and there is a foot of snow on the ground and it is still snowing hard!

The boy has not gotten his airline ticket yet. I think he is getting it from a cousin who works for JetBlue--I think he is getting it free??? I have told him and will be speaking with his mother soon about talking with the airline specifically about minors flying solo.

We looked into renting a large SUV--our minivan only hold us 7--It will be well over $1,000 to rent and travel that distance. I just can't afford that. We can't squeeze him in cause there is no where to squeeze. We drove down in Oct. and where at max capacity with our 7 plus luggage.

I just have to share this--This child received 3rd degree burns to both of his legs on Dec.22 of 2004. Although he is very independent, he doesn't always make the best desicions. He was home alone with another boy his age and they started playing with matches and gasoline on the side of his house(he says it was the other boys idea). They live across the street from us and I saw a huge fireball and then the two boys running into the street screaming. I called 911 and another neighbor got the boys in the house and I waited with this 14yo for the ambulance. It was the worst experience of my life. He was begging me to make the pain stop and begging me to tell him that it was all a dream. He was screaming so badly, that I heard it in my head for weeks later. I made him lie down and he kept trying to look at his legs, but I wouldn't let him cause it was awful--truly horrific-- and I thought he would surely go into shock. I rode in the ambulance with him and waited with him till his father got there. Then the father asked me to go tell the mother who was at the little sister's ballet lesson. Try finding the words for that. Anyway, He was transported 5 hours away to Syracuse where they have a burn unit and he underwent surgery. He was an amazing soccer player and I just kept praying that someday I'd be able to see him play soccer again. Well, right now he is in my rec room playing gamecube and he is playing indoor soccer.
I feel that him and I have a connection--like we shared the worst thing imaginable. Now I want to share the best thing imaginable with him--WDW!
He'd never see it otherwise.

[laurfisher]

Mom of 5,
We are down by the utica area between albany and syracuse.......
that is such a sad story. I am glad he has an angel like you to watch over him and bring him joy My oldest just turned 15 in Dec and I tell ya.....I don't know where their minds are some of the time! Even though they are "teenagers" they still need to be supervised. It is hard if the parents are working...how can you put a teenager in daycare? Sometimes its a catch 22, and sometimes parents are too caught up in their own stuff to pay attention and believe it or not sometimes you have parents that are protective and supervise but still a child will do whatever floats his boat when no one is looking....Being a parent is the most difficult job ever! We just do our best and hope it all works out..I am glad you are giving this boy a dream vacation he will cherish it forever...but especially for all the love you give him!
I hope you have a great trip. i am sure you can work something out with the transportation. Have you figured out what time you arrive in Orlando and what time he will arrive in Orlando? Cell phones are a great idea for you guys to communicate once he is on the ground at MCO....

[Brian Noble]

Jet Blue's unaccompanied minor ages are 5 through 11, so you won't have to worry about that. Here are the details: http://www.jetblue.com/travelinfo/howToDetail.asp?topicId=5

I agree that $1000 is steep for a van!

If you can't get him yourself, I'd look for a towncar service that will meet him *inside* the airport (probably at baggage claim), with his name on a placard. That will leave a bit less to chance than having him have to go outside and find the right place to get the car. This is a pretty common service in most cities for towncars, so I'm guessing you should be able to find one in Orlando who will do this.

[CdnDisneyNut]

Just a thought that Mears might not run buses into WDW resorts after the start of the Magical Express.

[the kabuki]

MCO is very easy to navigate, was worried about that myself before I went.Take the 417.

My oldest is 11 and I can't imagine letting her go unaccompanied on a plane in 3 years. Hearing his story about the burns makes it all that more convincing that this boy should not be arriving with no one to be there. Teen-agers do stupid things, and there's too many wacko's in this world to take advantage of that. Leave kids and one of you in the room, so the other one can go get him.

I wouldn't advise the towncar option, too much left to chance. What if the driver you're expecting to be there is sick, doesn't show up to work that day, gets in an accident...new driver isn't given correct instructions. Sometimes these services can't even get arrival/departure pick-up times right, no telling what could happen.

Mears is out of the question, too large of a company, wouldn't know who you'd be dealing with.

God Bless you for being an angel in this childs' life. It sounds as if he sorely needs one.

[CarolA]

I am sorry, but you are letting a child who in your judgement "does not make good decisions" travel alone from the airport. This is just way to risky. Keep in mind that you are now assuming the responsiblity for this child. If something happens to him you could be liable regardless of if it was his bad decisions.

Also, you need some details on this JetBlue thing..... Most airline employees get "buddy tickets" to give to family/friends, but these are standby..... If that is true the child may not be on the flight you expect. You need to verify that he has a confirmed ticket! (I would call JetBlue once he gives you the flight number and find out.)

[Lewisc]

Originally I thought he should take Magical Express, I doubt they'll ask for ID but now I agree with Carol. After reading your updated post this isn't a teenager that I'd trust to find his own transportation.

Make sure he has a cell phone or pre-paid phone card. Have him call you right before he gets on the flight. Call Jet blue to get an updated arrival time and meet him in the airport.

[tjmw2727]

After reading all the information I must say good for you - you are obviously trying to do a wonderful thing.
although...

If it were me I couldn't in good consience not meet this child at the airport myself. I would make sure to be in touch with the party on the other end to make sure he gets on the flight (non-stop is the only option I would consider) and then keep track of the actual arrival time. I would be there waiting for him when he arrives. Remeber that you are the responsible party once he leaves the airport.

If there is no way he can travel with you I would either drive to the airport and meet him myself or take a town car to and from the airport to meet him in person. At least with the towncar you can relax and let someone else do the driving, it will cost approx $100.00 plus tip for the round trip from the resort to the airport and back.

Good luck working this out and have a great trip!
TJ

edited to add: Remember to get a consent for medical treatment of minors from his parents ~

[Rpsemont]

IMHO you should go pick him up. All the reasons have already been stated... he sometimes makes bad decisions, you may be liable if anything happens (never mind the fact of how I would feel if I was in you shoes, didn't pick up and a problem arose) Keep in mind, that while you may be tired, if a problem were to occur, trying to find the child in a mix up may take a whole day or more away from you family being able to enjoy the parks. Also, I would not underestimate a 14 year olds mind. Maybe he's looking for an excuse to get away from everyone for awhile and maybe is hoping this trip is his chance to break away. You never know with some kids. At least if you're there when the flight lands, you'll know you did all you could.

The only other option, after you find out his flight, is to maybe see if you can find another kind soul on these boards who is going to WDW at the same time and would volunteer to help out.

Good luck.

[antmaril]

I have been following this thread for a couple of days and have to add my two cents. There is absolutely no way I would let this boy travel from the airport to the hotel by himself. I know it's inconvenient to pick him up after a long day, but I really think it is the right thing to do. Would you be able to relax at all knowing he was on his own. The peace of mind is worth everything.

Pick him up - don't leave anything to chance -- and have a wonderful vacation.

[mom of five]

Everyone can rest easy--We are definately going to pick him up!

I was very worried about getting to and from MCO but after all the posts I now feel confident that we can do it. We will simply adjust our plans to his arrival time and it will all work out fine. I'm big on positive thinking.
Now I have to work on getting his parents to actually purchase a ticket instead of doing the freebie standby route.

I want to really thank everyone who posted. I felt like you all really cared.
I sure love feeling part of this great community we have.
-Melissa :wave:

Someone pmed me about having him take the Magical Express. However, I had already called and they said that minors must be accompanied by an adult.
I just had a thought--So that we don't have to drive to MCO--I wonder if we can check in at Pop, then one of us get on the magical express to go to MCO and meet him. That would work wouldn't it? No more driving for us and we would be able to meet him and it would be free and his luggage would be taken care of. I don't know if they will do this with only him (a minor) arriving at MCO and us just "meeting" him at MCO. I guess I'll have to investigate.

[MUFFYCAT]

Good! I'm glad to hear you will be picking him up. The thought of a young teenager alone at the airport is scary.

[Donalds_best_pal]

Good! I'm glad to hear you will be picking him up. The thought of a young teenager alone at the airport is scary.

I am 15 and have been traveling alone since I was 12. Now that I am 15, I am not considered a unacommpanied minor. So now I do everything on my own. I dont see anything unsafe about a teenager alone at an airport. Any smart person should be able to get around them without a problems. Plus airports are one of the safest places to be!!!! Just imagine all the security plus the whole airport has constant monitoring by cameras. Just thought I would add traveling alone as a teen isnt a big deal.

Matt

[Lewisc]

I am 15 and have been traveling alone since I was 12. Now that I am 15, I am not considered a unacommpanied minor. So now I do everything on my own. I dont see anything unsafe about a teenager alone at an airport. Any smart person should be able to get around them without a problems. Plus airports are one of the safest places to be!!!! Just imagine all the security plus the whole airport has constant monitoring by cameras. Just thought I would add traveling alone as a teen isnt a big deal.

Matt

Many teens are safe traveling alone. You're probably in that group. Read this thread. The teen traveling alone recently got third degree burns because he and a friend were playing with matches and gasoline.

The question was how this teen could get from MCO to the hotel. After reading the follow up post many of us believe the teen should be picked up at MCO.

[laurfisher]

I am so glad that you will be able to meet at the airport. I have not been to Disney yet so I am just "guessing" here. Instead of going to PoP and to the airport, maybe you can arrange transportation from MCO to POP via Magical Expess for 1 adult, 1child. Have your husband drop you off at MCO and you and the other child can ride the shuttle together to POP. If the teenager doesnt have a cell phone, maybe you could walkie talkies ( check to see if you can use at airport) that have at least a 2 mile radius. Then you can find him easier. Also you could use the walkie talkies in WDW so if your group splits up you wont be looking all day for each other. We went to Darien Lake ( 7 yrs ago) not as big as WDW....with a group of friends. My friends and oldest son went on a ride, we planned to meet at a specific time and specific place. Somehow we lost each other and we looked and looked and never found each other unitl walking out of the gate at closing. We saw a few of the same strangers over and over but not the rest of our party! As easy as meeting times and places are it doesn't always work, its easy to get held up in line for a ride etc...

Just a few thoughts.....i would hope his parents could come up with money for a plane ticket....after all they dont have to pay for anything else on the trip....hopefully they appreciate what you are doing and make it safer and easier for all concerned to have a guranteed seat on the plane for their son. Maybe its just me but if that was my son I would 1) want him be on the flight not on standby and 2) I would be thankful a family was doing this for my son and I would not want to inconvience them
and to the 15 yr old traveler who has been traveling since he was 12....it is great that you are well versed and confident in your abilities to travel. you should be commended on your knowledge and experience. That is truly an accomplishment. your input was helpful in knowing many 15 yrs old ( and younger) have been traveling alone with not problems, and are completly safe. But not all people ( of any age ) feel confident or maybe not good at directions and finding where they need to be ( I am and adult traveling for the first time on a plane without my better half who is my map and my guide, so I am a bit nervous myself) But the bigger dilema is ...this lovely family is responsible for someone else's child and they want to be sure that everything goes smoothly.

[MickeyMouth]

Pick him up. :grouphug:

[Donalds_best_pal]

Many teens are safe traveling alone. You're probably in that group. Read this thread. The teen traveling alone recently got third degree burns because he and a friend were playing with matches and gasoline.

The question was how this teen could get from MCO to the hotel. After reading the follow up post many of us believe the teen should be picked up at MCO.

Yea, I understand about this teen. I was just posting that as a general comment. I sure hope that boy can have a wonderful trip at WDW:)

Matt

[lovingthemouse]

What a wonderful thing you are doing to enhance this boy's life...I, also, travel with students in the same age group/ they are never left alone, nor would i feel comfortable leaving them alone.
Please make certain that when this boy's parents entrust him to your care, you have all the medical history information, power of attorney to seek medical help if needed, a 2 sided copy of his medical insurance card and please pick him up- once he is off that plane, you are the one in charge and responsible!Consider him as one of your own from then on - would you really want him to have all that responsibility? Hope these suggestions help!