Youngest kids you've let loose in WDW?

[Barb D]

I let my 12yo niece and 10yo son loose (together) at Busch Gardens this week so that they could ride some of their favorite roller coasters again while I spent time with my 8yo non-thrill-rider. They are very responsible, and basically knew where they were going and what they wanted to do. We had a meeting place and time designated, and they had my cell phone number in case they had a problem.

Which led me to wonder, what's the youngest you've ever let kids go off on their own at WDW, and for how long? Assume that you're in the same park, and that you have some way of communicating (cell phones or family radios).

[Jennasis]

When my father had a MASSIVE asthma attack in Epcot (in the waiting area for Kitchen Cabaret...) my Mom left me (11), my older sister (14), and my little sister (8) alone in the park. She gave us our room key (we were staying in a cabin in Fort Wilderness) andtold us to come home when we were done. I'm 25 now. She didn't want to scare us by dragging us to the hospital...my dad was very bad and almost died.

We never once got lost, or seperated and had a grand old time. Disney is the ONLY place on the planet where my mother said she'd feel comfortable doing something like that.

[FlaSusan]

I have 2 daughters (8 & 10). They have grown up at Disney because we live an hour away & have annual passes. That being said, I love as we walk down Main Street being able to say "We'll see you at Dumbo". Off they run to Fantasyland while DH & I leisurely walk down Main Street. By the time we get to Dumbo, the girls are about to get on the ride.

We are experimenting with short periods of time and very specific directions. We also use the FRS and the girls get one to share. They know that 1) if they do not stay together, 2) if they fight, 3) they have not followed directions... The privelege will be taken away!

At PO-FQ we were in a building close to the food court and it was nice to say go get some drinks kids. We also let them go to the playground together with the radio.

Sometimes you need to have adult conversations without little ears. Especially planning the surprises that make WDW magical!

[Jordan's MOM]

You might need to be aware that I have read on these boards that cell phones often don't work inside the WDW parks.I have no first hand experence with this but I am sure someone here has.I think I have read that two way radios do work.Can someone help with this?
Jordans Mom

[Barb D]

My mom and I used our cell phones to get back together after separating the last time we were at WDW. We turned them off while we were on rides, but other than that we never had a problem with them. We have two different carriers; mine is AT&T and I think hers at the time was Bell Atlantic. (BTW, hers didn't work at all in the Ft. Myers area, and mine did.) I may decide to spring for the radios this time because we'll be apart more, and the cell phone roaming charges add up.

[WDW2002]

I guess I am a over protective parent but I can't see letting my girls run free at disney or anywhere else. And it is not that I don't trust them it is the "strangers" all around I don't trust. And I would rather be a "mean" mom then a "sorry/grieving" mom. Plus Disney is a "family" place, so what better place to be with your family.

[catwho]

Our kids are currently 9,6, and 3. Dh and I have talked about this very thing and we both agree that until the girls are teens (the 3 yo is a boy) that they have to stay with us. That means that the middle one has to be 13 and the older one 16 before they can leave us in the park. And our son will have to be 13 before he can go off on his own as well. I just can't see it before then. And then I would want it to be for only an hour or so. "Y'all go ride X while Dad and I go do this and we will meet you at Y at Z:00 pm" That sort of thing. At the resorts I can see them going out to the playgrounds, but never the pools and maybe down to get a drink or to the gift shop. Our oldest is actually very mature. We have left her outside a giftshop on occaission or at one of the Kid Stations in Epcot (I know that isn't what they are called) when we popped over to grab some food or look at one of the outdoor kiosks. We would never think of letting our 6 yo do that too (she wanders off when we are walking together!)

And as someone else mentioned, these vacations are our family time together. We have worked and saved all year to go on our vacation and we want to spend them together. Besides, you never know when a wonderful "Kodak Moment" is going to pop up and you would have missed it!

Now waaaaaaaay back when I was a kid and Disney was still fairly new ( and i don't remember this crowded LOL!) my aunt and uncle who were teens, were allowed to wander off by themselves. I was only 11 at the time and my mom wouldn't let me go with them (they were 14 and 17 at the time) I remember being so jealous because they got a ton of tickets (see how long ago that was) and they rode Space Mt over and over and over. I think, looking back as an adult, that I actually had more fun as I saw more than Space Mt. and have some wonderful memories that I got to share with my grandfather.

:earsgirl:

[Eeyore2U]

We have let DS on his own at DQ when he was 11. It was what he wanted to do. He had to be back to the hotel at a certain time and by chance we met him on the bus going back. When he was 12 we let DS and friend have freedom..... There were no problems..... DW and I judged by how responsible DS is. He knew the parks and buses better than we did. He will be 15 when we go back in 2/02 and I think we will be lucky to see him and the friend we take.... I feel WDW is very safe, I may be wrong. But at it's worst it is much safer than any major metropolitan area and most suburban areas. I guess if I let him out at the local mall I can let him out at WDW.

[sha_lyn]

We let our 12r DS go ride the coasters by himself at Cedar Point this yr. DH DD and I were going to be at the same place the whole time (the camp snoopy play area) so he knew exactly where to find us. I began to a worry a little because it seemed to take him too long but turns out they reopened a coaster he wanted to ride. He was gone about 1 1/2 hrs and rode 4 or 5 things by himself. Usually I ride the coasters with him (dh will not ride coaster, getting him on a kiddie one is hard enough) but I had a terrible headache. He will be 13 when we return to WDW and we will have the 2 way radios so we will give him some freedom while there.

[rbuzzotta]

I guess you can consider me overprotective!!!! After reading these posts, I can't see my DD, now 10, doing the parks by herself. I just allowed her to walk to the corner store this summer by herself but as far as the crowds and Disney....not until she is at least 13!!! This has been discussed many times but she understands how we feel. She doesn't like it and I will not show her this thread. She is hoping to bring a friend next year when she is 11 and I already told her that they would have to stay with us at all times in the parks!!

Don't you get nervous? Maybe your child is mature and can handle it, but nervous about all the crazy people out there?

[beattyfamily]

Nope, it's not going to happen in our family. Our kids will be by our side always. Even as teenages, like 15, I'd only allow maybe short things, like one ride or they go to the pool while we rest or something.

Like has been said before it's because it's a "family" vacation and because of "other" crazy mean people out there, not because I don't trust my daughters. Thank God, I have a few years before this is an issue!

To each his/her own, though. I'm not judging those who chose to let there kids have freedom at WDW. It's what you feel comfortable with.

My sister leaves my 10 year old nephew home alone quite a bit with "rules" but I would NEVER leave my dd's home alone at 10. I think it's too young even if you drill into them "don't answer the phone or the door no matter what". I just saw a story on "It's a Miracle" where they left their 12 year old home for the first time by himself so they could go out to dinner and celebrate their anniversary and he was kidnapped by a "friend of the family" and they ended up killing him even before they could pay any money....sorry I'm going off topic...it's just so sad that you can't trust anyone!

Like I said each family/child is different so don't feel bad if it's what you chose to do.
;)

[ShuisFan584]

The first time my parents let my sister and I split up from them was when we went to WDW in 1997, I was 13 and my sister was 10. We didn't have walkie talkies or cell phones, but we made sure to have watches with us so we wouldn't miss our meeting time and place.

[Barbruka]

We have five children, 8, 12, 18, 21, and 23. On our trips, they never went on their own at the parks till they were in their teens. And that won't change, period. Especially in this day and age. Also, never alone. Always at least in pairs!

[WDW2002]

As I have been reading the post to this thread, I can not believe how "safe" people feel at Disney. For me it is just the opposite. Disney (or any theme park) is the LAST place I feel safe letting my kids "loose." It might be because I learned the hard way that no where is "safe" when it comes to my girls. And remember, kidnapper & molesters don't where signs around their necks, so there is no way to know... Just remember it is better to be safe then sorry.

I grew up at Disneyland and I don't ever remember my parents letting me and my sister "loose" and this was in the 70's/80's. There were times when they would let me and my sister ride a ride (usually thunder mtn. or the matterhorn- over and over and over near closing with no lines) by ourselves but they were always there waiting when we got off.

[RAV]

My son is 12 years old and will not be allowed to roam the parks or anywhere else unaccompanied. I won't even allow him to return to the room alone. Call me crazy but I worry that someone could just pull him right into their room. When I was sixteen my parents allowed me to roam around a bit from the Contemporary. THere was a problem with the monorail, and it was stuck for a while. My parents were quite worried when I did not return as expected. Everyone has different comfort levels. My son is very mature for 12, but it is not him that I am concerned about.

[renessa]

Long ago when I was a teen( okay 1994)...My mom and dad would let my sister and I (15&13) go to the water parks on our own. We knew the transportation system and would ride the busses back and forth by ourselves. This only worked because
1 We had to get along
2 We had to report back by a certain time
3 We had passes that allowed us like 7 consecutive days in minor parks
4 Mom was very trusting of us after taking us to Typhoon one day
5 I was extrememly mature for my age

It all went fine. I don't think she would have let us out at night by ourselves, or out all day. I know that it's the other wierdo's that most parents worry about, but you have to let teens have some freedom. They will never develop independence if you don't let them. Start slow...let them do things "on their own" while you are in the same land...and work away from there!

[bianca]

Seems to me that it depends on the kids and their familiarity with their surroundings. My own kids have spent between 4 and 6 WEEKS a year at WDW since they were 5. They are now 10 and 12 and know their way around Disney grounds better than most any adult. It does not mean that I think kids should not have check-in times or general rules, but when you have 2-12 year olds and a 10 year old that can ride Tower of Terror 10 times in a row and a 7 year old in-tow that doesn't like that ride, seems unfair to all stay together.

As practice during our long ride (we drive) to WDW, we play a game wherein the older kids will be asked ?'s such as: What transportation do you take to get from FW (our home base) to Downtown Disney? ....... How do you get from Disney Studio's to FW? , etc. We also do the same kind of thing with each park. Such as: Which "land" would you find Space Mountain in? ......... When you enter the Studios what is the name of the street that you turn right on to get to TOT and RRC? All of these things make them pay more attention to their surroundings, they consider it fun and we feel more comfortable knowing that if we get separated, they know their way around.

[Disney Dude]

My son just turned 13 and he is now allowed to go to the contempary arcade alone (It's where we stay) He has 2 way radios and he better answer when we call! LOL I don't feel Disney is any safer than anywhere else, and if he's not allowed to roam alone where he lives, he certaintly can't do it in Disney. Maybe because he's an only child, but we always hang together as a family and have fun.

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by Disney Dude
I don't feel Disney is any safer than anywhere else, and if he's not allowed to roam alone where he lives, he certaintly can't do it in Disney.

I think this is key. Don't do something at Disney that you wouldn't feel confrontable doing at home. In fact being the over protective mom I am I would be MORE cautious at Disney then I am at home.

[wdwnutze]

I allowed my son and nephew to walk around the park(never a different park from us)at age 12. It was for short time periods. They would meet us after 2hrs or so and then they would go off again. They couldn't go off whenever they wanted and we still made them spend a good deal of time with us. When My son was 15 we stayed at the Poly and he was allowed to go off alone. He had a cell phone that worked(we checked them out first)and he went to the same park that we went to. At night, when we went to the room early (my dd's were 7 and 1)he would go back to the parks on his own. Being in a monorail resort helped!

[Easyrider]

Disney is an incredible place for family fun. kids everywhere. so you think the people that would take a child for any reason don't know this ??? my kids stay close by.

[jlima]

The first memory of roaming the MK without parents was in 1977; I was 11 and my brother was 13. We had different interests than our parents did; they were more into shopping and relaxing and we were into the rides. As I recall, separating was my dad's idea; he suggested that we take off on our own for a few hours so we did. This was strictly inside the park; however. I don't think they would have trusted us with leaving the park & returning to our hotel. (anybody remember the Dutch Inn? I think we stayed there that trip.)

[Toby'sFriend]

Whenever I read these threads I'm always struck by all the people who have kids

"that are incredibly well behaved and mature for their ages."

Am I the only one who has a 10yo boy who can't be trusted to go to the mailbox at the end of the driveway without getting lost?? Alone in Disney? Ha!!! It'd be a miracle if Space Mountain was still standing afterwards!!!!!

[mommanne]

My 9 YO DS is just now allowed to go within a block of our house without us.

I know Disney World is magical, and mostly safe. However, if a child predator wants a kid, DW is a very fertile feeding ground. My DS is pretty responsible too, but it's the grownups I don't trust.

As others have said, too, it's a family vacation. DH and I will split up in the parks, doing what each individual kid likes, but no kid of mine will be allowed alone in the parks until they are 14.

Of course, some day this might get me onto Oprah or Ricki Lake for being overprotective. LOL

[pnelson]

I think I would be sad if my teenager brought a friend and "I would be lucky to even see them". Not only will my son (an only child) not go off on his own, but I doubt I would allow him to bring a friend when he gets older. We have allowed him friends on weekends and camping trips, but our big vacations are strictly for family. I think if you show your kids that you enjoy their company then they wouldn't have a problem staying with you. Of course, we only have 1 child so don't have the problem of multiple ages with different interests.

[Eeyore2U]

pnelson,

How old is your DS? Mine is 15. As a 15y/o boy, he doesn't want to hang out with us. Or for that fact, do much of anything with us. Maybe mine is an exception but I think he fits very well into the 15 y/o boy category. We will do things together (including his friend) but I will not force him to stay at my heels and ruin the trip for all. JMHO

[pnelson]

Eeyore,

How sad.

[Eeyore2U]

Why is it sad. I think it's the natural evolution of a child. I'd be curious to see how yours does as he gets older......

[Jordan's MOM]

As the mom of an only child (DS is 9 now) I can relate to these concerns. DS, for now is very happy getting all the attention and hanging out with mom and dad on trips, but I too know that this will not last foever.It is natural to want to have someone your age to" hang with". DH and I have discussed this many time and when we think bringing a friend will make a better vacation for all, then that is what we will do.I cherish these times now that he really wants to be with us and hope they last as long as possible.My concern is having to pay for that friend at Disney!Oh by the way it will be a very long time before DS, friend or no friend goes off alone at disney.Haven't thought that far yet.
Jordan' MOM

[Eeyore2U]

We treasure our early trips when DS was younger...... but you are right, nothing lasts forever. I cringe when I think about the first time he ask to bring a girl, lol. I almost wish he stayed young.... but it is nice to see him grow and mature. And by the way.... the money you will spend for a friend will be worth it.

[akghutton]

I think that all things and places "Disney" evoke a sense of safety and security in people. This discussion reminds me of a discussion a few months back about people leaving all of their valuable belongings(ie camcorders, digital cameras, etc.) strapped to their strollers as they went on to rides. People were appauld at the false sense of security.

Well our children are our most precious belongings. Just remember that all anyone has to do to enter these parks is buy a ticket, families and sickos alike. It is a sad reality, but it is reality. I personally would enjoy my vacation much more knowing that my children were safe.

As a child, I was not allowed to go around Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va, without my parents, until I was 15, and at that time it was with my church youth group, and we had to travel in groups of 6 or more. Safety in numbers:D

[jdads2]

My kids are 10, 7 and 4. I just bought them tickets for a flight down to WDW. Mom and I are off to Vegas!!! I told the kids to grab a cab and tell the cabbie to take them to the Poly(That's where we made ressies for the little rugrats). I'm giving each a credit card and a note saying they can use it as long as it's for less than $100.00 on any one bill. Boy it sure will be nice for the Mrs. and I to get away for awhile........until the police find out what we've done and send us to PRISON!!!!

Sorry, at this point of my childrens lives I can't see letting them loose anywhere. I have just started letting my 10 year old head down to the store on his own, well, with friends anyway. I figure once we make this an annual trek and we all get used to the parks a lot more we will give them the opportunity to head off on short trips on thier own. But as many have said if you can't let your kids loose at WDW where can you let them be kids?

PS: I scanned some of the posts in this thread, not all of them so if it sounds like I'm making fun of someone, I'm not, I didn't read your post.:)