Would you let your child wait for you outside of ride???

[kandb]

I know in this day and age we have to ultra-careful with our children but I was just wondering if anyone has ever or would consider letting their child wait outside a ride for them. My son will be 10 years old and he does not like haunted mansion (scares him). I won't force him on it but am wondering if I could leave him right outside the ride on a bench to wait for us. He is very mature and would never leave or go with anyone but I would probably be nervous the whole time I am in the ride. Any thoughts?

 

[msd1776]

I know in this day and age we have to ultra-careful with our children but I was just wondering if anyone has ever or would consider letting their child wait outside a ride for them. My son will be 10 years old and he does not like haunted mansion (scares him). I won't force him on it but am wondering if I could leave him right outside the ride on a bench to wait for us. He is very mature and would never leave or go with anyone but I would probably be nervous the whole time I am in the ride. Any thoughts?

Could you utilize the ride swap and have him wait in that area, if there is one?

 

[sydneysmom]

Personally, not ever. But only you know your child. It would make me far too nervous to have my child out of sight in such a busy place.

 

[msd1776]

Could you have him wait in the child swap area if there is one? I would prefer that for my child.

 

[Saratoga Goofy]

Depends on the wait time. If short or in fast pass lane, then I would say yes. It would be ideal if he could have a phone to keep in touch with you though.

 

[kandb]

I didn't even think of the child swap area. My husband will probably stay at the resort to relax some days and my two other children love HM. I know deep down he would be fine and he is such a "rule follower" that he would never leave where I told him to stay but I think I would be "on edge" since he would be out of my sight. Maybe I can bring a blindfold and earplugs and have him ride with us. He just went last weekend to see Ironman 3 with a few friends and had to leave because, "it freaked him out". I understand all kids are different, and I don't force him to ride things that scare him. Maybe I will guilt my husband into coming with us more often to the parks.

 

[Love Tink]

You will get a lot of opinions about this, many of which will be from people who wouldn't let their 18-year-old wait alone for them, much less their 10-year-old.

My response is that you know your child. Will your child wander off and/or get anxious by himself? Or will he stay planted on the bench and enjoy his momentary independence? As for me...mine would stay planted on the bench and I would definitely leave them for the length of a ride by age 10. But part of that might be because of my world view - i.e. I vehemently disagree that we have to be any more careful with our children in this day and age than people have had to be in every other day and age.

 

[MomofKatie]

DD was 9 when we started to let her wait at the ride exit giftshop for us on rides (RnR and E:E on that particular trip). She did have her own cellphone so she could keep in touch with us, and she went through the line with us until the "chicken exit". She knew all the common sense stuff like not to leave the area, not to speak to strangers, look for a CM if she was concerned, etc. We were apart for all of 10 minutes- she was perfectly fine.

 

[Love Tink]

I didn't even think of the child swap area.

Disney World doesn't have child swap areas.

 

[bocaj1431]

I know in this day and age we have to ultra-careful with our children but I was just wondering if anyone has ever or would consider letting their child wait outside a ride for them. My son will be 10 years old and he does not like haunted mansion (scares him). I won't force him on it but am wondering if I could leave him right outside the ride on a bench to wait for us. He is very mature and would never leave or go with anyone but I would probably be nervous the whole time I am in the ride. Any thoughts?

Of course this is just my opinion, but I would never ever do that! Regardless of how mature he is, (the worst case scenario of someone taking your child) those individuals, who you have to be worried about are much smarter than a 10 year old. Not to mention, that is not a quick line or ride to get through.

I' m not sure how it is where you live, but we have missing person posters everywhere; in store entrances, on the back of business vans, in the towns weekly paper etc. Every time I see those it just hits home how easy it is for someone to take your child. That ride is not worth taking a risk no matter how low the possibility of something happening!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

There is no child swap area. Both parents go up to a castmember, say they are doing the swap and get a Fastpass type ticket. The first parent goes through the line and rides while the second waits outside with the child. Then the first patent comes back and the second parent uses the pass they got to ride.

Having him go through the line and use the chicken exit minimizes the time he is alone.

 

[joe1946]

How about you stay with him and let your other two children ride HM together. That way nobody has to be left alone.

 

[agavegirl1]

Okay. So you and two other children will ride but DS10, who is mature and responsible but does not have the temperament for the ride, will not. How about: go first to the gift shop/cart. Introduce him to the CM and instruct both of them that DS needs to select a pin/commemorative item for you and his siblings. Meet him there and purchase said item. It gives him some involvement as well as not making him just sit on a bench to wait.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Nope. Never. Alone... No.

 

[brockash]

I know in this day and age we have to ultra-careful with our children but I was just wondering if anyone has ever or would consider letting their child wait outside a ride for them. My son will be 10 years old and he does not like haunted mansion (scares him). I won't force him on it but am wondering if I could leave him right outside the ride on a bench to wait for us. He is very mature and would never leave or go with anyone but I would probably be nervous the whole time I am in the ride. Any thoughts?

I have an 11 year old and I don't think I would. Is there anyone else, even another 10 year old that could be with him and a cell phone? I might let 2 10 year olds with a cell phone wait, but I'd be really nervous allowing just 1 by himself.

 

[ColonelHathi]

No. I would have at least one person stay with him. When I was 9 and 12 I was too chicken to ride SM, but the rest of my family wanted to ride. When I was 9 I went out the chicken exit, once I got lost because the chicken exit does/did not exit in the same area. Panic for me, I had no idea on where to go, who to ask for help, etc. Panic for my family as they didn't realize and didn't know where to find me or what happened. Not all rides are like this, but just something to consider. When I was 12, it was just a lonely, long wait on a park bench (no FP though) - what kid wants that at Disney?

 

[bocaj1431]

You will get a lot of opinions about this, many of which will be from people who wouldn't let their 18-year-old wait alone for them, much less their 10-year-old.

My response is that you know your child. Will your child wander off and/or get anxious by himself? Or will he stay planted on the bench and enjoy his momentary independence? As for me...mine would stay planted on the bench and I would definitely leave them for the length of a ride by age 10. But part of that might be because of my world view - i.e. I vehemently disagree that we have to be any more careful with our children in this day and age than people have had to be in every other day and age.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I am not trying to attack anyone . I am just really surprised by your response. Because we are talking about a huge amusement park, it is kind of scary to me that a 10 year old would be left alone that long in such a big place. The line for HM takes a long time to get through 20+ min and the ride itself adds more time.

My concern would not be whether the child would be anxious or wander off, my concern would be about the pedophile or sick individual that knows how to manipulate situations like that. I think we all know about the 60 min. special which showed parents, who thought their children knew stranger danger, how easily they were seduced by a stranger to go with them. The average child's mind at that age does not have the capacity to understand adult manipulation.

While it may seem a remote possibility, there are far too many examples of children being kidnapped on a daily basis, that I can't imagine how it is worth taking a risk. Think of all those mothers, who let their child out of their sight for just a moment. I could see a 12 or 13yr old but not that young. Again this is just my opinion. I am in no way saying that I am right.

 

[jasonflk]

I would be happy to leave my child if it wasn't too long however I love the idea of the kid using the chicken out option and then shopping in the gift shop, lots of kids will wander from their parents in a shop and any "bad" person won't know if a parent is near by or not.

 

[molliewalks]

My son (12) is scared of some of the rides

 

[molliewalks]

My son (12) is scared of some of the rides

Oops!! My son is scared of some of the rides, we will take him through the line and let him out at the 'chicken exit' to go into the gift shop. He knows he isn't allowed out of the gift shop and we are usually there within a few minutes. The only problem we've ever gad is the amount if things he wants to buy by the time we get out.