Am I crazy, or is 7 too young to be ALONE in the Parks

[Trixie15]

It turns my stomach to think a parent/adult would let a child roam free in a park by him/herself. If I see a child by himself I will call the police and they will call child protective services and we will see if it is all right for them to wonder around by themselves!! I am sorry if you do not agree with me, but you asked!! And my husband is a police officer and he see's what strangers can and will do to children!!! Please, I know you want to be your childs friend but it is your job to be a parent/adult FIRST!!! They have enough friends!! OK, off my soapbox! Have a wonderful day!

My husband is a police officer as well. And I was a dispatcher for years and years - I think maybe we've just seen too much - it makes us jaded.

 

[sandym718]

My son will be 7 in May, just after our trip. There is NO WAY I'd consider letting him got to the parks alone. Just NO WAY!! Part of it is the whole stranger/ making him a target for a sicko thing, but another big part, as others mentioned, is he's just not Mature enough to handle the decision-making, "traveling" alone, etc. He could easily get lost or confused, have no idea how to get back to the meeting place, etc. What to do if there were a problem.... Now, of course, all kids have different maturity levels, and yes, I'd say he's low. He's our oldest and he has no older cousins, etc. around, and we also encourage him to be a KID - no Ipods or cell phones, even video games, here. But I find it hard to believe that ANY 7 year old is mature enough to handle a WDW park on their own. When you get to age 11-12, maybe that maturity level comes into play, but I really can't see 10 or under.

 

[nessz79]

I'm a product of the 50's/60's. I ran free all day long during the warmer months. We all did. Never a problem...well, pretty much not a problem. I have 3 kids...35, 32, 15. The two older kids had a bit more freedom than the 15 y/o...basically because of where they lived at the time...closer to town and school, sidewalks, etc. Just before youngest was born, we moved about 3 miles out of the town center, busy road, no sidewalks, and no true 'neighborhood'. Our present house is actually equidistant between my house growing up and my dh's teenaged years home.
You just don't see kids outside playing anymore. And yes, it is sad. But, I have to say that with the way people drive on our road, there is not way my dd was riding her bike on it, or walking along it for 1/4 mile to see a friend..way too many accidents.
Today, the towns have grown so large, that you are lucky if one neighbor knows your kids. In my childhood, you knew someone in at least every other house. If you had a problem, you could go to any house and know there was help waiting. Not so today. People peek out from behind their curtains and never answer the door...not sure why, but that's the way it is.

Is today any more dangerous than it was 20 years ago?? I don't know. Maybe. Perhaps there are those who hear these horror stories on the news and decide that sounds like fun. But that has to be a small number.

But...there is no way I am turning a child under 10, loose in WDW. My dd has been going to WDW since she turned 6. She has been about 15 times..she is now 15. She knows her way around so well that she could probably give tours. When she turned 13, we traveled to WDW with another mom and her dd, who also was turning 13. The girls were allowed to head out on their own...my dd knew the park layouts incredibly well, so I wasn't concerned.
But, if you turned a much younger child loose in a park, they could get turned around, discombobulated and scared. Sure, I can see sitting on a bench while your youngster rides a few rides in that general vicinity..but allow them to be on their own for hours on end?? Nope. While I realize that child abduction and molestation can happen anywhere (and does), I do realize that WDW is a magnet for those looking for young children. Whether or not they decide to act on their impulses is not a chance I'm going to take (well, wouldn't have taken since dd is older now).
I don't allow my dd to go into someone's home that she doesn't know either, or to walk around a mall by herself at night..in a group or stay at home.

Yes, I understand that kids need to learn discerning skills, that they need to learn how to make good choices and judgement calls. But, you don't dump them in the deep end and say 'swim'. Baby steps. Life today is way too fast..kids need more time to digest what they are hearing and seeing. Others are out of control, seeming to think that bad behaviour is okay...so, put a group of those kids up against a group of untested teenagers and you have a recipe for disaster. Trial by fire isn't a great tool as a teen.

Teens on their own at WDW? Sure, as long as they can find their way around and aren't going to be getting lost. Kids under 10? Nope, don't think so. But, then again, our parents didn't turn us loose at the fairs that used to come to town every spring....those carnival workers were sketchy..to use a word my dd uses. Not so different than today...just a bigger arena now.

Good post.

There's no way I would let my kids wander Disney alone until they were teenagers (13 + in my mind). And then, they would still need to check in every 2-3 hours and keep a cell phone.

I don't know if the world is so different, but I kind of think it is. I do think that there are a lot of sick people out there and until my kids are old enough to discern the person and the situation (at least teenage years), then they are stuck with me in the parks!

 

[Tomh]

When we were there in August, I didn't even let my DD13 wander around by herself, and I don't think she really wanted to that much anyway, because the size of the place, and the crowds were a bit intimidating to her.

 

[itchin2go]

The posts suggesting that it might be acceptable to allow a 7 year old to explore the parks alone are disturbing as all get-out.

The fact that most kids are not abducted, molested, hurt, etc. is little comfort to those who are harmed.

I have to question the agenda of anyone counselling another parent to allow their 7 year old to tour a theme park unattended.

 

[delmar411]

The posts suggesting that it might be acceptable to allow a 7 year old to explore the parks alone are disturbing as all get-out.

The fact that most kids are not abducted, molested, hurt, etc. is little comfort to those who are harmed.

I have to question the agenda of anyone counselling another parent to allow their 7 year old to tour a theme park unattended.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that we all drop off our little ones at the MK and head out for drinks.

The point is that yes 7yr old children are allowed to be unattended in the parks. Disney drew that line as the age min. That's Disney's choice.

I also think that we baby our children and that parents are way way way too over-protective and hoovering these days. Does that mean I'll be dropping off my kids at age 7 with their ticket and some lunch money? Not in this lifetime! Does it mean I allow my kids to bolt from toontown to tomorrowland and onto Space Mountain w/o me. YES. I'll be along very shortly and I'm not riding anyway so no difference to me. They know where they are headed and they behave well when they are on their own. Much better behaved in fact than when they are in line WITH me! My kids don't want to lose that privilege.

I hope by the time they are teens they are fully able to navigate the parks and meet up with us and know how to behave. I think they'll do fine because they will have the years of experience under their belts to be able to handle time w/o mom&dad in the parks.

 

[disneyorvegas]

I won't judge others, but I can speak for my own situation. My 2 DD's are completely different temperments. DD7 is very good at following directions, needs a lot of them, and follows them to a T. With her, I could wait on line with her for a big ride (think Space Mountain), let her ride and I could take the chicken exit. She would have instructions to meet me in the gift shop just to the side of the ride exit door, and I know that she would not deviate from the instructions. While I would be nervous, I would be confident enough to do that if necessary. (Fortunately, DH likes those kinds of rides so I have never needed to do this.)

On the other hand, dd4 is completely different. She has no regards for rules and doesn't care about rewards and punishments. I can't see her changing her ways in the next 3 years to be able to do what I would let the older one do. What is OK for the older I don't see happening in the same time frame for the younger.

Also, when they are older, the buddy system would need to be employed - no way would they roam the parks by themselves unless they were truly capable - and had cell phones!

 

[3boymthr]

and never forget that different cultures look at different situations in different manners....i remember a few years back in NY a woman was in the city eating dinner and left her very young baby in the stroller outside of the restaurant...someone called CPS/DSS and she was arrested by the NYPD...but she was European and come to find out that was the normal thing to do in whatever European country she was from...so Disney posting that is only IMHO away of telling people really this is not the safest place to leave a kid alone.

I think you hit the nail on the head as to why this was included on the website. There are a lot of people from a lot of different cultures/countries who visit WDW every day. Probably 90% of the people in this country would not dream of leaving a child under 10 alone nevermind a child of 7 but a person from a different culture where children start working to support their families at 7 might. IMO WDW is just letting people like the woman who left her child outside in NYC know that it is not okay to leave your infant in the stroller while you dine, etc.

Each kid is different which makes each family different. IMO circumstance of your life/how you grew up affects how liberal you are with your kids.

Now, would I leave my DSs alone? Yes and No. DS #1 is a tween who does get left alone every day as he gets off the bus 1/2 hour before I get home from work every day. He is allowed to ride his bike to the center of town to go to the store and he babysits his littlest brother for a several hours each month when DS#2 & I have cub scout den meetings. DSs#1 & #2 are allowed to ride to my parents house on their bikes - 1/2 mile away on the same street. DS#1 has supervised as they all walked to DGPs house when I have to work and they have a half day. But I know that DS#1 is responsible. Both DS#1 & #2 are allowed the roam of the campground when we go camping. They are allowed all over as long as they take our Motorola walkie talkies with them (Awesome monitoring tool. The kids think they're cool, they're happy to check in, they have a great distance on them - as far away as GMas house - and they cost @$24 for a set and there are no usage charges). Am I a liberal parent compared to some of my contemporaries - yes! Am I a liberal parent compared to my parents - no! When I was a child of 7 I had the roam of a 110 AC farm and wandered all over as did DB who was 9. We'd go out the door in the morning and come back at night. We used power tools and rode our horse all over. DB drove a tractor at 10 & a truck at 12. We both helped out on the farm, etc. Did we get into trouble, sometimes (the time DB and my cousin set a field on fire!) But most of the time everything was great.

Even at WDW the answer is yes and no. Yes, I would let DS#1 go off to the arcade or the store in the hotel on his own, and might even let him take DS#2 to the arcade. Would I let DS#2 or #3 go on their own, no way. Would I be far away no - I would definitely be in the hotel and DS#1 will definitely have a walkie talkie. DH & I are still debating if we will let DS#1 go further afield than the arcade or the store on his own - like across the park to ride a different ride while DH & I have dinner or around to the Boardwalk while the other kids go swimming (we are staying at YC). That decision will be made when we see how he reacts to the WDW environment and when we see how crowded it is when we are there. If we do decide he can go he will have a walkie talkie with him at all times.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Wow, sounds like a lot of overprotective parents in here. 50 years ago it was not uncommon for kids that age (and younger) to actually play outside all day, roaming the neighborhood, with no adult supervision. Not even cell phones! On weekends, most kids were kicked out of the house in the morning and told not to come back until dinner. And you know what? Those kids were just fine.

I know, I know, times have changed. Well, guess what, kidnapping, violent crime, and theft are MUCH lower now then they were back then. The only thing that has gotten worse is the introduction of the 24-hr news cycle. I know you hear scary stories on the news about kidnapping, but only 0.014% of kids that are reported missing were actually kidnapped by a stranger. In the entire country, that's just 115 kids per year. Your kids are 5 times more likely to get struck by lightning.

Of the other 800,000 kids reported missing, 33% were kidnapped by a family member or friend, or 261,200 per year. The rest were runaways, kicked out of home, or lost on their own. If you think about it, since so many kidnappings were by family and friends, your kid is over 2000 times more likely to be kidnapped if they are accompanied than if they are alone. See http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2007/01/raw-data-kidnapping-statistics.html for the raw numbers.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not suggesting that all 7-year-olds can handle being in a theme park alone. Some of course can't, but on the other hand some can. Maturity, independence, responsibility, and self-reliance vary from child to child. However, that decision should be left up to the parents of the child, not posters on a message board.

ITA..while I do think that 7 is young to be completely alone in the parks, I see no problem with letting a kid ride a ride alone. You're right, it does depend on the child.

We'd get dropped off at the movies or mall when we were 11/12, I was babysitting at slightly younger than that(10). I think a teenager would be fine alone in the parks, unless they have mental issues or are extremely immature.

 

[bytheblood]

7 is too young to be alone ANYWHERE!!

 

[rentayenta]

I would never allow my 7 y/o son to wander WDW alone. The thought of it increases my anxiety.

On our next trip my DDs will be 12 and 10. I would consider giving them a 1/2 hour of freedom, like riding without me, while I wait at the ride exit.

 

[collcass]

Some kids do go on rides while the parent stands by - especially tea cups where you can see the kids the whole time. Maybe this is a way for Disney to make sure that kids who look younger than 7 don't even do that.

I was eight when I went through the treehouse myself while my mom sat with my sleeping sister just outside. I felt like such a grown-up!

That is most likely what the excerpt meant.

In fact,when mine were getting on the barnstormer last year they asked my son how old he was. he told them "I'm almost 9 & 3/4- which I had to laugh at." They asked his cousin how old she was and she said she would be 7 next week. Well, they would let him rid alone but she had to ride with my daughter who had just turned 11

 

[DVCBELLE]

I have a very confident 7 year old who wants to do everything by herself. My mom thinks I let her to do much by herslef (bathroom alone in restaurants, walk down the street to her friends house) I just asked her if she would like me to drop her off at the Magic Kingdom for the day.

Her response - NO WAY! That would be really scary - who would be in charge of me and make sure I am safe.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I agree with everything Ahecht has written.

It has become a ridiculously paranoid, overprotected world for today's kids. They are so much less 'street smart' than we were, and in my opinion it's because we never leave them alone to develop any critical thinking and problem solving skills. I remember so many times as a kid getting into 'situations' by myself or with friends and precisely because we were alone we had to figure things out ourselves. Nobody there to take care of it for us. Could things have turned bad - yes. Were some of those situtions dangerous - yes. But some of it was ridiculously fun too! That's how you learn. And I truly belive that this is the only way to develop your inner radar about 'bad' people. When you're exposed to situations that don't feel quite right you learn to listen to your instincts.

That's not to say that bad things never happen, they do. But goodness, if the risk of stranger abduction is so low, why all this insane paranoia? I agree that the media is to blame. You get into a car every day of your life and drive knowing that you risk getting into a deadly accident. Your child could suffer this fate every time you get in the car, yet you do it every day. You weigh the risks and the decide it's worth it, you don't stop driving. So why not let your kids roam free like we did. I really don't think it's any more dangerous today or that there are more 'crazies' out there.

We're breeding this into our kids. Giving them this ridiculous notion that there are pedophiles and abductors lurking around every corner just waiting to pounce. It's really quite sad.

I'm a woman but I know that for adult men this also has an impact. Many really great, kind, normal men I know would hesitate to engage a child in any manner simply for the fear of being looked at as a sicko. Whether that's to say 'hi' and make a silly face to a kid waiting in line somewhere, or unfortunately if a child was lost or needed help in some way. Imagine a man stopping to help a lost child and walking away with him to help him find his parents. Someone would think he is abducting the child.

And as Ahecht pointed out you do have to know your child and not put them in a dangerous situation. But you can't try to control everything so that you eliminate all possible bad events from happening. For one, you never will, and two you would lose so much of life's fun and freedoms this way. And that is the saddest thing of all.

The fact of the matter is, some parents are just overprotective..One of my friends mom was like this and this girl ended up being incapable of standing on her own two feet and making a decision, even as an adult. She still allowed her mom to dictate what decisions she made about her job, her relationships etc. She asked me to sleep over once because she didn't want to stay in the house alone (her husband was on a business trip).Overprotective parents are not doing their kids any favors in the long run.

Are there pedophiles out there? Sure...but like others have said, far more likely that Uncle Bob is the molester than some stranger.

 

[POPCITY]

My 7 year old would be perfectly fine wandering the park alone. I just asked him if he would be nervous if we dropped him off and left, and he said no, and I really don't think he would be. But it ain't gonna happen, no way. I'm with the others who would worry about him getting hurt somehow, that would be scary to him. And besides, half the fun of WDW for me is experiencing it with my son, why would I want to miss out on that?

 

[roadtripper]

Last trip, I let DD 14, and her friend sleep late and meet us in the park. She has been to WDW 10 times, and she still had to call my cell b/c she didn't know how to meet us at Epcot from the MK-- she forgot about the monorail. She was about to go back to the hotel to transfer to another bus! So she's flaky, but I still would let her do it again--she's gotta get a grip sometime!

 

[ahecht]

I can't imagine in this day and age letting a 7 year old run around.

What is it about "this day and age" that makes it more dangerous for an unaccompanied minor?

 

[puzzles]

I just saw this................

Persons under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult when attending the Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney's Hollywood Studios™ or Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

I seriously can't imagine letting me 7 year old...or even teenager, run around the park all alone!!!

This is a true story:

We stayed at the Grand Floridian this past December. There were 2 little boys at the pool alone, at like 9pm. These boys were maybe 5 and 7 max... My kids and I, and another group at the jacuzzi were the only other ones there. I went and asked them where their mom or dad were. The older one told me that they would be right back. AN HOUR later the dad shows up. I confronted the dad about leaving them there alone. He told me to mind my own business, gave me a dirty look and took the boys and left. Anything could have happened to those little guys. I did watch them pretty closely to make sure everything was ok, but still. The dad probably does this on a regular basis, didn't seem too concerned. Who knows, he may be one to let them wander the parks alone, too.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think you hit the nail on the head as to why this was included on the website. There are a lot of people from a lot of different cultures/countries who visit WDW every day. Probably 90% of the people in this country would not dream of leaving a child under 10 alone nevermind a child of 7 but a person from a different culture where children start working to support their families at 7 might. IMO WDW is just letting people like the woman who left her child outside in NYC know that it is not okay to leave your infant in the stroller while you dine, etc.

Each kid is different which makes each family different. IMO circumstance of your life/how you grew up affects how liberal you are with your kids.

Now, would I leave my DSs alone? Yes and No. DS #1 is a tween who does get left alone every day as he gets off the bus 1/2 hour before I get home from work every day. He is allowed to ride his bike to the center of town to go to the store and he babysits his littlest brother for a several hours each month when DS#2 & I have cub scout den meetings. DSs#1 & #2 are allowed to ride to my parents house on their bikes - 1/2 mile away on the same street. DS#1 has supervised as they all walked to DGPs house when I have to work and they have a half day. But I know that DS#1 is responsible. Both DS#1 & #2 are allowed the roam of the campground when we go camping. They are allowed all over as long as they take our Motorola walkie talkies with them (Awesome monitoring tool. The kids think they're cool, they're happy to check in, they have a great distance on them - as far away as GMas house - and they cost @$24 for a set and there are no usage charges). Am I a liberal parent compared to some of my contemporaries - yes! Am I a liberal parent compared to my parents - no! When I was a child of 7 I had the roam of a 110 AC farm and wandered all over as did DB who was 9. We'd go out the door in the morning and come back at night. We used power tools and rode our horse all over. DB drove a tractor at 10 & a truck at 12. We both helped out on the farm, etc. Did we get into trouble, sometimes (the time DB and my cousin set a field on fire!) But most of the time everything was great.

Even at WDW the answer is yes and no. Yes, I would let DS#1 go off to the arcade or the store in the hotel on his own, and might even let him take DS#2 to the arcade. Would I let DS#2 or #3 go on their own, no way. Would I be far away no - I would definitely be in the hotel and DS#1 will definitely have a walkie talkie. DH & I are still debating if we will let DS#1 go further afield than the arcade or the store on his own - like across the park to ride a different ride while DH & I have dinner or around to the Boardwalk while the other kids go swimming (we are staying at YC). That decision will be made when we see how he reacts to the WDW environment and when we see how crowded it is when we are there. If we do decide he can go he will have a walkie talkie with him at all times.

I let my similar aged kids do the same as yours - we camp every year with a group, and even my youngest can roam with the others (we use the motorola's, too). I think I would let my dd12 and ds10 roam the parks without us, provided we were in the same park. They ride their bikes a couple of miles to the pool, walk to and from school everyday, etc.

I went to the MK by myself at 10, on the monorail (we stayed at CR). Had my letter tickets, and off I went!

 

[mom22bless]

Last week at the AS Music pool there was a little girl my DD befriended and after awhile I asked her where her Mom was. She said her mom said she could stay out there till midnight. Yikes. The kid was only 6 or 7 maybe. Someone came and got her around 11 though.

I just saw this................

Persons under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult when attending the Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney's Hollywood Studios™ or Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

I seriously can't imagine letting me 7 year old...or even teenager, run around the park all alone!!!