"Lost Child" procedure ?

[pamole]

I'd rather think about this now, so that I'm only thinking "happy" thoughts as it gets closer to our Jan. '06 trip.... I always teach my kids (5,4) that if we ever get separated to stay right where they are so that as soon as I discover them missing DH & I can retrace our steps. (Luckily we've never had to test this plan; have been to Sesame Place, 6 Flags, local amusement parks, fairs, etc).

Does anyone know what the CM's are instructed to do if they find a lost child? I want to be able to remind the kids to stay put, but I don't want to hinder a CM from being able to help .... My kids know to tell any would-be helper that "My mom told me to stay right here so she can find me".

Also, what does everyone think about putting a pic of the 4 of us in each of our lanyard/badge holders so that my kid (God forbid they should need to) can show a CM who they are looking for?

 

[kangaand2roos]

When cast members find a lost child, they keep them in the area they are found for about 15 minutes for just the reason you mentioned. They also call in to Lost Children that they have found a child. After that time they take the child to Lost Children.

When an adult reports a child missing, a description of said child is broadcast to the park exit and no child fitting that description is allowed to leave the park. (so remember how you've dressed your kid!) Lost Children is also notified so that if someone finds the child they can be reconnected.

I got this info from a CM at Lost Children at DAK.

 

[alisonbestford]

Can I suggest taking a digital photo each morning so that you have a record of what your child is wearing that day?

I've always told DD (6) to stay where she is as we're not going to go far without her and then find someone in uniform.

She recently lost us on a holiday camp, where we were staying, and went straight to the shop to tell the assistant she'd lost her parents (unfortunately she missed out the bit about staying where she was...... )

It was pretty frightening at the time but she had her very distinctive Minnie Mouse dress on so she was easy to describe

The staff in the nursery, where she was taken, put her a wristband on with my mobile number on it in case it happened again.

 

[MHTeacher]

Besides staying put (I tell them I WILL look for you), my two DDs have been told to tell someone who works for Disney or find a grandmother, or mother with kids, and tell them you are lost.

 

[Windy City Heather]

I have a 3 year old and she has tags on her shoes with her name and my cell phone.

My girlfriend with older kids points out the tags on the cm's as they are entering the park.

Funny story...We took my mom to Disney for the first time last month. She was in a scooter. We were at a show and my dd3 could not see so we moved but my mom could not get to where we were. Half way through the show my dd had to go to the washroom. My mom did not see us get up and dd took awhile in the washroom. My mom thought we went to the next attraction so she went to see. Finally when she could not find us she reported herself missing. The CM at the childcare facility said that was a first.

 

[SouthFLMommy]

We got seperated from our 4 year old daughter at Epcot in June. We were in front of Mission Space, and I parked the stroller. I turned around and she was gone.

The CMs were AMAZING! In less than a minute I had no less than 9 CMs surrounding me and radioing her description to other CMs and security. Luckily she had just wandered into the play area at MS, and she went up to a CM and told him that her mommy was lost. It seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes.

 

[mjmcca]

Lost my DD at AK this summer. I had my 2 kids and my friends 2 kids and her mom ( who doesn't speak English with me). Went to buy some water and drinks at petrifries and she was gone. In 30 seconds i had 2 CM and a security person asking me her age and what did she look like. My friend's mom ran into Dinoland and then over the bridge to Discovery island and finally found her with a CM while i was talking to the security person. I was really frightened. The CM seem to know to look for kids who look like they dont have an adult with them.

 

[TandCmum]

We lost our Ds(3) at BB this year, DH had gone off to do a slide leaving me with DD and DS. we were in the ski patrol area, DS went upo the steps to come down the body slides and there is a blind spot, i waited and he just didn't come down the slide. DH was helping the lifeguard stack up the tubes and i'm jumping around and screaming around like a mad woman to get his attention. Turns out he had carried on up the steps right to the top of the mountain and tried to go down teamboat springs on his own, but the CM up there realised he was on his own. We reported him at lost children and we had him back very quickly

 

[momoftriplets]

I lost my three kids two weeks ago today at 50's Prime Time Cafe in MGM. We had just had a great time at lunch. DH had gone for a smoke, I was waiting to sign for lunch & they needed to use the restroom. (All three kids will be 9 yo in December, so I was OK sending them on their own for that short time & distance.) It took awhile to sign for lunch & the kids weren't back yet, so I gathered our things & went to get them from the restroom. When I discovered they weren't there anymore, I IMMEDIATELY turned around & saw them in the dining room. They had gone one way coming out of the restroom while I was coming another way. My son had already gone up to a CM & said they couldn't find me. CM asked who their server was. They remembered Manny (great guy) & he was on his way over to assist. That was when I reconnected with them. DS had been extremely scared but DD's were reletively calm. So there we were, reuniting in the middle of the restaurant with everyone watching. CM said even adults get lost in there. Anyway, told DS he did exactly what he was supposed to do by contacting a CM. I knew they wouldn't have left the building. Scary all around. I know, I get the "Bad Mom" award for the day.

 

[WIDisneyFan]

Great idea on the daily Digital Picture - I had not thought of that one and it would make things much easier in what would be a stressful situation (just trying to remember what my little guy was wearing this morning and I am not sure that I could describe it)

 

[budbeerlady]

I had read another post on here that suggested a lost kid find a "mommy" and I have told my dd (5) that over and over, and over,... Kids have a radar for people that will help them and I am not sure if a Cm "looked" scarey to her if she would ask for help from them. (I think its the same radar that gets candy from adults and free toys, etc.) But I am also doing the phone number, hotel, etc. plastering on her! But now I think I will take her pic and I planned on wearing a shirt that was the same color as what she is wearing that day, incase I panic and forget. I havent had her walk away yet, but just in case!

 

[belleandthebeast]

Finally when she could not find us she reported herself missing. The CM at the childcare facility said that was a first.

sorry. this just struck me as very funny!

 

[scraphappy92]

We are taking DS (4.5), nephew (10) and niece (8) in December for a week. I am making each of them a bracelet with our cell phone number on it. And I also plan to do the digital picture in the morning to show what each is wearing in detail (we did this at the amusement parks this summer and thought it was a great idea). They will also be shown what the CMs tags are like and to find a CM or a mommy with children to say they are lost. I am a little nervous having three of them with us this time especially since the olders one can sometimes have a mind of their own.

I am glad to know the CMs keep the child in the general area where they were lost for 15 minutes or so.

 

[scouthawkk]

Our DS3 knows my cell phone number. Taught it to him to the tune of "This Old Man." He knows that if he can't ever find us to first look for a police/security officer or fireperson. If none are around, he then goes to an adult that has kids with them. Either way, he knows to sing the song and have them call me.

He actually started to put that into practice a week ago. A friend of ours was looking after him at a play area in the mall while I went to buy a few things. Well, even though she was sitting right at the exit, she got a bit nervous when she hadn't seen him for a while. She decided to go look for him...at the same moment, he had come running over to where he knew she was supposed to be. Not being able to find her, he actually went up to a father of another little kid that he had been playing with, politely said "excuse me" and started singing the song. Our friend heard him singing and ran over and gave him a big hug. Apparently they were both crying (she is 8 months pregnant with her first...hormones kicked in big time!). And, of course, he yelled at her for not being where she was supposed to be. All of this happened in a matter of only a minute or two, but he still remembered what he was supposed to do.

Once I calmed our friend down and convinced her that she will still make a great mom (even though she lost our son) I had a chat with DS. He said he was sad and scared that he couldn't find her. I let him know that is how mommy and daddy would feel if we ever lost him. I'm not sure if he really understood, but since then he doesn't go running off without us...and if he starts to, he stops as soon as we tell him to, and tells us he's sorry. So maybe he does understand...just a little...