We lost our 3 year old at WDW

[cheryterese]

It was horrible! The worst experience of our lives! We lost our youngest, Matthew, age 3, for a 1/2 hour at the Magic Kingdom. All three kids and I had just come off the Mad Tea Party and were walking from the exit of the ride toward my husband who was walking toward us from the entrance of the ride. When we came out of the exit door I turned over my shoulder to make sure they were all behind me, and they were. We met my husband and he and I chatted for about 20 seconds about where we were heading next. We decided and my husband said, "Matthew, hop in the stroller." He was no where to be seen. Worst feeling of my life! He was wearing a red shirt and we couldn't see him anywhere within our sight distance. Rick immediately ran to the nearest cast member and told her what had happened and she said she didn't really know what to do in that situation. She was assisting with a Winnie-the-Pooh character meet and greet behind the Mad Tea Party. She got another cast member who tried to reassure us by telling us kids got lost in WDW all the time and almost always returned to the last place they had been with a parent within 10 minutes and said because of that we should stay at the exit to the Mad Tea Party and not look for him. I knew he wasn't going to return there - it was his first time there and he barely talks! After 10 minutes when he hadn't returned the cast member radioed security and started the process of whatever it is they do. My husband, myself and our 6 year old son were all crying. All I could think was that a stranger had snatched him and they were long gone. 30 excruciating minutes later he told us that a cast member had him at Winnie-the-Pooh. Thank God! We immediately got him an ID bracelet and for the remainder of the trip (this was day 2 out of 13) made sure he was either holding one of our hands, in the stroller or being held by us at all times.

 

[moonpie85]

OMG that is sooo scary. I'm so sorry all of you had to go through that.

 

[Chabby]

How scary! Glad to read he is fine!

 

[Moodyzblu]

Oh no .. how scary !! Glad it all turned out ok but it must have been a LONG 1/2 hour.

I got lost in Magic Kingdom when I was 7yrs old on New Years Eve. But luckily I was old enough to find a CM and ask them to help me. They took me to City Hall and my parents picked me up there.
I wasn't too scared .. but my parents sure were !

 

[LuLuO]

I would have been out of my mind. I am so glad he is okay. Was he very scared?

 

[jazz0007]

SO scary!! This happened to us a few years ago with our daughter....but it was only for about 5 min. I cannot imagine 30!! Glad it all worked out ok!!

 

[karlacorley]

One of my nightmares..I am glad he was safe and sound..

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I can't imagine what you went through. I think after the first 10 mins I'd probably have had a nervous breakdown. So glad he is ok and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your vacation.

We lost our youngest (almost 6 at the time) when we were checking into POFQ for about a few mins. My dh was with Magical Express getting our carryon while I ran in with the boys to check in. I "thought" they were watching the little TV but then my dh runs up to me asking "where is Jacob?" Right away security came over and dh ended up finding him in the arcade.

I just chalk it up to a lesson learned.

 

[Sandi]

You'll have a great story to tell for all time. Glad everything worked out. I know you were scared. My brother walked off with a different family at Cedar Point when he was about 5. Longest hour of my mother's life. He actually walked to the parking lot and found our car. Fortunately it was locked, so he couldn't get in. Security was doing a regular patrol and picked him up. His favorite ride that day was "in the police car." That was 40 years ago and my mom still likes to tell the story.

 

[kamik86]

You'll have a great story to tell for all time. Glad everything worked out. I know you were scared. My brother walked off with a different family at Cedar Point when he was about 5. Longest hour of my mother's life. He actually walked to the parking lot and found our car. Fortunately it was locked, so he couldn't get in. Security was doing a regular patrol and picked him up. His favorite ride that day was "in the police car." That was 40 years ago and my mom still likes to tell the story.

I think all families have a story like this about at least one kid... here are some of my family's:

When my older sister was 3 or 4 she had this little wooden house with peddles like a little kid bike. She loved to ride it around the loop of a local campground. This campground is very small, one entrance in and out, two circles in kind of an 8 shape sort of thing. Well she gets annoyed that no one will take her and decides to go riding alone. My parents notice she is gone and one starts walking around trying to find her while the other waits... she was going around VERY slow because she had to stop at each campsite people were outside to say hi and every water fountain for a drink.

Mine was also while camping. I was 3 and my older sister and her friend that came along were 13. They took me for a walk. However we are gone for a really long time... like hours. Its starting to get dark and they walk around the loop and can't find us. They get the ranger and they start looking through the woods becasue their had been bear sightings recently.

My sisters decided to bring me on the North trail which is a couple miles of not so easy hiking. Since I'm 3 that means I walked some and they had to carry me some and we took lots of breaks. So yeah when we come out and go back to camp thinking nothing is wrong and its time for dinner my parents and the park rangers are paniced and trying to find the 3 missing girls...

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

That happened to us when dd was about 4...worst day of my life. She was lost about the same amount of time at a different amusement park. I know how it feels. I still won't go back to that park.

 

[tanyaandallie]

OMG. How scary! I'm sure kids get lost all the time at Disney but when it's your own kid I'm sure it is terrifying!

We lost my dd for about 5 minutes in the World of Disney when she was 3.5. I went to look at another section and told dh I was leaving her with him. He didn't hear me and walked away without her. When he showed up where I was I flipped out. Of course she did not stay where she was. It was packed and she was wandering around. I was about to totally freak when she showed up.

Losing a 3 year old is tough, esp. if they are not verbal. Mine was so painfully shy at 3 I'm not sure she would have spoken to a cm.

 

[Montegut]

I always count my honeymoon as my first and only trip to Disney. I did actually go with my family in the early 70s, when my twin brothers were 5 years old. They were lost within the first hour. We spent the whole day at the park looking for them. I think I may have ridden the Haunted Mansion ride, but that was probably it.

They were fine, together, and I can't even remember where they were. I think they found one of their favorite characters, probably Winnie the Pooh, and followed him around all day.

We spent the next day at Busch Gardens and loved it, as the boys were confined to the safari ride and couldn't wander far. This was the days when Busch Gardens was basically an animal park, no roller coasters and such.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

That sounds like it was a terrifying experience and I am happy that everything turned out well and that your son was safe. I think what worried me the most about the possibility of getting separated from one of our children at WDW was the congestion of people at the parades and the large volume of people exiting the parks after the fireworks. We were fortunate for this past trip that we didn't have that experience but we know that it only takes a small fraction of time for someone to get separated from the group in the crowds or for one of our kids to unknowingly walk in a different direction (this briefly happened with us when our DD9 tried to walk and read the Epcot park map at the same time )
I am glad that things turned out alright with your DS3 and hope your trip was a success overall in spite of that incident.

 

[The 4 "Quay"balleros]

Man that is the worst feelings when your kids are missing. For our last couple of trips we've used safetytats. They are a temporary tattoo that lasts 2 to 3 weeks- that we have our cell phone numbers written on. We tell the boys that if they loose Mommy/daddy to find a CM(we show them the name tag when we first get there) and they will help find us. I lost my oldest earlier this year at Storybookland and it was the longest 10 minutes of my life!

 

[Sandi]

Man that is the worst feelings when your kids are missing. For our last couple of trips we've used safetytats. They are a temporary tattoo that lasts 2 to 3 weeks- that we have our cell phone numbers written on. We tell the boys that if they loose Mommy/daddy to find a CM(we show them the name tag when we first get there) and they will help find us. I lost my oldest earlier this year at Storybookland and it was the longest 10 minutes of my life!

Safety tats are great. I give them as gifts and bring some with us when traveling with youngsters.

 

[disney*mom*82]

This is something I was very worried about our last trip, when DD was about 3.5yrs. I had talked to her at each park and pointed out the CMs and who to look for. I also let her know that mommys with other children were ok too. Each day I wrote her number on a wrist band and put it on there. She knew to tell the CM or mommy that that was her mommys number and to please call her. We would kind of make it a game as in while waiting in lines for characters, rides, sitting to eat, Ide point out a person and ask her if they were safe to go to if lost. I would have her practice saying what I taught her, etc. I plan to continue this each time we return to WDW or any area like that until she is old enough to not need this.

I know this happens a lot at WDW and I think every trip Ive had there Ive seen a parent or child looking for each other. I know that many of the CMs know what to do in the situation, but they all dont and no matter what, it never makes you as a parent feel any better...until you see your child again.

 

[DawnM]

I lost my 3 year old on Tom Sawyer's Island. He is now turning 12 in 2 weeks.

It scared the life out of me because there was so much water!~

He went into the caves with me, but he darted around some people I couldn't dart around and went the other split direction than I did. I came out the other end and he was nowhere!

Thankfully a CM found him and had him by the hand when we finally found him!~

Dawn

 

[aubriee]

I'm taking my 3 y/o GS down there in Feb and losing him is my biggest fear. He's a very mellow, laid back, well behaved little kid. In fact, he's by far the easiest of my seven grandkids. However, he's also very verbal, friendly, and never meets a stranger, which is what scares me. He has no sense of danger and despite my son and D-I-L's best teaching efforts would not hesitate to walk off chattering with a stranger.

 

[maxiesmom]

As someone who works at a place where we freqeuntly have lost children (the mall), I implore you all that if you end up with a missing child to please please please please do your best to remain calm. Most likely there will be people to help you, and it takes us much longer to ask you the needed questions (how old is your child, what are they wearing, and such) if you are crying and hysterical. It also doesn't help if you are so scared that you ignore those trying to help you and run around screaming for your child.

Try to practice staying calm. I know it is not easy at all, but you must try. Have it in your mind what you will say if the worst happens and you lose your child. Be hysterical and have your break down once your child is returned to you.