1 mom and one 8 yr old

[Travelbug80]

I am a single parent taking my son for his 1st trip to Disneyworld in Sept. He is 8. In our previous travels we talk often about what to do if he gets separated from me. This is one of my biggest fears in a park the size of them at Disneyworld. What do you tell your own children around his age about what to do if he finds himself lost? Do you tell your kids to stay still and wait for you to find them at the last place they saw you or have them search out a Disneyworld employee for help etc? Any tips/tricks? I used to put my phone number and name on his arm but at this age he can just tell them

 

[dprincessmom]

I advise my daughter to wait a minute or two where she is and then to seek out a cast member. She knows my full name, phone number and resort that we are staying at. Fortunately we have never had to use this plan. Now she will have her phone with her, so that makes me even more comfortable.

 

[staceyrhood]

I always tell my son, also 8, to stop and look for me for a minute or two and if he does not see me go up to the nearest cast member. I also tell him that even though he will be scared, not to yell or scream because other people will come up to him, only go to a cast member. I believe if you have magic bands they can scan his band and get your information to call you or track you. You could also write your cell on his magic band.

 

[Saimaeve]

I lost my daughter in the Magic Kingdom on her 7th birthday. We were standing near a PhotoPass photographer and this huge group came crashing through and separated us.

it took several minutes for the group to pass and there was no way I could fight through them. (A lot of them were holding hands and jostling around)

We finally get cleared and I can't find her. Check the candy store right there thinking surely she ducked in there. No kid

I step out in the street and she is standing across main street at a lamp post waving her parasol. She was just about to go to the nearest CM when she saw me.

She also had bracelets with my phone number on it.

 

[Thing 1]

I agree that at that age, most kids could handle it pretty well. My DS is 8. When he was little we put ID on him. Last year we just reminded him to try to stay in the same place and look for a CM and have them call me. If you have an extra cell phone, at 8, I would have them carry it just in case. Next trip, DS will be 9 and that is my plan.

 

[Travelbug80]

Although the cell phone is a great idea, it's just him and I....no extras. Thank you all for the tips and for easing my mind that he should be ok. I'll marker my number into his magic band just in case and remind him not to panic but to look closely around him and go to a CM if necessary. He's not the type to wander off, he typically stays close to mom but like Saimaeve said above...we could get separated by something I can't control.

 

[superchime]

Both of my boys have RoadID bracelets with their names, our names, and our cellphone numbers. I have them wear them any time we're going to be someplace crowded, whether it's Disney or a local baseball game. They've never needed to use them, but I'm glad we have them. I also make sure to point out what employees look like (uniforms, name tags) wherever we are, so they know who to ask for help if needed.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I recently lost my son not once, but twice at a huge BMX bike race. He's five, and we had unfortunately never talked about what to do if he got separated or lost. I have no idea why! Luckily he's a level headed beast and went out to the tent of people we were traveling with and held our friend's hand until we found him. So for others reading, talk about this with your kids! It can easily happen, even with two parents! At Disney I will tell my son to stay put where he is for a minute or two, then to find someone with a name tag (cast member). We will also work on him learning our cell phone number.