11 year olds alone in Disney?

[AshtonsMom99]

Ok this may sound weird but I am already looking and pricing my 1 year Anniversary trip....lol granted I havent even gone on my honeymoon trip...lol!

I don't even know what the prices are going to be...lol!

At any rate we will be bringing my then 11 year old son on our anniversary trip with us. What do you think is the best time to go and what can he do possibly independantly? He is dying to meet his best friend down ther and go off together...Is that a good idea or no? My son wants to do that because he wants to let my then hubby and me do something by ourselves...its a year or more away and I am already questioning it...lol

I know he doesnt want to do Kids Club...he says he is to "old for that nonsense" lol

 

[momof3girls6712]

I do not even allow my 13 year old to go off by herself. Now maybe it is different since I have all girls and no boy experience, but I do not even let her go by herself in the mall yet. We just got where she goes to different sections in Walmart by herself with her cell phone. But that is just the way we do things.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

Personally, I, would definitely not let my 11 year old go off on their own, even 2 of them. I would not let my 13 year go off alone. There are way to many stangers and way too much stuff that can go on.

 

[Evans Family]

I have an 11 year old son too. Sorry, but I wouldn't let him loose at Walt Disney World. Too many temptations and too many wierdo's in the world (even at Disney World!).

 

[chocovrdmicears]

I bet you are going to get a bunch of different answers.
For me...NO WAY.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

Sheesh...there's my answer lol!

 

[robb01]

I certainly wouldnt, thats just too young

 

[AshtonsMom99]

Oh and he does have a cell phone! I guess that doesnt matter though and his best friend is 14

 

[Worfiedoodles]

My ds just turned 11. He is a very responsible kid, but there is no way I would let him go off alone. He has the judgement of an 11 yr. old, which means he's not ready to be off alone without parental guidance. Plus, I think kids get lulled into a false sense of security because they are in WDW. Just too much potential for danger, IMO.

 

[disneynuts777]

Personally, I, would definitely not let my 11 year old go off on their own, even 2 of them. I would not let my 13 year go off alone. There are way to many stangers and way too much stuff that can go on.

DD's are 13 & 15 and when we went this year we just started letting them go off together at the theme parks. DH and I were at the same theme park and they had to meet up with us every few hours. I am not sure I would let them venture off for the whole day.

 

[Todd&Copper]

I went off with my sister when we were 9 and 7 for a few hours here and there (especially in Fantasyland).

To me, the key is - will you be in the parks, too, so you are only a phone call away IF something happens, or will you be elsewhere? I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing this, but if you will be elsewhere, can you trust him to take Disney transportation back and forth to the parks by himself? Will he behave appropriately and respectfully to adults/CMs?

 

[MarieFan]

Not a chance.

 

[JerseyGirl84]

I would let my 13 year old daughter venture off with good friends. We did this at Hershey Park this year (and she was only 12 at the time). She has also gone to Six Flags and Dorney and done the same. We have specific times to meet and I call or text her often. She is responsible and they stay together at all times. My husband actually gets more nervous then me. I want to raise responsible and independant children. I know times are different, so I wait a few years longer than my parents did. I don't believe in cutting the aprons strings, but you have to give them a little slack. I probably wouldn't have done it at 11, but you know your child and his friend.

 

[Ashlander]

Personally I think 11 is too young. I would be too worried about my kids to have any fun.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I wouldn't personally. Someone on here wrote they almost had their child kidnapped in HS back in Nov or Dec. And in 07 there was a guy on the news watching a kid in the showers. Granted the chances are slim of the worst happening but even a one in a million chance is too much of a risk for my kids IMO.

 

[dismom24]

Our's were about 12 and 14, when we went last time and let them go off for short intervals of time. They had cell phones and we met every few hours for meals, snacks, or to enjoy a ride together. They had no problems. We also went over a few emergency senarios with them.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

well that is what we plan to do, be in the same park at the time. for example say I didnt want to ride Space Mountain a third time and he wanted to with his friend.....I would say absolutely....and maybe I would go off to its a small world so he he doesnt have to "suffer" through it again. LOL! He has a cell phone and as long as he checked in withme or his stepfather I don't think it's bad.

 

[bookgirl]

I would not let them run a park by themselves. Swim at a lifeguarded pool yes, go to the waterpark,,,maybe if they were really good swimmers and mature enough to stick together. Walk to refil thier coke at the food court, probably. Stay in the room and watch a movie and order room service...yes IF I pick out the movie and order the food LOL. Other than that I'd say they needed some kind of supervision.

Okay just saw that the friend is 14. Maybe a little more lassitude there. Like they go on one ride while you go to another in the same park. I'd be okay with that as long as there was a cell phone and meeting time.

 

[summerrluvv]

I wouldn't, but I tend to be a worry wart, plus my son has some developmental delays that result in him being a bit more immature than other kids his age. With that said, I DID allow him to ride a few rides alone. My DD is too little to ride the bigger things and we were traveling alone. He rode Splash Mountain like four times, Thunder Mountain Railroad that many times, and Test Track once (that one took forever and I almost had heart failure thinking he was kidnapped from the line). I watched him enter the line queue, and waited at the exited each time. I was a nervous wreck the entire time to be honest! I can't imagine letting him go off in the park alone!

 

[nd5056]

Epcot, May 2008, we were in the butterfly garden when my 2.5 year old got mad and left the tent, walked like 10 feet away and start kicking the dirt. My wife decided not to walk out of the tent, she was just standing there watching him.

He was quickly approached buy a couple in the mid thirties or so and they started talking to him.

When my wife walked outside and just said: Hey, I’m watching him, they took off like crazy, almost ran away…

I know WDW is one of most safe places around but still…

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