11 year olds alone in Disney?

[kissy]

I don't even let my 11 yr old stay home alone let alone be in a public place alone. I'm just too paranoid. Things aren't like they were when I was a kid (as I shiver because I sound like my mother! haha!)

 

[mybabesuz]

I think 11 is definitely too young... If they were both 14... I might consider it...

 

[stinkerbelle7531]

I don't even let my 11 yr old stay home alone let alone be in a public place alone. I'm just too paranoid. Things aren't like they were when I was a kid (as I shiver because I sound like my mother! haha!)

How are they different? Other than news coverage?

 

[PatsGirl]

I'd be okay with leaving a 14 and 11 year old at my resort for a few hours while I had a nice anniversary dinner elsewhere. They'd probably love having dinner at the food court by themselves and then hanging at the arcade or something. Better yet, why not plan a romantic dinner at the Boardwalk or Downtown Disney and let them roam for an hour or two outside the restaurant while you dine and enjoy yourselves? They'd be able to come get you if they needed you but most likely they'd let you be. That way you could touch base every hour or so, be within "reach" and extend your anniversary outing as you felt comfortable. Only you know the kids but if you feel comfortable, I say go with it.

As for the parks, well, an hour here or there while you are in the same park, sure but I'd feel uncomfortable letting them bus over or anything like that or be at two different locations.

Have Fun.

 

[Kevenswife2]

No. Ever seen how teenagers act when together at the mall. They seem to 'forget' their manners...even the usually well behaved ones.

I have a hard time understanding how 'they'll have a cell phone' and 'we meet up every so often' makes you feel your kids will be 'safe'. What if the cell is taken away by someone? What if they don't meet you at the designated place or time? Then what do you do?

Most of us longtime Disers have read stories on here of teenagers (around 16yr) from a certain country who visit WDW as a tour group, and how they act...and how their parents back home would be mortified if they knew!

 

[Belle5]

Well, please keep in mind I have been raising sons for a long time and have seen and heard a lot of things from friends and my own kids over the years. I would let my son be in the theme parks riding rides with his 14 year old friend if you were in the park and there was a lot of check-in moments. What I would NOT do is let my little eleven year old son stay in a hotel room with a fourteen year old friend. They are at VERY, VERY different stages developmentally!!! That fourteen year old is going through very dramatic changes and still may not have developed sound judgement. I don't think you mentioned staying in a hotel room and watching movies as an option--I am just putting that out there in case it was a back-up plan. You cannot be too cautious in that area.

Belle5-mom to an 11 year old son that is awesome!

 

[stinkerbelle7531]

No. Ever seen how teenagers act when together at the mall. They seem to 'forget' their manners...even the usually well behaved ones.

I have a hard time understanding how 'they'll have a cell phone' and 'we meet up every so often' makes you feel your kids will be 'safe'. What if the cell is taken away by someone? What if they don't meet you at the designated place or time? Then what do you do?

Most of us longtime Disers have read stories on here of teenagers (around 16yr) from a certain country who visit WDW as a tour group, and how they act...and how their parents back home would be mortified if they knew!

Maybe that is your perception. I was traveling the world with a group by the time I was 12. We weren't wild, we were on our own on occasion, and we managed not to behave rudely. Maybe you were one of the sheep at the mall, but I certainly wasn't. Nor would I expect my child to be.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Maybe you were one of the sheep at the mall.

Why the personal attack? I thought this was a friendly thread? The OP asked for opinions, I would think that every one she gets will not be exactly the same -- since people do have different experiences, they will share those. The OP gets to decide what is valid for her and what should be ignored, but everyone should be able to share without needing a fire retardant keyboard.

 

[penn19]

I think only you know your 11 year old. I also have an 11 year old boy and if he went off with his 14 year old brother I think I would be ok with it. Even though they can't stand each other!!!
I think I can be over protective on some things, but I also know that my now 18 year old knows how to handle himself in the world. When he was younger he was allowed to ride his bike to a friends house etc....yes maybe the perception that the world is crazier today than when I was growing up is true. I happen to think some of it happened then also you just didn't hear too much about it. I never want any of my kids to grow up and look at me helplessly because they can't think for themselves in a situation because I always did the thinking for them.

 

[AshtonsMom99]

I seem to have caused a controversy! lol! I am the kind of person that sees the best in people and not the worst...call it years of trainig by mother. I realize there are some people that would want to harm my child, but I also like to believe they wouldnt want to pay for a ticket to do so. It's not like Disney is a free venue, most sickos want free, easy, access I assume.

I am a firm believer that that there are far more good people around then bad.

My son may not even want to do anything alone. I was just putting it out ther in case he did.

 

[lisabarr]

We were at CSR in Dec and my friend and I were walking about 20 ft in front of boys, both 7, who were busy looking at my DS PSP. This man walked right past my friend and I and approcahed our sons asking for directions to the pool. My friend heard something and turned around and started to walk back and the man quickly left.
Now the question for you is why a man would pass two adult women to ask 2 seven year olds how to get to the pool? They looked like they were alone, but weren't.
My point is be careful. Bad things happen, even at Disney.

 

[crisi]

We let our 11 year old walk from Japan in Epcot back to the Boardwalk. It was late and he was tired - but we'd p. We handed him a cell and he called when he got there. Now, this was at the end of a seven day trip - he'd walked that a dozen times already. And he's been to Disney half a dozen times.

We've had him do rides while we wait at the exit for years.

But there is no way I'd let him at eleven wander the parks by himself yet - he is a very responsible kid, but that's a lot. He doesn't keep track of time well yet....and I know the half an hour between "meet me at 3:00 right here" and 3:30 would cause too many greys.

We find cell phones less than complete useful at Disney - they are difficult to hear ring or feel vibrate - and they get lost easily as the fall off belts and out of pockets on rides. If I can't depend on my husband to hear his phone ring, I can't expect my eleven year old to pick up.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I'm going to move this over to the Families Board since it is a topic that is better suited to that forum.

 

[kissy]

How are they different? Other than news coverage?

It's different because now I'm the parent and know what type of craziness lurks out there! haha!
I think to each his own. My DD has lots of friends that stay home alone at 11 and it's no big deal my DD is just so scrawny and skinny she couldn't hurt a fly when she hit it!

All this being said, if you feel comfortable letting your child walk around disney with a friend then go for it. No one can make any desicions for you because they don't know how your child is.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd let him go off with a 14 year old, provided we were in the same park, with cellphones. Ds10 had walked and biked across town to the pool, with friends, and dd12 goes shopping locally, starbucks after school, local fairs, etc., with her friends. They're responsible kids, and would consider being able to go off alone as a treat. They've been walking to school for several years now, and do have some freedom, which gets slowly doled out.

I don't happen to think the world is scarier these days - in fact, because of the media, we're more aware of the dangers, and the invention of the cellphone is very helpful.

 

[mandynee22]

I have to say, if I were walking by and saw a lone 2 y/o in Epcot kicking the dirt, I would absolutely stop and talk to him. If no one was coming for him, it wouldn't be very long before I took him by the hand to guest services for Lost Children. It's very likely that couple was distressed to see a little boy all alone in a big park like Epcot, and it was very innocuous. Maybe they wanted to avoid a potential confrontation with his caregiver?

Heck, I've been known to turn my car around if I see a preschooler walking on the sidewalk with no adult in sight. Really. And strays too...

I was going to say this too. When we were at Disney, I saw a kid (and he was older- like 7 or so) just sitting by himself and asked if he was OK. If I see a kid who's alone- I'm going to talk to them... and trust me, I don't want to kidnap anyone elses's kids LOL

 

[Debbie]

11 and 14? Absolutely I would let them be on their own in the same park-especially since they would have a cell phone. And I'd let them head off to the arcade on their own, too. Only you know your kid and the friend, but I know that mine were on their own at that age, with check ins every few hours (we didn't have a cell).

 

[arcticdisneylovers]

I don't know if there is a magic age but for me 11 isn't it

 

[mumto3girls]

I think that every kid is different--you know your own child better than anyone and if I read this correctly you are still more than a year away from this decision--lots could change during that time. My oldest is only 8 so I don't have any recent knowledge of 11 year olds, but having said all that, I think it would most likely be fine.


WDW is a huge PUBLIC place. Although some may consider that a disadvantage in this situation, I think it is an advantage. While I agree that you may have undesireable people at WDW as you would anywhere, most people will be good and decent. We are not talking about a small child who can be lured away with a promise of seeing a puppy or the prospect of ice cream. Should anyone try to take/harm your son he would have his friend with him as well as many other people who would certainly step up and help out a kid in trouble. Kids of that age get into trouble with predators when the predator can over power them--just doesn't seem likely at Disney or in any other public places with reasonable security. I guess you would run a small risk of pickpocketing or something like that but you would be able to coach him in those types of things beforehad--all life lessons that need to be learned.

I would still probably want to be in touch via walkie/talkie or cell phone and I probably wouldn't want them getting on any buses without me, but would probably be okay, for instance, if they walked over to Epcot while I was in the Boardwalk/Yacht and Beach Club area. I would probably also insist that they stay together and that if they needed to use the restroom, they both needed to go into the men's room together and wait for each other.

Disney seems like a good place for a first "out in public without an adult" experience. I would feel more comfortable doing that than leaving them home alone.

 

[natenapril]

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

I have an 11 year old DD and NO WAY will I let her run around Disney on her own or with a friend. And she is a responsible, smart girl.