11 year olds alone in Disney?

[bmartin1206]

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone else. No go on the alone thing. I let my daughter go with a group of friends at 13 in an amusement park but we met up frequently and I kind of tailed them. But 11 I think is too young.

 

[JB2K]

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

No, no, and no.

Just because it's Disney doesn't mean that would-be predators aren't dropping a few hunderd bucks to get access to the parks to "get their kicks".

Don't believe me? Google "Shawn Hornbeck" -- he was presumably in safe territory (and he was about your son's age before he went missing for several years).

IMO, this is no laughing matter...

 

[Belle5]

It seems as if half the readers are posting about your son being alone at eleven and the others are posting about him doing the attractions with a fourteen year old friend. That would be two totally different situations, IMO.

 

[NotUrsula]

Don't believe me? Google "Shawn Hornbeck" -- he was presumably in safe territory (and he was about your son's age before he went missing for several years).

Shawn Hornbeck was riding his bicycle on an out-of-the-way country road when he was taken at age 11. His abductor was a 6'5" male who weighed over 300 lbs. and brandished a gun. Personally, having grown up out in the sticks, I would never consider a country road anywhere as "safe territory", but I certainly would not compare it to a crowded theme park. The presence of thousands of witnesses is a relatively effective deterrent to crime-of-opportunty kidnappings.

FTR, there has never been a police-documented case of stranger abduction from inside any Disney theme park. Lots of urban legends, but not a single police report to back any of them up.

 

[mumto3girls]

Shawn Hornbeck was riding his bicycle on an out-of-the-way country road when he was taken at age 11. His abductor was a 6'5" male who weighed over 300 lbs. and brandished a gun. Personally, having grown up out in the sticks, I would never consider a country road anywhere as "safe territory", but I certainly would not compare it to a crowded theme park. The presence of thousands of witnesses is a relatively effective deterrent to crime-of-opportunty kidnappings.

FTR, there has never been a police-documented case of stranger abduction from inside any Disney theme park. Lots of urban legends, but not a single police report to back any of them up.

I totally agree with you. The only time I could see something along those lines happening to a child in a theme park would be in the restrooms and at 11 and 14 even that doesn't seem likely--an 11 year old would have to be overpowered and not able to ask for help--unlikely out in a crowded theme park. I would say that OP should insist that the boys go into the restroom together and wait for each other. I also might be nervous about getting on the buses--not sure about that one, but I think she was really asking if the two boys would be okay touring in the same park as she and her DH would be in while maybe going to dinner alone or riding different rides and that they would not be trying to get back to their hotel by themselves. Seems to me that would be fine.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

My oldest is 11, his 12th birthday is in March. He is already 5'5" tall and weighs 135 lbs. He is very bright, and very capable of taking care of himself. He has also been to WDW every year of his life, so he knows all of the parks like the back of his hand. Yes, I would let him go off with friends his age for an hour or two at a time, but I wouldn't let him go for an entire day, nor would I let him take my younger son (9). My younger son is too hyper, and difficult enough for an adult to control.

 

[longstangetrip]

If you are comfortable taking him to the movie with another kid, he should be fine at WDW with a friend in a limited area for a limited time. Use your judgement with checking in, cell phone contact, etc. No place is 100% safe, but statistically WDW is probably safer than the mall. You have to pay (a lot) to get in and are watched by undercover security and cameras like crazy. Not to mention all the moms. And you know how crazy we can get if we think a kid's in trouble! Have a great trip.

 

[Keegansmommy]

Not on my life.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Would I let my kids go off on their own at 11? No way. It is simply not a good idea. I don't care how responsible they are. To many possible incidents can occur with unsupervised pre-teens. Plan a dinner for all of you. Invite the friend if you want and have them sit at a table close by if you need to be alone.

 

[whitneyNC]

Middle school kids are all over WDW on school trips, especially Epcot and they are certainly not with their chaperones all the time. You know your kid best and you will make the right decision for your family. The policy for WDW says kids 7 and under must be with an adult and 10 and under at the water parks must be with an adult. You said your son will be with a 14 year old, that makes a difference. My 11 and 14 year old split up from us a little this past fall and did fine.

 

[CookingMama]

NO way

 

[aanderson5]

My parents let us go to MK when I was 12 and my brother was 9. We even took the shuttle there by ourselves. I was already babysitting by that point and my brother realized he had to listen to me or we would loose the priviledge. Of course this was back in the early 80's and was a different time.

I'm not sure if I would allow two 11 years olds. It would depend on the kids and how much independance they were used to. If I felt my child was ready for it I might. I would somehow feel better if they were twelve. That seems like a magic age in my mind.

Kid's aren't given the same freedom as then did when I was growing up. It's not because there are more dangers out there it's because we have become a paranoid society. Your child is 2.5 times more likely to be hit by lightening than being kidnapped by a stranger. I makes me sad that my son is not going to enjoy the type of childhood I was allowed.

 

[jodifla]

Depends on the 11 year old and his pal. But with two boys together at WDW....what do people think is going to happen, really?


My parents routinely did this with me....I might have been 12, though. I'd bring a friend and we'd go off and do a couple of rides on our own and then meet up with my folks.

At first, it was, "Meet us in 15 minutes" then 30 minutes, then an hour.

I agree that middle schools do trips to WDW all the time.

 

[mjmoon]

The more I think about this the more I agree that if the child is trustworthy and with other kids his age, he'll do fine! For as long as I can remember, my parents let me do things without their hoovering. I remember during the summers (1st grade on) the rule was after breakfast, get lost and don't be home until lunch.. and after lunch it was the same, don't be seen until dinner. Basically, go outside and play and stay out of trouble. The boundaries were the neighborhood. I remember them unleashing us at Six Flags Astroworld too. We had a meeting place for meals but other than that it was 'see ya later'.

I'm going to have to work real hard to loosen the strings for my kids. I would never allow my son roam the neighborhood by himself at 6 the way I was allowed to. At 11.. I'm hoping to have given him some freedoms.