Are kids clubs secure for kids?

[dtk07]

We are hoping to use the kids clubs for our six year old during our upcoming DCL cruise. We read plenty about how the clubs are secure, keeping adults out, but does it work the other way to keep the kids in??

We have a bravely impulsive six year old who we could see attempting to wander out of the kids club to explore the ship if he were to get bored in the kids club. How does the kids club handle these type of situations? I don't see him sneaking out but wandering out is totally in his personality if it's allowed.

 

[ImDMous]

It's my understanding you can't physically get out unless "your" adult is there to get you or you are old enough to have self check-out privileges, which he is not. He's not going to be able to wander away without a lot of effort and possibly Tom Cruise in a body harness. If he tells them he wants to leave, they will page you.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

We are hoping to use the kids clubs for our six year old during our upcoming DCL cruise. We read plenty about how the clubs are secure, keeping adults out, but does it work the other way to keep the kids in??

We have a bravely impulsive six year old who we could see attempting to wander out of the kids club to explore the ship if he were to get bored in the kids club. How does the kids club handle these type of situations? I don't see him sneaking out but wandering out is totally in his personality if it's allowed.

Yes, they are very secure. There are gates that are kept locked during secure programing. The CMs have to unlock the gate to let a child in or out, and they won't unlock the gate to let a child out unless there is an adult there with the correct password to pick them up, or an older child with self-checkout privileges.

 

[lorimay]

We are hoping to use the kids clubs for our six year old during our upcoming DCL cruise. We read plenty about how the clubs are secure, keeping adults out, but does it work the other way to keep the kids in??

We have a bravely impulsive six year old who we could see attempting to wander out of the kids club to explore the ship if he were to get bored in the kids club. How does the kids club handle these type of situations? I don't see him sneaking out but wandering out is totally in his personality if it's allowed.

I believe it is, otherwise my children and now my grandchildren would have never been left there. They have waist high doors at the entrance/exit that keep them in unless the CM unlocks it.

 

[Firstof3]

There is only two entrances, and each has more than one CM. When you do arrive to pick up the child they can tell you exactly which portion of the club they are in as well. They are very secure in there, no one wants a lost child wandering the ship.

 

[darnheather]

Absolutely. You have nothing to worry about.

 

[lklgoodman]

If he wants to leave, he can tell a cm and they will contact you by the wave phone. Each cabin will have 2 wave phones that you can carry with you on the ship and on CC. I think they can also contact you by cell phone if you have the app on your cell phone, but not 100% sure. There's also a kids club on CC called Scuttle's Cove, works the same as on the ship.

 

[FigmentSpark]

My 12 year old was accidentally marked as needing to be signed out and he had to stand there until I came to get him. He was so embarrassed. I guess, when we signed him up, and I did ask for them to give him sign out privileges, they forgot to tick that box on the system. He said he was watching 8 year olds wander in and out on their own (because their parents had given permission for it) and he had to stand there.

I guess there could be a reverse error where they mark her as having privileges, but I bet that's very rare. Seems like the default is to have an adult sign them out. They have a band they wear and I think have to scan it to get in and out and there are CMs at the entrance.

Maybe @bbel will chime in, as she used to work in the DCL kids' club.

 

[bbel]

My 12 year old was accidentally marked as needing to be signed out and he had to stand there until I came to get him. He was so embarrassed. I guess, when we signed him up, and I did ask for them to give him sign out privileges, they forgot to tick that box on the system. He said he was watching 8 year olds wander in and out on their own (because their parents had given permission for it) and he had to stand there.

I guess there could be a reverse error where they mark her as having privileges, but I bet that's very rare. Seems like the default is to have an adult sign them out. They have a band they wear and I think have to scan it to get in and out and there are CMs at the entrance.

Maybe @bbel will chime in, as she used to work in the DCL kids' club.

It's been a few years now but...

Those bracelets they wear, if kids aren't checked out on the system properly, they alarm (to the point a kid checked in can hold their arm over the gate and it will go off), on every computer in the kids club, club and lab and the managers office and the nursery, so everyone knows and everyone runs.

Yes there are side doors hidden in the clubs, but they all have alarms on them so if they're opened without the code, again, everyone goes running. As a YAC at dcl, you're more of a security guard than anything, there are cm strategically placed every where, who cant move until someone replaces them. So every door/escape hatch is/should be covered by at least 1 cm at all times.

Personally, and after working on another cruise line, I dont think Disney's are the most secure kids clubs at sea for a couple of reasons, but equally, kids aren't getting out every 5 minutes. You'd hear about it every where if it was common.
A six year old getting out, probably not gonna happen.
A taller, older, determined kid that can run fast, potentially.
I've seen kids 'escape' from Disney, but only a couple and always older (9/10+), not the younger end...

If they want to/attempt to leave 99.9% of times they'll get turned around, redirected to an activity some where and a message will be sent saying they want to leave.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

Yes. Just make sure you put them on the correct closed side when it’s open house. Otherwise they can walk out freely.

 

[bumbershoot]

We have a bravely impulsive six year old who we could see attempting to wander out of the kids club to explore the ship if he were to get bored in the kids club. How does the kids club handle these type of situations?

On dream (at least) there are adult-waist-high plexiglas gates that lock securely.

A child would have to vault over them. That will be noticeable. They are also right next to the checkin/our desks and there are CMs there. There also tend to be parents in the area, and they would notice a child vaulting over the gates.

There is NO ability to *wander* out.

Yes. Just make sure you put them on the correct closed side when it’s open house. Otherwise they can walk out freely.

You aren’t allowed to leave a child on the open house side.