Are the balconies safe for my 4 yr. old

[pooh101]

Anyone know about how tall the balcony railings are. Just worried about my 4 yr old DD--she's not wild or stupid, but I'm a mom and worry about anything and everything possible. Don't want to stay on ground level, but would second floor be best if available?

 

[browniemtb]

We worried about the same thing with our 4 year old and even the 6 year old. Our last stay at the BWV we had a great balacony overlooking the clown pool. But there were no railings just, what I call a knee wall. So the 4 year old couldn't really see anything....so guess what the first thing she did was.....dragged a chair over and stood on that to look over. That stopped quick. After the chair incident and explainging what could happen.......she never dragged the chair over but I made sure I was there when she did want to see something.
Brownie

 

[nealpads]

I'm the same kind of worrying mom and I'm afraid of heights on top of that. I think the balcony is safe as long as there is an adult with children.

On our last trip, we were walking the boardwalk and there was a girl, about 5 years old, on the 5th floor standing on a chair and leaning over the balcony. I lost it. I ran into the DVC office and asked them to call inside the Boardwalk, but without a room number, I didn't know what else to do. She couldn't hear me and I was honestly afraid to look.

Janelle

 

[dianeschlicht]

Hmmm, interesting. I never worried about balcony or deck railings at home or away when my kids were that age, and I don't recall either of them ever attempting to crawl over one.

 

[paults]

I'm the same kind of worrying mom and I'm afraid of heights on top of that. I think the balcony is safe as long as there is an adult with children.

here's the right answer

 

[LIFERBABE]

We do not let our boys out on the balcony unless we are there with them. When my youngest was 4 he used the chair to try to see over the railing because our balcony was solid wall. No threat of falling over, he still couldnt reach, but I scolded him and better safe than sorry.

It's the MIL in me She now gives them the "you are going with your irresponsible parents again who wont be happy til you are dead" departure speech. And oh yeah! "stay away from the alligators and the edge of the ship"

 

[dianeschlicht]

We do not let our boys out on the balcony unless we are there with them. When my youngest was 4 he used the chair to try to see over the railing because our balcony was solid wall. No threat of falling over, he still couldnt reach, but I scolded him and better safe than sorry.

It's the MIL in me She now gives them the "you are going with your irresponsible parents again who wont be happy til you are dead" departure speech. And oh yeah! "stay away from the alligators and the edge of the ship"

LOL! I guess, I was ASSUMING no one would ever let a 4 year old be unsupervised on a deck or balcony.

 

[LIFERBABE]

LOL! I guess, I was ASSUMING no one would ever let a 4 year old be unsupervised on a deck or balcony.

And thats just it, Diane, I was right there! Sitting in the other chair! We were at BCV waiting for Illuminations to start. He was about a foot away and climbed up. I guess my point was, that even though they cannot squeeze thru slats or the railing is tall enough, children will use things to climb. I always think, "what if I wasnt there?"

We really are responsible!! (despite what my MIL says )

 

[emma'smom]

I let dd4 go out with me (with some guidance on staying back from the railing). I won't even let dd1 go near the door to the balcony, much less out on it. It just isn't worth the risk of her wiggling away from me!

 

[pooh101]

After I posted that question, I sat here thinking that was a dumb question. Of course an adult will be with her at all times anyway. But some of those replies were scary. All kids are curious--guess you just have to watch 'em like a hawk--especially in a "new" situation.

 

[mbhoxsie]

After I posted that question, I sat here thinking that was a dumb question. Of course an adult will be with her at all times anyway. But some of those replies were scary. All kids are curious--guess you just have to watch 'em like a hawk--especially in a "new" situation.

My kids are 5 and 3... Same scenerio... We don't let them out on the balcony unless we are there with them, but when DS was 4 he had the exact same idea at VB... Push the chair over so he can look over the side... I stopped him before he even got the chair close to the wall...

This year was a little different.. We had a ground level 1BR at OKW... I wasn't as worried, but we still kept an eye on the two of them because you never know what kids will try and do..

 

[mom2alix]

One thing that reassures me a bit too (in case you were wondering) is that there are locks on the balcony doors that are out of the reach of the kids. My kids can open our sliding glass door at home so this was a worry for me before our last trip. Knowing that they need me to unlock the door made me feel better.