At what age would you leave kids alone for short periods?

[LongLiveRafiki]

DH and I were having a discussion about what age we would feel comfortable leaving our kids (5 yr age difference) alone temporarily at the parks (with the older kid keeping an eye on the younger). We didn't exactly agree on our opinions, so I'm curious what others would feel was an appropriate age for the older kid with a sibling 5 years younger.

To clarify, I'm not talking separating for any long period of time. More like 30 mins while for instance the adults ride Space and the kids ride Speedway or get a snack or adults ride Mission Space while kids play in the attached play area.

So my questions are...
1) I know kids cannot ride without an adult until they are 7. Does this mean they could technically go through the queue without an adult at this age as well (not saying I would personally do that, just clarifying the rules)?
2) For a sibling under 7 to ride with an older sibling, how old does the older kid have to be?
3) At what age would you leave your kids alone/ let an older kid watch a younger kid for a SHORT period of time in the parks?
4) Would your answer to #3 be different for the water parks? Assuming of course that both kids knew how to swim and were left hypothetically in the kiddie area or getting a snack.

Thanks!

 

[Klayfish]

I'm not 100% sure how it works if you have a <7 year old as to how old the other person needs to be. We started letting our kids ride on their own when our oldest had just turned 12 and our twins were about to turn 9. We let them ride Space Mountain while DW and I did Buzz. That was two years ago. Last year and this fall/winter, we let them go on their own for several hours...about 3 or 4. I will say that we have the "advantage" of having gone often, so our kids know where they're going and wouldn't panic if they got separated.

Water parks are no different. They're all good swimmers and they have very clear instructions for the TL wave pool (the only place I'd really be concerned).

 

[Fern]

We traveled with a group and the kids ranged from 7-15 (one 7, the rest 12-15) . We let them ride alone with the older ones watching the younger. However, I think this really depends on the kids. All of ours are mature, seasoned Disney-ers who know their way around, and the older kids had phones to call/text if there was an issue. They would hit their favorite rides while the adults waited or grabbed drink. If my own children weren't experienced Disney-ers, I don't think they'd have been comfortable on their own, but since they were in a larger group and were not worried about getting lost, they were fine. I also cannot confirm nor deny that we left the kids to wander the gift shop and lobby at the Poly while we popped into Trader Sam's for a drink.

 

[KrazeeK120]

OP, to answer your 2nd question, the older child has to be 14. So I definitely wouldn’t leave them alone unless the younger one is at least 7.

 

[kreckl]

It would depend...
How old are your kids?
Are your kids used to being alone without you? Does your younger child listen to the older one? Would you trust your younger child to know what to do if kids got separated? Are they responsible in general and able to problem solve under stress?
And no way at the water parks.

 

[loves to dive]

I have an only child and I was a single mom so I can't really think of a time he was alone in the park since it was just he and I until he was in his 20s and his girlfriend came with us. Then I'd go to the park by myself.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It would depend...
How old are your kids?
Are your kids used to being alone without you? Does your younger child listen to the older one? Would you trust your younger child to know what to do if kids got separated? Are they responsible in general and able to problem solve under stress?
And no way at the water parks.

My kids are only 7 and 2 now and of course there's no way whatsoever we would consider leaving them alone right now. We were talking about in the future and what ages we would be comfortable with. DD7 is very responsible (obviously still not going to leave her alone at this age, let alone with her brother), and her brother listens very well to her. It's hard to really say how things will change in the future, so we're really just speaking in complete hypotheticals right now. DH brought up that he thought it would be okay to leave them alone for short periods in the parks in a couple of years (at ages 9 &4). I thought that was too young, especially considering I can't see us letting her babysit AT HOME until she's older than that, so in a theme park in public-- I don't think so. The funny thing was, he spoke about this in reference to leaving them alone in the kiddie area at one of the water parks, which at 4 and 9, I think is crazy. DD is already a strong swimmer and DS is on his way (it's important to us that the kids know how to swim young), but that still seems WAY too risky at those ages. You never know when a 4 yo (who can never completely understand safety at that age) could slip away.

My initial thoughts were (if kids were responsible, comfortable with it, etc) at the absolute earliest maybe 11/12 & 6/7 in the theme parks (again, with us in somewhat close proximity for a short period). For the water parks, probably the same age if the kids were just getting a snack, but probably 13+ & 8+ if ANY swimming was involved.

Again, that was just me hypothesizing as my kids aren't old enough for that stuff yet, and when the time comes, I may not feel comfortable with it until they're even older. I was just curious how others felt (and kinda wanted to know if anyone else was crazy enough to feel the way DH does).

 

[kreckl]

No way, he’s nuts!

 

[HopperFan]

My kids are only 7 and 2 now and of course there's no way whatsoever we would consider leaving them alone right now. We were talking about in the future and what ages we would be comfortable with. DD7 is very responsible (obviously still not going to leave her alone at this age, let alone with her brother), and her brother listens very well to her. It's hard to really say how things will change in the future, so we're really just speaking in complete hypotheticals right now. DH brought up that he thought it would be okay to leave them alone for short periods in the parks in a couple of years (at ages 9 &4). I thought that was too young, especially considering I can't see us letting her babysit AT HOME until she's older than that, so in a theme park in public-- I don't think so. The funny thing was, he spoke about this in reference to leaving them alone in the kiddie area at one of the water parks, which at 4 and 9, I think is crazy. DD is already a strong swimmer and DS is on his way (it's important to us that the kids know how to swim young), but that still seems WAY too risky at those ages. You never know when a 4 yo (who can never completely understand safety at that age) could slip away.

My initial thoughts were (if kids were responsible, comfortable with it, etc) at the absolute earliest maybe 11/12 & 6/7 in the theme parks (again, with us in somewhat close proximity for a short period). For the water parks, probably the same age if the kids were just getting a snack, but probably 13+ & 8+ if ANY swimming was involved.

Again, that was just me hypothesizing as my kids aren't old enough for that stuff yet, and when the time comes, I may not feel comfortable with it until they're even older. I was just curious how others felt (and kinda wanted to know if anyone else was crazy enough to feel the way DH does).

My kids have been going to Disney regularly since 1 year, 3 year and 4 mos old. They know the ins and outs, where everything is etc. The two are extremely mature and responsible, having a disabled sibling to help with ......... and still a no at that age ... wouldn't leave a 4 year old alone for one minute.

 

[Helene_C]

For your question 1, yes, a 7 yo can go through a queue alone per Disney rules. I let my son ride alone at 7.5 in Disneyland this summer. Only in FP lines or rides with very short outdoor (fully visible) standby queues. I walked him to the entrance and met him at the exit. I was there alone with him and his younger brother, and we did this when the younger one was napping (older one rode Buzz Lightyear eight times in a row during one stroller nap thanks to MaxPass + using both my and his tickets) or too short for a ride. He was always seated alone and we only did this for rides he was already familiar with, and where I could be right at the exit. He's not ready for "meet back here in 30 minutes," though.
I would not have left the *two* of them alone ever because the younger one (2.5 - same age split as OP) cannot be trusted not to dash away. I'm not sure how old the younger one will need to be before I can imagine leaving him alone with his brother - we'll see how both of their personalities and common sense evolve. By the time the younger one is 7 and can ride alone (since the 12 yo won't count as an "adult" for purposes of accompanying a kid <7 on a ride) I suspect I'd be fine sending them off on a ride without hovering at the exit and watching the queue like I did this summer.
I think there's a big difference between "old enough to reliably manage yourself a short time in a familiar setting" and "old enough to reliably manage an unpredictable young child."

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

For your question 1, yes, a 7 yo can go through a queue alone per Disney rules. I let my son ride alone at 7.5 in Disneyland this summer. Only in FP lines or rides with very short outdoor (fully visible) standby queues. I walked him to the entrance and met him at the exit. I was there alone with him and his younger brother, and we did this when the younger one was napping (older one rode Buzz Lightyear eight times in a row during one stroller nap thanks to MaxPass + using both my and his tickets) or too short for a ride. He was always seated alone and we only did this for rides he was already familiar with, and where I could be right at the exit. He's not ready for "meet back here in 30 minutes," though.
I would not have left the *two* of them alone ever because the younger one (2.5 - same age split as OP) cannot be trusted not to dash away. I'm not sure how old the younger one will need to be before I can imagine leaving him alone with his brother - we'll see how both of their personalities and common sense evolve. By the time the younger one is 7 and can ride alone (since the 12 yo won't count as an "adult" for purposes of accompanying a kid <7 on a ride) I suspect I'd be fine sending them off on a ride without hovering at the exit and watching the queue like I did this summer.
I think there's a big difference between "old enough to reliably manage yourself a short time in a familiar setting" and "old enough to reliably manage an unpredictable young child."

It sounds like you're basically on the same page as me.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My kids are only 7 and 2 now and of course there's no way whatsoever we would consider leaving them alone right now. We were talking about in the future and what ages we would be comfortable with. DD7 is very responsible (obviously still not going to leave her alone at this age, let alone with her brother), and her brother listens very well to her. It's hard to really say how things will change in the future, so we're really just speaking in complete hypotheticals right now. DH brought up that he thought it would be okay to leave them alone for short periods in the parks in a couple of years (at ages 9 &4). I thought that was too young, especially considering I can't see us letting her babysit AT HOME until she's older than that, so in a theme park in public-- I don't think so. The funny thing was, he spoke about this in reference to leaving them alone in the kiddie area at one of the water parks, which at 4 and 9, I think is crazy. DD is already a strong swimmer and DS is on his way (it's important to us that the kids know how to swim young), but that still seems WAY too risky at those ages. You never know when a 4 yo (who can never completely understand safety at that age) could slip away.

My initial thoughts were (if kids were responsible, comfortable with it, etc) at the absolute earliest maybe 11/12 & 6/7 in the theme parks (again, with us in somewhat close proximity for a short period). For the water parks, probably the same age if the kids were just getting a snack, but probably 13+ & 8+ if ANY swimming was involved.

Again, that was just me hypothesizing as my kids aren't old enough for that stuff yet, and when the time comes, I may not feel comfortable with it until they're even older. I was just curious how others felt (and kinda wanted to know if anyone else was crazy enough to feel the way DH does).

let your husband know that the older child needs to be 14 to ride with a child under 7. younger child would not even be allowed in line with under 14. would your kids be happy just walking around looking at the rides?

 

[mjkacmom]

For you, depending on the kids, around 13/8, so they could go on rides. My oldest started watching her siblings at home around 12 (siblings were 10, 7, 5 and 5). She was mature, and they listened to her.

 

[Julylady]

I am taking my two nieces to WDW in April, ages 16 and 13. I just had this conversation with my brother/sis in law yesterday. In the past (ages 14 and 11), they would separate from us for a single ride or to go buy a snack. But on this trip, we are planning a couple of mornings where they travel by bus to the park alone, and we meet them about 2 hours later. Their parents agreed and they are super excited about going alone. We did lay down some rules. 1) No separation for ANY reason. If one needs to visit the bathroom, you both visit the bathroom. 2) Both of them must carry fully charged cell phones. 3) Don't talk to strangers beyond ordinary politeness. 4) If anything seems "off," call us immediately. 5) If you can't reach us, go to the closest Cast Member and explain what is happening. And last 6) in an emergency or an argument, the oldest one is "in charge." If she does something that's unfair, we will sort it out later.

 

[tink9702]

1. a 7 year old can go thru a queue by themselves. My DS did this last trip when he was 7. He did a fabulous job and had very clear instructions to meet us at the exit. It was on Primeval Whirl where they is not a gift shop at the exit which made me more comfortable.

2. Pretty sure they have to be 14 to watch an under 7.

3. This I'm more cautious about because of sibling issues. My kids are also VERY close in age (18 months) DS is 8 1/2 right now and I'm not ready yet for this. Handling himself is one thing, handling his sister is another! Maybe when he's 12?

4. YES. I was a lifeguard as a teen/college student. I've seen WAY TOO MANY drowning videos. My kids are competent swimmers and I NEVER take my eyes off of them while in the water. I would be more comfortable on the slides as the staff are always watching & the water is so shallow. Wave pool & lazy river I feel different about. I'd say the youngest kid would have to be 12 & they would both be in charge of watching each other. Water is dangerous & the wave pools are busy/crowded. It's too easy to get lost. That said....I know I'm a bit CRAZY about water safety...so feel free to ignore me because I'm sure I'm at the extreme end of safety on this issue!


I'm comfortable with a kid riding a ride by themselves at 7 as long as we are meeting at the exit. By 9 years old I think I'd be okay with us riding separate rides & meeting up at a location. For sibling to watch a younger kid - just not sure yet. That really depends on the relationship between the two kids. My kids are either best friends or the worst of enemies. At no point do they recognize each other as an authority figure. This is probably because of the minuscule age difference. I couldn't tell you what age my kids will be ready for this. Basically all kids are different, you'll have to judge based on your own children.

The other item to consider is the age at which is allowed by law in the state in which you are in. Multiple states don't allow a child to be left home alone until 12 years old. Now, that is typically for "all day/multiple hour" situations. I personally think it's a very different thing to allow your kid to go on a ride without you, or get a snack and sit while you go on a ride.

Finally - be extremely clear where you are meeting up, what you expect for behavior (no horsing around etc.), what to do if they can't find you after.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Our last trip the kids were 7 and 9. We let them ride the Donald duck boat ride in Epcot with us waiting for them at the ride exit. They were so excited about that. It will be a couple of years before we go back and by then I would expect to be able to let them do a few rides together in the same area and meet us at a dining location or something.

 

[robinb]

I had no problem sending my (then) 7 year old into the parks with my friend’s older children. All 3 kids knew the MK like the back of their hand. I think the oldest was 14. I started to allow my DD and her friend to wander alone while we were in the parks with them at about 10.

 

[Spunky946]

My kids will be 14 and 10 this summer on our trip and if they wanted to, I might let them go by themselves. It’s going to be just me and them though most of the trip as dh is meeting us at the end of our week.

The older one doesn’t like fast rides, so it will be more likely that he will be alone waiting for us.

 

[Colleen27]

1. Yes.

2. 14

3. The oldest was ~14 the first time he went off on his own in the parks, but he's not a "Disney person" and skipped a lot of trips at ages where I'd probably have let him. Middle DD was 11 the first time she had a bit of independence in the parks. And they've both been taking the youngest on rides without me practically since she was born (her first trip was at 16mo) because youngest loves the Tea Cups/Astro Orbiter/Dumbo-clones and I have very limited ability to handle spinning rides, but with such a big age difference and after so many trips it never felt like a big deal. With the big kids 10 and 7 years older than the youngest, they sometimes function more like extra adults than kids when it comes to stuff like rides, playgrounds, and snacks.

4. Absolutely. I'm a lot more cautious around water because even responsible teens don't necessarily have the attention span and experience/awareness needed to keep an eye on a little one or a non-swimmer. My youngest was 6 and on our community swim team before I let the older kids take her to the beach or be on their own in a waterpark with her.

 

[monorailsilver]

The last time we went was 2013. Our kids were 12, 9 and 7 and only the 12 yo had a phone. The only thing we let them do alone was either fill up drinks at captain cooks while we were at the pool or since I am an early riser and they slept in on pool days, after they ate breakfast (in our room) my DH would text me to keep an eye out for a kid. He even sent out our 7 year old. She knew the way and took the path along the lagoon to the pool.

We are going in August and they will be 17, 14 and 12. They will all have phones. I told my oldest that she can go run/walk the boardwalk if she gets bored at the pool at the BC. I am sure my other 2 won’t leave the pool.

We probably won’t venture apart from one another unless 2 of them want to ride Everest again and then I will say have a good time, we will meet you here.

But I would be ok if they all went together and ventured off in a park. Plus we can track their phones (or soon to be phone that the youngest will get in June).

Heck, I was around 13/14 when my parents let us go. Of course that was the 80s. We had no phones but had a meet up spot in the park and a few times we went from Epcot to thr MK and back to the Poly as we knew the way and our parents wanted to go to bed.