children

[karansue]

i know all children mature at different times,but just wondering what people thought was a age that children could go off by themselves,like taking a boat ride or walking to epcot or mgm if one was staying at boardwalk villas,maybe ideas from families that have allowed this,just wondering because i will have two 11 yr olds on my vacation,thanks

 

[gingermommy94]

My daughter is 13 and my son is 9, we don't allow them to go anywhere without me or DH with them. To me, Disney is just so large and crowded...I wouldn't feel safe. I have no idea what the "magic" age will be for me...probably when they are both at least 25

 

[AJKMOM]

Personally, I think 11 is too young. There just too many weirdos around, even at DisneyWorld. People think it's so safe, but bad things happen there, too.

I think we let my kids at 15 & 13 stay at DisneyQuest by themselves, but we dropped them off and picked them up. Once, we let my daughter stay at the resort by herself, she was 14 and had enough Disney for the week.

 

[Magic2000]

I have let my two older DDs go off by themselves once we are in the park. We'll go to Magic Kingdom all together, then they will go off and ride BTMR and Splash over and over and over... DH & I will take my youngest DD to do her rides. Then, we'll all meet for lunch and maybe all go back to the hotel for a rest/swim break.

A couple of years ago, when we stayed at the Contemporary, DH & I took the youngest DD and went to dinner at Artist Point. The older two stayed at the hotel, played in the game room, did some shopping, then ordered room service (they loved being "on their own").

 

[eblack0409]

I am 26 and married and my parents STILL don't like it when DH and I go places by ourselves (aka without them)!!!

 

[disney1990]

When my children were 12 or 13 we let them go off (with their friends) "in the same park" we were in. When they were 14-15 we let them go off alone, but they had to meet up with us periodically throughout the day. Again, they couldn't leave the park we were in. At 16 I finally let them go to different parks -- but not to Downtown Disney. But, you have to know that by the time by one daughter was 16, she had already been to Disney World over 15 times. She absolutely loves Disney and at 19 spent 5 months on the Disney College Program.

You (as a parent) really have to know you children and know how responsible they are.

 

[Karalynn]

How about getting two way radios? I'm not sure the range on them, but you can always be in touch to check on them.

 

[TiggerStac]

I was a freshman in high school (13) when my parents let us go to mgm by ourselves...but it really wasn't by ourselves. I had brought a friend w/me that trip, and so did my brother who was 18 at the time (1989). So they brought us over there for the day. My parents didn't expect us to all stay together, we just had the time to meet back up for my mom to pick us up. We did end up spending sometime w/my brother, though.....

 

[PrincessMelanie]

I am 14 so when I am at Disney World I like to spend time with my family. But when I want to go on rides that my parents don't want to go on then they allow me to as long as I know where I am going. My brother has a very different taste in rides so usually in the morning at MK he goes off by himself to Tomorrowland and rides the rides that he wants to while me and my parents go to Fantasyland.

Walt Disney World is big but is a very safe place.

 

[lorik]

I let my 14 year old DS go to MGM by himself for a couple of hours. We had been there the day before and he knew his way around the park. He also had his cell phone with him and kept in touch with us. I also let him go off by himself when we were in the same park. Without the cell phone, or a two-way radio, I would not have allowed him to leave our sides. Even though Disney is a big place, my feeling is that the next week he was starting high school and would be off on his own and traveling to school by himself anyway. Disney is certainly a safer place to do this than NYC.

 

[karen l]

My youngest DS will be 11 during our trip this April & I'd hesitate to let him go off without me even with a friend. Last year my DD (17) met up with us after she had a late starta couple of mornings. I also let her take my youngest DS with her to go on some rides. During this trip, we saw security questioning a man they escorted from a restroom. I don't know what the outcome was but I'm still going to be cautious with my 11yr old.

 

[Got Quattro?]

12 or older with a group of say 4 people, all of whom are know to be trusting and will watch each other.

14 as just a pair.

 

[jorodopo]

Please no flames - I'm not condoning, promoting or criticizing just looking at facts.

I've been told that in the state of NJ you can't leave a child alone until they are 12 or it is legally considered neglect. I just spent some time on the Florida state website and I couldn't find any equivalent age limit. Any of you Florida residents know what the magic age is when the state of Fl thinks kids can be by themselves?

 

[MAGGIED]

my DD is 16 and DS is 12 (almost 13) - and they really are best friends. We have let them off by themselves in the same park we are in - both very mature for their ages. In April they will be 16 and 13 and might consider letting them go off to the parks by themselves - but probably not unless we are planning on meeting them there later in the day. We will be staying at the CSR for the first time and I don't know enough about the area to let them off by themselves. Just my opionion....

 

[The Sweetness]

On my next trip, dd will be 15, has a cel phone, and I drop her and a friend at the mall once in awhile. next year, if dh doesnt feel like doing blizard beach, Id let her go for the morn by herself, and meet her at 2 or 3in whatever park we're in. Ofcourse, I may be crazy, Ive never raised a teenager before, and got minimal guidance when I was one, other than dont take drugs or get pregnant

 

[annie1995]

We live in Michigan and when our kids go on the 8th grade end of the year trip to Cedar Point, a big amusement park in Ohio, they just go off in groups with no chaperones with them. The do however have check in points thought out the day. I would 13-14 would be Ok as long as they have a "buddy" with them.

 

[BraveMom3]

I'm not sure when I will be comfortable with this. My oldest DS is 13, and I can't imagine him wanting to go off by himself. We have been to WDW about 13 times, and although he should be pretty familiar with the surroundings, I'm not sure that the transportation would not confuse him. You know, they don't always pay the most attention to what is going on around them! I have let him ride things in the past that his younger brother and sister could not ride and met him at the end, and I've even let he and his brother (9yo) go to a ride in the general area my daughter are in, and then meet them. We have very specific guidelines about this, so maybe if we continue to practice this and then branch out a little bit, we will all be comfortable and qualified to let them strike out on their own when the time is right.

 

[outtonight]

I wasn't allowed to go off by myself in WDW until I was sixteen and that was only if I had a friend (of the same age or older) to accompany me. It wasn't until eighteen that I could go off by myself completely.

Personally, I would not feel comfortable letting an 11 year old child off by themselves inside a park, and particularly not allowing them to walk TO the park alone either.

I suppose it's to each their own, but I admit that if I were to see two 11 year olds doing this, the "What were their parents thinking?" would probably come to mind..

 

[ptrbryant]

Maybe someone else can recall the details, but I know someone reported here a couple years ago that a man was seen by the pool of one of the WDW deluxe hotels, trying to talk three 13 or 14 year old girls into modeling for him to take pictures---had said something like there was a good spot just a few yards away. Another guest overheard it, a CM came over and the guy left. I would never let my child go off on their own at a place so packed with complete strangers until they were at least 15 or 16.

Karla B.