One of my biggest fears became a reality on our first family trip to Disney World in 2001. My then five year old son got lost. Fortunately, we had prepared him ahead of time to look for a cast member with a name tag if he happened to get lost. We were united thanks to preparation and wonderful cast members.
This is what the journaling says:
"In 2001, Jake got separated from us when we were walking from Splash Mountain to Pecos Bill’s in Frontierland. The streets were being roped off for the afternoon parade and the crowd was being moved off the streets. Jake was a typical five year old and was distracted by the excitement. Somehow, he kept walking with the crowd after we turned to go into Pecos Bill’s. When he realized we were no longer with him, he continued on all the way to Cinderella Castle. He found a cast member there and told them he was lost. The cast member took him to the Baby Care Center next to the Crystal Palace. They gave him a water refill and let him watch cartoons. Meanwhile, we were frantic! When we realized he wasn’t with us, Dad and Eddy looked for him while I waited in front of Pecos Bill in case he returned. I found a cast member and told them we had lost our child. The cast member was so nice to us and assured us they would find him. He immediately got on a radio and reported our missing child. After what seemed like forever, the cast member finally told us that they had our son at the Baby Care Center. When my husband arrived, the first thing my son said to him was, “You lost me!”
The dotted line is the path he took all the way from Frontierland to the castle.
Tip for parents with young children:
- Make sure you prepare your kids
- Make sure you know what your kids are wearing to give the cast members a description
- If you are traveling in group like we were, make sure someone is keeping up with everyone. It's easier to get lost when there is a big group. When it's just your family it's easier to notice that someone is missing.
- Take extra precaution when the crowd starts being herded due to parades, especially when there is low lighting at the nightime parade.
- Tell a cast member immediately
Credits:
Photo Turn & Net - Summer's End by Misty Cato
Compass - Wonderlust by Julie Billingsley
Torn photo template - Jennifer Trippetti
Everything else - Shiver me Timbers by Britt-ish Designs
Font - Blackadder