Disturbing incident at Epcot last Thursday . . .

[lovethattink]

They don't do PA announcements. but there is behind the scene searching and checking video feed.

here are my stories of lost kids...

1. (This was 2 years ago) I was in the nursing room at Epcot at the baby care center. A CM is on the phone with security asking for an update. The family is waiting where they "lost" the child. I hear the cm say, "ok, so what do I tell the family? They are getting angry and frustrated. So I tell them he is not found or he is found? Ok. Oh he's on route here. How long? Ok. Did you call the family. No, that's not the cell phone # I was given. This is the number i was given... Ok, I'll call them. How long til you're here with the child? Ok. Thanks, bye." She then called the family.

I could hear security enter the center and leave the child in the hands of the cm at the baby care center.

I finish my business in the nursing room and come out. The CM is at the cash register ringing up a sale for the people. I'm ready to walk out and I look in the toy room. There is the child sitting at a table all by himself with tears in his eyes coloring. I could not understand why he would be left alone like that after he was separated from his family. I parked it on a chair in the toy room. I sat there til the cm came in. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea for him to be alone in here. Just as she was beginning to respond, the family of the boy entered. I left.


2. I'm at Baby care center in MK. Security bring in a missing child. They drop him off with the cm there. The cm takes him to the room with the tv and tables. Gets out crayons and paper and sits with the child. Someone needs to buy something. So she suggests the child goes with her and may bring his crayons and picture. When she's finished with the sale she takes him back to the table. The whole time she's asking him if he saw Mickey, does he like the Lion King movie, etc. Keeping him "happy" and calm.

3. My strangest experience with a missing child. We were at the Epcot baby care center. And I ran back out to the stroller to get something. It was winter and I was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, black jeans, and black shoes. A cm stopped me on the way back to the center. She asked me where the lost children's desk is, that she had some lost parents. I just kind of looked at her and the 1st experience came to mind. I brought them into the baby care center. I showed her the house phone and suggested she call security. I went back to the changing tables and told dh what had just happened. He said the cm must have thought I was a cm. I said don't they train them what to do about lost families? On the way out of the center that cm was on the phone and the parents looked very frazzled.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm sorry that my being freaked out by this incident appears to have offended you, if your defensive response is any indication.

I didn't read Dolce's post as being defensive in ANY way; he/she appears to simply be explaining Disney's procedure for handling lost adults (see post # 7).

 

[delauzons]

My family was there that night also. We heard castmembers saying the mother was crazy. We did see her screaming and we saw security trying to calm her down. We also saw another woman go to the phone and call 911. I was so hoping when I saw your post you were going to post that they found him. I'm assuming they must have because I'm sure we would have heard if not. I thought the same thing though-its dark already and crowded for the fireworks. It did seem to us that there were alot of security involved though. My kids got shook up also and I became alot more conscious about holding hands.

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, A GOOD TIP to bring up in this thread is to familiarize your young children as to how to identify a cast member. This way IF they are ever seperated from you they know what to do. When my children were young we ALWAYS went over this proceedure at the start of our vacation,find an official cast member(look for an official CM badge,way they are dressed,someone behind a counter in a store or food establishment) tell them you are seperated from your parents and stay with the cast member.Disney does have a radio/walkie talkie system in place,and the parent needs to do the same as the child -locate a cast member and give them as much info on the child as you can(place last seen, what they look like and what they are wearing).I have "found" a few lost children and have been able to alert a cast member and have seen how it is handled.Also, last February when it was just my 12 year old son and myself in WDW I got him a cell phone before we traveled together. A bit extreme,but gave me peace of mind that we could locate each other quickly if seperated.And lastly (probably because I no longer have my own young ones to keep track of) I do keep my eyes open for children that look like they may be "lost".It only takes a moment to see that a young child is "frantic" and if no adult shows up-ALERT a cast member that you think that child may be lost. Sorry this turned into such a long post,but I do feel that it is important. Joan

 

[Kay1]

Our friend's daughter got lost last June at the Caribe Royale. I'm afraid the security team was not very useful, though they were polite and seemed to make an effort. My son finally found her in Tower II when her room was in Tower I. (One security guard had to explain to the other what I meant by "tower.") When my son found the girl waiting by the elevators, there was actually another guard there receiving a description of the child, but she just walked on past!

In a park, I would trust Disney, at least at first, but in any hotel, I think I'd go straight for the police, then call security.

 

[eblack0409]

I hope they foung the little boy...I am sure we would have heard about it on the news....

 

[ldubberly]

My brother worked for Disney for several years in security. He started at the low level and moved up to middle management. He told me that on average 15 kids are reported lost each day in Disney World and, at that time, they had found ALL of them. In fact, he said the inside joke was that they were up one because someone gave birth in a restroom in the MK and abandoned the child.

Can you imagine how annoying it would get if they made public announcements and stopped all of the events and rides completely 15 times everyday while they looked for missing children? My point is, Disney has procedures for this sort of tragic event and they seem to know what they are doing because it works. I have four children and I would too be hysterical if I lost one, even if only for a few moments.

 

[flortlebap]

What do you mean people are only notified if there is a death?!

A death in the parks?!

That's just scary... I really hope I never lose a child and end up with it being announced over the PA. I'd actually have a heart attack.

 

[tinkamom]

What do you mean people are only notified if there is a death?!

A death in the parks?!

That's just scary... I really hope I never lose a child and end up with it being announced over the PA. I'd actually have a heart attack.

me too!

 

[kalozois]

to be honest they probably were doing a lot more than anyone could see..

Not a lot a cast member on the ground can do that a parent could not other than radioing the situation in for CCTV people to look on cameras etc. who knows they may have even stopped the monorail for a bit stating technical difficulties in case the kid WAS snatched. and anyway if the kid was kidnapped the worst thing you can do is an announcement for them, this would give the kidnapper a reason for the kid they are with crying and looking distressed, they could say the announcement freaked em. and anyway annoucements in places like that dont usually work, i mean 'would JOHN SMITH come to guest services...' u get the picture.

IM SURE they did something, have faith, they probably had tinkers looking for him straight up!

 

[Dolce27]

What do you mean people are only notified if there is a death?!

A death in the parks?!

That's just scary... I really hope I never lose a child and end up with it being announced over the PA. I'd actually have a heart attack.

I don't know if it necessarily means a death in the parks. I guess - possibly- if Disney is notified by a family attempting to contact family members staying on Disney property (and know which park that family is to be in that day) due to a death. When I began working there I was told the only way the PA system would be used to contact a family in the parks is due to a death in that person’s family. I only worked there for one summer on the college program but I did hear a family being summoned once via the PA system to go to the nearest park phone and I felt so horrible for that family.

 

[Jennasis]

I'd be willing to bet that if security was threatening to take action agaisnt the dad it was likely because the dad was threatening to kick somebodys @$$ if they didn't do as he wanted. If Dad was offering violence then I'm sure they would threaten to detian or arrest him. PLUS, him freaking out isn't helping.

I would also bet that the CM's at the attractions and at the exits were radioed with a description of the boy.

 

[lillygator]

I hope he was found.

 

[tink22]

I don't know if it necessarily means a death in the parks. I guess - possibly- if Disney is notified by a family attempting to contact family members staying on Disney property (and know which park that family is to be in that day) due to a death. When I began working there I was told the only way the PA system would be used to contact a family in the parks is due to a death in that person’s family. I only worked there for one summer on the college program but I did hear a family being summoned once via the PA system to go to the nearest park phone and I felt so horrible for that family.

Actually, that's correct. The PA is used if there is a death in someone's family. The only other times they will use it is if a Guest is being called in to Active Duty or maybe a Guest is waiting on an organ transplant and a donor was found. Very extreme circumstances. I found many a lost child when I worked in Tomorrowland. More goes on than you think.

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

I lost DD when she was 2 back in 2004 at Downtown Disney. I felt really worried since this is an opened space. I told a couple of security guards CM, but they really did not seem to concern so we all split up and started lookong for her. After a couple of agonizing moments we found her by the fountains and a couple of ladys were keeping an eye on her, without approaching her but making sure nobody else did, unless it was her parents.

I felt really scared and with no help from Disney CM, but instead of freaking out we took immidiate action locating her.

 

[janey99]

Thanks everyone who posted with assurances that there are procedures in place. It was a surreal moment to observe and of course I spent the rest of the night thinking "what if it happened to us" and "there sure are a lot of dark nooks and crannies around here" and "gee - that guy looks a little creepy." Like some other posters, we had a long talk in the hotel room about sticking with mommy and daddy, and going immediately into a shop or to a kiosk and finding a store employee if DS ever got separated from us.

It had not occurred to me (although on reflection it makes perfect sense) that a public announcement would not be made in order to prevent possible predators from also starting to "look for" the lost boy - my cynical side was assuming that "corporate Disney" didn't want its nightly schedule interrupted or want the gloss taken off the magic by having the ugly reality of a lost child intrude into people's night.

To those who mentioned the dad - he was getting quite worked up - the other members of his family were in full "hold 'im back" mode. It is possible, that even the stress of losing his child notwithstanding, that he was getting aggressive enough to cause the security guard to get quite stern with him. I didn't notice the mom, but I imagine she was quite frantic too.

I too hope they found him, but we never heard whether they did or not (I assume they did - you can't keep a lid on something like that, even if you are Disney).

 

[Disney Doll]

You know, this is completely but I can't stand it when there is an emergency situation and someone has to always be panicking, causing a scene and making it more diffcult for the people who have to repsond to the emergency to respond.

Yes I know it was the child's father, yes I know he was upset, but him having to be restrained, and 'dealt with" only makes the situation worse.

 

[Docsknotinn]

We are at Disney now. Last evening we were approaching the Haunted Mansion the doors were closing and some Looney woman and her family come charging up hystericly screaming MY SONS IN THERE! The doorman in his best lurch impression stopped her, looked her square in the eye and said "THEN WHY ARE YOU WAY BACK THERE?" Excactly what every other person in the crowd was thinking. I'm sure they found the boy. PLEASE watch your children. I know it's difficult but when they are in new surroundings it's time to watch your children even more closely. If Disney ran a PA for every parent that was irresponsible then it it would constantly be on the PA. Sorry if that seems harsh but I'm just not terribly empathetic when I see the way so many just let their youngsters wonder about unattended.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Its why I always make sure my boys have some ID tag with them with our cell phone number/names and room numbers.

I've been thinking about these this year.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/child-id-bracelet.html

or the shoe ones

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/ID-shoes-tags.html

 

[Mitchel'sMom]

I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child in a crowd of people. It is honestly my biggest fear and I have nightmeres about it on a regular basis.

Not to place blame on any parent because kids move so fast - one minute they are right next to you and the next they are gone - but, I think people get into a comfort zone (this is Disney after all) and get lax on supervision.

What has given me some piece of mind while we are at WDW is to have identification somewhere on DS4.5. I purchased a small dog tag (Walmart has a kiosk by the checkouts) and engraved it with DS's name and "If lost call" and my cell phone number. I bought a small karabiner (u-shaped clasp used for rock climbing - most sporting goods stores sell them) and hooked the dog tag onto it. Then, every day before we leave the hotel, I clip it onto the belt loop of his shorts. His shirt usually covers it, so it's hidden. He knows that if he gets lost, he's suppose to go into any store or resturant he sees and show the "worker" his tag. We haven't had to put it to the test yet - THANK THE GOOD LORD - but it helps me to feel like I'm taking a proactive approach to protecting my child.

I hope that helps anyone who is worried about losing their kids. Not to mention, that I truely believe that Disney has a top-notch plan for finding lost kids. Not much that Disney does is half-a!#%ed, so I would expect this to be the same.