Disturbing incident in MK

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by deelam
Disney's CM's were using walkie talkies, so maybe in my case the had Cm's looking everywhere without drawing attention.

That's exactly what was happening. Announcing a lost child via the park audio system isn't really practical or helpful. Think of the number of people in the parks who don't speak or understand English and won't understand the announcement; think of the people who are inside attractions or shops with their attention elsewhere who won't be listening. And in our litigation-happy society, there aren't a lot of people who would walk up to a child who was seemingly alone and take their hand to try and find the parents, for fear of getting accused of kidnapping. It's much more effective and efficient for Disney CMs to start a radio chain to deliver details of the child's appearance and the location he went missing from than it is to announce park-wide that there is an unaccompanied child wandering about. Making a park-wide announcement doesn't do anything except alert anyone who may want to do harm to a child that a lost child is out there.

There is a very specific process in place at Disney for lost children, and Disney follows those procedures every time. Just because you don't see anything happening doesn't mean nothing is. There has never been a child lost at Disney who wasn't found, and generally within a half-hour or so. Honestly, the biggest hindrance to finding a lost child is usually the parents (who are so upset that they can't remember things like what the child is wearing) or other people -- like the strangers around you who were insisting an announcement be made -- who are trying to "help."

 

[BrianMonk]

Disney probaly wants to keep bad news like missing kids out of the spotlight. That is why nothing was announced over the loud speakers.

I'm not sure that's the reason. There's good reason to remain calm and use the radios. That's a better and more effective means to communicate.

Anyone with half a brain knows that kids get lost at Disney and if Disney would try to say otherwise very few would believe them.

Worse (at least to me) than losing your child at Disney is losing your child at a water park.

Our middle daughter, just turned 4, was playing on a pirate ship at a water park. The stern of the ship has a hole in it so kids can walk around the ship.

So my daughter walks around to the backside where we can't see her. Water depth in this area is all of 6". After a minute, my daughter doesn't reappear. I walk to the back side of the ship, no daughter. I walk around the ship again thinking we're missing each other playing merry-go-round, still no daughter.

At this point fear is creeping into my thoughts. So, I head up to the 1st level of a staircase that's used to get up to a waterslide thinking I can "survey" the area and look for her. After about 15-seconds I see her in ther arms of a lifeguard and they're looking around. So I wave to them and come down from the platform.

Sure enough, she had jumped into an deep area and the lifeguard went in after her. I'm not sure what I said to the lifeguard as my brain was really frazzeled at that moment. She can swim a litttle and stay afloat for a while, but there's no way I would have found her in time.

And this from our passive almost never lets us out of of HER sights daughter. She's not aggressive at all and is not an explorer unlike her sisters. It was so out of character for her and to this day, I still don't where her wondering, let alone jumping into the water, came from as it hasn't reappeared.

 

[bartleby1]

I love how the people commenting on "lazy" parents, or claiming they could never lose their child seem to either have no children or have only one. It is VERY easy to lose sight of a child for a second (and a second is all it takes!) when you are in a crowded area and have other children distracting you. We all do our best to protect and care for our children but some kids can disappear in a blink of an eye. I am a teacher by trade and have been trained to have "eyes in the back of my head", but I do not feel that I could never have a darting child experience. It can happen. My DD who is 4, would never dart away, even when she was younger. However, my DS who has just turned 2 is very quick, friendly, and impish. He loves to play tricks on people and loves to run away. He would go to anyone and shows no fear. It is very scary. I do my best to not take my eyes off of my kids but sometimes it is unavoidable. I currently only have 2 children, with a third on the way, and often feel like I have 10! I can only imagine what those of you who have 4 and 5 children must feel like!

As far as disney goes, I am confident that they do EVERYTHING in their power to reunite and protect lost children. I'm sure they deal with many lost children every day and they know what procedures work and what doesn't.

 

[campingcorgi]

Lost a 12 year old in AK once--he stayed when we walked on--but we noticed it immediately and went back on the path and found him. As soon as he knew he was lost he froze (and knowing him he would likely still be standing there waiting for us today!) and we reconnected within 3 minutes. Still scares you even if it is only for moments.

Witnessed a search at Fort Wilderness a year ago. We had just eaten a the Trail's End and were sitting on the golf cart by the playground by the beach watching our 3 year old girl dressed in pink playing. I saw a mom with 3 boys of various ages looking frantic. Within moments there was a major search going on for her 3 year old girl dressed in pink! That radio system really works well, because there were maintenance men searching the beach (my big concern--water!) and suits and uniformed security searching the other areas. They found her in just a few minutes at the petting zoo.

I was impressed at how it was all handled.

 

[crisi]

Its so nice to hear from other parents who have "darters" or "dwaddlers!" This is one of those things that you just really don't understand if your kid isn't a darter.

(Another unexplored species, the Hider - the kid who disappears under a rack of clothes, behind a counter, into the bushes - like Stallone in First Blood, often performing tricks of illusion that should get them a Vegas act - But I was just looking right at him and he's gone!).

 

[keenercam]

We lost our then--DD11 in the mall once! DH and I had met up at the mall with our two kids after work. When we were leaving, DH thought DD was going with me and DS with him. I thought DD was going with him. DH got home before me and when I got home, a few minutes later I yelled up the stairs for DD to get ready for bed. It was at that point that we realized we'd left her at the mall. I immediately called mall security while DH flew over there -- 3 minutes away. Fortunately, she went right to a cosmetics counter -- that's my kid and the attendant called security. She was perfectly fine, eating ice cream in the security office. I literally had nightmares for WEEKS! It was such a weird happening. Now, we always say to each other -- "I am taking DS and DD" or "I am taking DD and you are taking DS".

This can easily happen in WDW where families split up for different foods or different rides or even the restrooms. Now I constantly do "kid inventories" whenever we are with ANY kids -- bit of an embarassment to DD when she is with her marching band or colorguard and I do "teen inventories" -- when I am counting, she is doing this She is almost 16 now and DS is almost 11! He has gone misplaced in Busch Gardens when he stopped to watch a juggler and 4 adults and 1 teen didn't realize he wasn't with us!

 

[stacilee]

I replied to a different but similar post on another thread yesterday and felt that it is relavent here as well.

We have been to disney 11 times with 4 kids in tow. We haven't lost one yet! Although last June we had a 17 year old with us that I would have LIKED to have lost! LOL

One of our children (now 13) has ADHD. When he was 2 1/2 years old we lost him for a few minutes at Grand Central in Washington DC. WE knew never to let go of him, but we were with friends and the friend that was supposed to be holding onto him didn't realize that this directive meant -AT ALL TIMES.

It was the single most terrifying experience we have suffered as parents !

He was a climber (out of the crib at 9 mos.) a runner away-er in crowded, congested areas, an exhausting child. We found that the more exciting the venue the more overstimulated he got. He would never ride in a stroller! I would have had to straight jacket AND duct tape him to keep him in one.

I know people here do not approve of "kid leashes" but we used them in certain situations FOR HIS SAFETY. We did not use it to be mean, he HATED having his hand held but rather enjoyed the "freedom" that the "kid leash" gave him!

If you worry that your child may not remember the particulars of where you are staying etc. Write down all the pertinent info, including resort, rm #, cell phone # and put it in his pocket every morning.

*SCOTCH* makes a laminating product that sells at Walmart for about $4. It will laminate 5 wallet size photos or other pieces of paper. "PHOTO LAMINATING SHEETS""QUICK and EASY. No MACHINE NEEDED"
You could do this to an info. card and not have to worry about it getting wet, use it every day of the trip. Just transfer it from clean pocket to clean pocket. They also make on in a "luggage tag style" which comes with very sturdy rubber loops, that might work as well.

Consider using 2 way communicators at the parks and make sure that ONE of them is strapped onto his belt loop or something else securely. Lots of boys wear cargo type shorts that have lots of pockets. My A/C man calls his cargo pants his "Man-Purse"! LOL

Another alternative is a cell phone. Certainly a slightly older child can remember a phone #. Or teach them to just press the SEND button and make sure that the last # dialed was your other cell #.My children all new my cell phone # by kindergarten. That way if I was at the grocery store or something and they wanted to tattle on the older sibling that was supposed to be babysitting them they could call me. They all STILL call me! Even if it there DAD watching them. "Dad said I can't have a snack, can I have a snack."

At each park you could set up a meeting place in case you get separated.

Like I said, we have never lost a child at the parks although my husband FOUND a little one at Universal years ago, a child traveling with grandparents who were truly clueless. We didn't keep him though, we have enough! We found a park employee and hung around until the idiot grandparents came to get him. They didn't seem overly concerned that they had lost the child for more than 30 minutes!

I cannot spend my life obsessed with worry. I honestly believe that there are infinitely more "good parents" in the world than bad, and that a great number of them vacation at Disney. We are all looking out for one another. I also have seen the Disney CM's in action and I really believe they are well trained to handle these situations.

My children have all been taught to SCREAM BLOODY MURDER if anyone ever touches them, or even looks at them funny. They are instructed to kick and yell "This is NOT my DAD (mom, whatever) and not stop".

Remind your children that it is a huge place and that getting separated is easier than finding each other, AND that time lost trying to find each other will ultimately take away his RIDE TIME!

Take sensible precautions and have a great time.

 

[wdwfanatic80]

Originally posted by WDSearcher

There are dozens of urban legends out there -- the most popular being the child who was abducted in the restroom and then turned up at the exit with his/her hair cut and colored, groggy on cough syrup and in different clothes, only to be noticed by Disney security -- but they are just that, urban legends. Disney has an outstanding record for child safety in this regard.

[/B]

I just had to respond to this. I don't know how this poster can determine what is urban legend and what is not. My family was in Disney when this happened. It was about 20 years ago. My mom told me about it the last time we were down there because a lady had just lost her nephew (he was found about 5 minutes later). I had asked my mom how they handle lost children and she told me that they close down the exits and have a family member at the exits so that they can identify anyone that may be trying to leave with the missing child. My mom remembered this time because it was the most serious one in all our years at Disney. It was on the news later that night about the child being found and being found altered. Call it an urban legend, but I believe my mom and believe her that it really happened.

 

[parmtoo]

We once lost our son, (then 4) in Epcot.
My Mom was shopping with him, while DH and I went on a ride he was to small for. He "darted" away from her and they took about 10 minutes to find him. The CMs gave him a stuffed Mickey when they found him. It was all over by the time we met up with them. Of corse my poor mother is still not over it and he's almost 9 now.
I agree with a prior post, this can happen to ANYONE. When we return to WDW this Aug., we will have a group meeting every morning to discuss what to do if you become separated from the rest of the family..............I don't think my Mom wants to be left alone with my DS again

 

[MermaidsMom]

Yes, everyone needs to watch their kids, but this posting is a troll! It's been an interesting discussion, but I wish the moderators would close this topic because it's irresponsible to post myth as facts. If I were Disneys lawyers I would be seriously looking at the motivations of certain posters with these types of topics, including the imaginary bedbugs and everything else that seems to grow and grow here at times. Flame suit on....

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by wdwfanatic80
I just had to respond to this. I don't know how this poster can determine what is urban legend and what is not. ...... Call it an urban legend, but I believe my mom and believe her that it really happened.

Because we research it. www.snopes.com has all sorts of information on urban legends (some of which are true) and is considered reputible for debunking these myths. Here is the pertinent one, which Snopes identifies as false:

http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/parks.asp#kidnap

Kidnappings leave a trail - police records, investigations, trials. There is simply no evidence for this having ever occurred at Disney.

Your mother may be misremembering events. The disappearance of Adam Walsh was about twenty years ago (happened from a Sears store in Florida in 1981) and was very traumatic. There have been TV movies that have dealt with child abduction which she may be inserting into her memory. If she was at Disney when Adam Walsh was abducted, its possible she is confusing the events in her brain - certainly she could have been at Disney World when Adam's disappearence hit the news - and would have been big news in Florida. Its has been speculated, but there is no evidence for, Adam's appearance having been altered, although the "hair dye, change clothes" myth goes back before the opening of WDW. Think about it. Have you ever been in an empty bathroom for long enough to dye hair - or even cut it - at WDW?

 

[all4fun]

I whole-heartedly agree with Mermaids Mom - OP story is beyond fishy - if it looks like a troll, and smells like a troll, well then it probably is! People should stop responding to it like it could be true.

Crisi, www.snopes.com is a reputable site. People should check it out before propogating stories that are not verified, just like they should check out www.symantec.com before they forward bogus emails with unverified viruses and stories warning people about things that never happened.

Just my .02c. Flame suit on...

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by ztbz
Couple of thoughts on this:

A few years ago while I was working at Epcot, I heard a call on the Disney 2-way private radio network, that security was looking for a lost child at the Magic Kingdom, well long story short, I was the Cast Member who found the child at Epcot, when I informed security, they were surprise that this child made it all the way from the Magic Kingdom via the monorail system to Epcot, so any thing is possible at Disney.

One thing to know while Disney will not make a public address on its Park P.A. System, but they do make calls on the 2-way radio Net and on the entire Radio Network informing Cast Members to be on the lookout for any Lost Child being reported at the time. There are quite a few radio frequencies at Walt Disney World probably close to 100 or more channels.

Now should you lose a child, one place to look for children at the Magic Kingdom is the arcade at Space Mountain, also at Epcot look in inoventions where the Computers and Video Games are located. The video games usually demo the latest Playstation 2 games so it draws kids. Also you should check at the resorts, as sometimes children will return to the hotel room.

Z

While Disney will not make announcements on the public address for every lost child they can and have used it. In the hundreds of visits we have made to the park, we have only seen it used once. Everyone in the park literally just stopped and got very quiet as it was so unexpected.

We asked a CM what happened and they were trying to find a man and his children as his wife had been in an auto accident on her way to Disney and was in critical condition.

 

[BrianMonk]

It's been an interesting discussion, but I wish the moderators would close this topic because it's irresponsible to post myth as facts

While I agree with MermaidsMom on this topic, I'm glad the moderators let this go.

It ultimately serves as a thread that helps educate those reading. There's enough people on this forum to get things squared away with facts. And you can count on this EXACT topic being recycled again in the not too distant future here on the DIS. Although each time, more and more of us know the facts.

For those that love to latch on and run with stories like this there's not much reasoning and logic (or the DIS) can do for them.

 

[SnackyStacky]

This has veered way off topic, and is now closed.