Disturbing incident in MK

[MomE@Home]

Thank You stinkerbelle !

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by disneycrazed139
This is scary. My DS just turned 13, which sounds old enough to maybe even head over to Disney Quest on his own. Now....forget it.

Out of curiousity, what about this incident makes you say "Now ... forget it" when you think about your 13-year-old going to DQ on his own?

In the MK example, it was a young child seperated from his/her parents. Normal. Happens dozens of times every day at WDW. In your case, it would be your 13-year-old heading out on his own to a destination you know about and have agreed to. You know your own child, and maybe you feel he's too young to be trusted alone, but to let a bunch of urban legends scare you out of it isn't right either.

If you let your son go to the mall or the movies with friends at home, or go to the baseball field or go skateboarding or biking or whatever without your constant supervision, then sending him to DQ on his own is no different. If, however, you'd never consider allowing him to go to a movie by himself or run an errand without you there, then you shouldn't let him do so on vacation simply because you're at WDW.

 

[LakeAriel]

First of all, only a Dr can give a sedative to an individual! Not a security guard! To then ask the family to watch the fireworks is absurd. Somthing's wrong with this story. Was the missing "child" 20 years old?

 

[Maridw]

In 2001 We were there with my sister and her family and my brother. There was 10 of with kids ranging from 14 (youngest) to 19 (oldest). We were all in the Living Seas except for my nephew Shannon, who was in Innovations. We were getting ready to head back for our FP on TT when we couldn't find my niece Beth (14). We had two people stay in one spot while the rest of us fanned out and searched all over Living Seas. No Beth. My sister was getting upset. She talked to a CM there and they told her she could go to Lost & Found to report her missing.

While she did that, the rest of us headed to TT. On the was there we ran into my nephew AND niece. Beth thought that we had all left Living Seas and so went to find her brother, since she knew where he was. My sister had told all the kids that if they got lost or separated to find one of the others. Since she knew where Shannon was she knew that we would all be meeting up for TT she went to him. She was very calm and wasn't worried in the least.

We contacted my sister via cell phone and let her know we had Beth and we would meet her at TT. She went back to L&F and let them know we had located my niece and then met us all later.

 

[Pluto4Pres]

I guess I'm one of those "lazy" parents. I've lost 2 of my three kids over the years at WDW. Both incidents happened at MGM. The first incident involved my DS at age 5. My wife was working at a conference at the Dolphin and I was at the park with my MIL and two adult friends. So we had 4 adults to watch 3 kids, DS5 and twin DDs3. As we exited Indiana Jones we stopped to get the strollers and then something happened (as they say in the Unofficial Guide to Disney). My DS wandered with the crowd and was out of our sight for 5-10 mins. This seemed like at least an hour. A nice older woman brought him back by the hand before we ever notified a CM. DW never lets me forget that one.

The second incident happens years later when DDs are 7. On a very crowded day, our family of 5 wandered into "Honey I Shrunk the Kids Adventure Zone" (now referred to as "Honey I Lost the Kids Adventure Zone" in our house). Within minutes something happened and now we are a family of 4, minus one DD.

After a few minutes of frantic searching inside the attraction we are noticed by a CM who immediately takes charge. What happens next should be reassuring to those who are planing a trip to WDW with small kids. I am a retired police officer who is familiar with emergency plans and protocols and clearly this is what was enacted once the CM became involved. 1 CM was assigned to stay with us and relay the pertinent info to other CMs by radio. (an important tip would be to always know what your kids are wearing each day before you enter the park. It wouldn't hurt to write it down. Recall may not work as well under stress) My DW was very upset and we were taken just outside the exit to the cafeteria. The CMs had her sit down and brought her some water (no sedatives) and tried to reassure her that this happens all the time and they were doing everything possible to find our DD. One CM told us that at they would shut down the exit if necessary and place one of us there to ID every kid leaving. After about 15 mins., a CM found her and brought her back. Again it seemed like hours. She had walked in to HISTKAZ and in the tightly packed crowd followed the flow right out the exit. Then she tried to find the entrance again but was wandering not far from the cafeteria where we were sitting.

I can't say enough about how wonderful, professional and reassuring the CMs were during this situation. WDW will always feel like a safe place to me. You don't see what is happening behind the scenes, but you can believe that they are working hard to protect their guests.

Of course now that the kids are 17 & 15 they try very hard to lose mom and dad.

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by BRERALEX
Im sorry but i have a 6 yo who has been to dw twice once when he was three and once when he was 5 i dont know how parents lose their own kids.

I like how disney calls it missing parents, not missing kids.

I always have a hand on his head or a good eyesight of where he is.

Well, that's easy to understand. They have a darter, who isn't controlled by a hand on the head. Or they have more children than adults (even just for the short DH goes to the Peco's Bill counter) - which makes it harder to track them all. They stop in a store and remove your hand for the three seconds its going to take to check the pricetag on a shirt, and your darter is gone. Stop in the bathroom and while not in a position to immediately chase, your kid makes a break for it going underneath the stall door. Maybe it is wisest to put kids like this on a leash. Maybe its wisest not to take them to Disney at all. But those of us with kids like this do our best.

If you can't understand this, do two things. a) Pat yourself on the back for whatever parenting skills and genes helped create a child that doesn't wander and b) thank your God that your child is receptive to your parenting skills and has his temperment. They all aren't as tractable as yours.

 

[PatriciaH]

Originally posted by GOB2004

I was at Disney World the same time, and I must say although I didn't hear of this incident, the Park was extremely crowded that day. I was there with my Mother and 15 year old Daughter. I am shocked though at how lazy (and there is no other term for it) some Parents are with their Kids. I constantly saw kids just wondering behind there parents or running ahead of them. I am talking about little kids who seemed to be up for grabs as to who was watching them. But I guess everyone has a different style of parenting. It just seems that a lot of people take the belief that there kids are safe and nothing will happen. I just find that amazing.

Last August DH and I were going in to ride the Great Movie Ride at the Studios and heard a child screaming so we turned around. The voice was coming from the stroller parking out front. We stopped to see if the parents came to calm the child down but no one was in sight. We wited and watched and no one came near the child. Someone had LEFT their child (looked about 2) in their stroller and went God knows where! We told a CM I hope those parents got an earful but I doubt it.

 

[minmate]

crisi -- well put...
as a mother of four, ages 5, 4, 2 and 21 months -- even having just mom and dad there may not be enough -- which is one of the reasons our most recent trip to WDW was with just the two older children -- since it had been so long since I'd be to WDW and dh had never been -- among other things -- didn't want to have an outnumbered child/parent ratio. However, on our impending trip -- all four kids will be there -- granted we'll have a few extra adults at various times this time -- but honestly -- I think it's a blatant stereotype to assume it is TOTALLY the parents laziness that causes these incidents.... there are certainly a number of scenarios which could create lost kids/lost parents... and I for one, will not assume anything about the events leading up to such a thing if I have not personally witnessed them.

I used to possess all sorts of righteous beliefs regarding parenting -- BEFORE I was a parent myself -- then I had a kid -- THEN, I had FOUR! Things are much different now! I still hold myself and others to a certain standard, but my eyes are open to the gray areas of parenting too! And since I want to give most parents the benefit of the doubt, any parent would feel a tremendous amount of guilt for a missing child regardless of the circumstance... what's the point in labeling them all "lazy" or any other derogatory term -- it just may not be warranted!

Just my humble opinion -- as a parent of four very curious, independent small children... who have not been lost (at this point, Thank God -- let's hope it stays that way!)

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I am human and therefore not perfect. Short of keeping them in a bubble until they are 18 we all do our best.

My 6 yr old is an acitve "darter" like crisi's while my 4 yr old would never think to leave my side. I am the same parent but with two different children. I would never cast stones.

I almost lost the 4yr old in the crush of people leaving Fantasmic! She was literally, ripped out of my hands by the crowd pushing us. We were holding hands and I had my eye's on my DH ahead of me and I nearly broke my daughters hand with the grip but still people pushed between us. I caught her immediatly but in that split second the overwhelming crowds surging toward the exit could have swept her away easily. I carried her out and DH couldn't even make it out without carrying the DD 6 in an effort to stay together.

Stuff happens. I was at a cart and helping the 4 yr old open her Mickey Bar and the 6 yr old walked back to the stoller to sit and eat her ice cream about 6 ft away but I couldn't see her in it. 5 seconds of panic but I was outnumbered.

 

[leebee]

Several years ago there was an incident (in MA?) where an au pair left her young charge in a stroller out in front of a shop where she was making purchases. This is not an uncommon practice in many European countries, where the sickos are not as sick as they are here. My aunt remembers the days when MANY kids were left in the carriage in front of the store while mom did errands; if a baby started crying, some kind stranger would jiggle the carriage until the child fell asleep. We have become a very strange society, to say the least...

Having said that, I travel to WDW several times a year, always w/DD, now 10 and an easy-to-control type (don't even need the hand on the head) and frequently DNieces (6yo who's fine now but as a toddler was NOT a hand-holder, and a 3 yo who does whatever she wants, whenever she wants). Some thoughts...we always kept the now 6yo on a leash when she wouldn't hold hands/stay in the carriage. Yes, we withstood some stares and comments (i.e., "DOGS belong on leashes, not children", to which we sometimes replied, "So you'd take more precautions with your animal than your child?"). She hated the leash, but learned that it was the only option to the stroller/hand holding, eventually. The youngest can get out of the leash without your even knowing it, so DSis and BIL do their best to keep an eye on her. With ALL kids we always reiterate the emergency plan, every morning: "If you can't find us, find one of Mickey's Friends, the ones with the magic badges" and we show them a CM's badge. BTW, CM's are always VERY cooperative. We also tell the girls that IF they are lost to tell a CM that "Mom will be at X, please take me there." In the event of emergency, one adult will go to point X while the other finds a CM immediately and reports lost child and meeting place. Girls are also instructed to NEVER wander around alone looking for X, find one of Mickey's friends to take you there. "Always let Mickey and his friends help you and you'll be safe." So far, so good...never lost a single kid, at least not accidentally...LOL

 

[goofy4tink]

I have 3 kids. My 27 y/o dd was a 'darter' to say the least. She actually got out of her crib, took off her clothes and went for a walk down the street when she was 2 y/o. I was in another part of the house vacuming and she was supposed to be taking a nap. She had one of those around the wrist leashes when we went someplace like WDW. Now, my 10 y/o...she would never get lost!!! She is always hanging on to me for dear life. When we are in WDW, Dad leads the way, with dd next and me holding either her hand or her shirt from behind. My nephew did get 'misplaced' in WA once tho. Very scary and he was 9 at the time. Some kids are just the type to up and leave to check out something more interesting!! Others aren't. Parents usually know which type they have and plan accordingly. I know some people frown on the harnesses or leashes but with some kids, it's the only safe way to go in such big crowds.

 

[BRERALEX]

If you can't understand this, do two things. a) Pat yourself on the back for whatever parenting skills and genes helped create a child that doesn't wander and b) thank your God that your child is receptive to your parenting skills and has his temperment. They all aren't as tractable as yours.

I pat his mom on the back for training him well.

looking at the price on a shirt isnt going to distract me enough to not notice my kid wandering off.

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND DISNEY HAS A GREAT SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR LOCATING LOST CHILDREN. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD EXPLIAN TO YUR CHILD BEFOREHAND THAT IF YOU GET SEPERATED GO DIRECTLY TO A CAST MEMBER WEARING A BADGE OR IN A STORE...OR GO TO ANOTHER "MOMMY" WHO HAS KIDS WITH HER AND TELL THEM YOU ARE LOST.
I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY SON THIS.
I ALSO TELL HIM THAT IF ANYONE GRABS HIM TO SCREAM AT THE TOP HIS LUNGS "YOU'RE NOT MY MOM".

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND DISNEY HAS A GREAT SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR LOCATING LOST CHILDREN. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD EXPLIAN TO YUR CHILD BEFOREHAND THAT IF YOU GET SEPERATED GO DIRECTLY TO A CAST MEMBER WEARING A BADGE OR IN A STORE...OR GO TO ANOTHER "MOMMY" WHO HAS KIDS WITH HER AND TELL THEM YOU ARE LOST.
I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY SON THIS.
I ALSO TELL HIM THAT IF ANYONE GRABS HIM TO SCREAM AT THE TOP HIS LUNGS "YOU'RE NOT MY MOM".

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND DISNEY HAS A GREAT SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR LOCATING LOST CHILDREN. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD EXPLIAN TO YUR CHILD BEFOREHAND THAT IF YOU GET SEPERATED GO DIRECTLY TO A CAST MEMBER WEARING A BADGE OR IN A STORE...OR GO TO ANOTHER "MOMMY" WHO HAS KIDS WITH HER AND TELL THEM YOU ARE LOST.
I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD MY SON THIS.
I ALSO TELL HIM THAT IF ANYONE GRABS HIM TO SCREAM AT THE TOP HIS LUNGS "YOU'RE NOT MY MOM".

 

[hogie1]

I don't have kids yet, but as a former wanderer myself, I'm sure it's rather upsetting for parents when all of a sudden...they're gone!! (Mom still scolds me, and I'm married) And kids are naturally curious and some are aware of self independence at an early age. Makes for a tough situation because it does happen and there are weirdos out there which makes it worse. I've got to agree w/ Pluto for Pres, know what your kids are wearing everyday and/or write it down. That helps along with teach kids about knowing personal info & about strangers. I used to be a 911 dispatcher and many times I had taken calls for similar situations and neither the parent nor the child has very useful information. It's hard to put out an APB when you can't get any info from an upset parent or kid. But I'm sure in a few years all kids will have Nextel's or cellphones at birth, so when my wife yells at me the day mine take off, I can just call them up!! (just kidding!!)

 

[gallaj0]

FYI, Universal Studios/IOA have some pretty good procedures in place too. In the playground area in the Jurassic Park area, I was with DD, wife was with DS, 3/almost 4 at the time. DS went down a slide, DW went down after, but when she got to the bottom, he was gone. She went looking, but found me first. I went directly to the one and only exit, and found a CM (or IOA equivalent), who called for reinforcements, then I and the cast member staked out the exit. After a couple of minutes, I spotted DS walking around, not concerned in the least. I got him, CM called off the search, and we all went to get DW, who was still looking around in a panic.

 

[mother moto]

We have learned along time ago to put our hotel room number in the kids shoes when we go to large places that they might easily get lost in the crowd. If they are wearing sandals we safetypin it in the band of their shorts.

 

[BRERALEX]

those sound like good backup plans just in case.

If you know your kids a ] ' darter' then at least have a backup plan.

 

[MEM]

I confess I didn't read all the threads, but I have to think there is more to the story than we have been told. Observing an incident is only one perspective.

My husband used to work security (not at WDW) and he is VERY impressed with the way Disney handles "lost" children. Most (many?) Disney security staff are in plain clothes. We have been standing next to them when they whip out their walkie-talkies and say things like "3 year old child in red shorts and white t-shirt walking up Main Street past the bakery apparently unaccompanied."