Do you give your child a cellphone at Disney?

[letsgoagainsoon]

Wondering how many people give kids a cell phone to use at Disney, just in case they get separated from you. If so, at what age? I'm not really talking teenagers, I mean younger kids and programming in your cell phone number and/or making sure they know your number.

 

[kmedina]

My oldest DS is only four, so I cannot answer this. I did respond, because my DBrother was complaining about kids getting phones at very young ages. Two of my young nieces from different siblings have cell phones. They are 7 and 10. It will be interesting to see how people feel about this issue.

 

[2prettyprincesses]

We used to have our boat at a marina and me and hubby used to go to the bar there. We werent far away but the walkie talkie weren't really dependable. I got my girls their first phone when my youngest was in first grade. Mind you it was only for when we were at the boat or some other crowded place. I used their phones the other times. But back then the phones really couldn't do anything except make a call!!!

 

[lovetheduck]

My DD10 does have a phone which she is allowed to take with her to certain activities. She will not be taking it with her to Disney. It's not a place that we would plan on splitting up, and if she does get lost she already knows my phone #. Also, she would probably ask me to carry it for her anyway. She will be wearing shorts and a t-shirt, she doesn't carry a bag and will have nowhere to put it.

 

[ckrum]

We have been doing this since DD was 5 or 6, When DH got a work cell phone, we were still under contract on his old phone. Whenever we would go to a crowded place, we would stick it in DD's fannie pack or a little clip on bag on her belt loop. DD is now 11 and still uses that same phone for this same reason. It is not her phone, it is the family emergency phone. And yes, she has had it for all of our Disney trips.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

If we'd had cell phones when the kids were younger, I'd probably have considered it -- even a simple, pre-paid, "kid" phone. Can't hurt!

Now, my teen has a phone and I'm thinking about getting one for my tween, too. Chances are, we're always together at the parks, but there are times even at home (no land line) that I wish I had one for my younger dude, too.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Thanks for your opinions!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think its a great idea. I would use it for a kid even as young as four if you think they would be able to call the number.

This week at my school, our 4 year old did not obey me and left the building before I was ready to go. He had my pocket book with him as he was trying to get me ready to go. He got outside the self locking door and could not get back in. Of course I am looking for him. When I found him,he had gotten my cell phone out of my pocket book and was calling someone on my contact list to come let him in. Not sure WHO he was calling but he can for sure call all of us and his grandparents so he would have no trouble using a cell phone if he got lost at WDW. I doubt I will get one just for the trip and we do not have an extra one but sure see the advantage of it.

oh, BTW....he was in trouble even though I was pretty impressed with the plan.

 

[crisi]

Our kids got their phones at ten and use them at Disney.

My kids had a difficult time holding on to stuff much earlier than that. Disney is an easy place to loose cell phones. We did write our cell numbers on our kids when they were younger. And by six they could rattle them off.

 

[baloo's girl]

We're going to the World in a month. My dd likes to wear a belt bag, aka fanny pack. And she's bringing her ipod with her, which will be carried in her bag. We have Skype set up on her ipod, so she can call me and her dad, should the need arise. She's 9 years old.

 

[TxDisFanatic]

My daughter is 8, she takes her phone with her when we go to disney. She's used to keeping up with it, and she uses it to take pictures, and video clips.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I made sure that my son (10) had his phone on him at all times when we were at Disney. Of course my older two can't function without theirs, but I like for them all to have one on them at all times.

The only thing that I do is I put the phone in a water proof bag just in case they get wet. Sometimes kids don't think about that.

 

[duffy]

I don't see any problem with it. Why not?

Make sure it's a tough phone, that can take getting dropped. My 15-year old has had a cell since she was 10. We usually had cheap ones for her, because they ended up getting smashed or wet. But they gave us another level of security.