Good tips for your KIDS-any age for WDW and other venues

[carrie1626]

I was reading another thread on Community Boards about some urban legends on child abductions in the parks. It reminded me of some important stuff.

All kids, any age need to know if they got lost from you in the PARKS- go to a cast member as soon as you can. Sometimes the easiest cast members to find will be in a store or at a beverage cart. POINT them out to your kids, show them the cast member name tags. Tell them that no cast member will take them out of the park- NO CAST MEMBER.

another good tip:
Family color days- if there was ever a place for wearing the same colors or the same tee-shirts it's Disneyworld!

 

[Aliceacc]

Also, if your kids are too young to know your cell phone number, take a black Sharpie and write it on their forearms.

No other ID is really necessary-- you don't need their name or the resort you're staying in. Just Mom/ Dad's cell phone number. The CM can call you and presumably you'll know which child they've found.

 

[cgattis]

Also, if your kids are too young to know your cell phone number, take a black Sharpie and write it on their forearms. No other ID is really necessary-- you don't need their name or the resort you're staying in. Just Mom/ Dad's cell phone number. The CM can call you and presumably you'll know which child they've found.

And if you don't want to write it on their arm, you could make a little credit-card-sized card with your number and laminate it. My kids always have one in their pocket, lanyard, etc. I know that could get lost, but I don't think mine would go for the phone number tattoo .

 

[Aliceacc]

Good point.

I never heard of the "cell phone tattoo" until my kids were too old to need it, but it just seems like such a great idea!

 

[crazymomof4]

The CM can call you and presumably you'll know which child they've found.

"I have several, sir. Can you give me a description of the one you have in your possession?"

Our kids are older but we used to tell them if we got separated, not to wander looking for us. Stay close to where the separation happened and WE will come looking for YOU. Also pointed out what the CM's name tags looked like, since the CM uniforms are so varied from park to park and section to section, but the name tags identify all of them.

 

[brian95]

I wonder with the magic bands can they locate a lost child

 

[Ava]

I was thinking of writing our cell phone #s on DD's Magic Band with a Sharpie. Do you think that would work, or would it rub off if she sweats? I'll also make sure she knows how to identify CMs and to go to one of them if she gets lost, but she doesn't know our phone numbers yet.

 

[uconnfan4]

We always use Safetytats and write a cell phone number on it. We put them on our sons' upper arms so that it is covered by their shirts, but they can show it to a cast member if they need to. We used to have them carry a laminated card in their pockets, but they didn't hold up very well at waterparks. The Safetytat stays on quite well even in water.

 

[All American]

One of the things we do with our girls is give them whistles and tell them that they can use it if they lose sight of us.

We've gone on several trips and have only had to it once. We were getting of Spaceship Earth and got separated from our oldest girl (about 4 at the time). She blew into the whistle, and were able to find her a few paces away behind a pillar or something.

This method could work really well for some families and terribly for others. We actually practiced at home how to blow the whistle so that she knew to do a quick "tweet" only when she needed to and that it was absolutely not a toy. We were glad to have it that day.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

at the park I work at, not Disney, CMs can not have a cell phone on them in the park. a lost child would be given to security, who would take child to lost an found area where a phone that is able to call outside park is available. phones in stores and eateries can only call with in park. so be prepared that first CM might not be able to call you even with your number. at my park, a CM caught twice with phone in park and you loose your job. first is a warning, second time and you are done

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

The CM can call you and presumably you'll know which child they've found.

I'm sorry to laugh in such a "serious" topic... but roflmao....

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

So, on a serious note....

Ive done different things depending on the age.

At two we bought "whos shoes" which is a neon colored velcro that you attach to the shoe that has parents info in it.

At age four (and the height of the "silly band" craze) we had a silicone bracelet made online for a few dollars that had my phone number printed on it. I think the company was Charlaine or something or the sort.

Now, at age seven and the new "craze" is color loops and making your own bracelets, so I bought some number beads at the craft store and used some of her plastic crystal beads as well to make a few bracelets that have my phone number on them. They are cute and personalized so my DD will wear them.

She is still at an age where getting lost can be scary and reciting moms phone # (even though it is memorized) might become a blank in the state of fear. So this way she can say "I'm lost" and show the bracelet.

 

[Crl1817]

A recent similar discussion might be of interest: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3296165

A cast member chimed in on that one.

We tell our kids if the can't find an employee, find a mom with kids to help you.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

We tell our kids if the can't find an employee, find a mom with kids to help you.

Ive always done the same. I tell my daughter to look for someone with a stroller or other kids around her age and ask their parent for help. In my opinion a parent is more likely to drop everything and help a lost child (no offense to anyone else, just seems obvious).

 

[Betty Rohrer]

a parent is more likely to have a cell phone to be able to call you than the CM who is working

 

[gtpoohbear]

Last year I put a sticky label with our cell phone #s on DS's back. That way it wasn't in all the pictures looking tacky, but still easily visible to anyone around him. I made them all in advance so it was easy to just put one on each morning.

 

[Tomh]

There are few things more horrifying than a lost 5 year old right after the fireworks are over at MK on a busy night (let's not get into how I know this).

Dog Tags (they have a machine in DHS near Toy Story that makes Disney ones) with your phone number on them attach nicely to a lanyard, or a caribiner, which can then be hooked to a belt loop, or through a button hole etc. They are completely water proof, and will handle most any abuse the kid can throw at them.

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm sorry to laugh in such a "serious" topic... but roflmao....

I'm one of 5, I have 3 of my own, and I teach all day long. I've rarely been in an enviornment where the adults out number the kids.

So, yeah, it was tongue in cheek.... mostly

 

[njmom76]

DH lost DD (6) for 2 minutes on the cargo nets at SeaWorld in June. He found her talking to an employee at a game right near the nets. Scared that it happened but glad to know she has listened to and absorbed what we've been telling her to do for years!

 

[disnut8]

When my granddaughter was younger (she's 16 now!), we put our cell phones numbers on a piece of paper, put that in a small plastic bag, folded it up but kept it flat, and then pinned that inside her underwear. She knew it was there, we knew it was there but no one else could see it. We also went to a Cast Member at our first park and introduced our granddaughter to the Cast Member and had the Cast Member show her the name tag she should look for. It also helped my granddaughter realize the Cast Members are friendly and can be trusted. We also told our granddaughter to remain in the area where we lost her until she could talk to a Cast Member. That way, if we did lose her, we could retrace our steps and hopefully find her quickly.

For us, all adults knew what she was wearing that day.