Have you experienced a lost child at Disney? What did you do to find your child?

[disneyseniors]

We didn't lose any of our kids/grandkids over the years, but the fear was there.
Just wanted to mention something that has always stuck in my head about losing little ones: I guess that during the parades or fireworks, when they dim or turn off the lighting, is a time when most kids wander off. It is kind of scarey during those times. So, I would hold on to them firmly til the lights come back on. Just my 2 cents worth

 

[Erica_Haley]

I wonder if magic bands could ever have a system to help with lost children. I know not all children wear them, and they can fall off, etc, but it could work with those who do wear them. Parents log into their account and fill in emergency contact information to link to their child's MB. If a child is lost, the CM scans their MB, and the contact information pops up to notify the parent. Maybe even a notification on their smartphone you can click and opens up the MDE app and shows where on the map your child's MB was scanned....Maybe even a step further, authorized users on the account can look on the map and see where children's magic bands are located at any time on property.
Okay, Disney, I'm ready to be hired

 

[fairygagamother]

I probably shouldn't confess how many times we've "misplaced " kids at DW. I must preface this with the fact that my daughter & I are /were both teachers as well as preschool directors. So we've had lots of experience with watching & being responsible for multiple young children. And I'm super protective & just do not take my eyes off the kids very often. My daughter is a type A perfectionist , but maybe all that Disney kool aid has affected her after all.
The first time, the kids were 2 1/2. A was with her mama & B was with me in one of the shops in the Contemporary. My daughter came running up asking me if I had A or knew where she was. Of course we panicked a little &, obviously, she was found , but it took about 15 of the most awful minutes of my life. A nice lady was standing in one spot holding her waiting for someone to claim her. That certainly could have turned out very differently.
Then , when they were young threes, I had taken them down to the gift shop at AKLodge & was carrying a big package as well as a purse. Little demon, B, thought it would be fun to run from grandma. I couldn't decide whether to just drop my stuff & go after him & what to do with kid #2 while I chased after him. I was yelling at him to stop, but he must have I thought I was cheering him on to run faster. I did just leave my stuff on the floor & I think I left kid # 2 there as well! I was just focusing on catching the runaway- who by this time was approaching the hanging bridge & that freaked me out. I did catch him & A , who is very sloth-like , was still where I left her. So not technically a lost child, it was still pretty frightening. But we do laugh about it. Now!
Loss #3 happened at The Boardwalk Inn. If you've ever been there, you know how confusing it can be to get anywhere. The kids were 8 when this happened. My Ddh was leaving to go to Epcot & was already down on the boardwalk when A asked her mom if she could go with him. DD & Ddh were mouthing back & forth & my DD interpreted it to mean all was good & she sent A down BY HERSELF to catch up with Ddh, assuming ( you know what they say about "assuming"- it is true by the way!) Ddh was waiting for A. I wasn't paying attention until I came out of the bathroom & asked where A was. DD was already in pjs & I went running down as fast as I could to make sure she found Ddh. I found her running back & forth trying to figure out how to get down to the boardwalk. Ddh was nowhere to be seen as he didn't know she was coming & had gotten on the boat & left. Another close call!!
Yes, there are still more lost children stories. Please don't call Child Protective Services!
Another time on a different trip, DD had taking the kids down to the boardwalk while I stayed behind to wash clothes. I went to the laundry room & the room phone was ringing as I walked in. It was a cm from the lounge & said we have Mr.B here. He said no one is in the room. Oh my gosh!! DD had sent him back up to use the bathroom & when I wasn't there he just went to the lounge. Good thinking, but bad mama!!
Same trip, at the Polynesian, A ran ahead of us as we got off the boat from MK. When we got to the room, there was no A! We looked in the lounge & all around & couldn't find her. After about 10 panicky minutes, we found her sitting quietly in a corner down by the CM desks. She knew her brother had done that earlier , but she failed to tell anyone she was lost! So she was just sitting there & we hadn't seen her. You would think we would learn , wouldn't you?!

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I lost my 5 year old nephew in Norway & found him in China.
He was on the Norway Viking playground, went down a slide & “poof” he was gone, turned up next door in China.
I was gagging I was so upset .
It’s a funny story now .

 

[cyndiloveswalt]

Disney has so many things in place to deal with lost children. My friend went to Disney about 12 years ago with her family of 4 and her dad. She, her DH and her daughter went to one park and her dad took her then 2 year old son to another park. The Dad was walking in the park and had a heart attack and was gone before he hit the ground. The CMs were all over it and somehow managed to identify them (this was before magic bands but maybe his room card) and find her in another park. Needless to say she’s never gone back and she is sadly one of the only people who believes Disney is the most unmagical place in the world.

 

[brooke789]

Lost by then 5 year old daughter for literally seconds in 2016. It was raining and everyone (including us) was wearing Disney ponchos. We were headed to the bathrooms near tomrorowland. I let go of her hand just seconds before we entered the bathroom. Somehow when I stopped at the bathroom line she wasn't there. Went outside the bathroom building and she was standing there crying. Somehow when we turned into the entrance of the bathroom she didn't see. Very scary for her but kind of a blip for me. She still remembers and gets upset. Honestly, though kind of a non-issue.

 

[roobug]

We lost one of our twins when they were 2 years old in epcot. I was riding a ride, my husband was watching the boys - he felt like he could handle them at one of the splash fountains. As soon as he let them out of the stroller they took off in two directions. He lost one for about 30 minutes - super scary for him I had no idea. I came out of the ride, we happened to be wearing matching T-shirts that day, as I came off the ride a cast member walked up with my super happy 2 year old. He said I think this belongs to you - I was so shocked right at that moment my husband comes over super stressed with the other boy. So apparently the CM and my one son and DH and my other son were walking in the same circle and didn't see each other and for whatever reason my husband didn't tell anyone he had lost a child. We had written on their arms sharpies with our number but the CM didn't call not sure if they just didn't see it or why they didn't but since it worked out fine in the end we never really asked.

 

[Bete]

I wonder if magic bands could ever have a system to help with lost children. I know not all children wear them, and they can fall off, etc, but it could work with those who do wear them. Parents log into their account and fill in emergency contact information to link to their child's MB. If a child is lost, the CM scans their MB, and the contact information pops up to notify the parent. Maybe even a notification on their smartphone you can click and opens up the MDE app and shows where on the map your child's MB was scanned....Maybe even a step further, authorized users on the account can look on the map and see where children's magic bands are located at any time on property.
Okay, Disney, I'm ready to be hired

Great idea!

 

[KrazeeK120]

Disney has so many things in place to deal with lost children. My friend went to Disney about 12 years ago with her family of 4 and her dad. She, her DH and her daughter went to one park and her dad took her then 2 year old son to another park. The Dad was walking in the park and had a heart attack and was gone before he hit the ground. The CMs were all over it and somehow managed to identify them (this was before magic bands but maybe his room card) and find her in another park. Needless to say she’s never gone back and she is sadly one of the only people who believes Disney is the most unmagical place in the world.

Oh...my...that’s horrible...

 

[kjw42]

So am I the only one that read that a little too fast and replaced forearm with forehead in my mind?

Not a bad idea!

 

[GusGus77]

I wonder if magic bands could ever have a system to help with lost children. I know not all children wear them, and they can fall off, etc, but it could work with those who do wear them. Parents log into their account and fill in emergency contact information to link to their child's MB. If a child is lost, the CM scans their MB, and the contact information pops up to notify the parent. Maybe even a notification on their smartphone you can click and opens up the MDE app and shows where on the map your child's MB was scanned....Maybe even a step further, authorized users on the account can look on the map and see where children's magic bands are located at any time on property.
Okay, Disney, I'm ready to be hired

They do something like this on the cruise line. When DS just turned 3, the whole extended family went on a Disney Cruise. We were in port somewhere in the Caribbean leaving our rooms to disembark when DS walks out of the room, in front of about five adults, and proceeds to get on an elevator just as the door was closing. (Our rooms were by the elevator, and no, we knew no one on the elevator.) So DS, 3, is somewhere on the ship alone and we also fear him being able to wander OFF the ship into port! Luckily someone noticed this renegade kid and took him to guest services where they scanned his kids club band and were able to identify him. They were just about to contact us as I made it to guest services ready to demand they seal off the ship so my child is not gone forever on a Caribbean island! I think it would be easy to carry that over to the magic bands. That was a very scary moment that I forgot about until this post! (And 6 months ago at age SEVEN Same child ran off over the giant sand dunes at the California state line towards Mexico. Dunes are huge and we couldn’t see him as he was way out. So watch out if you have a child that has taken off before- it can reoccur years later!!!!)

But OP, if a child is going to get lost, Disney is the best place. I believe CM are trained to look out for children who seem to be lost.

 

[randomdisneydad]

Love the idea of the safety tattoos.

Having twins can make for double trouble, here.

I think exiting shows and doing gift shops can be danger zones.

I'm surprised about not hearing about running after characters and getting lost that way.

I hear you on the double trouble I have twin girls I didn't take them till they turned 5 and being a single father it was a family trip with my Mom and her long time BF to help corral the kids. Idk what it is with twins but the energy level and the level of mischief that they cause is absurd lol.

 

[pigletgirl]

To be honest, I haven't even thought of this!

DD5 is an incredibly curious child. She loves experiencing new things so she is the type that would wander off. DD knows my cell phone number but I'm not sure if she'd be able to reiterate to a cast member if need be. The tattoo idea isn't a bad one...

 

[Callist]

We've taken Child to a large comic convention every year and have never had any issues. In large crowds, our rule is that one parent must be touching Child at all times, in other areas Child must be in touching distance. I should say that Child is NOT a runner, although in early years there were a few close calls with elevators (which seem to be The Best Ride Ever).

If we make through these conventions, I truly think you will be fine at Disney. I put my phone number on the inside of Child's Magic Band; the tattoos sound like a great idea, too. I agree that it's very likely that a child could forget a phone number in a moment of stress.

You could do a low key practice? Explain that if you ever get lost, find the nearest CM and tell them. Then a few times a week, just casually ask, "Do you remember what to do if your parents wander off and get lost?" Maybe practice in a store when it's not busy - ask a clerk if your kid can practice coming up to them to say they're lost?

 

[Sarah H]

all of these stories made my heart race! my daughter (who was four at the time) getting lost was my only fear about going to WDW this year, but it seems like this would be one of the best places to get lost if it ever did occur.

we practiced what to do with my daughter tons of times before we left. we told her to find a trash can if she were to get lost and plant herself there until a cast member talks to her, we explained that cast members will have to have name tags, then we wrote our phone numbers on the inside of her magic band and taught her to say "I'm lost, my mommy's/daddy's phone number is on my bracelet."

thankfully we never needed to use any of that, but I think we must have scared her about getting lost because starting in the parking lot at AoA on our way to check-in she was pointing out trashcans and continued to for the rest of the trip

oh and we picked trashcans for her to stand by for two reasons, first they are stationed every few feet, so it is easy to find one if turned around, and secondly it gives us an immediate place to look. I also thought perhaps a lone child would be spotted easier by a cm if they were standing alone at a trash can for a while, especially one who would more than likely be crying.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have two children and I have been separated from each of them. One thing I try to do is make it so they don't have to speak at all in case they are crying and just making intelligible sounds. With my daughter she had a waterproof wristband with my information (name and cell number). She had that up until she got her own phone. The time I got separated from her she was showing the CM her band when I walked up. We were in a store and when we left, there were some stairs to get to the exit. I had to take the ramp because I was pushing her brother in the stroller. When I got outside she wasn't there. I think she got distracted and didn't come right out; but when she came out, I had gone back in to look for her. It is so easy.

My son started with an ankle band (age 2), then a wrist band (age 3 and 4) and the last two trips (age 7 and 8) uses a lanyard with an attached wallet. The wallet has a clear pocket on one side. There's a card inside that says, "My name is _______. Please call my mom at (my cell) or my sister at (my daughter's cell). All he has to do if flip it over. The time we got separated, we were in Cosmic Rays. He was 4. I let go of his hand to get our tray of food. Told him to grab my pocket; but he was gone just that fast. It was about 2 minutes; but it was an awful 2 minutes. He actually found us. Just came strolling up to us like it was nothing when we had gone from 0 to 10 in that 2 minutes. He doesn't remember it now. We reminded him about it before each of the last two trips though.

 

[Lilsia]

We didn't lose any of our kids/grandkids over the years, but the fear was there.
Just wanted to mention something that has always stuck in my head about losing little ones: I guess that during the parades or fireworks, when they dim or turn off the lighting, is a time when most kids wander off. It is kind of scarey during those times. So, I would hold on to them firmly til the lights come back on. Just my 2 cents worth

Same here. I never lost either of my kids but that was one of my fears and I was very vigilant about it. I always either had them strapped in the stroller, me holding on to them, or my eyes on them constantly. I always cringe and shake my head at the parents that are at a counter and they let their toddler run around behind them. I always had my girls smooshed in between the counter and me. Little kids are very fast and you can't take your eyes/hands off of them for a second.

 

[Minnie121]

I bought a pet ID tag from Petco, engraved my cell phone # on it and hung it from a cheap chain for DD to wear around her neck.

 

[entirelysplendid]

We bought a Road ID tag for our 6 year old and I was so thankful to have it --- she didn't mind wearing it along with her magic band. I worry about losing children too, so nice to hear that Disney responds so well!

 

[kstruchen]

I got cute temporary tattoos from etsy when we went in 2015. Fortunately kids didn't get lost and they tattoos weren't needed, but it gave me peace of mind. We're going again in February and Santa is bringing the kids Gizmo Gadgets (watches with gps tracking) for Christmas.