Hold on tight to your kids!

[ZellyB]

I remember being at Disney and my oldest was around 7 or 8 I think. He, of course, felt he was too old to hold hands and often wanted to wander a bit away from us. Then we ran across a younger child who was lost. This poor little thing was terrified. Sobbing and crying for his mommy. We stayed with him for a second and a CM came along to take charge. My son was so frightened by seeing this experience that he held my hand almost constantly for the rest of the trip. I hated that he'd ended up so scared, but admit it was sort of nice to have my 7/8 year old actually wanting to hold my hand. When we were on a trip to Venice, I worried a lot about my kids getting separated (they were 5, 5 and 9 at the time). We weren't using our cell phones at all on that trip as it was many years ago and the cost of using one overseas was really prohibitive. I ended up pinning a business card for the hotel we were staying at to their clothes each day and told them to seek our a police officer or a woman with children if possibly and ask them to try to help them to get them back to our hotel or to call there. I don't know if that was a good solution or not but it was all I could really think of at the time. Luckily we never lost sight of them during our time there, but just the thought of it horrified me.

I agree with those who have said that it can happen so quickly and to nearly anyone regardless of the precautions you may take. I don't see how anyone can make a judgment about how it must be a cell phone/Genie+/inattentiveness without having seen the full experience happen. I mean, people can make those assumptions of course, but it's really impossible to know what happened if you didn't witness it.

 

[Lilsia]

I remember being at Disney and my oldest was around 7 or 8 I think. He, of course, felt he was too old to hold hands and often wanted to wander a bit away from us. Then we ran across a younger child who was lost. This poor little thing was terrified. Sobbing and crying for his mommy. We stayed with him for a second and a CM came along to take charge. My son was so frightened by seeing this experience that he held my hand almost constantly for the rest of the trip. I hated that he'd ended up so scared, but admit it was sort of nice to have my 7/8 year old actually wanting to hold my hand. When we were on a trip to Venice, I worried a lot about my kids getting separated (they were 5, 5 and 9 at the time). We weren't using our cell phones at all on that trip as it was many years ago and the cost of using one overseas was really prohibitive. I ended up pinning a business card for the hotel we were staying at to their clothes each day and told them to seek our a police officer or a woman with children if possibly and ask them to try to help them to get them back to our hotel or to call there. I don't know if that was a good solution or not but it was all I could really think of at the time. Luckily we never lost sight of them during our time there, but just the thought of it horrified me.

I agree with those who have said that it can happen so quickly and to nearly anyone regardless of the precautions you may take. I don't see how anyone can make a judgment about how it must be a cell phone/Genie+/inattentiveness without having seen the full experience happen. I mean, people can make those assumptions of course, but it's really impossible to know what happened if you didn't witness it.

I don't think that anyone is denying that it can happen in an instant. Quite the contrary, knowing that it can happen that quick means that parents have to be super vigilant and do things to ensure that the child is secured.

 

[OppR2nist]

When I was 16, and my brother was 12, we took a family trip to WDW. Now, this was a different time, and my parents would let us wander off as long as we stayed together (buddy system). Well, one time my brother took off, thinking I was with him in the MK at the start of a parade. My parents freaked because he pretty much vanished into a crowd of literally hundreds of people (you've been to MK right?). I went into action mode and told my parents to stay where they were (the Tomorrowland side of the Hub). I bolted off, and within minutes, found my brother in front of Casey's, on the other side of the street from where I was. I yelled across the street, which he somehow heard, and gestured at him to stay right there. We watched the parade from opposite sides of the street, after which, I ran over and grabbed him, and brought him back to my parents, who oddly enough stayed where the were for the entire parade. Disaster narrowly averted.

 

[danceintherain]

I got lost at WDW when I was 5 years old.
I "lost" ODS at DLR last month, because we got split up into separate single rider lines on the Matterhorn, which meant separate exits. I thought he would go find my Dad, who wasn't riding, but he opted to wait at the place where they waited for me together the last time. He was 11, so more frustrating than terrifying. He knew not to leave the park at least.
In any case, the original CM probably didn't seem worried, because parents get lost at Disney World probably every day, and their system is pretty good at getting kids back to their parents as quickly as possible.

 

[keziah23]

When my daughter had just turned 5 we were at Disney Junior dance Party, sitting on the floor while she danced nearby. When the song was over she went and sat down with a completely different family. The same show they were doing the parade around the room near the end and I had eyes on her at all times. She however "lost" me and was distraught! she refuses to go back to that show now. Things happen regardless if you are on your phone or watching your child like a hawk. I'm glad people are helpful and CM's are there to help!

 

[hroberts518]

Okay quick close your eyes and describe the clothes your child is wearing!
That just might be the first question security will ask to start search and possibly verify you are their parent…
Take a picture of clothes your child has on that day if you will be in crowded unfamiliar area .

Very true. Sometimes I find myself looking for my husband at Costco wracking my brain trying to remember what he has on that day!

 

[OppR2nist]

Very true. Sometimes I find myself looking for my husband at Costco wracking my brain trying to remember what he has on that day!

My father was going for a dinner date with my mother at Boatwright's. She went to the gift shop and he went to the host stand. The offered to seat him at the table and bring her over when she arrived. They asked him what she was wearing, and even though he had spent the entire day with her, he blanked. Luckily, she asked at the host stand when she got there.