How old for kids to ride by themselves?

[SmallWorld71]

I think what Figmant was alluding to is that there are two separate height requirements for the Speedway, which makes it unique. One height is to ride at all, even with a parent, and the other height is to ride alone.

Gotcha!

 

[juliehoey]

To ride any attraction alone you must be 7 years of age or older. If the attractions has a height requirement then you must meet that and be 7 years or older to ride. Any child under the age of 7 must be with someone age 14 or over.

If an attraction has a single rider queue, you must be 7 years or older to enter the line, even if you are accompanied by someone over the age of 14.

Boy am i confused When we went in August my then 5 1/2 yr old who is 48 inches and 7 1/2 year old son who is 54 inches rode on SM in the same car with me. She rode on EE with me and he sat alone, same with BTMRR.

 

[KimK2006]

Boy am i confused When we went in August my then 5 1/2 yr old who is 48 inches and 7 1/2 year old son who is 54 inches rode on SM in the same car with me. She rode on EE with me and he sat alone, same with BTMRR.

By alone the OP means without an adult on the ride at all.

 

[bumbershoot]

When we were there Jan. 2011, my daughter was 7 and was not allowed to ride Dumbo or BTMRR by herself. It did not matter if she met the minimum height (which she does since she is very tall for her age). Both CMs told us that it was age 8.

I would bet that that CM heard it wrong. Like when DS was little and I belonged to two zoos, and I just couldn't get it in my head which zoo he was free at and which he wasn't, b/c one said "age and under" and the other said "age and up". I was a bit wobbly in my head already (turns out my iron was drastically low...once it came back up I got more of my brain back) and it just confused me. Or when people think a child can be a lap-baby on a flight for the range of "2 and under", when the reality is that as soon as the child turns 2 they cannot be a lap-baby anymore. (watched mass confusion by flight attendants who let 3 2 year olds sit on laps, with no seats reserved, because of this problem...I don't like the lap-baby thing (after doing it with my wriggly son) but was a little jealous of how much those other moms had saved, when we all had 2 year olds!)

When we go October 2013 - oldest DS will turn 14 one month after we get back. We were planning to let him and DS9 go around the park on their own (same park that we'll be in AND with various times they have to meet up with us throughout the day) armed with a cell phone. Since he's not 14, does anyone see a problem with letting him and his younger brother walk around together without us?

I think it's fine. I imagine that IF DS wants to wander alone at 12 or so, we'll probably let him. But that's a big IF because we do love our family together time! But we have time, he's just about to turn 8 and his attitude will surely change, LOL.

Okay, I must REALLY be protective or something. I wouldn't let my 13 year old ride alone. I barely let my 9 year old go to the men's restroom alone this trip!

Though, after seeing him this trip, the 13 year old would do great touring alone...though I'd miss him terribly and seeing his...well, non-reaction. LOL

I bet that if you didn't like riding the rides; if you got sick or whatever, you would let him do more. You just like the FAMILY part of the family vacation.

For some rides, we are HAPPY to let DS go alone. At Universal when he wants to do Flight of the Hippogriff literally 15 times in a row, "go for it, dude". Same with Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. "Go, spend an hour riding it...just don't run, I can see you!"

And the teacups, sure, fly, be free!

But most other rides, one or both of us still wants to ride that ride, and so we've got family togetherness.

I think what Figmant was alluding to is that there are two separate height requirements for the Speedway, which makes it unique. One height is to ride at all, even with a parent, and the other height is to ride alone.

The taller height mainly just means the kid can push down on the pedal fully. DS is about 52" now and at least on Autopia at Disneyland can *touch* the pedal, but can't push the pedal, let alone push it all the way. I wish they'd state it that way.

Boy am i confused When we went in August my then 5 1/2 yr old who is 48 inches and 7 1/2 year old son who is 54 inches rode on SM in the same car with me. She rode on EE with me and he sat alone, same with BTMRR.

Riding alone is different than sitting alone.

 

[Magpie]

Okay, I must REALLY be protective or something. I wouldn't let my 13 year old ride alone. I barely let my 9 year old go to the men's restroom alone this trip!

Though, after seeing him this trip, the 13 year old would do great touring alone...though I'd miss him terribly and seeing his...well, non-reaction. LOL

I thought I was really protective!

Last year my son was 13 and just barely six feet tall (he's six one and a half now). We got into it because he wanted me to just leave him at Epcot one evening so he could finish up his Christmas shopping by himself. I told him I wasn't going back to the resort without my 13yo!

But riding alone? Heck, I'd let him go anywhere alone, as long as he agrees to meet me by the front gates.

 

[GameDevLovesDisney]

I always get a good laugh at these threads. I grew up with really REALLY overprotective parents, but WDW was where I had pretty much complete independence...

At 10 or 11 (I forget which) I was going on rides by myself.
At 12 I could go wherever I wanted by myself in the same park my parents were in.
At 13+ as long as I stayed on property and met up with them for dinner I was good to go. No pager, walkie, or cell phone...just a "meet us here at X o'clock and don't charge anything but food to the room unless we say it's ok first." In the dozens of times I went off by myself I was never late once. My parents on the other hand....lol

 

[jenjie]

Okay, I must REALLY be protective or something. I wouldn't let my 13 year old ride alone. I barely let my 9 year old go to the men's restroom alone this trip!

Though, after seeing him this trip, the 13 year old would do great touring alone...though I'd miss him terribly and seeing his...well, non-reaction. L

This poster is getting some flack, but I think maybe they mean they wouldn't let their 13 year old tour the park alone, rather than not letting him ride a ride alone.

My big kids are 12 and 13. I don't see us being ready to let them go off by themselves yet either. Then again, my husband and dad are both in law enforcement so we probably have a bit greater fear factor...

 

[1Jackpot]

Okay, I must REALLY be protective or something. I wouldn't let my 13 year old ride alone. I barely let my 9 year old go to the men's restroom alone this trip!

Though, after seeing him this trip, the 13 year old would do great touring alone...though I'd miss him terribly and seeing his...well, non-reaction. LOL

I am probably in the minority here, but I agree with this poster. I have an almost 11 year old child and I can't imagine saying 'ok, we'll see you at the end of the day'.

You hear too many horror stories about children being kidnapped or hurt. Im sure many see it as being very overprotective and thats fine. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to my childrens safety.

 

[chloe4ever]

Then again, my husband and dad are both in law enforcement so we probably have a bit greater fear factor...

Then again, you of all people should realize that kidnapping of children not related to the kidnapper is VERY rare despite what the media wants people to believe.

You hear too many horror stories about children being kidnapped or hurt. .

You hear them by who? People you know? Not trying to be snarky, but this issue really annoys me. Have you seriously ever had someone close to you have their child kidnapped? I really doubt it. Kidnapping by strangers is VERY rare. Parents are making their kids fear this and that and it is not right.

Kids need freedom and they need to know that they can be trusted. If we never cut the strings and act like some evil stranger is waiting around every turn, it really does a disservice to the child IMO.

I was waiting in line the other day and I smiled at a little girl. She just looked at me in fear. Her mom noticed and said, "She is not allowed to smile at strangers." Yes, now that child will grow up to be normal..........

 

[flortlebap]

I was waiting in line the other day and I smiled at a little girl. She just looked at me in fear. Her mom noticed and said, "She is not allowed to smile at strangers." Yes, now that child will grow up to be normal..........

That's awful.... Are there actually people like that!?

 

[JimShockz]

Is there a minimum age for kids to ride rides by themselves? I know this may be a stupid question - just don't know.

I'm planning on going with my 2 girls this summer - ages 11 and 8. They both love Space Mountain. I cannot stand it - it ruins me for a good few hours.

Would I be able to stay with them through the line, have them get on, and then meet them where the ride lets off?

Thanks!

All rides have different requirements,but the most important is height not so much as age for most rides.

-JH

 

[chloe4ever]

That's awful.... Are there actually people like that!?

Unfortunately yes. The culture of fear that has been created in America the past 15 or so years is beyond sad. Kids should learn to be careful and of course not to go with strangers, but simply smiling and saying hello to a stranger that says hello or smiles at them should be allowed and encouraged. I mean, you can tell the kids that have been taught to live in fear--when you smile at them, they look at you like you are an alien. When I was at a bird show a few weeks back, a 10 year old boy (not a young child by any means) started crying when he realized he had to sit next to a "stranger". His mom said, "Oh, don't worry, I will not force you to sit next to a person you do not know honey". The wise thing would have been to teach the kid social skills and to teach them that not all strangers are evil.

 

[hebbynan]

Unfortunately yes. The culture of fear that has been created in America the past 15 or so years is beyond sad. Kids should learn to be careful and of course not to go with strangers, but simply smiling and saying hello to a stranger that says hello or smiles at them should be allowed and encouraged. I mean, you can tell the kids that have been taught to live in fear--when you smile at them, they look at you like you are an alien. When I was at a bird show a few weeks back, a 10 year old boy (not a young child by any means) started crying when he realized he had to sit next to a "stranger". His mom said, "Oh, don't worry, I will not force you to sit next to a person you do not know honey". The wise thing would have been to teach the kid social skills and to teach them that not all strangers are evil.

I agree with you. I posted about letting our son's ages 12 and 9 walk around the same park as us but without staying with us. My husband is also in law enforcement. Our boys know that someone that smiles and says 'hi' isn't automatically a kidnapper. We've taught them to smile and say hi...when and where it is appropriate. At the same time, we also taught them not to go with strangers and we even have a 'safe' word that if someone tells them they're to take them to us becuase something happened they will use that word. No word - no going with them. Society makes everyone out to be a danger....sometimes when I smile at a baby in a stroller, the mother looks at me like I'm ready to snatch the baby and run....ummm...NO!! Your baby is cute...but YOU CAN KEEP her....my 2 are enough!

 

[TDC Nala]

Kids should know basic stuff like not to go off with anyone and not to get into a car with anyone no matter what they tell you, but teaching them that people who smile at them or say hello or even sit down next to them in a public place might be dangerous sounds like it will interfere with their functioning at some point. And abductors of children are most often someone the child knows, and usually knows well.

 

[Mickeyrella]

It depends on the kids and the parents and how kids handle different situations. Not every kid will react the same way and not every kid would feel comfortable touring the parks alone. I think I was about 9 when I started to tour the park by myself and my cousins who were close to my age. And I was about 12 or 13 when I started parkhopping by myself. But I would understand why some parents think is not appropriate and I don't think is wrong for them to be protective of their children, each family is different and each family enjoys the parks in different ways.

 

[Hannathy]

I am probably in the minority here, but I agree with this poster. I have an almost 11 year old child and I can't imagine saying 'ok, we'll see you at the end of the day'.

You hear too many horror stories about children being kidnapped or hurt. Im sure many see it as being very overprotective and thats fine. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to my childrens safety.

You do know it is safer now than it was 20 or 30 or 40 yrs ago?

Child abduction has actually decreased and the percentage of stranger abduction is incredibly low and rare.

The only thing that has changed is we now have 24 hour news trying to fill the time between commercials or space on the internet.

Being safe rather than sorry is not prudent when there is no real danger to begin with and it stifles and impedes a child growth and development and learning to be independent.

It also lead to very dumb and ignorant of personal safety college freshman! My DD tells me how it is so easy to pick out the kids whose parents never let them have any independence because they are the ones doing very dumb stuff and have no idea how to assess a situation, solve a problem, or be aware of their surrounding while walking on campus.

 

[Hannathy]

The only rule we ever had with our kids was:

Talk to anyone you want, Go nowhere with anyone!

My kids have learned some very interesting and educational things talking to strangers all over this country.