ID tag for children?

[mshanson3121]

Do you get ID tags for your children? Where do you buy them? Does Disney offer anything? Our daughter has ASD, and is verbal, but has a receptive language delay and can get overwhelmed easily, so I doubt if we were to get separated, that she would be able to give information.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I made beaded bracelets for my children. For my daughter, I made a heart shaped dog tag at WalMart, and put it as a charm on her bracelet. For my son I used beads with numbers to put my cell phone number on his wrist.

 

[huhwhat]

I bought dog tags in epcot....Disney themed of course !

 

[smiths02]

I just ordered from safetytat.Com
The order was as specified, but I haven't used it yet. My two-year olds love fake tattos. I will also do it for my older son (he knows the number but transposes a digit sometimes).
On a previous trip, we got dog tags at AK.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney protocol is good to know. If a child gets separated, they will want to find a CM. So as you get to disney and into each land, be sure to point out the CMs. Their costumes, where they stand, the stores, their nametags. The BEST person to get to is going to be a CM at a register. So if there's a store right nearby, or a food stand, that's a good person to go to. Eventually the child will be taken to the lost parents area.

There are some CMs who actually ahve phones AND who can use them (without getting fired) who might be able to call you. But don't *rely* on that happening. And don't rely on your cellphone working while there, or you hearing it!

When you realize the child is separated, send one parent back to the last spot you saw them. Contact a CM. Make sure you notice each day what your kids are wearing. BEST thing to do is to take a digital picture of the kids each morning, so when they ask for a description you just pull up that picture and can show them! That eliminates the panic if you can't remember immediately. It's just right there on your phone or camera.

Try to have both parents be calm. If not both, hopefully one can be calm. It helps nothing to panic. And know that the CMs are doing their job; they have done this time and time again, Disney has done this time and time again, and your child will be reunited with you.


Back to the child. If the child can't find a CM immediately, the experts* on kid safety say that statistically, if the child chooses who to go to, they will generally choose a good person. (kids have radar that helps them avoid creeps on their own, have you noticed that some kids just don't like some people?) Choosing a woman with children around is statistically the best, and easy to say to a kid. Find a mom. Of course all of this is highly offensive to men. It's offensive to my husband. But statistics in this case don't lie. It goes from safEST to less and less safe, and moms are at the top. Poor hubbys. My husband can't even volunteer backstage at my son's dance recital, because ONLY men allowed backstage are employees of the Y. All the women are background checked, but they have the extra layer of not allowing dads. Oh well.

Anyway! So "find a cast member behind a register (this is what to look for in each land), or find a mom". Hopefully the mom will alert a cast member and won't go rogue and try to find you on her own. And from your end ifyou don't get a call, get in touch with a CM immediately, describe or show the child, let them do their thing, and just stay calm.


*Gavin deBecker...read The Gift of Fear. Excellent book.

 

[KateDrake]

I went to the party store and bought a big package of wristbands that we've been using for a few years now. They are neon pink, and my girls really like them! They are the same kind that you get at a club, concert, MNSSHP, etc. Kind of a fibrous paper that you can't tear. Anyway, hope you know what I'm talking about.

I just write our name and number on one of those and make sure each DD has one on when we head out for the day. If they somehow get wet or lost, it's easy to carry around a few extra. We tried an ID bracelet for my older DD when she was younger, but she managed to get it off. So that's been our solution so far. Luckily we've never needed it, but it's nice to have, just in case!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Grandsons use Road ID

http://www.roadid.com/

 

[lisahoo]

DH and I have RoadID's for running -- a little ID bracelet that attaches around your ankle with velcro. I got my DD's a slightly different version (the ShoeID) that attaches to the laces on the front of their shoes (so they don't get annoyed by the band and take it off). It has both my cell & and DH's, plus their name & year of birth. My girls know my cell number, but in a moment of panic might transpose a digit.

 

[Buddyex]

on a similar note, can castmembers bring up Family details from a child's Magic Band?

 

[kaetra]

I put my business card in the clear part of my kid's lanyard pouch, on the back side. I wrote other details on the back of the card.

 

[mshanson3121]

[Qwondered this as well Buddyex, post: 53214790, member: 439705"]on a similar note, can castmembers bring up Family details from a child's Magic Band?[/QUOTE]

I wondered this as well.

 

[Gracie09]

[Qwondered this as well Buddyex, post: 53214790, member: 439705"]on a similar note, can castmembers bring up Family details from a child's Magic Band?

I wondered this as well.[/QUOTE]
No the average cm does not have access to the level needed to obtain that information. We use safety tats. Just make sure they are visible. Cm won't look in shoes, undershirts etc to find a phone number

 

[isabellea]

I had bracelets (themepark/waterpark kind) with our cell phone numbers printed on them custom made at Mabel's Labels. I always tell my daughters to find a mom with kids or a baby if she gets lost and to ask for help. This advice is always good no matter where we are. I figure that the mom will either call us or will find a CM to help.

 

[emilik]

I wrote my phone number right on their Magic Bands last time we were there. I do the picture on my phone each morning of what they are wearing, and like a previous poster we teach our children to find a mama with her children if they are ever separated in any situation. Agreeing that Gavin DeBecker is a good read for this type of thing - "The Gift of Fear" and "Protecting the Gift". We also teach a "script" in case the child is too anxious to describe that they are actually lost or get someone's attention, just simply practicing saying "I've lost my mama, can you help me find her?"

 

[GillianP1301]

I use a dog tag type thing that is engraved with pertinent details and I put it in a out of the way place that isn't too obvious but that my DS knows to show to someone if is is lost.

What I have taught my son if we get separated is for him not to move from the spot where he is when he realizes he's lost. I'm always with him in WDW, so if we do get separated, I'm not going to be very far away. The last thing I need is him wandering in the opposite direction trying to find me or trying to find a CM, so I tell him to stay put, yell for help and I'll find him. I also remind him when we arrive what a CM looks like, the name tag, etc... so when he does call for help, it's okay to accept help from a CM, but to to still always stay where he was even with the CM. I don't want him going anywhere, with anybody, even if their intentions are good.

A friend of mine got separated from her son at a local amusement park and her son followed those directions and refused to go anywhere with the park employee who found him, so they just sat on the bench nearby and before that staff member could even get a security on the scene, my friend was able to find him.

 

[Crystal824]

just ordered from safetytat.Com
The order was as specified, but I haven't used it yet. My two-year olds love fake tattos. I will also do it for my older son (he knows the number but transposes a digit sometimes).
On a previous trip, we got dog tags at AK.

This is what we do too. I just placed a new order yesterday. My 4 year old knows if she gets separated from us to find a CM with a name tag or a mom with kids and show them her tattoo. So far she has never been separated from us in 5 trips, but you just never know. We also use the Safety Tats at local amusement parks, the zoo, etc.