IT'S A DIFFERENT (wd)WORLD

[chapie1968]

I think back to our second trip to WDW back around 1983 and we stayed on property for the first time at Fort Wilderness. I was 16 years old and I remember taking my younger brother(11) by ourselves and taking the launch over to the Magic Kingdom early while our parents slept in. We would either meet them in the Park or go back for lunch and meet them.


We never had any problems, different world(inside and out), but one of those fond memories I have as a kid. I don't think I would ever let my kids do that in this day and age(17 & 13) but then again doesn't someone in the party have to be 18 to enter the park?

 

[mesaboy2]

I think back to our second trip to WDW back around 1983 and we stayed on property for the first time at Fort Wilderness. I was 16 years old and I remember taking my younger brother by myself and taking the launch over to the Magic Kingdom early while our parents slept in. We would either meet them in the Park or go back for lunch and meet them. We never had any problems, different world(inside and out), but one of those fond memories I have as a kid. I don't think I would ever let my kids do that in this day and age(17 & 13) but then again doesn't someone in the party have to be 18 to enter the park?

I think the minimum age to enter alone is 14. Not completely sure though.

 

[subtchr]

I think back to our second trip to WDW back around 1983 and we stayed on property for the first time at Fort Wilderness. I was 16 years old and I remember taking my younger brother(11) by ourselves and taking the launch over to the Magic Kingdom early while our parents slept in. We would either meet them in the Park or go back for lunch and meet them.


We never had any problems, different world(inside and out), but one of those fond memories I have as a kid. I don't think I would ever let my kids do that in this day and age(17 & 13) but then again doesn't someone in the party have to be 18 to enter the park?

It's definitely not 18 -- I think I've read it's 14, as mesaboy said.

I'm curious, what do you mean by a "different world"? I have read a great deal on the subject, and there is no more danger of child abduction or other crime than there was 20 or 30 or more years ago. When it DOES happen, it is more quickly and widely publicized.

In fact, I would say I am MORE likely to let a child (preteen and older) do as you suggest, because of the proliferation of cell phones.

I am a group tour guide, and we let groups of high schoolers tour the parks by themselves. They have chaperone cell numbers and meeting times.

With my own kids, we didn't visit often, and when we did we tended to all tour together, so the issue did not usually come up. But there were several times we allowed our kids to travel around the parks by themselves, when we knew they were comfortable doing so.

 

[shepd]

Although nobody usually considers these things rationally your children are more likely to be struck by lightning on their way to the park than to be abducted.

I'd be more worried that if they're too young they'll end up doing something like getting lost.

 

[TinkerbelleMom]

My older two were of a similar age when I let them go their own way at MK, they wanted to to more big kid stuff while I stayed in FL with their much younger sister. The older one had a cell phone, and we've been there enough times I think she knew the park better than I do! . Last year they were 16 & 20, and decided to go to Epcot and we met them there later in the day. I probably would have let them do it at a younger age...they're smart and old enough to be wary of stranger danger, and know to keep to WDW transport. In a pre-cellphone world I probably wouldn't.

 

[4xmom]

When I was 12, I was allowed to walk my brother and 2 friends that were younger than me down the side of the road and across the parking lot to get into the stadium for college football games. Different times. However, with WDW I feel like that bubble might still be there. I know that dh and I sat in a central location and waved to the kids as they went back and forth between RnR and ToT.

 

[Gracie09]

Your child is 17. In a year he or she will be an adult. But you don't trust them to go to a theme park alone? What magically happens at 18 that makes it all ok?

The world is no more dangerous now than thirty years ago. The media just reports every little thing complete with shocking headlines.

 

[mickeyschickie]

Although nobody usually considers these things rationally your children are more likely to be struck by lightning on their way to the park than to be abducted.

I'd be more worried that if they're too young they'll end up doing something like getting lost.

funny you would say that, back in 1994, my hubby (then boyfriend) and I were almost struck by lightning trying to get from the MK to the Contemporary boat launch to beat a storm to Fort Wilderness, we got totally soaked, almost hit by lightning a couple of times, stuck on a bus (cause the boats were closed by the storm, lol) and had a good laugh about the massive crowd we had to fight our way through to get out of the park, think 4th of July, saving a seat for the nighttime parade, I cannot imagine that crowd in the downpour we experienced

this was the only place in the world that my parents would let us go at it alone as teenagers, I wouldn't let my daughter right now- she is almost 12, but a bit of a flake and isn't responsible enough to check in or meet us on a regular basis, but in a couple of years, with a friend or her sister, they are free to go

 

[Lucky4me]

If the only concern is stranger danger,
17 is more than old enough to navigate WDW alone without any worry.
The world hasn't changed all that much since 83. lol

I let my 12 yo dd along with her 11 yo cousin in the parks alone in 98 and I would do it again today.

 

[surferdave]

The biggest difference in our world today is more irrational fear. People are more afraid of their kids encountering a child abductor than they are of them getting in a car accident, even though that probably has a greater probability by a factor of 100000 or so.

 

[chapie1968]

I also think the situation between myself and my brother and my son and daughter are very different.

1- we were two boys, and we got along much better. Even in Disney World teenage brothers and sisters find a way of irritating the heck out of each other and fighting

2- back in 83, there was only MK and EPCOT. MK was easy because, as I said we were at Fort Wilderness and it was only a boat ride away. Maybe my hesitance is because of how large WDW has become. I know it's easy to keep track with cell phones and such but if something were to happen(get lost, ect..) and we were on property without a vehicle it would take much longer to get to them.

 

[Mome Rath]

WDW was a place where my brother and I got to experience gradually more and more freedoms, even in the age of no cellphones. Knowing our way around our hotels, the parks, and meetup spots was good practice for the "real world." As long at the "kids" are aware enough to stick to a certain area, or a certain park, or to stick with WDW transportation, and have correct social manners (there are some kids that never know what a "stranger" is, and that is a problem) then they should be fine, as there are no self or friend-driven motor vehicles involved... and they can't buy alcohol on their own.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Knowing what I was like when I was younger, if I had teenagers I'd be far more concerned about the trouble they would get into on their own, not the potential pedophiles lurking in the shadows.

 

[kmc]

In the early 80's my brother and I always use to take the monorail by ourselves back and forth from the contemporary to the parks. We were 10 and 8. Our parents would meet us a little later. we also liked to leave the parks earlier to play in that arcade. i loved that place as a kid, it seemed bigger than life at the time. I remember feeling so cool and independent now I would of never let my son do that at those ages

 

[Gracie09]

I also think the situation between myself and my brother and my son and daughter are very different.

1- we were two boys, and we got along much better. Even in Disney World teenage brothers and sisters find a way of irritating the heck out of each other and fighting

2- back in 83, there was only MK and EPCOT. MK was easy because, as I said we were at Fort Wilderness and it was only a boat ride away. Maybe my hesitance is because of how large WDW has become. I know it's easy to keep track with cell phones and such but if something were to happen(get lost, ect..) and we were on property without a vehicle it would take much longer to get to them.

Wouldn't your teenagers know that of they need help to find a cast member? My four year olds know that. In the very unlikely event of a true emergency I am sure Disney would contact you and provide transportation.
What are you going to do when your 17 year old goes to college or gets a job? They will have to navigate all by themselves.

 

[mjkacmom]

I would let my kids do that - my parents let me take the monorail to WDW from CR by myself at 10. I'd be very comfortable with teens of any age heading over without us.

ETA at 15/16 my kids were able to take public transportation to NYC or the shore without adults.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I also think the situation between myself and my brother and my son and daughter are very different.

1- we were two boys, and we got along much better. Even in Disney World teenage brothers and sisters find a way of irritating the heck out of each other and fighting

2- back in 83, there was only MK and EPCOT. MK was easy because, as I said we were at Fort Wilderness and it was only a boat ride away. Maybe my hesitance is because of how large WDW has become. I know it's easy to keep track with cell phones and such but if something were to happen(get lost, ect..) and we were on property without a vehicle it would take much longer to get to them.

Comparing apples to apples, Magic Kingdom is the same size it was in 1983. You didn't get lost taking the boat between FW and MK 30 years ago, there's no reason to expect your children will either. Once in the park, even if they were to get separated neither would be lost; they'd still be in a single park.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

The biggest difference in our world today is more irrational fear. People are more afraid of their kids encountering a child abductor than they are of them getting in a car accident, even though that probably has a greater probability by a factor of 100000 or so.

And all of us nervous parents have to conquer our fears, irrational or not, to let our children learn independence, self-sufficiency, and confidence. If they get lost or hurt, they'll figure out what to do. This is part of becoming an adult, which, as someone said, doesn't just magically happen when you turn a certain age.

 

[karenklo]

Last year our 14 DS and 11 DS asked to go ride SM and then head back to the poly. We wanted to stay for Wishes. We said go and have fun! They looked shocked but off they went! They had a cell and told they called us when they got to the room. It was nice to walk around without the kids! They got to go do what they wanted and leave when they wanted. It was a good experience for them.

 

[tsme]

Every parent has different comfort levels & parents differently. Those who don't feel comfort letting their children roam free at Disney aren't paranoid or irrational. It's a decision that they feel is right. And for the ones who are pointing out that 17 is only a year from 18; it doesn't matter what age your child is, they will always be your baby. My oldest is 22yrs old and I worry about him just as much now as when he was 17. The years make no difference, I will continue to worry about him for the rest of my life. I probably worry more now, because I have no way of protecting him now that he's considered an adult. As for my 11yr old, there's no way I would let her roam free, at home or at Disney. But for those who do allow their children go it alone, that's fine too.