Kid FP Runner

[lovebug33]

You guys are great parents. My mom NEVER would have let me do this at 12. Geez, I'm 33 and my mom is FREAKING out that when I go this summer with work, I'll be spending half a day at Epcot alone. She's asked me not to.

 

[KimK2006]

I would have no problem with it at all.

 

[t_catt11]

You guys are great parents. My mom NEVER would have let me do this at 12. Geez, I'm 33 and my mom is FREAKING out that when I go this summer with work, I'll be spending half a day at Epcot alone. She's asked me not to.

Your mom doesn't want you to go to Epcot alone... and you're 33? dude, time to cut the cord.

 

[Colleen27]

At 12, absolutely I'd have let my oldest do that. He's 13 now and the next trip will be his first where he'll be venturing off without us at times rather than waiting through all of the character greetings we do with the 2yo. After as many trips as we've taken I don't worry about him getting lost, he has his own cell phone if he needs to reach us, and so long as we have pics of the tickets or otherwise note the numbers the worst case scenario is the minor inconvenience of having a forgotten/lost ticket reissued.

 

[imthatgirl]

Send a 12yo to a line to wait? Yeah sure, can't even imagine a reason not to.

 

[BabyFu18]

I have a 12 year old niece and usually all the family travels together in a group, but we would never let her to go the FP machines without at least one of us. There are so many people in the park and it's easy to get turned around, even with a cell phone I think she's to young to be doing that sort of thing on her own (even though she knows the parks well). Not only that, but at that age she could easily run out in front of someone in an ECV or stroller and get hurt or cause a bit of a scuffle. She does love to do the FP runs, so she usually does them but always with an adult.

I'm not that trusting, not of a 12 year old and certainly not of strangers I don't know. I know her parents feel the same way and we all want to have a nice vacation and that includes piece of mind that everyone will be safe so it's just better for us if there is an adult with her for things like that.

I think it's a personal decision though and everyone will feel differently about it.

 

[picktails]

My son's been our fastpass runner since about that age, and now he's 18. When DD was 12 and DS 15 they started doing it together, like a competition. I agree - that's what the kids are for!

 

[DisneyMominMTL]

I wouldn't let my soon to be 12 DD go alone, but I know many kids her age who are very mature and able! Mine has ADD, so if anything fun crosses her path, we're bound to lose her for the day! God knows how much stuff she'd run into between Buzz and Space Montain!

 

[John Paul]

My nine year old DD yes! My 12 year old DS.. HE double hockey sticks no way! He would lose FPS, rm keys, and a shoe by the time he hit Stitch!

 

[sharonabe]

To get your wife to agree to let DD be the runner, you could tell her the other option is for you to run WHILE pushing her in the wheelchair.

 

[abc999]

You should also get copies, at least a photo on a digital camera or something of your tickets, so if they are lost, you can get them replaced at Guest Services.

 

[Kelblum]

Great idea about the lanyard and pouch!

Yes, I let my 12 yo do it in November and he was fine. He knows the parks well and I knew he would be fine. I would have felt more comfortable with the lanyard and pouch though!

 

[tina.tina]

If you're going next week, could they get my FP's, too? My husband is directionally challenged as well. He would also get distracted on the way there or back!

 

[lovebug33]

Your mom doesn't want you to go to Epcot alone... and you're 33? dude, time to cut the cord.

I told her I was going and I didn't care what she thought, but I'd be careful!

 

[dis-happy]

As long as your runner isn't actually RUNNING you're okay.

Teach them to walk quickly through a crowd without knocking little kids and senior citizens over.

 

[lynnebla]

My 10 year old did this just a few weeks ago. He did the TSM run (moved up quite well in the crowd, since he's little and mobile), got FP for PP while we waited at Pooh, Soarin' (so we didn't have to take the whole crew down the stairs) and several others. He knows the parks well, as we've been every year since he was 3, and we never had any problems. He was excited to do it!

 

[Mama Who]

Heck, I'm going to let my 13 year old take his 1 year old sister off alone for a little while, I can certainly trust him with tickets!

It depends on the child but I would hope any kid (barring special needs or circumstances) I raise to the age of 12 will be more than capable of handling a task like that if needed. If your family has multiple cell phones, give the runner one and all should be fine.

 

[Brer Shay]

Here's how I'd do it if it were my kids:
Send both kids with lanyards with clear pouches on them.
The oldest carries the tickets in her lanyard and puts the tickets in the fast pass machine.
The youngest gets the fast passes as they come out of the machine and puts them in her lanyard.
Since both are responsible for just 1 part of the transaction, they'll be more likely to get it right! And since they both have specific jobs, there is less chance of a fight.

I have a nine and twelve year old also. I would go this route also - better than sending only one child. Also, for mine, them being together in a crowded place would be a bonding time - kind of the "us against the world" scenario - and make them less likely to fight.