Kid's Club vs Kid's freedom question

[MollieW]

Hello, I'm reposting a thread (I hope this is allowed!) because I wasn't sure I posted it in the right place. So here goes:

I ran into a predicament with trying to plan my family's time at Disney World and give everyone the freedom that they want from each other. I would love to go on a "date" of sorts with my husband at a nicer restaurant at Magic Kingdom or Epcot and have my kids (7 and 11) hang out at the Kids Club. My daughter, however, who will be 12 in a few weeks has been dreading the idea of being "nannied" (as she calls it) and asked me if she and her brother can go around the parks by themselves.

I'm not super sure if that is a good idea, but she is responsible kid. She walks home by herself after school, picks up her brother and babysits him for 2 hours about four times a week. She can also cook dinner for her and her brother by herself. I have let her walk around the mall by herself with her brother while I'm shopping. What she doesn't know is that her cellphone is also a tracking device, and I check her location about every 5 seconds.

So, knowing all this, should I let them walk around Epcot or Magic Kingdom for two hours? I have no true concept of what the parks will be like and I've seen a huge range of answers to this question on these boards already.

 

[sunflare]

Because she is under 14, you will have to walk her into the parks. However, after that, you can leave them and they can go off by themselves. Personally, if you feel they're responsible, it's your call. It is allowed.

 

[ajwolfe]

So my kids are roughly the same age - I have a 12 year old getting ready to turn 13 in August and a 8 year old. My kids have been in parks several times and have the layout kind of memorized. They are responsible kids and I know they would go where they said they were going. Even though it's not really our thing to leave the kids for dinner while at Disney(although I know soon enough they will want us to lol) that being said I would trust them to ride a few rides over the course of a couple hours for us to have dinner. But I would probably stay in the same park as them just in case or at least a neighboring resort.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

She has to be 14 in order to get into the parks by herself, but if you feel she is responsible which it sounds like she is from what you said, then you could always enter the parks with her and then you and your hubby can go off where ever you want for some alone time and she can be responsible for her and her brother.

 

[tink9702]

Does the 7 year old CONSISTENTLY listen and stay with the older child? If so, I'd consider letting them go around the park in which I was having dinner.

 

[gtpoohbear]

I would let my kids do this at that age, but it really just depends on what you are comfortable with, and what their personalities and maturity levels are. You will need to stay in the same park, but it would not be against Disney's rules for them to be on their own doing rides while you are eating dinner. If they have a cell phone, it will be easy enough to keep tabs on them.

A couple years ago, when they were 11 and 4, we did leave our kids at a kids club for a few hours. My 11 yo definitely felt like she was "too old" to be there, since all the other kids were much younger, and the toys and activities were definitely meant for the 8 & under crowd. So I can understand her reluctance.

If you aren't comfortable letting them roam the parks, another option might be to let them have a night in by themselves at the resort and watch a movie, order room service, etc.

 

[MollieW]

My 7 year old does listen to her, but sometimes he can get unruly. This is why I thought being at the park with them would be good. So if there's a problem, I could get there in 5 minutes.

I guess my biggest concern is about the atmosphere at Epcot in the evenings. It seems that it is big with the drinkers. I can't imagine that it would get so crazy that it would cease to be appropriate for children...but I have heard some interesting stories. Thoughts?

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I would let them try it out for an hour or so earlier in the week while you are in the park with them (maybe even trail them). If they do well, let them wander a park. If you go with Epcot as the park, I would tell them to stick to Future World, which would probably be more interesting to them anyway.

 

[gtpoohbear]

My 7 year old does listen to her, but sometimes he can get unruly. This is why I thought being at the park with them would be good. So if there's a problem, I could get there in 5 minutes.

I guess my biggest concern is about the atmosphere at Epcot in the evenings. It seems that it is big with the drinkers. I can't imagine that it would get so crazy that it would cease to be appropriate for children...but I have heard some interesting stories. Thoughts?

I've never seen Epcot get "that bad" with drinkers. There will be some, but it's not the norm, at least not in my experience. Maybe very late at night it might get to be problematic, but if you do an earlier dinner I think it will be okay. And FW should be fine for sure, so you could tell them to stay in that area if you are worried.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

My 7 year old does listen to her, but sometimes he can get unruly. This is why I thought being at the park with them would be good. So if there's a problem, I could get there in 5 minutes.

I guess my biggest concern is about the atmosphere at Epcot in the evenings. It seems that it is big with the drinkers. I can't imagine that it would get so crazy that it would cease to be appropriate for children...but I have heard some interesting stories. Thoughts?

Even if Epcot gets some "drinkers" I would think the majority would be in world showcase, lol...I don't think your kids would want to stick it out in world showcase, if I was a kid I would be over where the rides were lol

 

[Mitzicat]

Even if Epcot gets some "drinkers" I would think the majority would be in world showcase, lol...I don't think your kids would want to stick it out in world showcase, if I was a kid I would be over where the rides were lol

Agree... I would think the kids would want to be on the Future World side. where the rides are. Agree to meet them at a specific spot after your dinner that way they aren't alone the entire time. Plus you said you use her cell phone as a tracking device. You can check on them as you go. If you feel comfortable then go for it. San Angel inn...can be very romantic!

 

[tobikaye]

What if you do not make any FP+ for earlier that day and schedule the kids for their FP+ that evening. Then they have set places to go during your evening. They would still have some down time in between their FP+ times.

 

[vinotinto]

This is an excellent question, and I suspect depends a lot on the kids. The 12-year old is old enough and would probably be bored at the Kids Club, but the 7-year old may not have the maturity to follow the 12-year old.

I'll share my story. Mine will be 11 (almost 12) and 9 the next time we go. The last time we went to WDW, they were 10 and 8. I signed them up for the lilo's club at Poly (where we were staying) so DH and I could do a monorail tour. The 10-year old did not want to go to Lilo's and told the CM there at checking. She dealt very well with him. She said there are video games and snacks and he could come in and check it out before she would sign him in. It was his choice. He went in, and saw the video games and came back and said it was OK, he would stay. But, I suspect that next time we go, he really won't want to go.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think if you avoid EP on Friday and Saturday nights, you would probably be ok. Sticking to FW is a good idea too. i would also suggest telling your 12 year old to simply find a CM and ask for help if they become lost or feel uncomfortable in any way.

 

[DisneyOma]

Because she is under 14, you will have to walk her into the parks. However, after that, you can leave them and they can go off by themselves. Personally, if you feel they're responsible, it's your call. It is allowed.

You can't leave the park though - you'd have to stay in the same park as the kids. Just clarifying.

 

[asheleycs]

What if you do not make any FP+ for earlier that day and schedule the kids for their FP+ that evening. Then they have set places to go during your evening. They would still have some down time in between their FP+ times.

Actually, why don't you make the FP+ earlier in the day, then put them in a 120 minute Test Track line right before dinner?

I'd let my 8 and 11 year old stay go off without me in the same park, but probably wouldn't go to another location. I don't think anything would happen to them, but I could totally see one of them getting hurt in some mundane way and then it taking me 30 minutes to get to them.

 

[Mainemama]

I would either let the two oldest (or one) stay in the hotel room or go into and stay in the same park, but eat with their knowledge of where to find you. Have I witnessed behavior (mostly language issues) that I do not want my kids exposed to? Yes, and I have been able to remove them from the situation. I wouldn't want my own kids navigating that without me in a couple of years. (My oldest is 10.) so, I would probably lean towards the hotel and a movie in the room option, but then again, my DH and I never do a date night on vacation, so I may be the wrong person to ask! You will see all kinds of opinions. What are you comfortable with?

 

[Kathryn777]

I'd probably do dinner in the park with my husband instead of going somewhere else. I don't think I'd be comfortable actually leaving.

 

[Shanti]

The 12 year-old should not be expected to be responsible for the 7 year-old. With that configuaration, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I agree that the 11 year old is too old for the Kid's Club. I know I would not feel comfortable with that at all.

I was allowed to go off by myself at that age, but I know I would not want to be responsible for a younger sibling. Is letting them chill at the resort an option? No swimming, but if you got them a few snacks they could hole up in there and watch some television or something. My dad did this often when I was younger and it wasn't all that bad. If they have access to a cell phone, it might work for you.