Magic Bands and Lost Parents

[JillianLeigh]

I was planning on buying safety ID stickers off Etsy with his name and our contact for DS to wear in the parks in case he happens to get lost. He will be 3, has ASD, and has very limited verbal communication skills. If he willingly will wear his Magic Band, can CMs use this to pull up our phone number, names, etc?

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

I was planning on buying safety ID stickers off Etsy with his name and our contact for DS to wear in the parks in case he happens to get lost. He will be 3, has ASD, and has very limited verbal communication skills. If he willingly will wear his Magic Band, can CMs use this to pull up our phone number, names, etc?

I was wondering about this too---especially as the bands have the ability to track where in the parks the wearer is, will Disney CMs access a magicband for location info for a parent seeking a lost child?

My DS is also on the spectrum and, although he is now 10 and much more verbal, I worry that if distressed (because he was lost) he would have a hard time remembering our strategies for that scenario and/or communicating to first responders. One thing we do is have him wear an ankle bracelet/medical ID that contains an info strip with names, numbers, allergy info, etc. I've found that having it on his ankle is more successful (in terms of him cooperating with wearing it, as he is more likely to forget about it being there). His is a Velcro adjustable one, comes in bright colours (I like orange, it stands out). Bought it from fiddledeedee ids. Hope that helps!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

the main problem with that is CM's would have to have something that can scan the band for that particular information and also have access to a phone to call you as well then it comes down to what CMs are allowed to do it attractions? Security? Guest relations?

 

[Gracie09]

I do not believe average cm have that ability. You can write you phone number on his magic band with a sharpie. They als make temporary tattoos if her tolerates them. They can be customized with a phone number (we Use safety tat) you can make a dog tag necklace if he will wear a necklace.

 

[gap2368]

I believe if a child is lost and they can not locate a parent then the child is taken to the baby care place and if a parent can not find a child that is where the parent is told to go

 

[SueM in MN]

The Disney parks have very good procedures for dealing with 'lost parents' (CMs have said they never say the kids are lost because kids stay more calm if they think their parents are the 'lost' ones. Plus, from the child's point of view, the child is not lost, he/she knows where they are).

From what I have seen, CMs with scanners have access only to the information they need to do their jobs. So, a CM at an attraction scanner may only have access to the name and the Fastpasses.
As a previous poster mentioned, kids who have lost their parents are brought to a central location and lost parents are sent there. They certainly COULD have a reader there and have access to contact information from your account. I'm not sure if they do or even if they would use the information because there are a lot of variable - like what phone number is linked to your account. If it's a home number, that wouldn't do any good. Even if it's a cell phone, is the person with that cell phone number with the child at the park today?
With all that, it is probably faster just to send lost parents to the place the child will be brought.

When putting contact information on your child, you may want to think about who it would be visible to. So, you might not want anything that's too easily seen, but also keep in mind that CMs can't remove clothing to find it (you can teach your child to show it).

 

[JillianLeigh]

The Disney parks have very good procedures for dealing with 'lost parents' (CMs have said they never say the kids are lost because kids stay more calm if they think their parents are the 'lost' ones. Plus, from the child's point of view, the child is not lost, he/she knows where they are).

From what I have seen, CMs with scanners have access only to the information they need to do their jobs. So, a CM at an attraction scanner may only have access to the name and the Fastpasses.
As a previous poster mentioned, kids who have lost their parents are brought to a central location and lost parents are sent there. They certainly COULD have a reader there and have access to contact information from your account. I'm not sure if they do or even if they would use the information because there are a lot of variable - like what phone number is linked to your account. If it's a home number, that wouldn't do any good. Even if it's a cell phone, is the person with that cell phone number with the child at the park today?
With all that, it is probably faster just to send lost parents to the place the child will be brought.

When putting contact information on your child, you may want to think about who it would be visible to. So, you might not want anything that's too easily seen, but also keep in mind that CMs can't remove clothing to find it (you can teach your child to show it).

Thanks for the info everyone. The ID stickers I'll order are double layered so the visible layer would say "If I need help, peel off this sticker to reveal contact information." It will be large enough to easily been seen by a CM, worn on his back so he couldn't get to it and take it off.

 

[chartle]

Thanks for the info everyone. The ID stickers I'll order are double layered so the visible layer would say "If I need help, peel off this sticker to reveal contact information." It will be large enough to easily been seen by a CM, worn on his back so he couldn't get to it and take it off.

Do what ever you think you need to do to protect your child but as posted above, a CM will not touch your child.

Also posted above, WDW has a pre technology pre cell phone system that has always reunited parents with their kids.

If a CM has to try to call you it means someone, most likely the parent, has done something wrong like not going to a CM to report their child missing.

 

[gap2368]

Do what ever you think you need to do to protect your child but as posted above, a CM will not touch your child.
.

this is very true a CM will not touch your child they may hold there hand to walk him to the place where they take children's who's parents are lost, but they will not remove look for anything to find the contact information for a parent. if you become lost from your child look around you for your child if it is at night look for a CM holding the green light over there heads horaznal this is what I was told by a CM when I was talking to him before wishes just last week and with in minutes the lost parent was found. and let a CM know right a way this is the fastest way to be reunited with your child

 

[JillianLeigh]

Do what ever you think you need to do to protect your child but as posted above, a CM will not touch your child.

Also posted above, WDW has a pre technology pre cell phone system that has always reunited parents with their kids.

If a CM has to try to call you (which , someone most likely the parent, has done something wrong like not going to a CM to report their child missing.

Obviously I hope no one will ever have to use the information, and I wouldn't be sitting around twiddling my fingers waiting for a phone call from someone saying they found my son, but I still want it there as a precaution. As a former CM before My Magic + was implemented, I have lots of experience with lost parents and know many of the procedures CMs take when they come across a child who's parents have gone missing. I feel like the information on the ID tag will let CMs know that my child has difficulty communicating verbally as well as his name. The phone number may help another guest who may not hand my child over to a CM and decide to try to find me or my husband on their own.

I was just curious to know if Magic Bands could be used in the event a child lost his or her parents. Especially if the child has to be taken across the park to a baby care center or other location.

 

[chartle]

I was just curious to know if Magic Bands could be used in the event a child lost his or her parents. Especially if the child has to be taken across the park to a baby care center or other location.

This has been discussed a few times and yes at some point if a parent can't be found using the above procedure I'm assuming that they would look up your info and try to call you but my thought is this would be the last thing they would do before calling the authorities and like I posted something would have had to wrong with the current system. If a kids is taken to the baby care center any CM will tell you thats were they wer taken.

Also its been asked if they could track your child. The issue here is how many long range (about 10 feet) readers do they have around the park? Right now they are used to see what areas of the park you go to for historical data mining purposes. I doubt they could pull up a map or some other screen that said your child is in quadrant 6 next to Small World or however they would say it.

They would need readers in a mesh pattern every 20 feet or so and I just don't think Disney thinks it necessary to do this.

 

[lizard1]

They do have the ability to find your phone number and call you by using the information from the magic band. At what point they do it, I'm not sure. I know my mom was in GS at DHS last month and she said a lady came in looking for her child. She said that she was so proud because the child must have remembered and given them her phone number as they had talked about before the trip. She was told that her child didn't do that, that they got her information from the magic band. So, I'm not sure how long the parents had been missing at that point, or where the parents had gone missing, or at what point the child arrived at GS, but they are capable of locating a parent by that means if necessary.....just make sure that you are using your cell phone number (or a number that you can be reached at while in the parks) on your account, because it won't do any good if they are trying to call a number you are unavailable at while on vacation.

 

[chartle]

They do have the ability to find your phone number and call you by using the information from the magic band. ....

If this is the case and you lose a child remember to take your phone out of what ever it in and hold it.

My phone is in an open style holster case on my belt with the ringer all the way up and with vibration on and I've never heard it ring while in a park.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Do not rely solely on the magic bands.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Do not rely solely on the magic bands.

exactly the best thing to do if your get separated from your child is speak to a cm immediately and ind check at the baby care center in the park.

 

[halssister]

My son is 13 with ASD and fairly verbal, but he doesn't always have access to his words, especially when he is stressed out. I plan on laminating a card with his name, our names (DH and I) and both our cell numbers, and putting something like "I have autism and may not be able to speak right now. If I give you this card, I may need help finding my parents!" Hanging it from his belt loop by a hook. Then reminding him many times to give the card to someone with a name tag if he can't find us. I'm hoping that will work in case we get separated - it's tough because he "looks" like any regular teenager and likely wouldn't draw attention like a little,one wandering around alone would!

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

My son is 13 with ASD and fairly verbal, but he doesn't always have access to his words, especially when he is stressed out. I plan on laminating a card with his name, our names (DH and I) and both our cell numbers, and putting something like "I have autism and may not be able to speak right now. If I give you this card, I may need help finding my parents!" Hanging it from his belt loop by a hook. Then reminding him many times to give the card to someone with a name tag if he can't find us. I'm hoping that will work in case we get separated - it's tough because he "looks" like any regular teenager and likely wouldn't draw attention like a little,one wandering around alone would!

I really like this advice! I tell DS to find a lady with a name tag or a police officer if he needs help finding Mom. We talk about this every morning on our way to the parks, and when we get there I point out places where CMs are stationed (in shops, restaurants, attraction entrances...). I hope that all our dress rehearsals stick with him if he ever were to become separated from us.

One thing I remember when planning my first trip to Disney is that there are a couple of restrooms (wish I could remember where!) that have entrances/exits from both ends. So a parent could end up waiting by one door expecting the child to come out on that side but the child might have gone out the other side. We use family/assisted restrooms wherever possible, but if there isn't one available, we make sure that one of the members of our party is waiting for DS when he exits the stall.

 

[Missyrose]

I was just curious to know if Magic Bands could be used in the event a child lost his or her parents. Especially if the child has to be taken across the park to a baby care center or other location.

It is Disney's policy to not use Magic Bands for this purpose. From CM I've spoken with, it's a liability issue. If parents were to start relying on the Magic Bands to locate lost kids and the system failed (the band failed, the info glitched, etc.) that would be on Disney.

 

[stitchlovestink]

This has been discussed a few times and yes at some point if a parent can't be found using the above procedure I'm assuming that they would look up your info and try to call you but my thought is this would be the last thing they would do before calling the authorities and like I posted something would have had to wrong with the current system. If a kids is taken to the baby care center any CM will tell you thats were they wer taken.

Also its been asked if they could track your child. The issue here is how many long range (about 10 feet) readers do they have around the park? Right now they are used to see what areas of the park you go to for historical data mining purposes. I doubt they could pull up a map or some other screen that said your child is in quadrant 6 next to Small World or however they would say it.

They would need readers in a mesh pattern every 20 feet or so and I just don't think Disney thinks it necessary to do this.

Actually the long range reader technology Disney has in place can read from as far away as 30 feet not 10.
But Disney has not disclosed where exactly it has placed readers. We guests don't really know where the readers are.

 

[Plaid Princess]

the main problem with that is CM's would have to have something that can scan the band for that particular information and also have access to a phone to call you as well then it comes down to what CMs are allowed to do it attractions? Security? Guest relations?

Guest Relations would be the only CM's in the park with access to see that much info, and then they'd only be able to access it from a computer with access to the resort systems (City Hall, etc). Baby care (Lost Kids) wouldn't have that kind of access, and neither group would be likely to use it anyway for privacy reasons.

The best thing I ever saw a parent use when I was a CM were Safety Tats; particularly for non-verbal kids!

But keep in mind, CM's are trained to watch for kids who are lost, as they usually do not seek out help (WDW is loud and scary when you can't find mom and dad). The important thing to remember (just like you tell your kids) is to stay put if you get separated from your child. CM's are going to quickly sweep the area looking for Lost Parents before they take the child to Lost Kids, and it's harder to find parents on the move!