need help feeling comfortable leaving kids at oceaneers club

[pjmjsj]

Hi there- I would love to leave my kids- 5 and 7- at the oceaneer's club one evening so that we could go to Remy. They aren't in day care and we usually use family for babysitting. It's not a problem with the kids to be left there- I'm sure they would love it...it's just me and my husband that are nervous. How safe is the club? Are the kids all in a group setting or do counselors take kids out individually at times for projects? Are the counselors screened so that there are no people working that really don't like kids? It would be great if there was supervision both of the children and of the counselors. I guess I just need to feel comfortable that the kids would be ok. Any info or experiences you have would be great. thanks!

 

[AmandaRG]

Hi there- I would love to leave my kids- 5 and 7- at the oceaneer's club one evening so that we could go to Remy. They aren't in day care and we usually use family for babysitting. It's not a problem with the kids to be left there- I'm sure they would love it...it's just me and my husband that are nervous. How safe is the club? Are the kids all in a group setting or do counselors take kids out individually at times for projects? Are the counselors screened so that there are no people working that really don't like kids? It would be great if there was supervision both of the children and of the counselors. I guess I just need to feel comfortable that the kids would be ok. Any info or experiences you have would be great. thanks!

Your kids will be fine. While there is never 100% guarantee that nothing could ever happen, DH and I have felt that Disney has done a fabulous job with the clubs! The counselors are great with the kids, and as far as your kids' ages, they don't leave the club or the lab without you. There is a password that you have to give, along with your kttw card. Their bracelets are scanned when they come in and when they leave, so they know which side the kids are on.

Enjoy your dinner. There is an open house the first day, so you would be able to go and check it out.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Hi there- I would love to leave my kids- 5 and 7- at the oceaneer's club one evening so that we could go to Remy. They aren't in day care and we usually use family for babysitting. It's not a problem with the kids to be left there- I'm sure they would love it...it's just me and my husband that are nervous. How safe is the club? Are the kids all in a group setting or do counselors take kids out individually at times for projects? Are the counselors screened so that there are no people working that really don't like kids? It would be great if there was supervision both of the children and of the counselors. I guess I just need to feel comfortable that the kids would be ok. Any info or experiences you have would be great. thanks!

The club and Lab are very very safe!
To answer a couple of your questions:

Counselors never take a child on their own out of those environments.
There are other counselors ALWAYS present so one on one contact outside of those environments if they go to another space for an activity.
All DCL crew members have to undertake a criminal background check before employment, and YAC's (youth activity councelors) have a very vigorous interview process with their previous work and qualifications checked out fully and scrutinized.
It would be great if the counselors were supervised by someone, but who would supervise them then?! lol! So your children will have counselors supervising each other, and there are lot's of counselors around all the time.
The kid's can't just walk out, they have to be checked out by a parent/guardian or another nominated person when you sign them up for the club/lab.

Any non YAC CM that has to enter the spaces is monitored by the YAC's, and used to be closely followed.

Hope that helps a bit!

Ex Techie

 

[newbie2011]

I too had reservations before our cruise on the dream. I have a 3 yr old and she loved the clubs. I would drop her off and check in every so often (without her knowing). She was always in a group of 5-7 kiddos of similar ages. There were 1-2 adults in each area and they were calling children by name to get attention. I was impressed with the quality of programing.

 

[paraflier]

I have to agree with the previous posters. The counselors in the clubs are fantastic. There is no way any of them doesn't really like kids, they quickly learn their names and are very engaged with them. Sometimes they'll be doing a quiet activity with just 1 counselor and other times there will be a big group playing games. At night they have quieter activities, usually a movie playing with mats for the kids to lay on. 1 night we picked up our boys and they were snuggled up with a counselor (nothing creepy!) and she was reading them a story. Go enjoy your dinner, the kids will be having a blast without mom and dad and if they're like our boys they won't want to leave when it's time.

 

[Joshecho]

If I may add another info, you are given a beeper just in case something happen and the counselors will beep you immediately. When I left my two kids at the lab or club they enjoyed it and made friends with other kids. When leaving your kids at lab or club, make sure to pick a schedule where dinner will be served. I believe it usually alternates-1 night at the lab and then next night at the club, this way kids won't get hungry while you enjoy dinner at Remy.

 

[jetskigrl]

Are your children currently in a school setting? If so, it is a lot like that (except it is all fun and there is no homework ). There will be everything from large group activities to one-on-one interactions, depending on the time and how busy the club is.

They will not take your kids out of the club without your knowledge and there are always multiple CMs in the area. I have seen large groups of organized activities (many kids with multiple CMs), kids playing on their own, a CM sitting with two kids in the kitchen area doing an activity, a CM playing cards with one child while others played in the same room on their own, etc.

My DS loved the clubs and I was totally comfortable leaving him there

 

[pjmjsj]

FANTASTIC!!! Thank you so much for the quick replies. Now I can continue to drool over the Remy menu!

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

If I may add another info, you are given a beeper just in case something happen and the counselors will beep you immediately

The Wave phones (cordless phones that are assigned to your Stateroom) have replaced the beepers, so if you have kid's in the club make sure you carry your Wave phone with you so you can be contacted if they want you!

Ex Techie

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I stay home with my children, they've never been in daycare, and we don't use babysitters (grandmother and close friends have watched them). I was also a little worried about leaving my DD, who was 3 our first time, in the kids' club. The first time she was in there either DH or I checked on her about once an hour. But on the second day all of us were very comfortable with it! The bracelets, wave phones, the check in and out system, and especially the counselors made me feel like my daughter was very safe - and she had a ball!

 

[wls23]

We were very reluctant as well. The first night she wanted to go, we dropped her off and went up to the deck to get a drink. I can vividly remember us sitting there at the table with the beeper in our hands checking it every ten seconds. We hung out on the deck for about an hour. No page. We started to think something was wrong with the beeper. A short while after we got the "page" that she wanted us to come back. We left our drinks and ran to the club. Wen we finally found her in the club we told her that we got the page and asked her if she was ready to leave. She then turned to us and said she didn't want to leave. She only paged us bc she wanted us to see the picture she had created on the computer. After she showed us she then told us to leave and come back later. Classic.

I will say this...shortly after our cruise we vacationed at an all inclusive in Mexico. One of the reasons we had selected this particular resort was bc of all the rave reviews on the kids club. One day we decided to check it out. I was appalled. Never in a million years would I have left my child there. I guess after seeing the way Disney has put together their clubs I've become spoiled.

Lesson learned....no one does it like Disney. Your children will have a great time. And after the first night you will feel comfortable as well! Enjoy