Observed a scary situation

[mickeynuts]

I was in line for the Dumbo ride and had been chatting with a mommy and her 1 1/2 year old while waiting. Nice lady! Her little girl threw her sip cup and the mommy turned her back just long enough to pick it up and again on the other side of the rope (older looking maybe a grandpa) said Hi to the little girl and asked if she wanted to ride with him. The little girl grabbed his hand and went right with him. The mother turned around and intervened but was very shaken that he would have attempted that. She said her daughter is not afraid of anyone and would go to anyone.
Now this guy may have been the nicest guy in the world but shame on him for even doing anything like that even if he was just joking. The sad part is you don't know if he was. Now mind you I knew who the little girl was with and I would have intervened myself before it went any further had mom not noticed but how scary. You don't know who is out there.
So I guess I just wanted to post not to scare people but to remind people to keep an eye on their little gems and to have the talk with their children about strangers. I just don't think we can do that enough.

 

[eventamy]

Excellent post, thank you for sharing!

I'm a school counselor in my real life and I've found a great video I've shared with my students and my own child and her preschool class. It's called Stranger Safety with Safe Side Superchick.

http://www.thesafeside.com/

I suggest all parents show it to their kids!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Oh my gosh! That is terrible, I can't believe he would do that I can't imagine what would have happened if the mother hadn't intervened in time. You can never trust anyone, even if you are in Disney World. I feel so bad for the mother, she must have been so scared.

 

[PlutosFriend]

Wow! How weird So with this man also in line? Was he with anyone? I am just curious.

 

[mygirl]

YIKES!!! sounds like a creep.
we have been talking about strangers to our 2yo and 4yo since THEY could talk - so important. i can't wait to check out the video link.

as a mom and book lover, i also highly recommend "the berenstain bears talk about strangers". excellent book for young ones that stresses stranger danger without being too scary. we read this one and discuss it at least weekly...

 

[DVC Jen]

Wow! That is terrifying. I am surprised the Mom didn't go ballistic on that man.

Great reminder that danger lurks everywhere - and probably more so at Disney - a place that is crawling with children than most of us even want to think about.

I sincerely hope that man was not a danger to the child - but come on.... really sends up the red flags.

 

[swald91]

Hopefully people who let their children go on rides alone read this!!!! My daughter is 11 & son 7 -I think as long as they are together-they are safe-especially in our sight. We let them do the tea cups last trip alone-the 2 of them . After reading this-I don't think I'll let them stand in line alone anymore!! THANKS for the info!!!

 

[GovieMom]

I'm a school counselor in my real life

So, what are you in your pseudo life?

 

[MOREMICKEYFORME]

Even at Disney- danger lurks...
We stayed at Pop a few years back when my daughters were 10 and 11. We went to the gift shop as a family, but the girls wanted to look in another section together. I figured (like the abover poster) that they were old enough to walk around the same store with us, just in a different section. After about 5 minutes I heard my husband starting a fight with someone. I ran around the corner to see my husband blocking the escape of an 18 year old guy. My 11 YO daughter was crying and she said the 18 YO guy had walked behind her and placed her into a corner by walking very close behind her. He didn't push her in the corner, but his much larger presence moved her there. (My 11 YO DD is EXTREMELY short) My 10 YO daughter went to get my husband and when my husband got there, the 18 YO guy was reaching out to touch under her skirt. She was frozen with fear in the corner.
Security came over to help out and the guy claimed to not understand the language (he was from Canada) and his Grandmother (who brought him on the trip as a graduation gift) had very broken english. After a 2+ hour private meeting between police and the 18YO, they came into another room to tell us that the guy finally admitted that he hadn't yet touched my daughter, but he very much wanted to, so he could "get off". We didn't file charges because of the location (we are in VT and the guy from Canada) and the police stated that he didn't actually touch my daughter before he was caught by my husband.
Disney kicked him and his grandmother off the property and they moved us to POR. My daughter was not physically hurt, but she was emotionally distraught, Disney moved us all and our bags, they had dinner arranged for us at POR, so we could just go to POR and then to bed. We learned that we never leave them alone!!! Just because we are on vacation, doesn't mean the predators aren't either!

 

[Mrs. Pookie]

Even at Disney- danger lurks...
We stayed at Pop a few years back when my daughters were 10 and 11. We went to the gift shop as a family, but the girls wanted to look in another section together. I figured (like the abover poster) that they were old enough to walk around the same store with us, just in a different section. After about 5 minutes I heard my husband starting a fight with someone. I ran around the corner to see my husband blocking the escape of an 18 year old guy. My 11 YO daughter was crying and she said the 18 YO guy had walked behind her and placed her into a corner by walking very close behind her. He didn't push her in the corner, but his much larger presence moved her there. (My 11 YO DD is EXTREMELY short) My 10 YO daughter went to get my husband and when my husband got there, the 18 YO guy was reaching out to touch under her skirt. She was frozen with fear in the corner.
Security came over to help out and the guy claimed to not understand the language (he was from Canada) and his Grandmother (who brought him on the trip as a graduation gift) had very broken english. After a 2+ hour private meeting between police and the 18YO, they came into another room to tell us that the guy finally admitted that he hadn't yet touched my daughter, but he very much wanted to, so he could "get off". We didn't file charges because of the location (we are in VT and the guy from Canada) and the police stated that he didn't actually touch my daughter before he was caught by my husband.
Disney kicked him and his grandmother off the property and they moved us to POR. My daughter was not physically hurt, but she was emotionally distraught, Disney moved us all and our bags, they had dinner arranged for us at POR, so we could just go to POR and then to bed. We learned that we never leave them alone!!! Just because we are on vacation, doesn't mean the predators aren't either!

Oh my gosh, that is so scary!! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, especially on vacation!

 

[andymattmom]

Scary thing! Hopefully these things will make parents open their eyes that things can happen even at Disney. Last week at Epcot there were children (I saw a girl of about 6) playing in the fountains (water shooting up from the ground by the bridge) in their underwear. I was shocked- in passing I said to my hubby there could be pervs around watching. Granted the parents were right there, but come on kids should be fully clothed at Disney. Yes, it is hot but go to a cool place and sit or go back to the hotel to the pool. Or if you know your child wants to get wet wear a suit under the clothes, bring a dry pair of undies and after playing in the fountain go the the restroom and change.

 

[nhl66pens]

Wow, those are some eye-openers!!! THANKS! And thank God your husband got there in time. That has to be my (and any parents) worst nightmare.

 

[DanMedix]

I'm surprised your husband didn't kill him. I hope I'm never placed in that situation. Kudos for you guys, and for the CM's that helped you. My biggest hope is that the 18-yr old pedo-hoodlum thinks twice before doing that again. Too bad you didn't get pictures of the guy to throw all over the internet, saying he's a pedophile....

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I'm surprised the mom in the OP's story didn't insist on calling security. A quick background check might have netted them a pedophile, or it might have scared the crap out of an old man. Either way, I'd be willing to take the chance.

 

[kmaclou]

It scares me how naive some parents are. I think they are too trusting because it's Disney and they don't think bad things happen.

I had a situation happen when I was at DL without my family (out there on business) and a grandmother deposited her grandson in my car with me on Buzz Lightyear. She didn't know me from a hole in the wall. And she and the child's great-grandmother ended up about six cars behind me.

In the course of the ride, unsolicited he told me his name, his age (seven) his hotel, where they were from...all sorts of things. When we got, I felt obligated to wait for his family because I didn't just want to leave a 7 year old by himself. BUT...he wanted to leave and go ride stuff with me. Had I been a dishonest person,he would have willingly left with me and they would have never found us.

I told the CM waiting there that his family just left him with me, a total stranger. She and I discussed it in total disbelief. She said people send their small children on that ride all the time unsupervised.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

Wow That is scary especially the 11 yo girl.We can never be too careful.

 

[np4gp]

Scary thing! Hopefully these things will make parents open their eyes that things can happen even at Disney. Last week at Epcot there were children (I saw a girl of about 6) playing in the fountains (water shooting up from the ground by the bridge) in their underwear. I was shocked- in passing I said to my hubby there could be pervs around watching. Granted the parents were right there, but come on kids should be fully clothed at Disney. Yes, it is hot but go to a cool place and sit or go back to the hotel to the pool. Or if you know your child wants to get wet wear a suit under the clothes, bring a dry pair of undies and after playing in the fountain go the the restroom and change.

I have to agree with you on this. I have a 2 year old and I have been guilty of letting him run around the fountains in just his swim diaper - until I watched part of Oprah's recent show on live child porn websites and such. People are committing sex acts on INFANTS!!! My stomach turned multiple times and I had to turn it off. I have witnessed children of various ages playing in the fountains with just underwear on and I have always worried about the danger of some creep lurking and watching. Even the thought of someone looking at a child in the wrong way makes me want to scratch their eyes out. This past Sunday, my son wore a swim diaper and a long t-shirt...lol...I know it is hot down here in Florida but most kids don't care what they are wearing, just so long as they get to play in the water.

 

[mickeynuts]

As far as the guy in line with us....he appeared to be with an older lady that was just laughing about it. It is so hard to tell who is with who and had I not talked to the Mom prior I would not have known that the little didn't know this guy (maybe it was Grandpa). However, I had talked to her and she told me where they were from, etc.

Anyway, as far as calling security. I think she was just so shocked it happened that she didn't know how to react. She was very shaken. It bothered me as well but really bothered me more as the day went on and I thought about it. I had the very thought that what a great place it would be for those sickos to come and lurk. The whole place is filled with kids. You would like to think they wouldn't come to Disney but unfortunately it IS probably a place they come!!

I think the key thing is just to watch, watch, watch your kids!!!!! I know my older ones would like more freedom and feel that I smother them in a place like that but it is my job to do that and someday they will understand. Especially when they have little ones of their own.

 

[eventamy]

So, what are you in your pseudo life?

A Disney "Fan"atic!

 

[Mom2Rae]

Years ago I worked with this girl that told me a terrible story ~ Her brother and SIL took their 3ish year old daughter to Disney and they were looking at goodies at one of the carts...they turned for a minute and when they turned back the little girl was gone. They immediately informed a CM who sent out word all over the park...since there is only one way in MK the parents were told to go to the exit and look at the FACE if every child leaving...just the face. Sure enough..a couple of hours later a man was carrying their daughter out and he had already cut and dyed her hair and changed her clothes. Just terrible. Ever since I heard that story it scared me so much that my now eight year old has never been in a bathroom without me. Not even a school or Brownie field trip.

Anything can happen anywhere.