Sister and niece abandoned at MK

[Rosered]

I just got off the phone a little while ago with one of my DSis who spoke to my younger DSis who is at MK at this moment. She is with my 3 year old niece, it's my niece's first time at Disney. My DSis went to Florida to spend the week with an old friend and her family and they told her they'd take them to MK. So today, the day before my DSis comes home, they go and after from what I gathered they kept running off on my DSis everytime they were suppose to help her do a parent swap. Then they were suppose to be at the monorails to go to another park (not sure which one, I think DHS) and when my sister arrived at the monorail they were already gone. She is alone at MK with my niece, her phone was dying as she was talking with my other DSis, and she has no way to reach her friends or to get back to their house. She was hysterical on the phone. I wish she would have called me, I would have told her to head to Main Street City Hall, I'm sure they would help her but as of now I have no idea what she did next. I'm trying not to worry but I can't help to think of my poor niece, she is probably exhausted and scared seeing her mother so upset.

Anyway, I'm sure things will turn out fine. I guess if your gonna be abandoned it might as well be at Disney. I just wanted to vent a little. How could her friends do this to her and especially to my niece. I'm sure they just wanted to have their own fun, but they live in Florida and go to Disney all the time and they know my DSis has no way of getting home and that her phone was dying. Why did they offer to take her, in fact they insisted on her visiting them and promised to take them to MK, if they were just going to abandon them there? I so wanted my niece's first time at Disney to be magical and I'm afraid it's going to end up being a nightmare.

 

[Ktharee]

Very strange "friends". I hope things turn out alright. Let us know.

 

[cattrix]

Your poor family, I would have totally freaked out too. Where did they park at, maybe she can meet them at the car?

What is wrong with people???

 

[silverarrowknits]

I hope everything works out! That was horrible of her friends to dump her like that! Granted I don't like being tour guide to people at WDW, but if I volunteer to take them, I stay with them! With Easter around the corner, I wouldn't leave newbie Disney people in a crowded MK.

 

[Corryn]

I'm really sorry to hear about this....What a way to start the week.
Yes, it is Disney, and it's the best place to get left behind at, but when you're a stranger in a strange land and you don't know the "neighborhood" and you're basically at the mercy of your host, I can imagine it being a bad feeling.
And when your DSis see's her friends before she leaves to come home, there's going to be trouble, I'm sure
What rotten friends, really rotten.
I hope she has some cash or credit cards so she can get around or over to the airport. I'll be praying for her tonight.

BTW, I'm a Bronx Girl, too - Throggs Neck. Moved out to the Island when I got married 16 years ago (seems like yesterday!)

 

[Shir Kahn]

Luckily, WDW is about the safest place a child could be abandoned! Hope everything turns out well!

 

[Rosered]

She actually stayed at her friend's house all week and they were traveling to MK by car so if that means they probably picked up the car at the TTC and took it over to DHS which means she can't meet them at the car. She is suppose to come home tomorrow, all her stuff is at their house and she is suppose to travel back with her friend's sister so I don't know what will happen now. She doesn't have any credit cards and I don't think she had much money on her, her friend told her to just come down to Florida and not worry about needing a lot of money that they would help her with everything(not a very smart move to depend on other like this and to travel with barely any money but that's a whole other thread). Hopefully this will teach her a lesson. She's know this "friend" her whole life and they've always had problems with her "friend' criticizing her, or be very judgemental or getting upset if my sister didn't do exactly what she wanted her to do. She would also always offer to do favors for my sister then rub her nose in it. Don't have any idea why she bothered to go see her but I guess she really wanted to take my niece to Disney and couldn't pass up this chance. Really poor judgement on her part.



Thanks for all the kind words.

"Corryn: BTW, I'm a Bronx Girl, too - Throggs Neck. Moved out to the Island when I got married 16 years ago (seems like yesterday!)"


Always nice to meet a fellow Bronx Diser. I'm born and raised in the Bronx. - Fordham/Pelham section.

 

[Jillpie]

Wow, a very scary situation for her tonight! Any update? If she got a taxi, is there a way for her to get inside the house by herself? Let us know what happens to her, ok? good luck!

 

[Matt71]

How far away do her friend's live from MK? Does she have the address? if they live in the area, she could always take a cab if she has to. If she doesn't have the money, the least her "friend's could do is pick up the cab fare when she gets dropped off.

If her friend's have cell phones I'm sure she could use a park phone to contact them. How is it that she was able to call you, but not them? Splitting up a group like that without some means of communication is absurd in the communication age - doesn't everyone have a cell phone these days?

Another option she may have is that security could probably find out which park her friends are in or at least know if they actually made it to DHS as planned by tracking their park tickets. Maybe I'm giving Disney too much credit, but I think they can probably determine when and where a guest has used their tickets (entering a park, using fast pass, etc.). It would probably be a pain for them, but if she's really frantic they may be willing to go that extra mile for her.

Also, her friend's may be just as frantic about finding her. Even if they are selfish people, they'll want to find her before they leave, so they don't have to wait around. After all, they know she has no way to get back to their house. As long as they both go to park security, they can probably get back together.

 

[StratMan]

I'll be watching for some kind of happy ending here. Imagining my wife and 3yo daughter in a situation like that is heart-breaking. A 3-year-old's first visit to WDW should be joyous and magical, not terrifying and sad. Please give us some good news if and when you get it.

 

[Rosered]

Well DSis called other DSis around midnight and she was back home with them. She couldn't really talk (I guess she didn't want her "Friend" to overhear) so we still don't know what happened but at least they are safe and sound.


Matt71If her friend's have cell phones I'm sure she could use a park phone to contact them. How is it that she was able to call you, but not them? Splitting up a group like that without some means of communication is absurd in the communication age - doesn't everyone have a cell phone these days?

I'm not sure how it was that she contacted my other sister and not them. I guess they weren't picking up their phones and as she was talking to my sister her phone died. Don't think she carried her charger into the park with her.

She comes home today so as soon as I get the full story I'll update again. Thanks for all your responses. It helped to vent and to hear from everyone.

 

[BabyPiglet]

It's good that she's safe home again.

 

[disneydreamin247]

Glad to hear they're okay! That must have been so frightening them as well as you.

 

[eileenv55]

Glad that your family is safe, its awful to feel left alone in a strange place, even if it is Disney.I am sure it ruined what was suppose to be a wonderful time.I just don't understand how a " friend" could do that. Disney is overwhelming even with a game plan, but to be left with the thought that you were at someone elses mercy and have them lose you ( intentionally or not ) is a frightening experience for all involved.I know at the time you must have been devastated for your sister, take care and best reguards to your family.Please keep us posted when you are able to get the scoop from your sister.I am hoping that things weren't too bad for her.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Keep us posted on the update.

Sound like the "friend" lost her just so she can find her.

 

[hygienejean]

Yes keep us posted....that is just awful!

 

[WDSearcher]

I don't quite get why this is such a big deal. Your DSis is an adult, right? Once she got over the shock of not being able to find the people she came with, I would think that she'd simply walk into Guest Relations or up to a Security CM and say, "I seem to have lost my party and my cellphone is dying. Can you help?" She'd have not only gotten help finding the wayward group of "friends" she's with, but depending on what else was going on with this group, she could have received a ride home or other types of assistance, particularly since she was with a toddler.

It sounds as though the sister took the trip to WDW and didn't think it through -- that the group didn't really make any rules or figure out what was going to happen once they got there. I'll be interested to know the whole story, because the part of it here is really just ... odd.

 

[GovieMom]

I'll be interested to know the whole story, because the part of it here is really just ... odd.

I'd like to find out what really happened too, especially the part where they were supposed to meet at the monorail to go to another park. Your sister said when she got there they'd already left. Maybe they hadn't. Perhaps they were running late, and when they couldn't find your sister they were worried as well. Sure would love to know though!

 

[Dina]

OMG--- I'm so glad she's ok, but what kind of people would treat someone like that???? Especially with a 3yo!!!

 

[Ktharee]

Thank goodness everything worked out in the end. I have to tell you, I don't even know you or your sister but this really bothered me last night. Be sure to fill us in on the whole story. I'm hoping she found a way in the end to enjoy the time she had there.