What age to let kids go off on their own at the water parks

[WendyinNC]

I'm taking my 4 kids (DS2, DS7, DD9, and DD12) to WDW. DH can't come on this trip. The kids really want to go to a water park. However, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to do it. The three older kids swim on a team and DD9 and DD12 are very good swimmers and very mature. At what age do you let your kids go off on their own at the water parks? DS7 is too small for the big slides so I was considering letting the girls stick together and go off on their own while I stayed with the boys. Any thoughts? Although I have been to Disney many times, I haven't been to the water parks in years.

Thanks

 

[hemispheredancer]

Yes, I would let the girls go off together. Perhaps even the 7 y.o. if there are age-appropriate slides. I have DD13 and DS9 and they have gone off together for several years now. DD does like Summit Plummet but DS will not do that. I think if they went off together and she wanted to do that, she would have him wait at the bottom of the slide for her. They are pretty good about looking out for eachother.

 

[WendyinNC]

Do you let the kids have a cell phone so they can get in touch with you? If so, are you worried that it may get stolen? Do you have a set meeting place and time?

 

[Wit]

My DDs have never been to the Disney Waterparks, but we go to the Wilderness Water Park Resort in Wisconsin Dells and my DD10 and DD9 go off to the slides on thier own. They have to tell us what area they are going to, and have to "check in" every 3 slides. There is always one of us at the table we've set up at, or we let them know if we are on the lazy river.

I think if they are responsible, and you set up a plan, they should be ok. Make sure they are well versed in "stranger rules" too.

 

[hemispheredancer]

I don't think the kids would be carrying around a cell phone at the water park, but I do believe they should check in maybe every hour or so. Or tell them they have until XXX time and then they need to come check in.

 

[a1tinkfans]

You're all VERY trusting!
I would not allow my child off on his own at that age especially because its a water park. It takes a moment for an accident to happen, whether due to their negligence or someone elses. Or one decides to go to the bathroom, get a drink, and they're separated. I think that I would allow kids off on their own if I was comfortable thinking I would allow one child off alone by him/her self.
No judgement here, truly, just another opinion.

Whatever you decide, have a FABULOUS time making memories.

 

[angelmom]

We let our so off alone at the Dells too. DD was 7 with her friend and Ds was 10 with his. We also had a table and there was usuallly an adult always there. They did stay in an area at a time, and check in if they were going to a different area, so that we could check on them. Only part I was unsure of was dd in wave pool (tubes can knock you over easily) and then she had to have one of us nearby.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

You're all VERY trusting!
I would not allow my child off on his own at that age

Nope, I couldn't do it either.

 

[_queenie_]

Nope, I couldn't do it either.

Yeah, I've done it on a smaller scale and it was a mistake. We went to Atlantis when my DD13 was 9 and my DS17 was 12 (funny, same ages) and I let them go on the waterslides while I sat very nearby at the pool. They were fine in the long run, but I got really worried after I told them to go on one waterslide and then to come back when I didn't see them for over 45 minutes. I thought they might have gone on more than one slide (or more than once), or even worse (unimaginable), so I went up the stairs way to go ask the lifeguard if he had seen them. It turned out that I had gone about 3/4 the way up the stairs and who did I see standing in line (with dry bathing suits)?

I couldn't believe they were standing in line the whole time! Again, nothing happened but I was so worried!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

And while I'm certainly a water freak (even good swimmers could run into trouble,only takes a few seconds...) but my bigger concern would be wierdos looking to pick up a kid. You'd hope they'd be seen and stopped, but it's not a gamble I'm going to be making with my kids, sorry!

 

[MSSANDRA]

NO WAY.. I would let them do a slide while you waited at the botton but that is about as far as I would go.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Just another thing to think about... I have a 12year old and an 8year old and they wanted to go to a water park when we were there last August. DH is not a water park person so it would have just been me, the 2 boys and DD4. I mulled for a long time over how to do it and couldn't come up with a good answer. You can't carry a cell phone around the water parks. I thought about bringing DD4 to the kiddie area and having them check in with me every few slides. Problem is, at Disney water parks, the kiddie area is far removed from other things so the boys would have spent half their day walking around just to check in with me and I would have spent half my day worrying that they were all right. Although I love water parks and have been to BB, TL and even the old River Country, after mulling it around over and over in my head we decided to stay at a resort with a pool slide and use the extra money for P&P party. Unless you have another adult, I would personally skip it. JMHO

Edited to add: Also, just remembered, Disney rule is children under 10 are not to be alone without an adult in a water park. (It's 7 in the theme parks.) I don't know how strict Disney is but they may not even let them ride the slides without you around.

 

[PA Princess]

We also have 4 kids (ages 3, 7, 12, and 13) and my older 3 also swim on a team (winter and summer). I know the kids swim well (better than many grown ups truthfully), but I still do not think I would be comfortable letting them go off alone.

We have a trip planned for this fall and dh and I have discussed whether we would allow the older 2 (both boys) to go off alone in the water parks, but we are just not comfortable with it. I personally would stick with the resort pools if I was a lone parent on a trip with the kids.

 

[disneynewbee]

I couldn't do it either even if they can swim accidents happen, they could hit their head or something. My dd is 14yo and I haven't felt comfortable with it yet and she can swim well. Maybe on our next trip, maybe not I havent decided yet. I did let her walk around an amusement park this summer with just her friend and we checked on them with the cell phone. It's the water eliment that concerns me.

 

[douglisa]

the two older ones should be fine as long as they both understand that the older one is in charge and they need to stick together @ all times. Not to scare you but a few yrs back there was a mom that allowed their 8 yr old to go into a public restroom by himself. Unfortunatly there was a pedophile hanging out in there. Please make sure they MUST stick together. Maybe you could have the youngest go to one of the child care centers in the park so you can all stick together. Just a thought. Have fun.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My son spent time alone at a water park much younger than that. We went to the Great Wolf Lodge in October -- it we me and dh, dd23, her bf24, ds6, dd3, my cousin and her dh, their ds7, ds3, dd2 and an infant. My daughter and her bf took off. We didn't have enough adults to keep up with all those kids. My son saw the chance and disappeared -- he had on a life vest and can swim fairly well. After I saw he was fine and actually enjoying doing the bigger stuff instead of sticking with dd3, I let him go. Cousin's ds7 did the same thing. At one point, dd3 disappeared too -- now that scared me to death -- I found her over on the big waterslides having a blast.

 

[MSSANDRA]

 

[PlutoPony]

After doing BB a couple times, I think I would let them go alone with some precautions (and I'm a fairly protective mom) .... First I'd get a map of the water park a couple days before going. Take a look at the layout and what slides would be done together, decide which slides are "can't miss" and have a game plan. Then get to the water park when they open and pick a good location to set-up camp - someplace that right where you'd be with the younger kids and very easy to find. After your spot's picked, walk the walk the water park with the kids to get a sense of where things are. With some firm rules (both MUST stay together, restrooms and all, if one doesn't want to do a slide they both don't do it, etc.) I'd let them go off and do say 2 slides and come right back and so on, breaking for lunch and restroom breaks as a group). We saw a lot of kids this age waiting in slide lines without parents in August, seems to be fairly common. I probably would tell them not to go on the lazy river or wave pool by themselves. These work well for families of various ages and are the type places lifeguards might not be able to watch my child as closely as I would.