What to do with one child when riding with another ... no other adult in party!

[Allison]

I am considering riding with my middle son while my oldest and youngest go through the chicken exit and wait for me there.

That won't work if your youngest is too short. He won't be able to get in line at all and so he won't be able to use the chicken exit.

 

[bumbershoot]

DS likes all the rollercoasters and DD doesn't. I'd like to ride the mountains with DS, but don't know what DD would do while we are on the ride and she isn't.

The part where you want to ride with ds is the problem. At WDW you can ride alone, even going through the line alone, at 7. So ds could just go alone while you guys wait. (Or if dd is tall enough you can wait in line then take the exit)

But there's just no solution for the 6 year old waiting while you ride, unless you're willing to hire some sort of sitter.

Yeah, I think it's all or nothing.

I experienced this exact situation when I went in August with DS11 and DS9. Hubby couldn't make it and so I had to go it alone. There were definitely hurt feelings and little arguments when they couldn't agree on rides, but in the end understood that if we all didn't want to ride, then we all just weren't going to ride. You may be surprised, as I was, because they did compromise for each other (if you ride this for me, I'll ride that for you), which was great. The only ride my DS9 wouldn't budge on was ToT, which my DS11 loves. But he at least rode it once for him.

Our son started riding this alone at universal at 6.5 when I realized that their marker fm for going alone is 48" (and reaches the height requires for the ride). Noticed this AFTER our 14th time in a row on Hippogriff. So when he wanted to beat that record on they Nuthouse coaster at the end of the day I sent him on his merry way for it.

Our next DLR trip after that he was 7, and we practiced being alone on some rides. Riding alone with the single rider line on RSR and waiting alone on the little coaster in toontown where we could see his behavior the whole line long.

After that it was so freeing.

So if I were there with a 9 and 11 year old (assuming they were cool with it) there will be no everyone rides" rule. The non rider is old enough to exit before riding and wait at the gift shop.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am having a problem with this too, but my problem is that my youngest (4) CAN'T ride because he'll be too short for Rock N Rollercoaster. However, my oldest won't WANT to ride while my middle son will. I am considering riding with my middle son while my oldest and youngest go through the chicken exit and wait for me there. My oldest is 8 going on 18 and is very protective of his younger brothers, often buckling their seatbelts, holding their hands in stores, etc. I have entrusted my 8 year old to watch his youngest brother for 15 minutes at a time before, so I feel like this situation would be similar. I know you don't have that option though. Maybe the DCP participant would be a good idea.

Can't work. The little one cannot go into the line at Disney. (Anyone can go in the lines at Uni though, in case your trip involves that park)

And I might be over reading the rules, but I believe the 8 year old is too young to be in charge of a younger. Rules say that a little one must be with someone 14+.

 

[ELSA711]

Curious, we don't really have this same dilemma but what age do they allow an older child to take a younger one on?

**nevermind** just saw bumbershoot post about 14+

 

[prprincess]

So if I were there with a 9 and 11 year old (assuming they were cool with it) there will be no everyone rides" rule. The non rider is old enough to exit before riding and wait at the gift shop.

In my case, I wasn't comfortable letting either of my boys. My oldest is 11 and 5'8", and has social anxiety. But if people are comfortable letting kids ride alone, then even better for them.

We did do one single rider, and sandwiched the little one in the middle. So at least my oldest was there to wait for him at the end of the ride, and I could still watch him before he boarded en queue. So I guess I shouldn't have said all or nothing because there are definitely ways to make it work.

 

[AprilDreamsOfDisney]

I was there with my 8 and 6 year old by myself last week. We had to skip the rides my youngest wasn't tall enough to ride (mainly just CA Screamin and Indiana Jones) even though did loves them. It just isn't possible to leave either one alone. There were plenty of other rides for us to do together and none of us were bothered by it in the end. Good luck and have a great trip!

Thanks!

 

[AprilDreamsOfDisney]

Thanks!

You could always pay to drop your youngest at one of Disney's kids activity centers. If you plan your fastpasses for the mountains during that time, you can get them in during that time frame. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/lilos-playhouse/

Thanks! I may look into this!

This may be one trip you'll have to do things differently.

Can you bring a friend for your ds to ride with or another adult for your dd?

No, bringing another person isn't an option at this time, but I agree that I think we'll just do things a little differently this time. No big deal! We are going to the most magical place on earth!

CM can't watch your kids.

Yes, you're right. Thanks for the reminder!

I think that this is not going to work. You probably should plan attractions all of you will enjoy on this trip.

I think you're right! My kids just want to go - it's not like they won't have a wonderfully magical time if DS can't ride Space Mountain ... we will all compromise and have a great time. Thanks for the help!

In that situation I would wait in line with ds, then take dd out the chicken exit and let him ride the ride.

Hmmm, this might work! I'll talk to DS about this!

Yeah, I think it's all or nothing.

I experienced this exact situation when I went in August with DS11 and DS9. Hubby couldn't make it and so I had to go it alone. There were definitely hurt feelings and little arguments when they couldn't agree on rides, but in the end understood that if we all didn't want to ride, then we all just weren't going to ride. You may be surprised, as I was, because they did compromise for each other (if you ride this for me, I'll ride that for you), which was great. The only ride my DS9 wouldn't budge on was ToT, which my DS11 loves. But he at least rode it once for him.

I'm wondering if this might be what happens for us, too. I can envision my kids doing this for each other. Thanks for the help!

If there was a ride that DS really wanted to ride, I would have all 3 of you go through the line together and then when he is about to load you and DD go through the "chicken" exit and wait for him at the unloading area. Make sure he has a phone on him just in case.

This might work!

A CM is a stranger.

Yes, you're right. Thanks for the reminder.

As a single parent (widow) I understand your dilemma, my kids are 2 years apart and we had several years where we didn't ride anything we could not all ride together. While the oldest would have liked to do a few more rides we focused on family fun and the fact that we were enjoying 90% of the rides and didn't focus on what she wasn't going to ride.

Unless this is a one and only trip I would just skip the rides your youngest isn't tall enough for and save that for another trip - it will be all that much more special.

To answer - if your youngest isn't tall enough to ride they can't enter the line. Your oldest could ride alone but at 9 it can be iffy and totally depends on the kid/parent. If you are considering this take into consideration what the child will do if the ride stops/breaks down, we were recently walked off Splash Mountain and Spaceship earth for example. Your 6yo isn't old enough to ride alone therefore I would assume not old enough to be left alone at a ride and no a CM can't watch her.

The suggestions of a few hours in a kids club for your youngest or a kids night out helper on an hourly basis would work / alternately if you could afford a VIP tour I think in that case the tour guide could either ride with the oldest or stay with the youngest.

Thanks for your help!

At the age of 6, that would be tough (i.e. I wouldn't do it) to let them wait at the exit. But I don't see any issue with letting the 9 year old ride alone, if he's OK with it. Our kids are 12, 9 and 9 and we let them ride alone quite a bit this summer. We even let the 12 year old "babysit" the twins...we got FP+ for them on SM and my wife and I did Buzz, which is right next door. We did things like that several times. But at 6, I don't see myself leaving them at the ride exit.

I agree and see now, with more clarity, that I could never leave my DD at an exit line! Thanks for your help!

 

[Nancyg56]

It's funny how kids just enjoy the trip. My DGD is 15 and will not go on any ride that has too many bumps (Pirates almost puts her over the edge) and wont do the coasters, etc. IF there is a bunch if us we split up and some of us go on and others go elsewhere, but most of the time we end up just moving to the next attraction. There is a lot to do and by the tie you get to the end of the day, it's all good.

Right now we have two little ones and they are really different. One is a daredevil, will ride anything, the other thought twice about Dumbo. I wanted to bring them, but would have had to ask my DDIL to come with us so that Nola could go on the thrill rides and Rylee could have Mickey Bars. They could not come after all, but I know that I will need to adjust when they do.

 

[DizBelle]

Can't work. The little one cannot go into the line at Disney. (Anyone can go in the lines at Uni though, in case your trip involves that park)

And I might be over reading the rules, but I believe the 8 year old is too young to be in charge of a younger. Rules say that a little one must be with someone 14+.

It is only if going on an attraction that the under 7 years olds have to be accompanied by someone 14 or older.

 

[cel_disney]

Whenever my youngest is tall enough to ride but doesn't want to - I result to bribery. Similarly - I use the same technique to get the older boy in character lines and on small world.

The bribe is usually cash and it is what becomes their Disney vacation spending money. (Surely I was going to give them some anyway! So this way I get something from it!).

I allowed DS to ride alone in short lines beginning at age 9. (Age 7 is Disneys rule). This has worked well. We did spend a lot of time discussing ride disruptions and conflicts and making sure he knows how to handle them. On our trip last week - he (a new 10yo) was also responsible for explaining all of these things to my 6yo daughter (prepping her for when she is 7 and can go on with him sometimes!) because I wanted to make sure he really understood it.

 

[famy27]

I took my DDs by myself two years ago. They were 8 and 2 at the time. I knew I wouldn't be able to ride the "big" rides, but I offered older DD the chance to ride alone. She wasn't sure, but she decided to think it over. I got FPs for her, just in case she decided to ride. The lure of Soarin' proved too strong to resist. She asked to ride, so I took younger DD to LwtL while older DD rode Soarin'. She ended up absolutely loving having the chance to ride by herself. She felt very responsible and mature. The next day, she decided to hop in the single rider line at TT before we headed over to MK. At MK, she rode Space while we rode Pooh and then we met up with her in Tomorrowland.

For our summer trip this year, she is going to bring a friend. I am confident that the two of them will spend large amounts of time in WDW without us. Once we enter the park gates together, I'm pretty sure I won't see her for a few hours. And she has charging privileges on her MB, so I might not even see her for meals. She's pretty bummed that we have to bring her into the park. She wishes WDW still had their rule from a few years back when kids just had to be 7 to get into the park alone. That way, she could sleep later than the rest of us and make her way to the park when she was ready. But she'll have to settle for going with us in the mornings, at least for a few more years.

 

[Minnesota!]

I would pick a night and have DD go to the kids club. Take DS to the park of his choosing and ride with him...

 

[KrazeeK120]

It is only if going on an attraction that the under 7 years olds have to be accompanied by someone 14 or older.

I'm pretty sure it's being in the park at all.

At any rate, I'm not sure it's a good idea to leave a 6 year old (or younger) anywhere at Disney (or any other large, crowded place) alone. Heck, where I live, it isn't even legal to allow a child under age 14 to be left AT HOME alone!

 

[famy27]

Sorry to go off-topic. I see you're in IL, too

It's actually perfectly legal to leave kids under 14 alone in IL. It's a really weirdly worded law. In certain circumstances, it may be considered neglect to leave a child under 14 alone, but authorities look at a list of factors to determine if there was actually any neglect. Even DCFS says the law is purposely ambiguous because each case is unique. My older DD has several friends whose mothers are teachers in the local school district, and all of them have been assured that it's legal for 6th graders to walk home by themselves and spend two hours alone until their parents get home.

Back on topic, can anyone confirm that you have to be 7 to sit on a bench alone? I know you have to be 7 to enter a queue alone or to ride alone. I've never thought to ask about just being in the park generally. I think it's most likely 7, but I've never asked.

 

[DizBelle]

I'm pretty sure it's being in the park at all.

At any rate, I'm not sure it's a good idea to leave a 6 year old (or younger) anywhere at Disney (or any other large, crowded place) alone. Heck, where I live, it isn't even legal to allow a child under age 14 to be left AT HOME alone!

The policy states: "Guests under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the Park. To board an attraction, children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 or older."

I take this to mean that there must be someone in the park to supervise those under 14. Not that they must be by their side 100% of the time.

 

[DizBelle]

Sorry to go off-topic. I see you're in IL, too

It's actually perfectly legal to leave kids under 14 alone in IL. It's a really weirdly worded law. In certain circumstances, it may be concerned neglect to leave a child under 14 alone, but authorities look at a list of factors to determine if there was actually any neglect. Even DCFS says the law is purposely ambiguous because each case is unique. My older DD has several friends whose mothers are teachers in the local school district, and all of them have been assured that it's legal for 6th graders to walk home by themselves and spend two hours alone until their parents get home.

Back on topic, can anyone confirm that you have to be 7 to sit on a bench alone? I know you have to be 7 to enter a queue alone or to ride alone. I've never thought to ask about just being in the park generally. I think it's most likely 7, but I've never asked.

I don't think Disney states any age to sit on a bench alone. The policy only mentions entering the park and boarding a ride.

 

[KrazeeK120]

The policy states: "Guests under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the Park. To board an attraction, children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 or older."

I take this to mean that there must be someone in the park to supervise those under 14. Not that they must be by their side 100% of the time.

OK, you're probably right on that. Though I still stand by my assertion that a typical 6 year old shouldn't be left alone in a big, crowded theme park. I don't necessarily think anything "bad" would happen, but little kids aren't always the best at following directions or at staying in one place for a long time. Also, there are instances of ride breakdowns where people are unable to disembark from their ride vehicle for an extended period of time. It's just not a situation I'd put a 6 year old in.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Sorry to go off-topic. I see you're in IL, too

It's actually perfectly legal to leave kids under 14 alone in IL. It's a really weirdly worded law. In certain circumstances, it may be concerned neglect to leave a child under 14 alone, but authorities look at a list of factors to determine if there was actually any neglect. Even DCFS says the law is purposely ambiguous because each case is unique. My older DD has several friends whose mothers are teachers in the local school district, and all of them have been assured that it's legal for 6th graders to walk home by themselves and spend two hours alone until their parents get home.

Back on topic, can anyone confirm that you have to be 7 to sit on a bench alone? I know you have to be 7 to enter a queue alone or to ride alone. I've never thought to ask about just being in the park generally. I think it's most likely 7, but I've never asked.

Oh really?? Thanks for the info. My child isn't even a year old, so it'll obviously be awhile before I consider leaving him home alone. LOL. But the thought of having to drag a 7th grader to get gas or run to the grocery store was making me aggravated already!

 

[mistysue]

This is exactly what the kids clubs are for. Our last couple trips the kids have asked to be left at the kids clubs so we could go on a date night. The younger ones get tired. At the kids club they do activities that are more stationary and restful so the next morning they are up to park touring again. This August the one at BC/YC had converted to a per child price for the whole night. I want to say hours were 4:30-10:30 or something in that range and it was a flat fee no matter how long you left them. Maybe around $50/kid. Obviously you have to check specifics for the location you pick. I would call whoever's closest to where you are headed so you can get the most time out of it.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I would definitely do the kids club. it seems like a win win.

Good luck!