When did you let your child go off on their own?

[disneyjr77]

What are everyone's thoughts on letting a 15 1/2 and almost 14 yr old loose in the parks? We'll be there the last week of June, staying off site

Last year we let DD15 (14 at the time) and her newly turned (actually had her bday on vacay) 14 bestie have days without us at Universal. We had a big meal prior to letting them go, gave them a few dollars for a snack, a refillable cup for water, and told them they needed to answer whenever we called, not to go out to Citywalk, and to not go back to the resort without us. It worked well, though i did miss having them with us, it was nice for them because they could ride all the rides, and nice for us because we could stroll and people watch, catch shows, shop, and overall just relax.

Of course they want to do it again, and I'm not sure. DH says what's the point of a family vacation if they're going off without us, and i worry about the size of the parks and the crowds. They can't leave the parks, as we're staying off site, so we would just be giving them a few hours to themselves. I was thinking let them go off while we went to Batuu and Oga's (neither of them like star wars), and then maybe in Epcot, then i looked up how many acres Epcot is...i wanted to get an idea compared to universal and it's 300 acres, i didn't think it was that big then once i thought about it i was like oh, yeah that makes sense lol. DD hates Epcot, and we want to enjoy F&G. I know they're going to want time to themselves each day, I'm just not sure.

We're going to do 5 park days with afternoon starts and stay until close, one day for each park, and then open MK and stay until dinner on our last day. We're also doing Disney Springs one day.

I also thought about our old MBs. I could give them the one DH used in Sept 2020, and I could wear mine from that same trip, that way they can get their pictures. I don't think they'll be good for anything else anyway since we're off site.

If it matters, DD has been plenty but she was younger. Our last trip was in 2018, so she was 11 almost 12

I would love any insight or input, thanks!

 

[buzzrelly]

What are everyone's thoughts on letting a 15 1/2 and almost 14 yr old loose in the parks? We'll be there the last week of June, staying off site

Last year we let DD15 (14 at the time) and her newly turned (actually had her bday on vacay) 14 bestie have days without us at Universal. We had a big meal prior to letting them go, gave them a few dollars for a snack, a refillable cup for water, and told them they needed to answer whenever we called, not to go out to Citywalk, and to not go back to the resort without us. It worked well, though i did miss having them with us, it was nice for them because they could ride all the rides, and nice for us because we could stroll and people watch, catch shows, shop, and overall just relax.

Of course they want to do it again, and I'm not sure. DH says what's the point of a family vacation if they're going off without us, and i worry about the size of the parks and the crowds. They can't leave the parks, as we're staying off site, so we would just be giving them a few hours to themselves. I was thinking let them go off while we went to Batuu and Oga's (neither of them like star wars), and then maybe in Epcot, then i looked up how many acres Epcot is...i wanted to get an idea compared to universal and it's 300 acres, i didn't think it was that big then once i thought about it i was like oh, yeah that makes sense lol. DD hates Epcot, and we want to enjoy F&G. I know they're going to want time to themselves each day, I'm just not sure.

We're going to do 5 park days with afternoon starts and stay until close, one day for each park, and then open MK and stay until dinner on our last day. We're also doing Disney Springs one day.

I also thought about our old MBs. I could give them the one DH used in Sept 2020, and I could wear mine from that same trip, that way they can get their pictures. I don't think they'll be good for anything else anyway since we're off site.

If it matters, DD has been plenty but she was younger. Our last trip was in 2018, so she was 11 almost 12

I would love any insight or input, thanks!

You'll get a lot of different opinions on this, but I would absolutely let them go off on their own at that age. I started allowing my kids a bit of freedom in Disney when they were 11 and 13 and wanted to go to Disney Quest. They had a cell phone and my mom and I shopped at DS while they did that and it was lovely. From there, we allowed them to go together in the parks as long as they stayed together and had a cell phone. You also have to know your own kids and if this is a good idea for them. My kids had many park visits under their hats by then and knew their way around...probably as well as me! I love the idea of family vacations and togetherness too, but sometimes a few hours apart makes everyone happier.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

If I trust my child and they are responsible - yes I would let them at WDW - especially if they have been before
My kids had been so many times by the time they were that age that I felt comfortable letting them tour on their own - but again - they were responsible and I trusted them - not saying they were little angels - ah no - but they knew to behave at Disney .
i
It’s always hard doing this and trust me - it never gets any easier - my kids are grown and I still worry when DD goes out - not so much because she will do something (well maybe ) but because what may happen - it’s life but crap happens - I then take a deeeeep breath (a very big one ) and tell myself it will be fine - they are good and it will be fine - then I just worry a little -
Good Luck with your decision - try small steps !!

 

[joviroxx]

This is my opinion only, as a mom of a 23 yr old and a 21 year old. 15 and 14 are way old enough to be alone in the parks. This, coming from a hispanic mom where we are notoriously overprotective.Remember some states have a 16yr old driving age that comes with a lot more freedom.

As a Floridian, we spent many days at the parks and always felt perfectly safe with them managing on their own. They love feeling a bit of freedom and it a perfect place for them to do this. By 15, they were going to the park from , albeit on site hotels, on their own, taking transportationon their own, and meeting up with us at determined hours and places.

I get where you DH is coming from as well. What good is a family vacation if you aren't together. But you can do both. Have breakfast togerther, decide some time together, and give them time frames on their own. It really does work great and the kids love both being together and being on their own.

But again, this was our experience and it was great. We loved gettting together at the end of the day and hearing their stories when they were off without us. It actually gave for more conversation and interaction.

Oh, and the worry never goes away. Ever LOL

 

[DeeBee3]

I'll be watching this thread because mine are 4 and 8. I'm already "eeking" at the thought of this!

Mainly, thinking ahead, I would agree with above. You know your kids and if they are responsible. Will they actually answer the phone when you call? Do they know enough about weirdo people. Seriously, depending on where people are from and what environments they are used to, they may not realize some people give off a "vibe" and you can spot an issue a mile away.

Since you've done it last year, I assume you already know these answers. I'm of the "TRUST NO ONE" crowd so I'm jaded when it comes to large groups of people. However, I am definitely a pessimist and something I always hope to change.

 

[Jennasis]

My sisters and I were cruising the parks alone far younger than that, including park hopping and even going back to our resort to meet up with the parents later in the evening.

 

[Stargazer65]

I'd be fine with that, however when my son was almost 14 we let him go off alone and a cast member called us. Apparently, 14 is the cutoff age at WDW to be alone in the park. He was chatting with a CM in the store who asked his age and he was totally honest and said 13. Of course then they asked where his parents were, and he shrugged and said "I have no idea" lol. We just met up with him and the CM said he had to be with someone 14 or over technically. So if you have a 13 and a 15 year old they are allowed to be alone together, but the 13 year old is not supposed to be totally alone by the rules. I'm just going by what the CM told me FWIW.

 

[holden]

We have let our DDs go off alone many times. DD14 was probably 12 the first time we let her go with her sister (who was 16 at the time). We always stayed in the same park just in case, however, we would leave at night and go back to the resort. They were fine making their way back on their own.

 

[Marthasor]

I would have zero issues with it as long as the kids were responsible and I set some ground rules - stay in the park, stay in touch via cell phone, if you need assistance talk to a CM. EP is big, but it's well laid out and you would be able to find your kids, easily, if need be. You could also set the parameters of where they could go - for instance, in EP, tell them to stay in World Showcase or stay in Future World and then set up a specific meet-up time and place. It sounds like your DD will be fairly familiar with the parks, so that's a bonus. I track my son's phone on my phone, so that gives me some peace of mind as well. I, personally, would probably text him at least once an hour to check in and give him some cash for snacks, etc.

 

[trompettecon]

3. But that was a mistake.

 

[cgattis]

3. But that was a mistake.

Racked up a bill at La Cava??

 

[Stargazer65]

3. But that was a mistake.

Yes, many of us have had that happen.

 

[TaraWasHere]

If your daughter has an iPhone, have her turn location services on so you can keep track of where she is while away from you. An AirTag tucked into her park bag would also work. I think other phones have similar services. I think my only major worry would be not knowing where they were, but being able to keep tabs on them would alleviate that fear.

 

[jlstwinmommy]

I have let my kids roam the park we are in starting around 12-13 and go to other parks or return to the hotel starting around 14/15. A caveat - we ALWAYS stay onsite. My kids have been going to WDW every other year since they were little, so they know the parks well.

Funny story - when my oldest (who is a bit directionally challenged) was a HS freshman (so 15 or almost), we were eating dinner in Mexico in EPCOT. After he had finished, he had asked if he could head back to the room to knock out some hw he had brought on that trip. We said sure. We were staying at WL that trip. He knew where the buses were. We asked him if he knew how to get to the front. He says yeah, I got it. About 15 minutes after he leaves, we pay the bill and start heading toward the buses. My twins ask to stop at the store on the way out to buy a present (it was their birthday trip) so we shop for a bit, buy a few things, and finally get to the bus. Lo and behold, there is my oldest in the bus line. I'm like - wow - have you been waiting here the whole time? Where is the bus? They are slow. He said he hadn't been there too long. He had run into my sister (also on this trip with us) and stopped to talk for a minute. I was like - wait - wasn't she eating in Japan for dinner? He's like yeah. So this kid instead of heading straight toward future world ended up walking ALL the way around the world showcase to get out of the park. He thought he was going the right direction.

 

[disneyjr77]

Thanks, this has all been helpful and i do feel better about it We already have the rules in place, and they proved themselves responsible last year, so i think we'll let them have a few hours each day by themselves this year. I didn't even think about the conversation part of it. It was fun when we regrouped and they told us about their day. Our last day, last year, they sat and watched every showing of Horror Make-up show. When they told me that i cracked up, like seriously guys? They were so excited to tell us about the plant in the audience (only for covid or a regular procedure, i'm not sure) and how they figured it out, and when the host recognized them and called them out for being at the 2 shows before. They had a great day, and so did we.

I am a bit of a worry wart, and the first day i couldn't really relax. I even took a pic of them just in case, we still laugh when it pops up in the frame and they call it the here's what they're wearing pic. I def don't worry about their behavior, it's everybody else and all the sick people out there.

I'll have to remember to follow up when we get back and let you guys know how it went.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I let my kids roam the parks on their own by the time they were around 11. We do live fairly close though, and are AP holders and go very often, so my kids practically grew up at Disney and were very familiar with it.

By the time they were 12 or 13 they rode Disney transportation by themselves, and no one ever said anything to them. I know that the club level lounges require a child to be 12 to be in the lounge by themselves.

I don't let them go to the pools alone, though, although they could go together by the time they were 11 and 15. You need a buddy if you're in the pool, even thought those Disney lifeguards sure do seem vigilant!

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

I don't really think it's 100% about them being responsible but part of it is whether or not they're not too naive to the lengths some not-so-nice adults will go to befriend them and lure them away. Orlando is one of the top cities in the nation with sex trafficking issues.

 

[trompettecon]

If your daughter has an iPhone, have her turn location services on so you can keep track of where she is while away from you. An AirTag tucked into her park bag would also work. I think other phones have similar services. I think my only major worry would be not knowing where they were, but being able to keep tabs on them would alleviate that fear.

I would not recommend trackers. They can be hacked very easily and there have been reported incidents of stalking.

 

[TaraWasHere]

Sharing your location with a family member is a feature of the Iphone...it would take a heck of a lot to hack it..

 

[trompettecon]

Sharing your location with a family member is a feature of the Iphone...it cannot be hacked.
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Tags can be hacked.