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

[TaraWasHere]

You aren't wrong, but no personal info is stored on an air tag. The primary reason they are hacked is to steal your log in details and hijack your account. They can't take control of the airtag and start tracking your kids with it as that info in not stored on the airtag and without login credentials can not be accessed by a potential hacker. The only way they could access the location of the tag, is if you give them your log in details by "loggin in" to the hacked tag.
Regardless my suggested method would be the iPhone and not via AirTag as there is no GPS in an AirTag and they wouldn’t work very well if the carrier was consistently on the move.

 

[Love Tink]

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.

This reminds me of our last trip. My then-13-year old took a break at the resort while my older son and I stayed in the parks. Later, we agreed to meet at MK at a certain time. Well, my older son and I got stuck in the air on Soarin'. My younger son got to MK...and they wouldn't let him in alone. So he had to wait quite a while on the hot concrete, alone, getting more irritated by the minute. And I couldn't contact him to let him know what had happened because my phone was under my seat, "safely secured."

 

[disneyjr77]

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

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

We have the verizon smart family and it's an option of that. She has an iPhone, I'm strictly Samsung lol

 

[TCRAIG]

14 and 15 without the ‘rents at Disney - absolutely! We let our daughter go to Europe at 14 with a cell phone, credit card and half empty suitcase (so she could go shopping) thru a state university program. She spent a week on campus studying architecture and meeting the other kids and then off to France for 3 weeks - there was one chaperone for the entire group - she had a fabulous time.

 

[ttintagel]

My sister and I got cut loose at 12 and 13. And this was even before the days of cell phones! It was really great. We had some pre-arranged meet up times, but the rest of the time we were on our own.

 

[Orion Nebula]

When they are mature enough to have a tiny bit of sensibility. AKA not run around annoying people.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

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!

I would let them go on their own. My older daughter was totally comfortable at age 14 to go do her own thing because she has been so many times. It gives them a sense of independence and I feel safe at Disney even though I know nowhere is 100% safe. Also, we have Iphones and share location with each other on Find my Friends so that also gives me peace of mind.

 

[AprilsZoo]

If they were there on a trip with say, choir or band, they would be on their own for much of the trip. They would generally have to check in regularly with a chaperone, but except for workshops or performances the kids are on their own.

I say, set up a schedule for check-ins… maybe every 2 hours with 10-15 minutes grace. Tell them to set the alert or alarm on their phone so they don’t miss their window. It’s up to them to be responsible to call or text to check in early if they foresee being on a ride or in a show where they won’t be able to touch base at the exact time. Try that for a day or part of a day.

Spell out the ground rules ahead, and make them say them back to you (our band kids had to sign a paper to show they knew them… overkill in a family, surely, but it made them accountable). Don’t leave things open to interpretation— if it’s something important to you, be specific. A general, sorta multi-purpose rule we had for our kids was: if whatever you are about to do would get you in trouble at home (or any other time parental units are present) then don’t do it when we aren’t there.

One non-negotiable rule should be that they don’t leave the park for any reason except a forced evacuation unless they are with an adult from your party. (I don’t know that it’s ever happened at Disney, but teens have been lured to parking lots at other places where nothing good happened… and of course they always think they’re too smart to be tricked. With human trafficking becoming more and more prevalent, it’s a better-safe-than-sorry precaution that’s worth taking.)

The ages you mentioned are certainly old enough to be on their own for some of the time in the parks. Personally, I think if we’re there on a family vacation, then the kids need to be spending some of their time with the family. How much is something you’ll need to determine in your own circumstance.

Good luck!

 

[KittyKitty]

I don't want to be a downer, but there is a lot of alcohol at Epcot. At 15 I was approached(Not Disney) by a really cute guy while I was with my friends. He asked me out. I couldn't understand why my Mom wouldn't let me go out with this 21 yr old.
Most 15 year olds don't understand what a creepy situation could be. They may have an inkling, but don't want to be rude. The person may say one of their family members is hurt to lure them out of the park. Or ask them if they want a sip of their drink.

Sorry to bring this up.

 

[disneyjr77]

The ages you mentioned are certainly old enough to be on their own for some of the time in the parks. Personally, I think if we’re there on a family vacation, then the kids need to be spending some of their time with the family. How much is something you’ll need to determine in your own circumstance.

Good luck!

That's what DH was saying as well, and i agree. I feel like 2-4 hrs in an 8-9 hr park day is good. With lines being the way they have been they may be able to get on 2 or 3 rides.

I don't want to be a downer, but there is a lot of alcohol at Epcot. At 15 I was approached(Not Disney) by a really cute guy while I was with my friends. He asked me out. I couldn't understand why my Mom wouldn't let me go out with this 21 yr old.
Most 15 year olds don't understand what a creepy situation could be. They may have an inkling, but don't want to be rude. The person may say one of their family members is hurt to lure them out of the park. Or ask them if they want a sip of their drink.

Sorry to bring this up.

That, and what @AprilsZoo said "With human trafficking becoming more and more prevalent, it’s a better-safe-than-sorry precaution that’s worth taking.)" are exactly part of my worry, and not wanting them too. They do know not to leave the park, and luckily (i hate to say it) DD15 can be a b-word sometimes and if someone were to approach them, I'm pretty sure she would straight up tell them where to go or ignore them. That still doesn't alleviate my worry, as pretty sure was the key phrase in my last sentence, because she has a kind heart and if she thought someone was hurt (I hadn't thought of that) she may try to help. They already know not to talk to strangers, i will add to that that if anyone tries to get them to help them with anything, i don't care what it is, to find a CM immediately.

 

[AprilsZoo]

With teens (raised 4 of my own, and chaperoned countless more) just telling the rules isn’t good enough. Adults’ voices end up like the teacher in Charlie Brown: “Wah, wah, wa-wah” when we just talk at them.

That’s where having them repeat back the rules, and even ask them *why* they think you may be making the rule does make a difference. That’s when they actually hear you & retain the things you’re saying to them to be remembered later. Ultimately, it’s important to tell them you know they are intelligent kids, and you do trust them… But the reality is that they just haven’t been alive on this planet as long as you have, and therefore they just don’t have enough experience under their belt to make judgement calls in some situations. So as much as they may think they’ll know what’s going on around them, unfortunately it’s not always going to be possible yet for them to discern good vs. danger in the moment. That ability comes with time.

Assure them that calling you to talk things thru if they find themselves in an unusual situation, isn’t going to result in a lecture, but that you welcome the chance to help them as they learn to work things out for themselves… because you truly want to see them grow and develop and mature into independent adults…

Remind them to always take a beat and think situations thru… in your “someone sick or injured” scenario: what are they gonna really accomplish if the try to go help? Nothing… what a sick or injured person needs isn’t a teenager, but a medical professional. So why would someone bypass CM’s who can summon help to instead approach a kid to ask for assistance?

All of these guidelines you’re establishing will carry over into your lives at home as they begin to leave the house for dates, parties, etc. I have found that teens resent the rules less when they understand why we are making them, & the purpose they serve. Then it doesn’t feel like we are “just trying to run their lives” or “keep them from having fun”. They begin to comprehend why rules can give them freedom. And how making decisions about certain situations ahead of time, can give them a safety net. (If you’ve already decided you won’t [drink, leave with someone, whatever] then you don’t have to make that decision later when there’s more pressure and emotion that can cloud good judgement.)

 

[JLTraveling]

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.

This reminds me of the first time my then best friend came to visit New Orleans. About day 3, she thought she had a good mental map of the French Quarter. We were hanging out at a bar when she wanted to run back to the room to grab something. I offered to go with her, but she said no, she knew how to get there (it was three blocks down and two blocks over). So I gave her definite directions and landmarks. She was gone forever before she finally called me and said, "I'm not lost, the hotel is lost." She told me where she was and what she could see, and I told her to turn around. The hotel was directly behind her lol

I don't have kids, but it was just in the last few years that Disney upped the age to enter the parks alone to 14 from 7. I grew up in the area and attended day camp every summer. They took us on field trips to all the parks, as well as the local water parks. And the rule was always the same: under age 7, with a counselor. Age 7 and up, we could be on our own as long as we were with at least one other same-age person. We all survived just fine, and always made it back to the buses at the end of the day. I waited a *little* longer when taking my cousins to the parks: started when they were 11 and 9 giving them short rounds of an hour or so, then fully free to roam by 13 and 11. But that was mostly because a) they didn't know the parks as well and b) they had really jumpy parents who might have freaked. I can't imagine having any concern at all about two teenagers touring the parks together.

ETA: In regards to the "family vacation, should spend some time together" aspect: I really liked how my parents handled it. When I was 15, we were vacationing in DC and went to see Rocky Horror one of the first nights. I was on a cast in Orlando then, and I really hit it off with the DC cast (and ended up performing with them that night since they were short). I ended up spending most of the week running around DC with a couple of them that were close to my age. My parents allowed it, but we sat down together and came up with 4 or 5 things that we would do as a family on the rest of the trip. So I had my freedom, but we also had quality family time part of every day of the trip.