Would you leave a 9-year-old while you go on a ride?

[Maliboo]

I'm not sure that I would expect another family to feel and do exactly what mine would. Some families like to stay together. Some like to split up and do their own thing. Yes, even at Disney World. Doesn't matter which you do. What is with "if you go to Disney on a family vacation, you should stay together?" If you'd like to stay together, stay together. There's no requirement to do so.

Be that as it may, the first post asked if others would leave their 9 year old alone to ride a ride and people gave their opinions. If you willingly seek opinions, you're going to get ones that don't agree with yours all the time.

 

[DizzieMom2]

We are going this summer and my kids are 10 and 13. We have been watching you tube videos of the rides and restaurants, etc. to get pumped. My DD (the 10 yr old) is on the skiddish side sometimes, but I think its less about being legit scared and more about being stubborn (not unlike an earlier poster). I was trying to figure this one out myself and I just wanted to say thanks for the useful info I found in this thread. My DD is fairly responsible and I would definitely be comfortable with her ducking out into the chicken exit and waiting for us there. That being said, my 13 yr old DS tends to be oblivious and wander and is really irresponsible, I'd be more concerned about leaving him to fend for himself for 15 minutes... So I agree that it really depends on the kid.

 

[Sleepy425]

I was the kid that was left alone. I never minded. And there would have been no chance of me entering any line for a ride I was afraid of. I was terrified of everything and never would have believed that I would ultimately not have to ride (and a ride such as Tower of Terror would have been impossible for me to enter the queue, since the chicken exit is an elevator and I stopped going on them at a young age).
I went to Disney often enough that I knew where each ride let out and would just hang out (unless something has changed since AE, Stitch has two different locations for exits. That caused an interesting afternoon the first time I waited for everyone. Can't think of any other ride that has this issue).

 

[amylevan]

Now my sister, who used to work in the tv industry, did a news story on human trafficking in America. It is on the rise and what happens to those kids is not a risk I am willing to take with my kids. Is it a low/high risk at WDW? Well, I think that's for every parent to decide themselves. I know for myself if something did happen statistics would be little comfort to me. Now am I dragging my teenage boys in the bathroom with me of course not. But a 9 YO girl left alone well for me that's different. Will I have to let her try her wings eventually, of course. IMO that won't be at 9 in WDW. I don't judge those who would so I expect those of us,who disagree, should get the same courtesy.

Yes, human trafficking is on the rise in America. But they don't lure kids from family vacation destinations where they have to exit a crowded park with a screaming kid - I'm pretty sure that business model would fail quickly. They are scoping malls and other teen hangouts looking for the kids who are clearly loners and have self esteem issues or walking the streets looking for runaways. They send young men to "befriend" these kids, make them feel loved, and eventually pull them into a world of prostitution. It's a very scary issue, but it's not really a risk to a 9 yr old who feels loved and is on vacation with her family.

 

[bumbershoot]

ETA: You state you would feel bad that your 13 would ride alone, but you don't feel that way leaving your 9 yo. Ask your 13 yo how he feels

But that's based on her actual kids. Which includes the 9 year old, who seems to have a different personality than the 13 year old.

 

[BabyFu18]

I personally wouldn't leave the 9 year old alone, you never know how long she'll have to wait by herself, what if you get stuck on the ride, will she get scared if you've been gone longer than expected? Will a CM or a guest get worried that a child is just standing around waiting alone?

For me it's not about the child's willingness to wait alone or even their maturity level, you can trust your child but do you trust all the strangers around her? There are so many people at WDW and I guess I'm paranoid but I don't trust that something wouldn't happen even in a short amount of time.

If it were me I'd all go through the line together, talk to the older child and ask them if they feel okay riding alone, and if they do then I and the younger child would take the chicken exit and wait for the older child to finish the ride.

I was kind of like your younger child, I never liked to ride any thrill rides or even things that might be a small slight thrill I was not interested and I know if all my family rode and I sat out the ride alone I'd feel a badly (especially at a young age). Your children may feel differently about it, so ultimately it is your decision to do what's right for you guys. Good luck!

 

[Magpie]

I personally wouldn't leave the 9 year old alone, you never know how long she'll have to wait by herself, what if you get stuck on the ride, will she get scared if you've been gone longer than expected? Will a CM or a guest get worried that a child is just standing around waiting alone?

Not the OP, but I would expect any nine year old of mine to do what we'd previously discussed and speak to the nearest CM at either the ride exit or in the gift shop. Said nine year old, these days, would also have a cellphone on her person, so could call me to check on why the ride was taking longer than expected (assuming I hadn't called her already myself to let her know that the ride had broken down). Even my more sensitive child could handle a little bit of worry/anxiety - it never hurt her to deal with the occasional wrench in the works.

If a CM is worried, I expect they'll speak to the child and she'll explain that I'm on the ride and she's waiting for me. The CM then might get on their radio to find out what the problem is with the ride, and reassure my child. No problem!

If a guest is worried, then I expect they'd speak to a CM about it and things would proceed as above. Most adults know not to speak to a lone child. But, in the event some adult did feel free to start a conversation, by nine my children knew how to tell when an adult was being overly familiar or inappropriate in any way. (We rode public transit a LOT. And dealt with special needs individuals a LOT.) If the child feels in any way uncomfortable, she knows she's to walk over to the nearest CM and stick close to them. Because, of course, before allowing the child to wait by herself, we'll have discussed all these scenarios.

Nine year olds are pretty darn smart, most of them.

And actually, my son was far more sensible at nine, than he was at 14 after his hormones kicked in hard. That's when he started doing things like forgetting his pants at school. I used to swear, I thought he'd lost 30 IQ points overnight!

(Caveat: Of course, not all nine year olds are mature enough to handle being unsupervised for any length of time. And parental preference always trumps logic. It's like when you make your kids wear sweaters because you're feeling cold - some things don't need to be justified!)

 

[Ensusieasm]

.

 

[whiporee]

I wonder if WDW has any policies this.

Regardless, to me who has an 11 year old and twin 9 year olds, the issue is not a risk of abduction as much as it is about them walking away. Or them worrying about what's taking so long, because things often take longer than expected. And that its a little unfair to the kid waiting just to have to sit there while their sibling does a ride. You're condemning the kid to a bench for a while and if the ride goes long, possibly a long time.

I'd let the kid who wants to ride go by them self. A line is a lot more of s controlled space, and if that's the kid who's getting the benefit have a price for it.

But the bigger issue is that if I'm gone for 30 minutes and something did happen, I can't just get back to them. It's more my unwillingness to deal with potential dangers and their consequence than a real "danger." And while I realize that's my stuff, I'd hate to live with those consequences should something happen.

 

[Angel Ariel]

OK, so reading this post, I'm getting a little different perspective. Um, it almost sounds like Mom doesn't want to miss four rides, so stubborn daughter is just going to have to wait by herself. Doesn't sound like it's just about the 13 year old, because he's riding 7 rides alone anyway, because Mom is not comfortable with those rides. So, it's fine if an adult is not comfortable riding some things, and she's not stubborn, but if a 9 year old girl isn't comfortable, she's stubborn? I'm still casting my vote for No, a 9 year old girl should not have to wait alone, and should surely not be made to feel like she's stubborn about it.

Wow. I think that's reading into things quite a lot. If I do recall, the OP said her son would be fine riding some things alone but would be sad if he had to ride everything alone that the 9 year old didn't want to ride.

Honestly, at this point this is starting to come off as trying to find reasons to personally attack the OP.

 

[JimmyV]

This thread is getting a little bit ridiculous in both its length and logic. Why isn't this a simple matter of:

"My 9 year old would be sad being left alone, so I wouldn't do it"; or "I could see my 9 year old getting into trouble or not following instructions, so I wouldn't do it"

vs.

"My 9 year old wouldn't mind being left alone and would follow my instructions without fail, so I would do it."

...with the operative words always being "My 9 year old". Why do we have to devolve into debates about abduction statistics and/or what "most 9 year olds" do, feel, or are capable of. And why do we think we can change anyone's mind on this, and why should we try? When it comes to your own kid, you don't (and shouldn't) care about what "other 9 year olds" do, or what "other 9 year olds" are capable of.

 

[TJDisneymama]

.

Lol, I see you deleted your post but thats ok because it was so far off base, lol. I suffer from severe motion sickness and can't go on a lot of rides but of the 11 rides that YDD won't ride, (which would probably happen to be ODSs 11 BEST rides), I picked a handful that I could tolerate. Believe me, Id just as soon skip 7DMT and ToT myself but , again, I feel bad at the thought of ODS riding SO MANY rides alone. So I will suck it up, and go on a few with him.
And BTW, YDD doesn't suffer from motion sickness, she just DOesnt want to try them.

 

[DizzieMom2]

And actually, my son was far more sensible at nine, than he was at 14 after his hormones kicked in hard. That's when he started doing things like forgetting his pants at school. I used to swear, I thought he'd lost 30 IQ points overnight!

YES!!! I feel like this is my son to a T!!! I like to call this age "stuck in stupid". For instance, I asked him to take laundry down on Saturday morning, at like 4pm I realized it still wasn't done, so I called him downstairs and said, "What did I ask you to do?" He didn't have a clue. Then he says, "Did you know that your mind discards information it considers useless?" Facepalm!

 

[Kimberly9701]

The more I read this, the more shocking it is.
I'm going to sound Sooo old saying this-
But omg I'm scared for this generation.

If parents cater to irrational fears and stubbornness by punishing the other child, then what kind of theme are you setting for your younger one? What kind of needy/demanding/dependent/fearful human are you creating?
As I said before, maybe waiting alone once or twice will help her decide on her to try one of the rides. Probably she will love it if she does, and then they can all have a more enjoyable vacation. If not- then at least she knows first hand that she does not like it, but will still be proud of herself for trying it.

And to attack the op by saying she is selfish and wants to go on rides? I'm sure there is a few she would enjoy, nothing wrong with that. And the memories/photos with her son will last a lifetime. Why is no one considering that/him?

I'll say it again-

Ridiculous.

 

[prudence64]

My 9 year old is scared to even go upstairs in our house by herself, so I know she'd freak out if she had to wait alone for us so I wouldn't do it. But, I know other 9 year olds who would probably be fine with it. If I did try it, I would have her wait in line with us and take the chicken exit and I'd be sure she had a phone, but I would be worried about getting stuck on the ride.

 

[conandrob240]

Sorry, not worth the stress and even remote possibility of something happening just so you can go on a ride.

 

[mjkacmom]

The more I read this, the more shocking it is.
I'm going to sound Sooo old saying this-
But omg I'm scared for this generation.

If parents cater to irrational fears and stubbornness by punishing the other child, then what kind of theme are you setting for your younger one? What kind of needy/demanding/dependent/fearful human are you creating?
As I said before, maybe waiting alone once or twice will help her decide on her to try one of the rides. Probably she will love it if she does, and then they can all have a more enjoyable vacation. If not- then at least she knows first hand that she does not like it, but will still be proud of herself for trying it.

And to attack the op by saying she is selfish and wants to go on rides? I'm sure there is a few she would enjoy, nothing wrong with that. And the memories/photos with her son will last a lifetime. Why is no one considering that/him?

I'll say it again-

Ridiculous.

The overparenting of this generation. I have one timid child, at 15 insists on holding my hand when we are in a big city (NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago). She's the one I try to push the most. I know that she won't be riding the bus or train to NYC with her friends anytime soon like her older siblings did at this age. She is also the one I worry about most when she's out on her own. I've been making her walk the dog on her own for a few years now. Sometimes she comes back, talking about white vans that looked ominous. She will always error on the side of caution, which is good. She's also very tiny, so I worry about her on a college campus a few years from now.

I only have a few years left to instill her with the confidence, mental, and emotional strength she needs to tackle this world. We get 18 years, 9 is halfway there, plenty old enough to be somewhat independent for periods of time. You have to start somewhere!

 

[mjkacmom]

Sorry, not worth the stress and even remote possibility of something happening just so you can go on a ride.

It's more about riding a ride. As parents, we have to utilize opportunities to let our kids branch out, test the waters, build on their experiences, little by little, letting out the rope, while we are still here to reel them in.

 

[maxiesmom]

Sorry, not worth the stress and even remote possibility of something happening just so you can go on a ride.

It is not so the OP can go on a ride, it is so the OP can go on a ride with her other child.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Never leave a child unattended.