Age for kids to be on their own...?

[Disneymamaof5]

What age do you think is an appropriate age for children to go off "on their own"? With Walkie Talkie, of course!

We will have a 12 year old boy and 8 and 9 year old girls on one of our tentative trips down and (not to mention 2-6 year olds) I was just thinking - what would be an accepted age that they should be able to go off and ride the rides that they want to (within the same park, of course!) ?

I think that it might be ok for my 9 and 12 year old to go off and ride stuff, but keep the other ones with us....my husband is not so sure. So I wanted input on this from other parents. Just to see if I am not thinking straight because of this head cold that I am dealing with right now. LOL :ill:

Thanks for all opinions!

[RedSoxFan]

My youngest is 12 and I wouldn't let her go off on her own with anyone younger. I think (personally) that 12 is too young to be on your own anywhere, never mind a big place like Disney. However, I did let her go off with her brother who was 16 at the time.

[dream6]

I'd have to agree with the above poster - I think 12 is too young. If they were with an older sibling or cousin or something it would be different. Technically the oldest in the group would be the one to behave like the adult and I just think 12 is too young - maybe if there was a 14 or 15 year old in the group. There are just too many things that could happen and too many strange people - unfortunately, Disney World is no exception.

[Zippy 1]

I agree with the above posts - unfortunately in this day you must be more cautious than ever even in DW. I would maybe consider letting my DD 15 going off on her own with another person of the same age or older but on our past trips I would not have let her go. An example of why would be from our last trip - DD and DH went on Mission Space orange version for the first time ever, my DD had a bad reaction to the ride and needed to go to first aid. Luckily it was not to serious but it was good my DH was with her to provide needed info. I am sure this is not a daily occurance that would happen with everyone just an example of why they might need to be with an adult.

[princessesmom]

We just returned last week from a trip. I let my DDs 13 and 11 go ride on RNR and TOT alone. I did walk them to the ride and was planning to meet up with them at TOT after taking my DD 4 on VOLM. They got done first and were on their way back to us as I set off to pick them up. My 13 year old has a cell phone, so we can stay in touch and she is very mature. I would not be comfortable just letting them go off without a clear plan. This was the only time we let them go off and ride on their own. To a large extent it depends on the children. I think 8 or 9 is too young to do anything without an adult along, though.

[bshaw96]

I too have to agree that 12 is too young, and definitely not 9. JMO.

[deedeenmickey]

I have a 14 yo dd and I would let her go on her own with a friend. We go atleast once year and she knows her way around as well as I do. I let her do this last year as well when she was 13. She is very mature and trust worthy. I don't know about 8 or 9 that may be too young. Only you know your child. I have seen them that young own their own.

[jusandnew]

My 15 went around by himself last year. He had a walkie Talkie. Every couple hours we would meet up at a place , so we could see what was going on. He was always there before time.
This year my 13 will be going with him. They will have a cell phone and walkie talkie.
Any younger I would not allow it. There is too many people around.

[Arielfan98]

Well I think 12 is too young I say 14 years would be ok. It all depends on your child relly. If your 12 yr old is rarely mature and knows their way around Disney world. But I would still say 14 you should let them go on by themselves with a walkie talkie and cell.

[greengeen]

I wouldn't do it. You're surrounded by tens of thousands of strangers and tens of thousands of chances to get into trouble, why send your kids off alone??

[KylesMom]

There are many variables to this question, including what your child would do if stuck in an extreme situation; i.e., car stuck on the high ramp at Splash Mountain, stalled going backward on Spaceship Earth, stuck in the dark after a breakdown on Tower of Terror, etcetera. These things do happen, and panic could easily set in. Would your child be able to stay calm in this situation? And would they be able to ensure that your 9-year old did as well? Just something else to think about regarding the whole age/maturity thing. While my DS, 11, knows his way around the parks better than DH, it will be awhile before he gets to take off on his own. :mickey:

[cfoshe]

I have not let my 17 year old go off by her self. We have let her go on a ride by herself, but to just go off is not an option. One reason is it is a family vacation, and I do not trust the prevs in this society. We are taking her and a friend in 2010 for there senior trip, that one will let them go off on there own because that is their trip, i just providing the cash and means of getting down there. But then again, my family have always done almost everything together and enjoy it that way.

[javamama]

I think a 12 yo may ok to be responsible for himself, but not for a 8 or 9 yo. I think if you let 2 12 yo's have an hour in a certain area w/a cell phone/walkie talkie that may be ok as a trial for this trip. I'd be too worried to have them be responsible for anyone else, too many whackos around even in WDW sorry:(

[LauraleeH]

I think even if you have a mature and responsible child with cell phones and everything, that does not mean they should go off by themselves. It's not them you don't trust, it's the thousands of strangers you shouldn't trust.

[joonyer]

I have a 13 year old DS who is 6ft tall and has a natural GPS unit/compass hardwired into his brain. Kid never gets lost, always instictively knows which way is north, south, etc. It's a good thing he's been in the car with his mom on long trips when I was not with them or she'd get on the interstate hwy going the wrong direction. Since he was 6, he would tell her, Mom I think you're going the wrong way.

Plus, he knows every theme park at WDW like his own back yard. So I don't hesitate to let him go off on his own as long as he has a walkie talkie or phone.

Now my 16 yr old DS is a different story. He'd lose his own head if it wasn't permanently attached. :scratch:
His kid brother has to keep up with him.

[IamBelle]

I believe 12 is too young. I think 15 or 16 is better, but they have to be mature and have a sense of direction. They also should always carry cell phones.

[DisneyFr33k]

I think even if you have a mature and responsible child with cell phones and everything, that does not mean they should go off by themselves. It's not them you don't trust, it's the thousands of strangers you shouldn't trust.

My thoughts exactly! It just takes one time and one regret to change someones life forever. My daughter (12) is very trustworthy. However, she is not physically big enough to handle all situations (still very petitte, hasn't started puberty) and doesn't have all the tools I'd like her to have before going it alone. In time, she will. I guess it depends on the 12 year old and how street savy they are.....

[mouseketeer mom]

I don't think there is is a "magic number" of an age that it is OK to send kids off on their own. There are so many variables. Namely the childs maturity and ability to handle situations on their own. One 13 year old can be vastly different then the next. Only the parents of the child in consideration can really answer this question..as I said no "magic age" where suddenly the child can handle it. But my personal philosophy is to always lean to the side of caution. If you have doubts..its probably not the right time to send them on their own.

[gueli]

IMHO letting kids go off by themselves, and giving them some responsibility can be OK if the circumstances warrant it. I would not be OK with letting a 12 & 9 year old wander the parks on their own. However, going to a particular ride, or once they are on line for a ride and doing something else with younger children might be ok depending on the circumstances.
As an earlier poster said, only you know your child and wether they are mature enough. Not to dismiss an earlier statment by another poster, but if you take a worst case scenerio, how would YOUR 12 year old react, and would they be able to do the best thing for themselves or their younger sibling. And to continue to play devils advocate, how would the 9 year old handle a crisis situation if the 12 year old became incapacitated ? If you are sure of how they could handle this situation then that would be your answer.
There is a fine line between overprotective and being careful. How your kids handle such things will depend on the child and how well you prepare them for life.
Oh and be prepared, not that I have experienced the walkie talkie thing myself, but I have heard rumors that often many people are on the same frequency & communications can sometimes be overheard, or potentialy get confusing.
Good luck on whatever way you choose.
:mickey:

[PirateLover]

On our first trip, I was 9 and my brother was 13. This was before everyone had cellphones/walkie talkies (1995). We stayed at the Poly, and I can remember my parents letting us ride the monorail loop alone at night, and go off and ride POTC one more time when they didn't want to. But it wasn't anything as crazy as being in a separate park or being alone hours at a time. However, when we'd take our school picnics to a local amusement park with far more troublesome patrons and lax security, I can remember us kids being alone wandering the parks while our parents sat in the shaded picnic area from 5th grade up. Then again, we always traveled in large packs so maybe that's why they allowed it. I think some limited alone time for your 2 oldest might be a good thing for them.

[grwoolf]

I agree with most of the other posters that it really depends on the kid and situation. My boys (now 11 and 12) know the parks very well and webhave given them some selective independence at WDW probably since they were around 9 and 10. While we have never let them have free reign for extended periods, we do let them do mini excursions, such as running to get fast passes, doing a single ride, etc. without any walkie talkies or cell phones. We do make sure that we have plan in place in case if there is a problem. We actually let my 12 yr old (who is very responsible) off by himself a couple time this year (to grab food or fast passes). WDW is a very safe place compared to your typical public "mob" situation such as a sporting event or concert. There are CM's everywhere, few points of entry and exit, and good processes in place to deal with kids that are seperated from their parents.

[MickeyMousse]

I have a DS12 and wouldn't let him roam the park alone, even with a cell phone/walkie talkie.
Not sure when I will allow my kids to walk around by themselves. I mean, we are in Disney, it's a family vacation so in my opinion we should all stick together regardless of age!!!

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

When they can pay for their own trip, they can go off alone. :mickey:

[beksy]

We always stayed together on our trips unless it was because my sister was too little to do something. It was a family vacation and we're close to our parents and never really wanted to go off alone. At 16 my parents let me take a friend along and let the two of us and my 10 year old sister go off alone when we wanted to do something different. I'm really mature and over-protective of my sister (who is not at all mature!) so my parents felt safe. Plus we'd been there enough to know our way around. I think that those ages are probably too young for a lot of freedom but they could have some and feel mature without wandering all over the park. Maybe let them explore one land on their own at the MK or go to a different CS restaurant in the same area of the park as you are going. That way you can be close while still letting them feel alone. Make sure to put some family time in there though--as other threads have said these vacations end much too soon. My sister and I travel on our own now but still together for the most part (I'm still the mature one in charge!)

[Disneymamaof5]

Well, Thank you all for all of your opinions...:)

It makes a lot of sense, on many levels! I must have been hyped up on medication yesterday when i was talking about sending them off to do a particular area of rides alone.

Oh and boy....When DH saw the responses his response was "SEE!!!??!?!"

ha.

Thanks again!

[ayeckley]

We allow our DD12 to go off independantly, but there are some ground rules:

1. She must have her cell phone with her (we use a pre-paid approach).

2. She must tell us where she plans on going.

3. Outside of the parks, she's limited to resorts along the monorail loops and WL. Inside the parks she's typically allowed anywhere, but not to leave the park. She's not allowed to travel to Downtown Disney.

4. At the resort we're staying at, she's typically allowed free reign to explore.

5. She only gets about 90 minutes of independance in any one lump, and those generally occur before sundown.

6. DD6 must stay with Mom and I.

7. Any kind of recent irresponsible behavior (within weeks of the vacation) and her independance is revoked.

She's been to WDW about eight times, and knows the layout and transportation system very well. She tends not to trust folks (including other kids) that she doesn't know.

We have some family friends that are also WDW people, and their approach is essentially the same with their DS (now 13).

I know this is more freedom than most folks allow their kids, but it works for us. We wouldn't allow it if it were her first trip. In general, she's got more freedom at WDW than she does at home. She's also got a much shorter leash at Cedar Point and other amusement parks.

[Insanity Clause]

My own personal opinion on the matter is that 12 is just too young to be going off in this day and age. I would let mine until they are maybe 14 and 15 and even then a group. You just never know and better safe...

[Celestria]

i was allowed to go arround when i was 16. i would always leave my parents in the dust when walking around the park so they just let me go. maybe i was 15.... but 12?? cast members would ask if they are lost.

[wire0monkey]

If you give the kids a cell phone, they should be fine.

My parents allowed my brothers to go alone in the parks at WDW when they were 10 and 14.

My youngest brother was allowed to go alone at Silver Dollar City in Branson when he was 8.He was very independent and capable.

I was allowed to wander Six Flags over Mid-America alone when I was 12. My cousin was with me and she was 10.

My parents were in the park with us. We had to meet my parents at a designated spot every three hours. If anyone missed a check-in by more than 15 minutes, they couldn't go alone for the rest of the day. We also had to eat lunch and dinner as a family.

It was completely fine. We were independent kid who were used to being free range.

[Mousemates]

While we stay together for the most part during our visits to the parks...we began giving them an hour or two of solo flight when they became teenagers. Our daughter (16) loves to pick through the shops...which to my son (14)is about as much fun as poison ivy...he would much prefer to use that time to hit his favorite ride a second or third or fourth time.

So on our trips we will have an evening or two where we turn them loose for a couple of hours in the park (usually while we eat a nice leisurely meal in a more upscale restaurant where our meat and potatoes son is not interested in going) and then meet back up for fireworks.

Funny thing is that instead of asking for an extension of the solo time, they invariably end up calling or texting us and wanting to reconnect early. The brief time apart lets them a have the breathing room they need and give us some time to enjoy a date...it works well for us.

[ddcrna]

What age do you think is an appropriate age for children to go off "on their own"? With Walkie Talkie, of course!

Yes, those walkie talkies will keep the pervs away:ack:

[SBETigg]

It depends on the kids. I will say that a lot of parents obviously think they know their kids, let them go off on their own, and then would probably be surprised by how their supposedly well-behaved, wonderful, mature-for-their-age kids act when they're away from mom and dad. I've been in line with these kids. I'm never happy about it. Parental supervision is usually appreciated by other park attendees.

Still, I think twelve may be okay, depending, but not if you're leaving them in charge of younger kids. Twelve with older kids, maybe. I wouldn't let a kid go off totally alone until the later teen years.

[PrettyMinnie]

Maybe another year. Cell phone?

[joonyer]

As I stated earlier. I allow my 13 yr old to go around in a Disney theme park by himself so long as he has a walkie talkie or phone, but only when I am in the same park somewhere.

And that's just in a theme park. No way would I let him go off in a city by himself, other than the small town where we live. Even that makes me nervous nowadays. Even though I grew up there and my parents never locked the door, day or night for 20 years. It was just about inconceivable then that somebody we didn't know would come into our house without our knowledge. Times have changed.

That being said, I feel relatively safe with my kids roaming around in the Disney parks with their security. The boys have understood since they were 6 that if they got separated from us the first thing to do was find a Cast Member to help them and we trained them how to ID a cast member by their name badges/uniforms.

[Mickey91]

I really feel this is an individual decision. I personally think 12 is as young as you should go as far as letting your child go off by his/herself. And then, not all 12, 13, 14, or even 15 year olds can handle such a responsibility. You know what you can expect from your child. For myself, and although my daughter won't think it fair, she probably won't gain that priviledge as soon as my son did. Not because I can't trust her, but because young women have more safety/preditor issues than young men do. You have to do what you feel comfortable with. Just because someone else let their kids go at eight years old doesn't mean you should feel guilty if child is fourteen and you don't yet feel comfortable.

We started allowing our son the priviledge of going on a few rides alone by first walking with him and waiting. Then letting him go to one ride alone and having a time and place to meet back that we felt should cover the length of wait and riding times. Now, he has a cell and he calls when he gets in line and again when he gets off. At that time we decide if there is time to ride something else or if we need to meet up for a meal or family time.

Hope this helps some! Have fun!:mickey: