kids/teens in the park

[minnie04]

I was just wondering would you let your pre-teens go alone around the parks??? at what age would you let the kids run around the parks by them sel'ves... :mickey:

[coneygoil]

My folks never let me run around the parks by myself when I was a teenager. It's sad to say they didn't start letting me do that until I was 24. Yeah, WAY over protective. Anyways, I'd say about 16 would be a good age. That also depends on how mature the teen is. If you know they won't get into too much trouble, 15-16 is a good age to let them loose at a park that *you* are at.

[MarkC]

While Disney is about as safe as anyplace, bad things can and do happen anywhere. I agree that I wouldn't let my kids be alone under the age of 16 during the day, and probably 18 during the evening hours. Under 16 I would only leave them for a couple hours and only if I'm in the same park or area. Kids just don't always make good decisions when they're on their own. This Dad will play it on the cautious end. Why take a chance on ruining a vacation and having something bad happen?

[jusandnew]

We let our 13/ 15 year old go off by themselfs(they are together) in the same park as us for a couple of hours at a time then we meet up. They are always at the meeting spot early.They both have cell phones.
This happens during the daytime only.

[disneymom15]

I agree with Jusandnew, we only have 1 child, but usually let her bring a friend along. I think she was probably 14 the first time we let them go off alone. We always stayed at the same park and checked in every hour via cell phones.
I think it really depends on the maturity of the child.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We went when my son was 14 and we didn't let him go anywhere by himself...the next time we go he will be 16, I've decided he will be allowed to roam the park by himself as long as we are in the same park. He will not be allowed to leave the park without me and we will have check in times...

[GAN]

We just started to let them wander a little on their own -the oldest is 15, the youngest 11. We will generally stay in the area or allow them 2-3 hours before meeting back at a specific location.

[Imagineer1981]

Around 16 or so my parents started letting us go. They figured I could go drive off by mysefl, might as well be able to walk around Disney by myself too. I am always amazed when I see kids like 10 running around alone

[MNNHFLTX]

Not pre-teens, no. But when my son was 14 he had a friend go on vacation with us at Disneyland and they went off by themselves for a while here and there. They had their cell phones on them and we always had a time to meet up.

[Itchy]

When it comes to Teen ( 16 to 19 ) I have to consider maturity and responsibility. I have been to WDW in Feb right after the Cheerleaders finished the competition. Well! alot of the stayed around to visit the parks after the finished for a couple of days.

Some of them should have been in strollers the way they were acting. Pushing, Jumping lines, and generally rude. I know this did not apply to all of them.

I just want to say that supervision was very lacking for a few.

Phew! I feel better now.:mickey:

[Lakin]

I'm 13, and I wouldn't let myself run around Disney World without supervision. I mean my parents trust me, but it's others you have to be leery of these days.

[jerrywilborn]

I think this depends more on the child than the adult. If the child is asking for these privileges, they're showing maturity (by in large). It's your job to temper (and sometimes encourage) that desire for autonomy, and not snuff it out completely.

Sounds like you guys would would freak over the kid that rode the subway alone at 9 yrs old (google that phrase).

[minnie04]

Thanks everyone....I too think it depends on the teen. i just recently let my 17 yr.old and 14 yr.old Daughter & Niece spend the day at MK ( I was back at the room) I think they were very responsible in keeping in touch everytime I called them. I just told them the mother speech about safety and they were fine. We were also there with our baseball team and they were at Typhoon Lagoon ( parents there) and we let them run around as long as they all stayed together (11-13 yr olds) they did great coming back to check in all the time.

[Lakin]

Some of these responses really shock me. If I were an adult and had kids, I'd be watching them no matter how mature they are because no matter how mature or immature they are, they could still easily be taken. Even though it is Disney World, there are still bad people there as shown from the past 2 incidents at BB.

Call me paranoid, I guess?

And I would say let them go around at 18, maybe late seventeen. It kind of depends.

[Erin C.]

This will be the first time that I will let my DD separate from us...she is an only child so she has never wanted to separate actually....she will turn 16 on our trip in November and is bringing a friend. At this point she knows her way around very well and is very responsible. BUT...they will need to stay at the same park that we are at. :mickey:

[Giggy]

For what it's worth me, my brother and my sister have never felt the need to go off on our own. It's a family vacation and we just like to stick together as a family. :mickey:

[jonasbrotherslvr15]

im allowed to go around the parks alone or wit my friends and im 15, but i dont know if its because i know my way around the parks!! in november we usually have this big party with the family and all of our friends and the adults let their kids go around the park wit each other.:mickey:

[KAJUNKING]

my neice is 13 and dd will be 10 and this year we have decided to let them go on some attractions alone, although i think they are still too young to wander the parks alone, they both have cell phones and my neice and dd are very mature for thier ages, so we are going to let the leash ou a little and let them go on some attractions just the 2 of them

[MNNHFLTX]

I think the bottom line here is that every parent has to gauge their child's maturity and safety skills, and their own comfort level as parents, in deciding what age is appropriate. There is no cookie-cutter answer to this.

[disneykid@hrt]

That's a tough question. While I was growing up I know we always stayed together, or just broke off into Mom/Brother, Me/Dad formation. I never had a problem with it. My brother is 3 years older than I am and now he refuses to go back to Disney because he remembers it as "stressful." Granted, my mother was the "jet to Space Mountain when the rope drops" type, and dont even think about cutting her in a line. So for more independent kids, the structure or sense of being trapped in a situation might really ruin the trip- or in Joe's case, the whole Disney experience- if they are not given the opportunity for freedom. My brother has always been a responsible person, and was very mature as a teenager. He probably should have been given the opportunity to ride a ride by himself, or just given an hour to wander.
When my daughter is that age I will keep all of these things in mind. My mother is actually joining us on this next trip, and thankfully, her sprinting days are pretty much over.;)

It really is up to the individual parents decision. It really is disappointing, however when some of the kids decide to ruin other people's fun when unsupervised. I dont remember my friends and I being that rude... Selective Memory maybe?

[MidnTPK]

I think the bottom line here is that every parent has to gauge their child's maturity and safety skills, and their own comfort level as parents, in deciding what age is appropriate. There is no cookie-cutter answer to this.Exactly. This is almost 100% about the kid. Thousands of teens in the U.S. go off to boarding/prep school when they enter 9th grade, around age 14. These kids are mature enough to somewhat live on their own. I should know...I was one of them.

Yes, there are a few kids that can't handle that freedom. But a normal, well behaved, and well-parented kid should be fine around 14.

Some of these responses really shock me. If I were an adult and had kids, I'd be watching them no matter how mature they are because no matter how mature or immature they are, they could still easily be taken. Even though it is Disney World, there are still bad people there as shown from the past 2 incidents at BB.

Call me paranoid, I guess?

And I would say let them go around at 18, maybe late seventeen. It kind of depends.Yes, you're paranoid.:thedolls:

By your logic, a high school-er would never go off in mall on their own until they were 18...or walk home from school...or take public transportation...which are all things a normal and responsible 14 year old does in an urban area.

Compared to many public places, WDW is a very good place to let a teen be a bit free. It's controlled access, has many employees trained in helping out, and has an enormous security staff.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Some of these responses really shock me. If I were an adult and had kids, I'd be watching them no matter how mature they are because no matter how mature or immature they are, they could still easily be taken. Even though it is Disney World, there are still bad people there as shown from the past 2 incidents at BB.

Call me paranoid, I guess?

And I would say let them go around at 18, maybe late seventeen. It kind of depends.

I'm not saying that you are paranoid, but not letting a child go anyplace alone until they are 18 is kind of drastic. Most kids have their license and can drive a car by 16, and many kids age 16 and up have jobs. I am very protective of my kids, but I can't imagine not letting them go to the movies or the mall without me until they are 18! While no place is ever completely safe, I consider WDW to be as safe as, or even safer than the mall and the movies. Plus by 18 some kids are living on their own and going to college. Imagine the shock of that if they've never been away from mommy and daddy before.

Of course all kids are different and mature at different ages. I think its just a very personal call each parent has to make for their kids. Mine are only 9 and 7 as of now so it will be a good while before I have to even consider it.

[Jodi]

This is a tough one, as we have 2 DD's ages 17 and 14. We tend to all stick together. If we are in DTD, I do let them kind of go in the stores and tell them where to meet DH and myself in about an hour. Both have cellphones , I just like to be able to SEE them.
When we were kids, not even quite teenagers, our parents just let us go in the parks, we met up for lunch and dinner and took off again. Not so willing to do that today.

18 days to Pop

[DisneyFreak23]

Last year, I went to WDW with my friend (14 at the time, same as me) and out grandmothers. We were allowed to wander the park always together and never in a different park than the grandmas. We managed perfectly fine and had a great time both when we went off by ourselves and when we were with our grandmas. We both had cellphones and were in prety much constant contact with out grandmas.

Only once did we stay in the park (MK) while our grandmas went to rest @ the resort. We were only there for about 3-4 hours and had a wonderful time and were able to navigate our way back home via monorail. (in the front seat, no less)

Like everyone else has said, judge it on the maturity of the children and also on their knowledge of the parks. That was my 6th trip and my friends 3rd so we knew our way around probably better than the grandmas. I have total confidence that I would've been fine by myself as well. Its a maturity thing.

And trust me. we both recieved the "dont talk to strangers blah blah blah " lecture :D

[Disney Doll]

Again, no one right answer, but I have to think that if I am taking off work and traveling across the country for a family vacation I would expect the family to stay together. My family took a few WDW trips when my brother and I were teens and we never even considered going off on our own. We were there to spend time as a family. Teens get plenty of free time when not on vacation. That's just my opinion and since my child is just a toddler it will be a long while before I have to confront this issue.

[BluewaterBrad]

You know, back in 76 I was in the 4th grade and my sis was in 6th. My parents had no problem letting us roam around MK as well as back and forth to the CR. We did have certin times we had to check in though, and of course we did spend time as a family as well. I also went 2 yrs later (was invited for a week with a 6th grade classmate). Now that was total roaming!! Mk from opening to midnight 5 days in a row!! Two 6th grade boys dreams( I remember 27 times on Space Mountain in a day!) Times change!!:mickey:

[EpcotFan182]

I was 15 when I was allowed to go to the parks by myself. I think around that age give or take a year is a good time to start.

[PittFan]

For what it's worth me, my brother and my sister have never felt the need to go off on our own. It's a family vacation and we just like to stick together as a family. :mickey:

:ditto: DD is almost 14 and DS is 11. Although I wouldn't let them go off on their own right now, I don't forsee this being a problem in the next few years either. They love the togetherness of our trips to a point where I couldn't get away if I wanted to. LOL :mickey:

[wire0monkey]

I'd say 14 or so is fine.

The author of the Unofficial Guide to California with Kids says that she let her teen-agers go to Disneyland alone and that it's common for parents in SoCal to do that. I don't think the Orlando parks are more dangerous than the SoCal parks.

20 years ago, my parents allowed my brothers to go the parks alone from the Villas when they were around 11 and 15. (I think that's the right year. I was 19 so they were around 11 and 15.) On that trip, my parents allowed my brothers to go to the parks on WDW transportation after dinner and my parents went to their room or the pool to relax. They had to stay together (mostly for the younger kid's benefit) and they had to be back by 10 pm or so. They were fine.

[wire0monkey]

Call me paranoid, I guess?


I'd call you 13 and not a parent. ;)

No one is going to be 100% safe in this world. Problems are very rare at WDW, though, and I don't believe in caging teen-agers to save them from the rare chance that something bad will happen in this world. (I also expect that a teen-ager should be told how to handle a problem if it comes up.)

Having your first taste of freedom to go on your own like an adult is a wonderful, giddy heady experience. Having it at place like WDW is just that much more magical.

[HeyMrsL!ItsThisGuy!]

im a teenager and i dont like to go at it alone

its a FAMILY vacation!

[W24toISMdirect]

Well first of all as many have said, there are adolecents who can be trusted around the Magic Kingdom by themselves. There are adolecents who can be trusted to truted to bus around the property with their park hopper passes and their dining plan credits while Mom and Dad drink martini's on the beach at Polynisian. And there are adolecents who can't trusted out of Mom and Dad's sight for 10 seconds. So yes, Mom and Dad have to make a judgement call on how much they trust the kid... it's part of the job.

The one caveat I want to thrown on here is this: when I say "...trusted to...by themselves" I don't mean BY THEMSELVES... I mean TOGETHER. I don't it's safe or responsible for a teenager to be ALONE in a themepark. There needs to be more than one, and the ALL need to be trustworthy, few thing less fair that expecting a responsible adolecent to babysit an irresponsible adolecent.

[Mickey91]

First, you have to decide on a kid by kid basis. What do you usually let your kids do?

My DS(15), started going by himself in the same park as us, with a phone, at 13. He had strict rules like call when you are in line and let me know the est. time. Call when you get off and we will discuss what else you can do. It gives them freedom while teaching them responsibility. He knows if doesn't call, he will be stuck with me on Small World and I trust that between calls, he is safely in line for the ride. He is to check in physically at certain times and at meals.

Will I let my daughter do this? The jury is still out. Just so much more can happen to an average sized girl than a 6'1'' boy.

[iluvdumbo]

I'm 15, going to be 16 in December and I'm not allowed to walk around by myself, but I'm hoping that this year, me and my friend (going to be 16 in April) will be allowed to go off by ourselves in the same park as our mom's. We/I have been begging for about a year now and I think my mom is going to crack and let me and my friend Shelby go off and maybe ride a few rides by ourselves

I wouldn't want to go off by myself if it was just me and my mom though, I would just be lonely to go off alone the whole time.

[crazypoohbear]

im a teenager and i dont like to go at it alone

its a FAMILY vacation!

Not true!
I let you guys go it alone in 2007!!
I would let the boys take off by themselves and we would check in by cell phones. we would meet up and always meet up for meals.
My boy's were able to take off by themselves at ages 12 and 17 but we were in the same park and again they had cell phones and stayed in touch.
in 2007 when we took along "this guy" they would go off on rides themselves and then call and tell me where they were heading and I would either meet up with them to ride or just tell them where I was. Cell phones work great in giving kids the freedom to roam the parks.
The worst trip was when we had sprint a few years ago and my kids were in one park and I was in another and we couldn't reach each other becuase a tower was town ! That was panicky.

[mom2morgan]

Some of these responses really shock me. If I were an adult and had kids, I'd be watching them no matter how mature they are because no matter how mature or immature they are, they could still easily be taken. Even though it is Disney World, there are still bad people there as shown from the past 2 incidents at BB.

Call me paranoid, I guess?

And I would say let them go around at 18, maybe late seventeen. It kind of depends.
I know several teens who are only 16 and LIVE on their own, so it would seem pretty silly to tell them they can't walk around Disney World on their own :-) My own daughter will graduate when she is just barely 17 and move 4 hours away to go to University. I don't think there is any more chance of a 16 year old being 'taken' than an 18 year old. Now, at 13? Maybe I'd keep them right by me :-)