A Missing Kid Story

[tinkerone]

The thing that keeps bugging me about this whole situation is the man's complaints about his wife's birthday being "ruined". While I can sympathize with her feeling panicked, I would certainly feel fortunate to have everything turn out fine with a healthy unharmed child. I understand them wanting professional attention for legitimate complaints but not receiving specific attention on one's birthday would not have been a big priority. I also noticed, he didn't mention if his child continued to have fun on the cruise.

But maybe that's just me....

not just you. that's been my thing all along. if I had been in that much of a panic my child would never have left my side the rest of the cruise, never mind going out to dinner and waiting for a 'happy birthday' from the captain. that, to me, is shallow. shows no concern to the real issue.

 

[GoofyTwinDad]

Actually, they do on the Dream/Fantasy and I think they do on the Wonder/Magic. Its been a couple of years since we have been on the Magic/Wonder, but I seem to remember it there also.

If you look at the computer screen when you check your child out of the club/lab, there is a number at the top of the screen with the total number of children in the club/lab.

Check it out next time when you leave the club/lab.

My children had a great relationship with the CM's on our last cruise and they let our kids check kids in and out with their help. When I came in to check them out I witnessed the check out process for a few minutes to watch my kids have fun with the CM's. When kids enter the club their info pops up on the screen. Even if the bracelet becomes unreadable, there is no way for the child to be outside of the club without checking out. If the band became unreadable while in the club they would replace it with one that works. The info stays on the screen until the child is completely checked out with proper password and has been let through the locked gate.

Just to let you know the CM's step on a button on the floor to release the magnetic doors. I witnessed the CM's refusing to open the door if too many kids were standing to close to the doors. They were very observant for the potential of kids bolting out of the club without checking out.

 

[jjje]

The thing that keeps bugging me about this whole situation is the man's complaints about his wife's birthday being "ruined". While I can sympathize with her feeling panicked, I would certainly feel fortunate to have everything turn out fine with a healthy unharmed child. I understand them wanting professional attention for legitimate complaints but not receiving specific attention on one's birthday would not have been a big priority. I also noticed, he didn't mention if his child continued to have fun on the cruise.

But maybe that's just me....

Yes, exactly! How in the world would have the captain wishing his wife happy birthday address any of his legitimate concerns about how the kids club operates? That's just weird to me. For me it's exactly what casts this whole story in a somewhat suspicious light. He wasn't looking for a solution to his problem. He was looking to get something out of the whole deal.

 

[manhattanman]

They probably alerted necessary CM's due to part of their procedures. In this case the father was running around like a wild man and not knowing the behind the scenes actions that DCL were doing to find the lost boy..

how do you know he was running around like a mad man ? My guess was that he did not know anything was up probably assumed it was a normal thing, he gets there gives them his kktw , says who is there for and says the password to pick up his kid. Im sure that, in the face of the people who were responsible for his child, their inability to locate him for 45 minutes the fact that they were following procedures behind the scenes, must have been a real comfort to him.

 

[manhattanman]

Yes, exactly! How in the world would have the captain wishing his wife happy birthday address any of his legitimate concerns about how the kids club operates? That's just weird to me. For me it's exactly what casts this whole story in a somewhat suspicious light. He wasn't looking for a solution to his problem. He was looking to get something out of the whole deal.

Yeah they could not find his kid for 45 minutes and this guys has the gall to ask for an apology or some reassurance that they take these things seriously ?
That's its too much to even expect lip service about how it wont happen again.
I dont think the father expected the captain to sing happy birthday.

If a server spilled something on you in the MDR, I suspect they would try to make it up you somehow.

 

[lbgraves]

Darn! I was hoping you were going to say that they didn't take them out at all!

When they take them to the "secret" aft open verandah to play, it's really loud and annoying if you have the adjacent staterooms to that area. And that's where I am for our next cruise.

LOL! Sorry! Of course, they may have stopped taking them out in the 1 1/2years since we cruised on the Wonder. Totally understand your concern, kind of like listening the basketballs bouncing in Palo when you want a nice dining experience there...but that is a different thread.

Flexsmom -- the club/lab [combining them because that is what happens most of the time] is ages 3-12. Edge is 11-14 and Vibe is 14-17. Many parents say they don't want to give their 11 or 12 yos check in/out privs, so the only option for those kids is the club/lab.

As far as if this had happened on a different line, I wouldn't be able to comment on how the kid clubs were set up or run since I haven't seen them myself. I could have understood how the parent felt, but still would have though him running all over the ship wasn't serving any purpose to help find his child. Nothing was said about talking to the officer in charge of the kid clubs. IMO THAT is the person he should have talked to. I would have insisted that the CMs have the officer show up to help with the search after a complete search had been conducted of the club area.

 

[disneyfan888]

Ok, here go my two cents. I have no intention in upsetting anyone, but I have been fallowing this thread for a couple of hrs now and one thing that has me a bit annoyed from the story is this "care free" attitude that they claim the cast members had. None of us were there to know the particular case of this family and as much as we know there are a lot of extraordinary cast members, there are a few that stand out for their less than magical attitude. My point is that there is a protocol for handling lost children and while the family feels that they were not receiving appropriate attention it is the cast member’s job to not panic or show despair, this will only get the family more nervous. Having a lost child is not something a parent wants to experience, it is nerve racking and emotional. Now imagine a cast member who is trying to help you find your child, completely losing it and becoming an emotional wreck or showing panic. Would you trust the cast member? Would you think he or she is capable of handling an already delicate situation? It is the cast member’s job to remain calm and follow the necessary steps to appropriately handle the situation. Unless a person knows what that protocol is they will jump to their own conclusions about how the situation was handled. I find it very hard to believe that the wife was completely ignored as the man claims and in regards to the missing child protocol it is very easy to assume that no one is doing enough when your believe your child is missing. You enter a completely different state where emotion will take over. The important thing is that the child was safe.

 

[GoofyTwinDad]

how do you know he was running around like a mad man ? My guess was that he did not know anything was up probably assumed it was a normal thing, he gets there gives them his kktw , says who is there for and says the password to pick up his kid. Im sure that, in the face of the people who were responsible for his child, their inability to locate him for 45 minutes the fact that they were following procedures behind the scenes, must have been a real comfort to him.

Are you basing this conjecture on one person's biased account? IMO, someone who blogs and immediately requires full cruise reimbursment for remedy loses all credibility. After all the father had an opportunity to find his son in the club before running around the ship. I wonder how much time he actually spent looking before reporting his son as missing?

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

I think DCL made some mistakes during this incident. While I would like for everyone to do everything perfectly the first time, I understand that things sometimes happen and mistakes are sometimes made. What is more important to ME, as a parent and future cruiser, is what DCL DID do after the incident. And according to the father's blog, they had a meeting with the Cruise Director:

I was given the following answers and assurances:

• They were aware the lighting was too low in the care facility and they plan to renovate it the next time the ship dry docks.
• They do have a process for handling lost child emergencies, however since that hadn’t been apparent to us, they would look into that and address it.
• I was given an apology for the lack of empathy shown to my wife by the crew during the crisis.
• They would definitely investigate why the tracking band was unreadable.

So after the incident was over, by the father's admission, DCL did the following things:

1. Apologize 3 times, in a note, in person with the Cruise Director, and from corporate
2. Admit that mistakes were made
3. Acknowledge the low lighting that contributed to not being able to find the child and tell him the plans to fix it
4. Confirm that a lost child process DOES exist but admit that the information had not properly been communicated and that would be investigated and addressed
5. Acknowledge and apologize for the wife's mental distress
6. Acknowledge the technical failure of the wrist band and pledge to investigate it
7. Offer compensation in the form of a bottle of wine and WDW park tickets

DCL did not do the following things:

1. Send the Captain to their dinner table to apologize in person and wish his wife a happy birthday
2. Refund their cruise

For the two things DCL did not do after the incident, I think one request is unreasonable (a free cruise for a "ruined" vacation, and also it was her birthday which somehow makes it extra deserving of a refund?) and the other is ridiculous (a ship's Captain is not a ceremonial position. He has the most important job on the ship, which is to command the ship safely. His job is not to run around placating upset passengers and wishing people happy birthday).

As a parent and future cruiser, because the incident did not involve the child being harmed or irreparably lost, I am satisfied with what DCL did after the incident happened. I think they acknowledged and addressed the mistakes that were made and laid out their plan for fixing it and preventing an incident like this in the future. That is what I would hope for from any cruise line, and it's not apologist to say that I think they did the right thing with those final steps.

 

[LasseKjus]

Not that this is the case of a "missing child" but we "misplaced" our then three-year old child about one hour into our time on a three-day Disney Wonder. We were walking to get something to eat with all five of us in tow. As we were coming back to our chair, apparently our little girl turned left when we turned right. It was about five minutes we couldn't find her, but we did not panic. Of course, we were looking around the mickey pool, where we had been the whole time. But apparently, she got separated from us and walked toward the goofy pool.

After those five minutes, we see her walking hand and hand with another mom-like person, who walks up to us and says, "she told me, 'My name is XXXX. My mom's name is (first and last name). Will you please help me find her?'" We were very proud of her for the way she, at three years old, handled the situation.

My kid did not panic. We did not panic. And everything turned out fine. Were this us, I know my child, because we've taught him or her so, would be very aware of how to find us should we get apart. Of course, now my kids are almost 10, 7 and 5, so I've got a lot more trust, but still, this guy could have avoided the panicking if he knew that his kid would maintain a level head if lost. I know my then three-year old wouldn't have done anything to lose us.

 

[manhattanman]

Are you basing this conjecture on one person's biased account? IMO, someone who blogs and immediately requires full cruise reimbursment for remedy loses all credibility. After all the father had an opportunity to find his son in the club before running around the ship. I wonder how much time he actually spent looking before reporting his son as missing?

One person who happened to be the father of the kid Disney could not find. But your right, he could be a confidence man sent by carnival in an attempt to shift public opinion of " worst cruise of the year" away from the triumph. They are all in on it together. I'm sure that as it approached the hour mark, I'm sure the father was thinking, if I can hold out another 15 minutes of not knowing where my kid is, I might get comped to Palo, or mabey one of those spiffy mugs.



From what I read he did not initially , much less immediately ask for a dime from Disney.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

From what I read he did not initially , much less immediately ask for a dime from Disney.

Perhaps it wasn't "immediate," but it didn't take him very long to decide that his entire trip was irreparably ruined and they deserved a refund.

Near the end of the meeting, the Cruise Director asked me what they could do to make it up to us. I told him I didn’t have a specific remedy in mind, but something needed to be done, especially for my wife since this cruise had been booked to celebrate her birthday. What happened essentially ruined her birthday and spoiled the entire trip for her.
I mentioned that we had a dinner reservation for her birthday, and I thought to myself that maybe the Cruise Director or the Captain might come by to wish her a happy birthday and apologize to her in person. At least to show that they do value their customers and that truly cared for what had happened to us.
Later, I spoke with my wife and we agreed that the best outcome would be not having to pay for a vacation that was ruined. So I sent a note to the Cruise Director and then headed to the restaurant.

 

[neg58]

Perhaps it wasn't "immediate," but it didn't take him very long to decide that his entire trip was irreparably ruined and they deserved a refund.

I'm still dying to know if he put the children back in the nursery/club the next night.

Nancy

 

[Weedy]

This is one reason why they stopped taking the kids to the buffet for lunch & dinner and now have them eat in the clubs. When they do take the kids to a different location -- kid show in WDT, BB court for activities, and even when they move the kids as a group to the lab or club when open house occurs -- they stop check in/out and have two CMs do a head count. They then have the kids form a line and have CMs along that line while the kids are transferred to the location. When they go up or down the stairs to the WDT the CMs block the stairs so that other guests cannot use the stairs for that moment or be able to take a kid out of the line. When they arrive, two CMs again do a head count. They do not allow a kid to check themselves out or be checked out until that head count matches. I have witnessed this several times over the years.

I should have made myself more clear. Of course the person at the computer knows how many kids are in the club. The problem is in the rooms of the club itself. For example the cast member working in Andy's room how does that Cast Member know if the child has been checked out or is still there somewhere.
I love Disney Cruise line. We are going on our 10th cruise in May. I not saying anything bad but pointing out where the slight flaw in the system.

 

[TLSnell1981]

.

this guy could have avoided the panicking if he knew that his kid would maintain a level head if lost. I know my then three-year old wouldn't have done anything to lose us.

I am happy, that your child was found safe and unharmed. Training your three year old child, how to respond in an emergency is commendable. BUT...it does NOT guarantee a happy ending.

There have been many harsh words for the family of the missing 3 year old. I can't imagine, how a parent would NOT be EXTREMELY upset, if their 3 year old went missing for 45 minutes.

 

[Ginger Renae]

I think DCL made some mistakes during this incident. While I would like for everyone to do everything perfectly the first time, I understand that things sometimes happen and mistakes are sometimes made. What is more important to ME, as a parent and future cruiser, is what DCL DID do after the incident. And according to the father's blog, they had a meeting with the Cruise Director:



So after the incident was over, by the father's admission, DCL did the following things:

1. Apologize 3 times, in a note, in person with the Cruise Director, and from corporate
2. Admit that mistakes were made
3. Acknowledge the low lighting that contributed to not being able to find the child and tell him the plans to fix it
4. Confirm that a lost child process DOES exist but admit that the information had not properly been communicated and that would be investigated and addressed
5. Acknowledge and apologize for the wife's mental distress
6. Acknowledge the technical failure of the wrist band and pledge to investigate it
7. Offer compensation in the form of a bottle of wine and WDW park tickets

DCL did not do the following things:

1. Send the Captain to their dinner table to apologize in person and wish his wife a happy birthday
2. Refund their cruise

For the two things DCL did not do after the incident, I think one request is unreasonable (a free cruise for a "ruined" vacation, and also it was her birthday which somehow makes it extra deserving of a refund?) and the other is ridiculous (a ship's Captain is not a ceremonial position. He has the most important job on the ship, which is to command the ship safely. His job is not to run around placating upset passengers and wishing people happy birthday).

As a parent and future cruiser, because the incident did not involve the child being harmed or irreparably lost, I am satisfied with what DCL did after the incident happened. I think they acknowledged and addressed the mistakes that were made and laid out their plan for fixing it and preventing an incident like this in the future. That is what I would hope for from any cruise line, and it's not apologist to say that I think they did the right thing with those final steps.

I could not agree with this more.

While I sympathize with this father, his son was found unharmed. Is it acceptable that they couldn't find him for 45 minutes? No. However, saying your whole vacation was ruined and feeling entitled to a refund is beyond ridiculous.

 

[manhattanman]

Perhaps it wasn't "immediate," but it didn't take him very long to decide that his entire trip was irreparably ruined and they deserved a refund.

They never said they deserved it, they said it would be best. Is it over the top? I'm not sure, the first thing they asked for ( the captain or cruise director to stop by and reassure them ) did not happen. Is a bottle of wine and park tickets fair? It looks like there is a difference of opinion on this.

Was what they endured worse than what the people sailing Into the tail end of sandy experienced? My guess is that they hoped for something, it didn't happen and now they are dropping it, with no intention to sue.

The way some people characterize the father you would think he's some sort of serial scammer who is faking falls on ships with the intention to sue.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I found time to actually go an read this man's blog and my opinion that the refund request was a bit much still stands..but what I thought was interesting is his description (bolding is mine):

is a social media marketing consultant and entrepreneur, who specializes in social media marketing, content marketing, and viral content creation.



sorry but i don't think he was sharing the story to complain to close family and friends...

 

[dpuck1998]

Well, it would have been kind of hard for the man to ask for the 45 minutes of terror to be returned to him.

I still don't see what's wrong with asking, anyway.

And I'll ALWAYS believe that if this had happened on any other cruise line, most of the people here who are calling this man a liar and a money-grubbing jerk would instead be rallying behind him.

If you don't want others to put words in his mouth, stop putting your words into others.

 

[tinkerone]

Yeah they could not find his kid for 45 minutes and this guys has the gall to ask for an apology or some reassurance that they take these things seriously ?
That's its too much to even expect lip service about how it wont happen again.
I dont think the father expected the captain to sing happy birthday.

If a server spilled something on you in the MDR, I suspect they would try to make it up you somehow.

we keep skirting around and around this issue. no, its not to much to expect lip service about how it won't happen again. he got that from the cd. some reassurance? yup, got that to. apology, yup he even said he got that.
the only thing he didn't get is the captain saying happy birthday to his wife. how is that even relevant? he didn't say 'I thought the captain would come by and say sorry', he said 'I thought the captain would come by and say happy birthday and apologize'.
if I made an error at work, a really really bad error, my v.p. isn't going to come to you and say sorry, its going to be my manager. the v.p. is busy running the show as the captain should be.
yes, if a server spilled something on me in the mdr I suspect, as well, they would try and make it up somehow but it wouldn't involve the captain.

and just as an after note, while I was in one of the mdr's having lunch a tray of plates was dropped behind me and pieces of them flew and hit me. I wasn't badly hurt. the waiter came over to check but that was the end of it. they didn't send me a bottle of wine nor did they need to. it was an accident totally out of their control. before you flame me i'm not comparing a lost child to a tray of broken plates. i'm responding to the waiter statement.
I just don't get what you would expect could have been done differently. please feel free to tell me cause i'm stumped.