Can kids go off on their own?

[JadeDarkstar]

Mine is my only child and I would let him go around the area were in if he wanted to. At 12 he didn't want to and thats fine with me. However becoue of how big the parks are and how easy it is to get split up. We do have a phone that is for when we are on trips or other places.

if he had a friend or family member i'm sure he'd be ok going off away from us but we enjoy the same things and he lets me do all the planning. He and his dad stay out my way and know ill change my mind 100 times before we go. lol

 

[NNPMom]

We let our two 14 year old neices wander without us last summer- with the caveat that they became our friends on the iphone find a friend app. We could see where they were at any time... yup on the bus headed home to the resort before the curfew! We had no issues at all- but they stuck together and knew the rules, as well as their way around.

Have fun!

 

[pixarmom]

Our boys are ages 15, 14 and 8. Earlier this month, they went to DHS/Epcot while I took my husband to the rundisney expo (he arrived later than the rest of the runners in our family and I thought he could use a guide!) and to MK after I ran the marathon and my husband wanted to watch the playoff game. The boys kept in great contact with us, and they had a great time. It was also a good experience for other reasons - they had to compromise and develop their own plans without a referee (me) guiding the process. It was a great opportunity for the older boys to be responsible for their little brother and understand/accommodate his needs and interests.

Our oldest is very responsible and typically exercises excellent judgment, but it would always depend on the child. When our youngest is 15 . . . well, we'll see!

 

[GrumpyBelle]

We let my DS and niece go on their own at 14 and 15. They both had phones and had to stay together. They could go anywhere they wanted. They had to check in every so often. This wasn't a problem... They actually checked in more frequently than we asked. They had a good time and so do the rest of the group as we could do whatever we wanted to do.

 

[chapie1968]

Some of my fondest memories as a child was getting up with my brothers and taking the launch over to the Magic Kingdom by ourselves and doing all the rides we wanted or over to the Contemporary's Arcade.

I was the oldest at about 14, my middle brother was 12 and the youngest was 9 or 10. It was also a different time 35 years ago, but you know your kids and know if you can trust them. They will enjoy the independence and it will also help them grow as an individual.

 

[cropper]

I haven't used it yet but I heard about an app called Family Finder for Disney World.
I have loaded it and checked it out but of course, we aren't at Disney yet.

Everyone gets an ID number, enters it on each others phone app and they can be tracked by each other. Looks like down to the specific area of the park!!

 

[kelmcg]

This past summer was the first time we let our guys go off on their own for a bit--they were 14 and 12. This was our fifth trip so they knew their way around the park and are very responsible kids. They wanted to the play the Sorcerers game in MK and DH and I had enough of just following them around. They had a cell phone; we had a cell phone.



Same exact thing for us! Boys ages 12 & 14 and we were tired of following them around for Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom, so they went off on their own for a while. Our plan was to go ride rides and watch Country Bear Jamboree..........instead we found ourselves with Dole Whip floats, sitting on 2 rocking chairs in Frontierland and doing some people watching! We enjoyed that "quiet" time.

 

[techtony]

I hear this question a lot. Are the parks safe? Yes. There has never been a child abduction in Walt Disney World. I do not think that is your concern, but parents always have that thought in the back of their heads. Child Kidnapping was at an all time high in the 60s and 70s, and the instance has dropped so considerably that any child abduction anywhere in the country is instantly a national news item. Child Abductions are now very rare.

With that said - always have a check-in time and place to meet.

Pre Teens and Teens need time away to bolster their confidence, so I say go for it!

My parents let us go a half day at Epcot in the mid eighties - we had a blast! Epcot was new then and it is one of my fondest memories, being able to walk around and explore on my own.

 

[IrishNYC]

I hear this question a lot. Are the parks safe? Yes. There has never been a child abduction in Walt Disney World. I do not think that is your concern, but parents always have that thought in the back of their heads. Child Kidnapping was at an all time high in the 60s and 70s, and the instance has dropped so considerably that any child abduction anywhere in the country is instantly a national news item. Child Abductions are now very rare.

With that said - always have a check-in time and place to meet.

Pre Teens and Teens need time away to bolster their confidence, so I say go for it!

My parents let us go a half day at Epcot in the mid eighties - we had a blast! Epcot was new then and it is one of my fondest memories, being able to walk around and explore on my own.

Abduction wouldn't be my fear letting my child roam on her own. Perverts are everywhere, even Disney.

Whether I would let my child roam alone would depend on her age, her maturity, and her experience being on her own in regular day to day life. Only you know if your child is ready for that.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

granted this was before cell phones but we let our girls go on their own at 13 and 10. we had meet times and places and if not there next time slot would be spent doing what mom and dad were doing. never had a problem. I would do the meet place even with phone. to many problems in parks with using phones plus you might not be where you could get signal

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Can kids go off on their own?

1) Absolutely.
2) We let our kids "roam free".
3) we each went our own way in the parks.
4) They even park-hopped by themselves.

Unfortunately, they always found us later.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Have been to WDW many times, going back to trips with a sports team in high school in the mid eighties. In those days we always had complete freedom to do whatever we wanted as logo as we made it back in time for all check ins.

We are headed back in November. We will have three boys with us, ages 16, 14, and 12 1/2. Thoughts on letting them go off on their own, as long as the three of them stay together? Because we will have three Disney adults, we are not doing the dining plan this trip. I was considering planning one of two sit down meals with my husband as it is our anniversary , and letting the boys get a counter service of their choosing. (Which they would probably enjoy more than a sit down meal.)

This is too funny to me...last trip mine were 16, 14, and 12 1/2....and DH & I were celebrating our anniversary. AND a highlight of my childhood trip in the early 80's was the one morning that my parents let me and my brother (probably 12 & 14ish - maybe 11 & 13) spend the morning alone/together in Magic Kingdom.

We planned to let our three spend one evening together in a park while we had a nice dinner together in August....Turns out it didn't work out because we all were busy with something else, and decided to stay together -- but I think it's a good idea if your kids are responsible. I say go for it! (From the way I read the Disney policy, it seemed to be within bounds).

Enjoy & let them make some incredible sibling memories.

 

[klinlin]

Unfortunately, they always found us later.