By Lisa Green
You don’t want any Lost Boys!
This post was actually Raymond’s idea. We’ve been watching ABC’c
Once Upon a Time (love it!) and the main characters are currently trying
to escape from Neverland where Peter Pan and the Lost Boys are a little
bit Lord of the Flies-ish. For some reason, it made Raymond think about
one extremely memorable visit to Disney World when we witnessed first
hand what NOT to do when your child gets lost.
Each member of The Fam can, to this day, recall the specifics
of our encounter with the parents of a missing little girl named Sarah – the entire incident was so
disturbing it is burned forever into our memories. We were just
coming out of Mickey’s Philharmagic – right there near the exit, in
the middle of Fantasyland, Sarah’s mom and dad had let the worst
thing possible happen (no, not the fact that they lost Sarah) –
they panicked. Number one thing NOT to do if your child gets lost.
Do. Not. Panic. Sarah’s dad was frantically running back and forth,
up and down the walkway, calling for Sarah in a very upset tone of
voice. Sarah’s mom was standing in one place screaming Sarah’s name
over and over – Now, when I say screaming, I’m talking a scream
straight out of Friday the 13th – top of her lungs, abject
terror, over and over and over – eyes closed, just screaming. Within
seconds (literally), a Disney Cast Member was
beside Sarah’s mom – Ma’am? It’s OKAY! Here’s Sarah – and, of
course, had the beloved and much-missed Sarah in tow.
There are eyes and EARS (ha!) everywhere at Disney World – never doubt it. Cast Members
are very well trained in dealing with lost family members of any age.
So here are my tips for keeping up with your children and what to do if
you lose your child in Disney World:
1. DO NOT PANIC. Remain calm. Panic makes you
irrational and unproductive. Let your imagination run away and you will
not make good decisions. Carry your cell phone with you and take a picture of your child
as you arrive at a park each day – this will help keep panic at bay and
allow you to answer the simplest question with ease (just in
case) – what does your child look like?
2. If your child is not old enough to know your full name and cell phone number,
label them. Yep, I said slap a label on ‘em. This can be a sticky label on a belt or a shoe
or a sewn-onto-clothing label, a pinned on label, or a
marks-a-lot-message-written-on-their-skin label. Our kids were not prone
to running off as toddlers, so we weren’t worried much about
losing them at that age, but be saw plenty of runners that needed labels.
3. Use those cute little backpacks with leashes.
Years ago, when our kids were small, there were only actual kid leashes
and I just could NOT go there. When I saw Joseph looking at a child
about his age that had a big strap on his arm attached to a leash, being
pulled along,
I said, “See what happens to children who won’t stay close and hold
hands?” – Worked like a charm. (Oh, please, my children turned out
fine.) But now they have these adorable furry animal backpacks that have
a leash attached – looks less cruel and kids seem to actually
like them.
4. For kids a little older – Make sure they can recognize Cast Members and know what to say if/when lost. The Cast Members at
Disney are top notch – if you ask them for a practice run, they’ll be
glad to play along. Find a willing Cast Member, tell them what
you’re doing, then have your child go up to them and say whatever “I’m
lost” script you like. Have the Cast Member explain what would happen in
the event of an actual “losing”.
5. For kids even older than that – have a meeting
place picked out. When our children were about 9 and 13, I remember we
told them at the Magic Kingdom that if we got separated
for any reason, we would meet at the park bench with the Roy and Minnie
statues on it. This is also good when you get to the point of allowing
them a little freedom in the parks on their own. (After age 14 now
according to Disney rules) Make sure they have a way of contacting you
before you turn them loose, then give them a meeting time and place.
You should know – if Cast Members cannot find the
parents of a lost child immediately, they escort the child to a certain
area (Baby Care Center) in the park. Alert a cast member immediately if
your child is missing and ask them for directions to where your
child will be taken. If you’re not alone, have someone stay where the
child was last seen while you go check at the Baby Care Center.
Children and parents become separated at Disney World all the time. If you’re headed there on vacation, please make like a good Boy Scout and be prepared.
This article was originally posted on the Living a Disney Life Blog.
Lisa, this is a great article. I don't have kids but I do know people who do, I will be sharing this with them. I agree big time - slap a label somewhere on your child! You could even include your resort reservation number on it so the CM could get Guest Services to look it up to see how many people are in your party. And if you have more than one cell in the family - put down that number as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Gaylin. Nothing ruins a happy fun day like panic. It helps to be prepared as much as possible - better to have a plan and not need it than need it and not have a plan.
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