Child Safety at the Parks
You have been hearing that in 2022 crowd levels are at an all-time high, and as a first-timer, you are a little worried about keeping your child from getting lost.
This is our absolute worst nightmare, but it happens to the best of us. Even our family has lost a kiddo at a theme park!
Here are five ways to keep your child safe at the parks:
Cast Member at Animal Kingdom
Talk to your kids.
Talk yo your kids about the possibility of getting separated from the group. Reassure them that it is unlikely, but you want to be prepared just in case and not run ahead. Sometimes getting lost is as easy as passing through a crowded area and getting separated in the crowd.
Make sure your kids know your name.
I know this is silly, but go and ask your two and three year old if they know your name. Your name is Mommy and Daddy. We forget that our children do not learn our actual names until a little later in life. If they are not wearing a magic band, it may not be easy to track the parent down. I let my children, three and older, wear magic bands. Now that there are slap bracelets, you can add silicon watch loops to keep them from falling off.
Make a plan in case they get lost.
Once our kids were about three years old, they understood that if for some reason they do not see mommy or daddy, they need to freeze where they are and look for a cast member.
Our plans have evolved a little now that they are older. But our plan is if we get separated, go back to the last place we were all together and look for a cast member. This ACTUALLY happened to us, but at Universal Studios. We took a big family trip with extended family; he thought he was with a family member. We got into the next ride line and started doing our count, and he was gone. My husband and I started sprinting to the last place we were, and there he was crying but looking for a “cast member” (we were at universal, but he still followed that plan.) So make a plan with your kids.
ProTip: If a child is lost, have one adult stay in the current location and the other search. In most cases, your child is nearby if you just noticed missing. The adult that stays put can flag down the nearest cast member to notify them of a missing child. Security will be notified right away, and the search will begin.
Please make sure they can identify who is a cast member.
Disney calls all employees who work for them cast members for those who do not know. They are identifiable by their uniform, badge, and where they are working. Those are the THREE things I tell my kids. Make sure you walk up to the person at the last ride or attraction located at the ride entrance, wearing a Disney uniform and a badge with their name and hometown. I do not want them walking up to a cast member walking around the park just in case. Cast members are trained to work with children in all situations. They will do everything to make your child feel safe now that they have been "found.”.
Where do lost children go?
Children younger than 10 go to the Baby Center in the park. Children over 10 go to guest relations in the park.
ProTip: no blaming. It is easy to get lost. It's no one's fault. Focus on reuniting. And when the child is found, be grateful that everyone is safe.
ProTips on preparing for the possibility of a lost child
Take a group photo in the morning - for memories too.
Temporary tattoos with your phone number - Etsy has a bunch of them
Custom ID Bands - if they won't wear them, place them in their shoe, loop around an ankle, anywhere they will keep it on. - Also Etsy has a bunch
Smartwatches like Verizon's gizmo
Have them memorize your cell number
For older kids, determine a meeting spot - This can be difficult with younger kids to navigate the park.
Kid leash - No judgment here. I have never had a runner, and I can't imagine what would happen in large crowds.
Cast Members Badge
