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Child Left Screaming After Parents Abandon Them at Disneyland

Minnie Mouse, dressed in her classic red and white polka-dot dress with a matching bow, poses cheerfully with one hand on her cheek. She stands in front of a whimsical building, likely within a theme park setting, exuding joy and playfulness.
Credit: Disney

Disneyland, often referred to as the “Happiest Place on Earth,” is a magical world where dreams come true for children and adults alike. Families from all over the world flock to this iconic theme park to create cherished memories together.

However, amidst the joy and enchantment, there have been instances where parents have made the unthinkable decision to abandon their children at Disneyland.

Instances of parents leaving their children behind at Disneyland are rare, but they have occurred over the years. Such incidents leave children in a vulnerable and potentially dangerous situation, raising questions about the motives behind such actions.

Four men dressed in brightly colored, striped barbershop quartet outfits stand in front of a barber shop holding a large barber pole. They are smiling and posing, each with an arm extended as if to welcome or invite. The shop has classic décor.

Credit: Disney

Disneyland Resort can be an overwhelming experience for parents, especially when managing the needs and expectations of multiple children. Overwhelmed parents may leave a child behind unintentionally.

Parents struggling with substance abuse or mental health challenges may make impulsive and harmful decisions, such as abandoning their children.

Being abandoned at Disneyland Resort can be a traumatic experience for children. They may feel frightened, confused, and alone in a place meant to be joyful. The park staff and security personnel are trained to handle such situations and ensure the child’s safety.

However, the emotional scars of abandonment can linger long after the child is reunited with their family or taken into protective custody.

A person wearing a white and orange ombre shirt holds a Minne Mouse ear headband with a Halloween-themed design. They also wear a necklace with candy corn lights and an orange-themed MagicBand. The background features a blurred outdoor setting.

Credit: Disney

The official Disneyland website includes rules and regulations that children should be supervised:

“Children should be supervised. Guests under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter a Theme Park. To board an attraction, children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older.”

In a Reddit social media post, a Disneyland Resort guest at Paradise Pier Hotel talks about a child screaming in the room next to them.

After a while, this guest decided to go to the front desk to see about the child and found out that the parents were gone. These Disney parents had left the child in the room and went down to have breakfast alone. While we are unsure of the outcome, the guest who asked about the child received a credit on the room and removed their room service bill for helping.

Person with arms outstretched, wearing a pink and cream Disneyland sweatshirt and doughnut-themed Mickey ears headband. They are standing on Main Street, facing the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, with blurred trees and colorful structures in the background.

Credit: Disney

“Last time I stayed there, a fire alarm wasn’t needed,” the guest said. “There was an absolutely SCREAMING child in the room next to us, and we eventually had to go to the front desk because it JUST. WOULDN’T. STOP. SCREAMING! Turns out, the parents LEFT the screaming kid in the room to go down and have breakfast. The angel of a desk agent gave us a credit on the room, and wiped our room service bill completely, all without me asking for anything. You best believe I left a nice compliment for her.”

Disneyland takes child abandonment cases very seriously. Their well-trained staff immediately notify security and local law enforcement agencies to ensure the child’s safety.

The child is typically placed in the care of Child Protective Services until their family can be located or an appropriate guardian can be identified.

mickey outside sleeping beauty castle in disneyland park

Credit: Disney

Related: Child Taken From Parents After Disneyland Incident

Disney guests bringing children on vacation should be prepared to care for the child. Guests have been seen leaving newborns while they go ride different attractions and much more. Disneyland does not allow guests to leave children unattended due to safety.

Have you ever seen examples of poor parenting while visiting the Disney Parks? Let us know in the comments. 

About Brittni Ward

Brittni is a Disney and Universal fan; one of her favorite things at both parks is collecting popcorn buckets. While at Disney World Resort, Brittni meets the princesses and rides Kilimanjaro Safaris. At Universal, Brittni enjoys the Minions and watching Animal Actors on Location! When not at Disney World Resort or Universal Orlando, Brittni spends time with her family and pets.

One comment

  1. I’ve witnessed numerous incidents of parents at wits end- almost all have a common theme “I paid a fortune for this vacation and you WILL be happy” . Most parents want their children to have the the fairy tale experience; joyfully meet the characters, ride the rides the parent wants for them when in actuality; the child might be scared of rides or frightened of the costumed characters. And with so much tempting merchandise, even the most obedient child gets a case of the “gimmes” sprinkle in disrupted sleep schedules and meals and you have a recipe for melt down in Mouseland.

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