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Top 10 Things to Do If You Lose a Child at Walt Disney World (And How To Avoid It)

By Cassie

Children under the age of 7 are not permitted in the parks by themselves. They must be accompanied by someone at least 14 years of age if not their adult guardian or parent when in the parks. Make sure you keep in contact with that older child to make sure they are still together. Go through this list with who will be accompanying your younger child in the parks. Sometimes when entering a place like Walt Disney World kids tend to see something and wander off, failing to stay with the group, and with the large crowds going in between it doesn’t take long to lose a child. Here are some pointers concerning lost children at Walt Disney World.

10. First, there are some precautions you can take to guard against losing a child and groundwork to lay to quickly reunite with your child if you do find yourselves separated. Be especially careful after parades and fireworks.

9. If you have a child that is prone to escaping your care, consider getting a harness for them until they are old enough to learn about the dangers of running off. This is very common in the parks and they are available at nearby stores.

8. Consider having your whole family, or group, wear the same color shirts or matching shirts, especially bright colors to make it easier to spy one breaking loose. There is a custom t shirt shop in Downtown Disney that will make special shirts for your whole party.

7. Take a photo with your phone of each child that day before you leave the resort. Then you have a visual you can refer to when giving a description of your child that day.

6. Get a Special Occasion button at the front of the park, for instance a “1st Visit” and write your cell phone number and name on the back of the pin with the Cast Member’s Sharpie and tell your child what you are doing and they can use it if they get separated.

5. Tell your child what to do if you get separated, before you arrive at the Park. Tell them how to recognize a CM, point out what the badges look like and where to find one. The CM badges are all white with a blue castle on them and their names are blue. (Note: sometimes guests have similar badges, but different colors and symbols on them.) Once they have connected with a Cast Member they can show them the back of their pin.

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4. Let’s say, despite your best efforts your child does get separated from you. As the parent or guardian, it is important that you don’t leave the area where you last saw them. In most cases, they will find their way back to you within about five minutes. Either they will find you on their own, or they will do all these things you taught them in case this happened.

3. It could be they don’t find their way back because they don’t realize right away you are no longer together, and they may be too startled to remember everything they should do. You should speak with a Cast Member soon after you realize the child is lost and you don’t see them in the immediate area.

2. Be prepared to give a full description of the child and where you last saw them. The Cast Member will wait with you and do a cursory look for your child. Stay in the area with the CM so you can be found once the child is found. The CM will call a number of people who will come to that area to look for the child. They may need to talk to you again and need you to be there to answer them. The Manager, other Cast Members, Coordinators, and Security personnel will be looking for the child, based on your description.

1. When your child is found you will be reunited. When you are reunited it is best not to punish the child, they are likely scared enough to remember the event as something they don’t want to repeat. Try to enjoy the rest of your day.

There is a current misconception that if your child is wearing a MagicBand that they can be easily found through using the RFID capabilities of the MB. While it may come in the future, Disney does not have the capability to do that right now. It is old school time for keeping up with your children inside the parks.

 

 

About Cassie

Cassie L. I am a lifelong Disney fan. I attended Walt Disney World in 1971, and was there during the opening week of EPCOT, and have visited the Disney Parks for than 30 times. I have had the privilege of visiting Disneyland as a child, and then again with my children. My family recently moved from the northeastern United States to the Walt Disney World area. I now have cast members in my family and enjoy hearing the magical stories at the end of a shift. I love visiting all of the parks and getting to try more Disney food and being able to share it with you to help you plan your own magical day at Disney.