I lost my 4 year old at Magic Kingdom....

[violet13]

Just thought I would share our experience...got back from Disney Vacation a week ago with our 4 boys (ages 10 months, 4 yr old, 5 yr old, & 11 yr old)... I got a speeding ticket in South Carolina on the way down (we drove 18 hours straight from PA, will NEVER do again, kids were good, but we were beat!) .... then lost our son at Magic Kingdom the next day (for about 30 minutes) ! Now I am a very prepared Mom, I had detailed laminated name tags on my kids, even with their picture, and I knew exactly what happens, (that they send the lost children to "Baby care") and that I should immediately contact a worker at Disney, anyone with a white name tag. I did not panic. The worker assured me they haven't lost a child in 30 years. I was VERY thankful at this point I did the name tags, and I also had "leashes" for my 4 and 5 year olds. But the 4 year old would not wear his, he moaned and I just let him "hold it" to have Peace. But he didn't think that was necessary (until he got LOST!) We were getting ready to eat when the 5 year old was fussing and the 4 yr old just slipped into a nearby gift shop (only takes a second!). He was found immediately but when me & husband split up to look and tell workers, my husband had our Tracfone cell phone which he never uses and didn't know he HAD TO TURN it ON in order to recieve a call !!! Of all times to learn this lesson!!! SO this caused a big delay in them finding us to say he was found. Also we learned those nice walkie Talkie things with sub codes do NOT always work- because I kept telling him "TURN ON THE CELL PHONE!" & he never heard that, I heard alot of strangers talking on the same code as us. IT WAS VERY BUSY THAT DAY! Luckily he did hear me when I got word he was found. (They ended up calling Grandparents who lived 1000 miles away since they were the second #'s on his name tag), so we had to call them back to assure them we were reunited.
Eventually the word got back to the worker I first told (also thru walkie talkies) who was still walking along side me looking for him. He told me this was his 2nd lost child that day (it was about 2 in afternoon. The last one didn't even speak ENglish. I accually made it to Baby care before my son did. The Worker who was walking him to baby Care said he was HYSTERICAL,
he made alot of commotion when he realized he couldn't find MOm & Dad...and this was good. After we were reunited (in front of Baby care)...he "worshiped" his leash and realized this was his "lifeline"....and now that this happend, I am kinda glad it did...cause we had 2 more theme parks to go to yet and he was VERY complient after that. But I would advise every parent to make some sort of name tag....if anything else, they will know immediately it is YOUR child and you will get word sooner, even if it's just a minute quicker, each minute feels like a lifetime when your child is lost!

 

[zurgswife]

Glad everything worked out so well for you family....

It can be a scarey thing to be separated from your kids even for a short time....

 

[violet13]

Thank you for your kind words. I feel Like I am going to get some 'slack" for saying I am "kinda glad it happened" (after he was found of coarse!) .. .. It's just that on other occasions, he would never hold my hand, absolutely refuse! he wouldn't even "hold" the leash, he woud run off in a second- once to a drinking fountant in another amusement park in PA - he was lost for seconds and Fairs were always a Big concern in the big crowds. I just feel that NOW he will not do these things and Disney World is probably one of the better places to "get lost" and learn a "lesson". After this he still didn't want to "wear" the leash, but he held onto it for dear life and if I would drop the other end, he would get mad and tell me "Mommy, Mommy pick it up!!", he'd even pick it up for me. And that was just wonderful for the rest of our trip!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

No slack for being a good mom. So glad that things truned out well and the rest of your trip was not effected. I "hid" around a corner in a store once when my DS was about five and wondered off from me. Never took my eyes off him but he could not see me. He got hysterical in about 2 secounds but never wondered off from be again, EVER. We hate to see our kids upset but sometime they have to learn the hard way to keep them safe.


Jordan's mom

 

[snowwhitegirl]

Lost little ones happen all the time....let your kids know also that if they can't find you to go to any Cast Member...show them what security cast members look like and show them the nametags to look for of other Cast Members.
Because of the type of environment Disney is, even most shy kids will talk to those of us who work for Mickey Mouse.
And it's true, we haven't lost a kid in 30 years.....but if they aren't found by the end of the day we bolt them down in Small World and make them sing over and over and over again. ;-)

 

[Disneybelle66]

Yes, we were w/ another family, and all us kids went to the bathrooms. I was the last one out, and yup, they left me! It was right before a parade, and when I finally was brought to my group (humiliating when your 12!) they were all mad! We missed the parade. However, back at the resort, it all came out that they left me, and my folks took ME out for a "treat", while the other kids just sat in the room! But yes, being lost at any age, is scary, and I'm glad your little one was found. I know you slept well that night!

 

[susy]

My son is 4 and he wears a sticker with our cell phone (that is on in our fanny pack) number on it. He is also only one child and is in a stroller (a little easier to keep track of).

Once when I was 2, my mom "hid" from me in the grocery store because I kept walking off. Well, she got tired because I didn't cry and just kept walking up and down the aisles. She finally came out from hiding and I said to her, "I thought you were lost!" I knew where I was!

 

[sha_lyn]

susy .. your story about you and your mom sounds just like my DS. He got separated from us when he was 5 at Zoo Atlanta. He was made at us for getting lost. He knew where he was. He did jsut as told and found someone who works there. He also had his "girl friend" from preschool with him. They got separated from the larger group of kids during a charity run because one of the workers accidently let them go the wrong way and sent them to the pavilion where lunch was instead of sending them to the finish line.

 

[IGDDDF]

I just feel that I must add my two cents on this thread regarding the loss of a child in the Kingdom.

I will never for get that day in June of 2000. We were just getting off of It's a Small World ride. I was in the lead with my middle daughter (4 ) and my niece behind me with my oldest daughter (5) and my husband taking up the rear with my baby boy (2). As I turned I noticed my oldest girl walking toward the water fountain. I told her not to drink from it because we had our own water. She walked back toward us and we turned to get our strollers. When I turned around to give her the water she was gone. We looked and looked and looked and screamed her name and yelled. I walked over to a Kodak photo stand and told them of my horror. Do you know that that man in the booth told me not to worry children are lost all the time and they turn up within five minutes? Was that supposed to comfort me? NOT SO! I told a CM and the phoned someone. I don't even know who. My husband had alread left to look. Each time he came back from a different direction. It was not good new. He seemed so calm. I, on the otherhand was HYSTERICAL. After about an hour of crying and and waiting and looking the CM told me that my daughter had been found and she was at the baby care center AT THE FRONT OF THE PARK. How in the world did she get there? She told me that the doctor had taken her there. I just believe, in fact, I know that God sent and angel to take my child to safety. I just knew (even in hysteria) that He did not allow us to take our first family family vacation of this magnitude just to lose my baby. My husband who had seemed so calm during the whole situation, informed me later that he visited the men's room each time he left me on the way to look for her. That's how upset he was thank God for calm.

To this day I can here the It's a Small World song in my head. But guess what? We will be back in WDW this June (Not the same dates as before) and we will be a more fantabulous time!

One more thing. I never saw a guard or security or anything at the park. No one ever approached me except the CM. I was later told that they close the exits to the park when a child is missing. I wonder whether this it really true. Any way. Just wanted to throw in my experience. Thanks for reading!

 

[docswkids]

I heard that they close the park exits and shut down the monorail. I'm also not sure if it is really true.

 

[Dreaming of Disney]

ROFLOL Snowwhitegirl!!

 

[2boys'mom]

On the day we were leaving, I was having the bellman load up the luggage. My husband had my 2yods. My 6yods ran after him down the hall. Then I followed the bellman. When I got to the car my 6yo was nowhere to be seen. Now I had drilled him every day what to do if he got lost away from us. I think I must have felt more comfortable at WL and not been vigilant enough. We have been there before so it's not a mystery where things are. My ds would not have hidden or anything. He knew his way around. He's very articulate. I was worried he'd gotten caught in a stairwell and not been able to get the door open. Or worse. I looked and my husband looked once each. I then went straight to the front dest and reported him missing. Thanks to this board, I knew that Disney has a missing child system that works. So I figured why waste time at this point. At the same time, he'd done exactly as coached when he couldn't find us, went up to a cashier at Roaring Forks and told them everything, name, our room number, our names. So we were reunited in 5 minutes. The quicker the better. Thanks to everyone who let me know they have this system. I also learned the lesson not to let my guard down. I was vigilant in the parks, stroller and all.

 

[violet13]

I don't think they shut the monorail and gates the moment a child is missing, it happens FAR TOO Often...maybe if a child is missing over an hour, I could believe that, but NOT when it is first reported. The CM (cast member, a Disney worker) told me they usually find them within 5 minutes, after 20 minutes they send the parents to Baby Care so you can wait for word. DOES anybody know the TRUTH about when the gates are shut and the monorail stops running due to a lost child? Thank you

 

[Belle5]

I wonder if four years old is the most common age to get lost at WDW? On our first family trip 8 years ago my 4 year old DS got separated from us switching monorails when Epcot let out after Illuminations. He followed a man that had on the same pants as his dad. We went down the ramp to go to our car at the TTC but he went back up the ramp following the man's pants and almost got on a resort bound monorail. This happened because we became preoccupied with someone else's child that had fallen and scraped their knee. We stopped to see if she was alright and DS just kept walking...We didn't even know he was gone until we were walking toward the parking lot and the 6 year old asked where his brother was. The CM's were great and held him at the top of the monorail for us. Apparently, when they heard our screams for "Jonathan" they asked every little boy his name.

 

[Magnetic]

I saw these ID wristbands suggested on another board and purchased one for DD for our upcoming trip. They're a neon blue or pink bracelet/wristband for the kids that velcros closed with a very STRONG velcro that kids can't open on their own. They say "ID Inside" on the front. There is a pocket inside with a waterproof tag that you can write your hotel and contact info on -- and because it's waterproof, they can wear it to the water parks too. It comes with several tags so you can change the info if you park/resort hop. I think these are brilliant because it makes it easy for an adult to help a lost child.

http://www.id-inside.com/

 

[MBeds]

thanks for the info on the id tags, Magnetic! i just ordered two for my trip to Disney in June...

 

[ILuvOKW]

Gosh.... With a 3yo and 5 yo those tags sound wonderful...
Hugs Dawn

 

[elemusing]

I bet the rumor that they close the gates to the park got started because at some national department store chains, they do in fact do this. Wal-Mart calls it a Code Adam over hte intercom and they either close the front doors or post workers there. I know this cause one of my friends used to work there and explained this to me when I heard a Code Adam over the intercom system one day and asked her what it meant.

Angie

PS: I just cry whenever I read one of your posts about lost children. It makes me strive to hold onto my little one even more. Thanks for all the suggestions and experiences shared.

 

[campingcorgi]

Magnetic: Thanks again for the info on the ID Inside id bands! Ordered one on Friday and it came today (Monday)! It is great and the escape artist loves it!

 

[LKS]

Hmmmm. I ordered Thursday and mine still aren't here on Tuesday evening. I was a little nervous because the paypal history that popped up on the screen showed very few transactions. I'm new to paypal, so don't know if that means anything, but I'm at least relieved that someone got them and is happy.