Rules re: minimum age to be alone in WDW hotel room?

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Really interested in what Disney's rules are (not in a debate on what age seems appropriate to each of us ).

I am sure that DISers will have the definitive answer...

• A phone CM just told me that there are no rules regarding minimum age for a child to be in a WDW hotel room without an adult present. Then...
• A CM in an online chat on Disney's site said "Guest must be at least 18 in order to be without an adult in the room."

Which is it, fellow DISers?

We're staying on our DVC points, and I can't seem to find terms and conditions on the room reservation.

Our kids are 11 and 13, and we're thinking about short stretches like us going down to the store in the hotel -- nothing long.

 

[MommaBerd]

I think I would start with investigating Florida law. I imagine the second CM was thinking “old enough go to have a hotel room in his/her name.”

 

[amberpi]

Did you see Home Alone 2? Your kids should be set!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Did you see Home Alone 2? Your kids should be set!

Well, they are pretty resourceful...

 

[amberpi]

Well, they are pretty resourceful...

You may have to check those room charges pretty carefully though. Or don't look, might be easier.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I think I would start with investigating Florida law. I imagine the second CM was thinking “old enough go to have a hotel room in his/her name.”

Found this...

"Florida law does not have a hard and fast rule about when children can be left home alone, but instead expects parents to take all of the circumstances into account when deciding what level of supervision is needed."

https://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/childwelfare/caregivers/whentoleaveyourkidshomealone.shtml

The only thing I've seen specific to hotels is the age to rent a room.

 

[lovin'fl]

For booking or listing only kids names on a room...my kids were 18. We are DVC too. I booked them in separate room at BWV...they had PG studio while DH and I had SV 1BR....when DS was 18. Then, when DDs were 18 and graduated HS they had room at BCV with a friend while my mom and I had a room at AKV.

As far as leaving them in room alone for little stints....I think thats up to you and maybe whatever FL law is and its usually way younger than you'd expect. I think 13 is fine.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I'd leave the average 11 and 13 y/os alone in a room together for a short time w/o looking at "the law" but but I'm old school.

Left the 9 year and 12.5 year olders in the hotel room to make it to the club lounge on their own whilst we ate breakfast last trip. They decided they wanted to eat in our room and plot their next move; was fine with that what with having a third eye. Also told the youngest that his elder cousin was in charge and what we did next playwise depended on her report. She didn't abuse her "power" (he would have told...gosh, do I know them two) and both onlies learned a RL lesson in how it's done.

 

[pigletliz]

Really interested in what Disney's rules are (not in a debate on what age seems appropriate to each of us ).

I am sure that DISers will have the definitive answer...

• A phone CM just told me that there are no rules regarding minimum age for a child to be in a WDW hotel room without an adult present. Then...
• A CM in an online chat on Disney's site said "Guest must be at least 18 in order to be without an adult in the room."

Which is it, fellow DISers?

We're staying on our DVC points, and I can't seem to find terms and conditions on the room reservation.

Our kids are 11 and 13, and we're thinking about short stretches like us going down to the store in the hotel -- nothing long.

Did the CM in the online chat mean the minimum age to rent a room, rather than just sitting in it? Sounds like a misunderstanding.

 

[MommaBerd]

Found this...

"Florida law does not have a hard and fast rule about when children can be left home alone, but instead expects parents to take all of the circumstances into account when deciding what level of supervision is needed."

https://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/childwelfare/caregivers/whentoleaveyourkidshomealone.shtml

The only thing I've seen specific to hotels is the age to rent a room.

That is how Georgia is, too. Given that, and given that Disney seems not to have any rule about it, I think if you are comfortable leaving your kids at home alone, you should feel comfortable leaving them in the villa.

 

[DLgal]

We left our boys, 12 and 14, in the room alone numerous times on our recent trip. The 14 y/o has a cell phone and is responsible. This was mostly them heading back to the room and us staying at the CL lounge a bit longer to finish our food and drinks. We left them for one hour on evening while we had a drink at the hotel bar. This was our "date." Our kids are autistic and they just sat on their beds watching YouTube videos on their tablets.

11 and 13 is perfectly fine to leave kids in the room for a short period of time. Just make sure they know to stay in there and not open the door to anyone. Have them use the door latch after you leave.

 

[mjkacmom]

At 13, my oldest was babysitting her 11, 8, and 6 year old sibling. I let my kids stay alone in a cruise ship cabin at 10. Heck, at those ages, I’d let my kids explore a WDW Park.

 

[Klayfish]

Honestly, who cares what WDW "rules" say? It's not like there's going to be a CM standing outside your room door watching to see if adults leave and kids don't, or a camera inside your room monitoring. If you want to leave your kids alone in the room, as long as you can trust them, go for it. Our kids are 13 and 11 year old twins (well, they turn 11 tomorrow). We'd have no problem leaving them alone, and we do sometimes.

 

[DisneyOma]

Honestly, who cares what WDW "rules" say? It's not like there's going to be a CM standing outside your room door watching to see if adults leave and kids don't, or a camera inside your room monitoring. If you want to leave your kids alone in the room, as long as you can trust them, go for it. Our kids are 13 and 11 year old twins (well, they turn 11 tomorrow). We'd have no problem leaving them alone, and we do sometimes.

Disney does daily room checks now, don't they? So there is always the chance they could come knocking when the kids are alone in the room. Just something to think about.

 

[Klayfish]

Don't know, we never stay onsite. I'd be curious what those "room checks" are. I can't imagine it's anything that could vaguely be considered an invasion of privacy.

 

[monorailsilver]

We plan on leaving our 17, 14 and 12 yo while we go to the grocery store. They can shower, face time, play fort nite in the room. They all stay home alone at our house and the 17 yo drives....alone!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Thanks to all!! We've decided to let them stay in the room for short stretches. I booked a sitter for our dinner at V&A, since that's a LONG one! On some level it feels a bit silly since I started babysitting when I was 12, but there you have it.

 

[DLgal]

Thanks to all!! We've decided to let them stay in the room for short stretches. I booked a sitter for our dinner at V&A, since that's a LONG one! On some level it feels a bit silly since I started babysitting when I was 12, but there you have it.

I started babysitting at 12 too, but that was almost 30 years ago. As they say, times have changed. In some states it is against the law to leave a 12 year old home alone, never mind in charge of younger kids.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I started babysitting at 12 too, but that was almost 30 years ago. As they say, times have changed. In some states it is against the law to leave a 12 year old home alone, never mind in charge of younger kids.

Yup. I think it's all a bit much, but it is what it is -- I agree.

 

[mjkacmom]

I started babysitting at 12 too, but that was almost 30 years ago. As they say, times have changed. In some states it is against the law to leave a 12 year old home alone, never mind in charge of younger kids.

The world today is much statistically safer than 30 years ago, I think only one state has a law regarding kids staying alone. My dd16 and dd14 stayed in a hotel in Philadelphia alone for two nights in November, with other families next door (I had a medical emergency, they had a dance competition).