Going to Disney with young children is a hugely exciting prospect… but it can also be a stressful one.
Parents will know how busy the parks can get and how easy it could be to lose track of a little one in a split second of distraction. Indeed, when I was little, we did manage to lose my slightly too adventurous brother for a heart-stopping half-an-hour at Epcot (we did get him back in the end!)
In a lot of places, keeping your party together will be easier than you’d think. You’ll be queuing together, dining together and then queuing some more. Queues may be boring and hard on young feet but – with little to do other than gaze wearily at each other – you’re unlikely to lose track of your children while doing it.
Here are our tips for keeping your family together elsewhere in the parks, plus a list of Disney’s procedures when children do become separated from their families:
Dress your child in distinctive clothing
It’s true that what may pass for distinctive elsewhere in the world might blend in a little more in a park where two thirds of the visitors are wearing princess dresses or Mickey ears. But the point remains that dressing your child in bright colours or a unique outfit will make it easier to pick them out in a crowd. And you could wear something a bit crazy too to help them keep you in sight.
Arrange meeting points
The places where you are most likely to lose sight of a little one are the parts of Disney where you get lots of people milling around – around the park entrances, shops, thoroughfares and quick service dining venues. When we lost my brother, we were in the Life Pavilion at Epcot. This no longer exists but it was a large, open venue with a host of games and activities spread out across the floor and my parents’ attention was split because we children were all playing different games. As you enter such places, arrange meeting points and instruct children not to leave venues without you.
Take photographs of your child
Make sure you have a clear photograph of your child – preferably taken on the morning of your visit – that you can show to Disney staff in the event of an emergency.
Write down contact details
Writing down your name, number and hotel address on a little card for your child to keep can be helpful if they are found by themselves. It’s probably best to check they know some of these details too.
Tell your child to approach a Disney staff member
Give your child instructions that if they lose sight of you, they should approach a Disney staff member. Make sure they can identify the gold-rimmed badges staff wear.
Use strollers/ toddler reins
You don’t have to use these means of keeping your child close, but they can be useful. Disney has size limits on pushchairs – or strollers, as they call them – but they are also available to rent and they’re a great option, even for older children, to give tired legs a rest. Toddler reins give you another option if you think they are something you would use. We tried tech such as Apple AirTags during one of our visits, but they’re not designed to track people and didn’t work particularly well. If your child is a teenager and has a phone, that’s probably a better way of staying in touch – although the reception around the parks can vary.
What do I do if my child gets lost at a Disney park?
Tell a Disney employee (known as a cast member) as soon as possible. Disney staff are well-drilled to respond in such scenarios and will quickly amass to comb the area and check exits. If you have a photograph of your child, this can be really helpful for them to circulate.
Each park has meeting places to reunite families that have become separated, so when children are found, parents will normally be directed there to join them.
