Lost Children

This Article Was Contributed by Keith

The official Disney policy is that there is no such thing as a "lost child", only a lost adult. In the real world of guests, moms, dads, aunts and uncles a "lost child" is a source of great concern and not a whimsical play on words.

The first thought has to be towards prevention. Make sure that your child or children are well-versed in the basics: do not wander off on your own; if they are over 5, agree on a place that everyone knows to meet should there be a "misplaced adult" moment; if you do get lost, look for a Cast Member (CM) and tell them you are lost.

Also make sure all adults in your party are well-versed in their responsibilities: you are watching Willie, if Abigail wants you to take her to get Peter Pan's autograph, you have to hand Willie off to another adult; make sure you know what Willie looks like clothing-wise; take a cell-phone or digital camera snapshot each day as you leave the hotel so you can instantly show the CM's what Willie looks like today. Adults need to understand that Uncle Jim is 6 feet 6 inches tall and can see as far as the eye can but Willie is 3 feet tall and a) will blend into anything 4 feet tall and shorter and b) Willie's field of vision is very restricted in a crowd as he's like the rest of us in a maze.

Very infrequently there are bad people in the parks and there have been less than a handful of abduction attempts that the writer is aware of. If you can't find Willie quickly, get the CM's in the loop just as quickly. They can shut down a park faster than the Secret Service can shut down the White House and they are always happy when Willie gets found hanging onto Tigger's tail.

Going through the turnstiles at WDW's parks doesn't mean you abrogate your responsibilities as a child-minder. You still have to pay attention to your surroundings.

Last Updated: May 10, 2009