How safe is your child at WDW?

[Disneybird]

So my husband and I were having a discussion about children and how safe they are at WDW. He thinks it's the perfect place for child snatchers and pedophiles to prey on small children. I think people wouldn't pay $90 to go inside the park, considering they have to take transportation to get there, go through security, etc., to take a child. He thinks things happen to kids all the time there and that Disney keeps it covered up. His quote was, "If you want ice cream, you go to an ice cream store, if you want a child, you go to Disney World."

Any statistics on this?

We're not really strange people, we were considering taking our grandson and my son-in-law is concerned about his safety.

 

[CP_alum08]

I think WDW is just as safe, if not safer, than anywhere else you would take a child. If you take him/her to a mall there is still that chance of you turning your back for even one second and someone snatching them.

Plus there is TONS of undercover security all over property and cameras everywhere.

However, I am not a parent so I cannot say any of this from a parent's perspective. I do think though, that we live in a world full of hypochondriacs and people who worry about far more than they should. Not to say your child's' safety isn't something to worry about.

 

[MKCP 1985]

about the same chance of getting a razor blade in a piece of Halloween candy. In other words, all hype and fear and no real incidences of abductions.

 

[WDW2010]

I think WDW is just as safe, if not safer, than anywhere else you would take a child. If you take him/her to a mall there is still that chance of you turning your back for even one second and someone snatching them.

Plus there is TONS of undercover security all over property and cameras everywhere.

However, I am not a parent so I cannot say any of this from a parent's perspective. I do think though, that we live in a world full of hypochondriacs and people who worry about far more than they should. Not to say your child's' safety isn't something to worry about.

Indee i d there is tons of under covers, and cameras everywhere so it would be really hard to attempt anything. I agree with CP 100% in my opinion WDW is very safe in my eyes I always feel that way there.

 

[The Mouse]

I wouldn't worry about that but I am not a parent. WDW seems like one of the safest places I've been.

 

[Disneybird]

I've been taking my kids there since they were infants and never felt unsafe.

Like I told him, kids are not as safe in schoolyards and playgrounds unfortunately, but you can't put life on hold worrying about what might or might not happen.

 

[britdaw]

At WDW, I wouldn't worry so much about someone snatching my kids as I would about them getting over excited and running off into the crowd. When we go next spring, we'll have a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old, and I fully intend to get one of those kiddie leashes for the little one. LOL

 

[Mickey92]

I would say WDW is very safe!! Not a parent myself but I'd say it is safe! But you still need to look after your kids and know where they are if they are allowed to go off for a bit...

 

[Monty]

Morgan started going with me when he was 5. Initially, we had constant contact, he was either holding my hand or being carried. That never changed until he was 11 :lookaroun

At 11 he was always in earshot.

At 12 he was allowed a few solo excursions into the parks.

At 13 he spent good chunks of time on his own.

Since then, he follows me unfailingly wherever I go, but knows he doesn't have to.

Safety was never a concern.

 

[Larry Mondello]

I would really hate to go through life like the initial poster thinking that the boogey man is around every corner.

Quit watching the news

 

[zooey]

How would Disney cover something like a child abduction up? You really think the parents are going to just take some money and be quiet? That's absolute nonsense. Your husband doesn't know what he's talking about. The security at WDW is top notch. Obviously, you have to be cautious as always, but to say that it is somehow MORE dangerous because of its appeal to children is silly.
Charges of inappropriate contact sometimes happens at the water parks, but the perps are often caught.
And honestly, you don't want to make your kids believe that everyone in the world is out to get them.

 

[unkadug]

I would really hate to go through life like the initial poster thinking that the boogey man is around every corner.

Quit watching the news

Reva by no means ever said that she thought there was a boogey man around every corner. She was merely initiating a conversion...something that you seem totally inept in participating in.

Now I remember why I had you on my ignore list....right back you go. buh bye

 

[Disneybird]

I would really hate to go through life like the initial poster thinking that the boogey man is around every corner.

Quit watching the news

Well, I am the original poster and I didn't say I go through life thinking the boogey man is around every corner. I said it was a conversation we had about whether things go on. Obviously you didn't read my later post.

How would Disney cover something like a child abduction up? You really think the parents are going to just take some money and be quiet? That's absolute nonsense. Your husband doesn't know what he's talking about. The security at WDW is top notch. Obviously, you have to be cautious as always, but to say that it is somehow MORE dangerous because of its appeal to children is silly.
Charges of inappropriate contact sometimes happens at the water parks, but the perps are often caught.
And honestly, you don't want to make your kids believe that everyone in the world is out to get them.

I repeat, I have been taking my children to WDW since they were infants. I'm not afraid of it at all. But as far as Disney covering things up, I'm sure that not everything that goes on there, is front page news.

 

[Disneybird]

Reva by no means ever said that she thought there was a boogey man around every corner. She was merely initiating a conversion...something that you seem totally inept in participating in.

Now I remember why I had you on my ignore list....right back you go. buh bye

Thank you Doug! A gentleman as always.

 

[joe80x86]

As a parent of two young children <8yrs, I have always felt Disney is actually safer than most places. 1st you have the security, then you have alot of employees wandering around, and to top if off 60%+ if the other adult guests are parents and grandparents. As soon as a child screams eyes move to the source of the scream in my experiance.

I personally am more worried about taking my child to the local fair or mall than Disney any day of the week.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I think your main concern would be kids wandering off or getting lost in a crowd.

Just an FYI - there is a hotline for lost parents (there are no lost kids at WDW just lost parents) :animwink: You just need to tell the nearest CM to call and give a description (you probably have a picture on your camera of what they are wearing that day). The CM that finds your child will also call the hotline and you'll get brought to wherever the child is.

Now, if you are concerned about abduction...teach the kids what to do if anyone tries to get them to come with them anywhere. Also show them the name tags that CM's are wearing and tell them to tell the nearest CM if they are lost.

I don't know if they still make "guest staff pins" but they are usually a different colour than actual CM pins.

 

[Bri1121]

I too agree that it would be pretty hard to cover up child abductions. I think parents need to be parents just like they would be anywhere else there is a crowd.

Kids getting lost is more of a concern but making sure to have a plan if anyone gets separated is a good idea.

I am definitely a paranoid person especially when it comes to my kids but feel safe.

Enjoy!

 

[Monty]

I think your main concern would be kids wandering off or getting lost in a crowd.

Just an FYI - there is a hotline for lost parents (there are no lost kids at WDW just lost parents) :animwink: You just need to tell the nearest CM to call and give a description (you probably have a picture on your camera of what they are wearing that day). The CM that finds your child will also call the hotline and you'll get brought to wherever the child is.

Now, if you are concerned about abduction...teach the kids what to do if anyone tries to get them to come with them anywhere. Also show them the name tags that CM's are wearing and tell them to tell the nearest CM if they are lost.

I don't know if they still make "guest staff pins" but they are usually a different colour than actual CM pins.

Disney no longer sells them, but they're still available. Guest nametags are coloured, CMs wear only white ones. It's important to make that distinction.

My son and I both wear guest tags. I've occasionally had to [politely] correct a parent that pointed to my tag as an example of who their child should look for.

 

[MKCP 1985]

It is true that you don't hear of all the injuries that occur on property, but every time some perv leers at a kid at a water park or in the bathroom its all over the internet.

Really, kids aren't snatched and taken out of the parks. While it might seem that Disney would be a target for pedophiles that is just a perception. Just as Disney would seem a likely target for terrorists, that hasn't happened either.

 

[cmwade77]

I do not know how it works at Disney World, but I live near Disneyland and can tell you what happens here. First off it is much more likely that your child will wander off and be lost for up to a couple of hours than it is that your child will be abducted. Those that have been convicted of such crimes would be in violation of their probation to go within a certain distance of Disneyland and many are monitored by GPS devices.

That being said, it has happened a couple of times and as I recall they seal the park. No one gets in or out until they either confirm via the cameras that the child had already been taken out of the park or the child is found.

Just a remind that Most child abductions are done by people that the child knows, so make sure they know who they are allowed to go with and who they aren't and if anyone that they aren't supposed to go with tries to take them, tell them to yell Rape at the top of their lungs. Just yelling could be seen as a temper tantrum, but Rape is a word that almost everyone will respond to. But make sure that they know to never do so, unless they are in danger.