Crimes at The Happiest Place on Earth...

[nicksmom87]

I can't seem to find any information on this topic. My hope is that it's because it simply doesn't exist, but the realist in me thinks that's probably way too optimistic.

So, how careful do we need to be? Would it be ok for our 17 year old daughter to take her younger sister (7) to dinner and a couple of attractions without parents along? I know that there are lots of CMs wandering about and, hopefully, keeping eyes/ears open. But is there anywhere to find out about criminal activity at WDW?

We are taking our girls next month, and gramma & grampa are worried about pedophiles and weirdos (...it's a perfect place for creeps that want to prey on kids, y'know").

Anybody know?

 

[phphantom]

If you would trust your 17 year old to take your 7 year old for dinner at home then WDW shouldn't be any different. Frankly, they're probably safer at WDW than in your hometown. Pedophiles and weirdos are unlikely to fork over the $$ to prey on young children at WDW when they can do it for free at a mall near them. The security, cameras and layout of WDW make it much more difficult for assaults, abductions etc to occur as opposed to the local mall or other places your daughters may be.

 

[shalom]

How responsible is the 17-year-old? Will the 7-year-old speak up if someone accosts her, call for help or refuse to go with someone who says her mommy needs her Right Now?

It's pretty easy to find cases of death and injury at WDW, but I've yet to run across a case of kids getting grabbed by pedophiles or weirdos that panned out. So far the few times I've heard rumor of something like that happening at WDW, it was a variation of the old "grabbed them and changed their clothes and shaved their head" urban myth. No substance to it at all.

Statistically speaking, pedophiles target kids they know, not random kids at an amusement park. They look for kids who feel physically or emotionally neglected, or who are unusually trusting, or who have a hard time communicating for whatever reason. They want a victim who either isn't going to talk, or isn't going to be listened to if they do. If your child is confident about seeking help or speaking up when an adult does something the child thinks is out of line, and if they talk to you about things they observe that seem socially odd to them, they're probably pretty safe.

 

[addicted2dizney]

I think it's a better than most place to let them have some independance. On my trip in April I let my DS (14) and his friend have free reign. As long as I knew where he was via text message he hopped from park to park and park to hotel on his own. He even did his own counter service meals etc. Mind you, my DS has been there so many times he knows the lay of the land very well so it worked out for us.

 

[Willow1213]

There seems to be a few cases of wierdos every summer at the water parks, but I haven't heard about anything in the 4 big parks. At the water parks it was mainly "Oops I brushed against your chest/private parts in the wave pool". Just make sure your kids know how to find a Cast Member if they feel or see anything strange. Have a great and safe trip.

 

[cassandrap83]

I'd say absolutely yes! What a welcomed break. Both parents & kids will get to enjoy time on their own. What could be better?

 

[DisGirl23]

If you trust that they'd be okay and be able to make good decisions as your local mall, then they'd be the same at WDW. There are CM and security, uniformed and undercover, all over the parks.
As long as you consider your teenager to be a responsible young adult (and I'm sure you do or you wouldn't even be considering it), and you have a good plan to check in with each other occasionally, then they should be just fine.

 

[CathrynRose]

A few years ago, my oldest - who was then 15, didn't ever want to get up in the morning, so he'd meet us at the parks after he woke up.....and after he made a trip to DtD to the The Virgin Mega Store.

This past January, my 14 year old son wandered off all the time. He even had separate ADR's a few times. He'd just say 'I gotta go - I have dinner in a half hour'

So yes - they're fine.

 

[RMulieri]

If you feel safe doing this at home, Disney should be No different.I will say that there are bad people at there (even at disney) and that there are crimes.How you would get that info I am not sure.Disney is STILL the real world .

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Dinner, yes. Attractions while you are in the parks with them, yes.

But they would not be admitted into the parks alone as it is against Disney rules to allow unaccompanied minors in with adults supervision. I want to say the adult age is 21, but may be 18, let me see if I can find the official verbage.

 

[shyjade]

Big Brother is almost always watching at Disney, to help keep it a safe, family-friendly vacation for millions. There's a reason you won't find much about crime at Disney...1) they do a great job at protecting their guests, and 2) they want everyone to believe nothing bad ever happens at Disney.

Check out this recent thread...it should help put your mind at ease.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2465936

 

[jwcollin]

We went in 2008, our oldest daughter was 16. She wasn't feeling well for a couple of days so could only handle the park for a few hours at a time before needing a nap. She left us at the park, took the bus back to the resort, had a nap, met us about 4 hours later in a completely different park. No issues for her to enter the park without a parent.

The one eirie thing was when she went back to the room, she forgot to put the security lock on before she went to sleep. She woke up to mousekeeping cleaning the room!!! The lady apologized repeatedly and said she would come back later.

 

[bradk]

and just a couple of days ago, the news item that the guy charged for sexual assault against a 13 year old at the resort was just offered a bond. and it wasn't too long that there were multiple reports of sexual assault against minors at the water parks.

inside the parks would be a much safer environment as it does really only pay for thieves and pickpockets given the admission charge. and that does exist. it also exists outside the parks. Disney guest or not. Orlando also happens to be one of the most dangerous cities in the country according to the controversial FBI statistics and its due in large part to the activity of locals that Pleasure Island basically was reduced to nothing.

Not to cause alarm. But I wouldn't consider it any safer than most any other place to be honest.

 

[RMulieri]

and just a couple of days ago, the news item that the guy charged for sexual assault against a 13 year old at the resort was just offered a bond. and it wasn't too long that there were multiple reports of sexual assault against minors at the water parks.

inside the parks would be a much safer environment as it does really only pay for thieves and pickpockets given the admission charge. and that does exist. it also exists outside the parks. Disney guest or not. Orlando also happens to be one of the most dangerous cities in the country according to the controversial FBI statistics and its due in large part to the activity of locals that Pleasure Island basically was reduced to nothing.

Not to cause alarm. But I wouldn't consider it any safer than most any other place to be honest.

Exactly BradK! Pedophiles and people that commit crimes against children will flock to where the children are...Disney is no different..Just use caution and don't check your brains at the gate

 

[goofy's_gurl]

Last year (i was 17) i took my neice and nephew and my little sisters around sometimes alone. I was fine. Its perfectly safe. I wouldnt worry about it. If your still iffy about it then make them call or text you every once and a while to ease your mind.

 

[dawgfan]

I am a law enforecment officer and I work with pedophiles. It is true that no place is safe when it comes to these types of offenders. They offend in different ways. It is possible for a pedophile to reoffend without anyone around really catching on the act as it may simply be a brushing contact or some other light touching. This type of offending is usually a precursor to much more if not checked...if they are not caught. Disney just like any park, church, mall, or other location where minors are prevalent is a potential playground for such offenders. The price of admission is not a deterrant. The key is the offenders plan. Just what they are looking for will be the key factor in whether they would pay the admission to get what they want. The likelihood of being caught for a snatch and grab offense is extremely high in that environment so that deters the truly sick individual that would attempt such an act from doing it at a park. They simply would have no way of getting through all the eyes to the front gate. Pedophiles do not always choose a victim as a kid they know or target someone who is a "troubled youth". Many of these types of offenses are random. The environment at Disney is safer than most though. The key to this question is knowledge. Again, as has been said here above, how mature is your 17 year old and how knowledgeable is your 7 year old? I was lost at WDW when I was 9 years old. I was holding my dads hand one minute and the next minute someone broke our grasp. My family was nowhere to be seen. I was a kid that always loved to go somewhere. I payed close attention to my surroundings and usually always knew where I was. More importantly I knew how to get back to where I came from. In my business we call this "situational awareness". I knew my family would not be abel to leave without the car. I made a bee line for the car. I found the car within a few minutes. This was a feat my parents were unable to duplicate as quickly unfortunately. They also never believed that a kid my age would be able to make that decision and get to the car. They were sure that I was lost for good. Eventually my dad was asked by a Disney cop if If he had checked the car. He assured them that he had not as he felt that I could not have made it all the way to the TTC and to the car. He went to the car and there I was on the trunk. This was the worst mistake I could have made as that was the most risky place for me to be. I was too shy and scared to approach anyone with the fact that I was lost. At least one Disney patrol cruiser had come around the parking lot on patrol while I was out there. I actually hid from this patrol cruiser so as not to be found out. Again I wanted no one to know that I was lost. I just wanted my family to show up. So I patiently waited. And I waited some more. About 5 hours later is when my dad finally came ot check the car.

Kids these days are much more aware of the "creep" factor than we were at their age. A sad fact of life these days. My girls can spot a "creep" from a mile away. It does not hurt that daddy has trained them well. Momma has too. We also have cell phones now and can merely call the kid to get bearings and reassurance. But, just last night, I asked my 12 year old if she were lost/separated in WDW's Magic Kingdom, what she would do. She ahs been to WDW 4 times. She proudly advised that she would stay put where she was for a short time to allow us to find her. This is a good idea. If that didn't work she then said she would get on "the boat". I asked what boat and to where. She was stumped. She said that she had forgotten what hotel we were going to stay at when we go this summer. I told her POFQ. I told her the boat from MK does not go there. Now what do you do? She said that she would take the bus. Okay. You are at the gate at MK. Where do you go now? She then said that she would go to the left outside the main gate and get on a bus marked for POFQ. Once at the resort she would go straight to out room. I told her that this was great but offered a better plan. Tell your little one this, tell her to go to 1) a female Disney cast member. Tell her what a cast member would look like (name tags, uniform etc). Make sure that it is a female. Females are less "scary" to kids and tend to nuture more. They are more apt to diligently find the solution to her problem quickly and empathise with her delimma. The cast member can then radio others around her area to search for the 17 year old. A reunification can be made quickly. Her other option ( and I would give her both) 2) is to seek out a "mommy", a woman with kids. Again, a less scary person to a kid and a nurturer. The "mom" will not rest until the child is reunited with the 17 year old.

The 17 year old should also be in on all this as she would need to know what may be on the 7 year olds mind should this happen. The chances of this happening are slight. Make sure that they hold hands tightly when they are walking through crowded or congested areas. If the 7 year old is familiar with WDW, make sure that the kid knows where they are going (restaurant) and where they are staying (hotel). If the two kids don't get along or are having a spat at the time they are going to be doing this, I would not send them out alone. That is more chance that the 7 year old will not stay close enough to the 17 year old for comfort. In short (after such a long post) I would allow this if they are knowledgeable and mature enough in your mind to handle it. I would make sure they had cell phones and that they called you when they got to the restaurant and at times periodically during their outing. The 17 year old needs ot be a little hyper sensitive to the surroundings and have eyes on the 7 year old at all times. WDW is very safe but trouble could come in any location. The only real fear here may be simply seperation.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

A few years ago, my oldest - who was then 15, didn't ever want to get up in the morning, so he'd meet us at the parks after he woke up.....and after he made a trip to DtD to the The Virgin Mega Store.

This past January, my 14 year old son wandered off all the time. He even had separate ADR's a few times. He'd just say 'I gotta go - I have dinner in a half hour'

So yes - they're fine.

That cracks me up! Sound like something mine will do in a few years.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

I guess I am over-cautious........we all stick together and if we split up there has to be adults with each group.

As for our dd (15)going off on her own, (even though she knows her way around the parks very well), no way!

At home she takes two city buses to get to school. She has a cell phone because of the this travelling (takes her about an hour each way).

She has a great sense of direction and probably could get around the city better than most of my friends.

Still, she would not be off wandering alone at DW.

Besides, we are on vaction - what better time to spend out time together!

 

[zackiedawg]

This is an age-old debate, and similar threads have popped up here for years and will continue to - and there will always be folks arguing both sides of the issue. What it basically boils down to is: Let the type of parent you are, the type of environment you've grown up in, the way you personally raise your child, and your own beliefs in freedoms vs fears dictate the rules you set for your children, and do what you feel right and comfortable doing, as long as it isn't illegal.

When you go to Disney, you can be assured that there will be parents there who don't let their kids out of their sight, there will be parents there who let their kids go off wherever they want, and there will be the occasional bad person or weirdo somewhere in the crowds. That's just the way it is. Whether or not any of those bad people would actually do something bad at Disney or in the parks - that's another story. I'm sure the law officer poster above has made some true statements and some will try to get away with bad or criminal behavior there. Other posters who mentioned some of the deterrents - heavy monitoring, large public presence, large security forces, admission gates and fees, etc - are also likely correct, in that there are probably more 'bad' people not committing any crimes or immoral acts on Disney property than ones who are.

Just go with your gut, your instinct, and your personal beliefs.

 

[disnut8]

I agree with zackiedawg - there is no right or wrong answer (although some people will insist on claiming they are absolutely right on their views). The decision is your family's and only your family's. Only you know your daughters. Only you know how they act together and only you know if they can be trusted and if they know how to tell if they are getting into a situation they shouldn't be in. And more importantly, if they know how to get out of that situation.

When my son was 10 years old, he was in after school care but was totally bored. The helpers there actually suggested we take him out of that and just let him go home on his own. I called the local police to ask what the laws were about having such a young child on his own and was told there wasn't any. It's up to the parents to decide. However, should a situation arise at home that my son couldn't handle and the police would have to be called, then there would be issues. In the end, my husband, myself and my son agreed to let my son come home on his own. Now, his best friend across the street who was the same age was not allowed to come home on his own because his parents didn't want him to. So it's no clear answer.