The Lost Parent Chronicles

FebruaryStar02 · Post by **FebruaryStar02** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 3:19 am

Some days I am really in awe of some of the parenting skills of our dear guests. I'm still trying to digest this one situation that happened a week ago...

I'm standing at Greeter at the Challenge Trail, and this woman comes up and asks me about the protocol for lost kids. After I go off on my long rant, she leaves and heads off towards Grizzly. About 45 minutes later, she finally comes up to me and explains her situation.

This woman and her mother had been watching her 10 year old son play at the Trail for quite some time, and noticed that he had befriended another boy about the same age, and they had been riding the slides and rock traversing together and all that. Anyway, it came time for them to go off and find some dinner, as 8:00pm was approaching. She thanked the boy for keeping her son company, and told him they were leaving. After some conversation, the boy told her that he had no idea where his mother was, and the last time he saw her was some time around 11:00 that morning. :shock:

By the looks of things, I would say that she had left some cash with him; he had some bracelets and a new t-shirt on. But he had been sightseeing around DCA by himself for almost 9 hours alone, most of the time spent inside the Trail.

Anyway, after hearing all this, I called security so that they could handle this one.

The greatest part of this story, though, is that when I called him in, nobody had reported him as a missing child! :shock: Sure, he was old enough to do things by himself, but 9 hours alone at a theme park???

It's situations like this that make me wish there was some sort of license you had to get before you procreated...

Mansion_Boi · Post by **Mansion_Boi** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 4:50 am

hey is this the same kid who has been on the news about how his mom abondoned him at Disneyland ans stuff. I saw it the other day and I was like how could a parent do this to a child. What had to be going on thru her mind to do this. On the news they did say that the boy had been handed over to his uncles or something, and his sister who the mom did not abandon was taken into custody and handed over to the state.

FebruaryStar02 · Post by **FebruaryStar02** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 1:53 pm

Mansion_Boi wrote:hey is this the same kid who has been on the news about how his mom abondoned him at Disneyland ans stuff. I saw it the other day and I was like how could a parent do this to a child. What had to be going on thru her mind to do this. On the news they did say that the boy had been handed over to his uncles or something, and his sister who the mom did not abandon was taken into custody and handed over to the state.

Actually, I was thinking that it could have been, but the TV said that the mother dropped him off at Downtown Disney, and all of the articles I see online say Disneyland, while this kid was in DCA ... not that the news is always right ... and all of the reports seem to say that "A security guard found him alone." Not like they'd credit me, anyway....

::reading articles about the kid:: Hmm...the kids did have the same first name.... :shock:

Grumpy · Post by **Grumpy** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 5:11 pm

I kinda heard about a kid being left @ Disneyland. . .but where are the articles at? LOL

GMC · Post by **GMC** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:55 am

that's the third story i've heard about a kid(s) being abandoned here at the resort, first dtd, then DL, now DCA, next it'll be DLH(that's the abbrev. for the hotles right?) what the hell are parents thinking, disneyland is only the happiest place on earth between the time that the park opens, and the time that "God" comes over the speakers and announces the park 10-7then things become less, and less magic... sad

Wizard69 · Post by **Wizard69** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 4:28 am

I had some parents come up to me the other day and said they lost their 10 year old son. They said he was at the arcade and was supposed to meet them 3 hours ago at Fantasyland. They didn't specify where (this was at 9:30 when they came up to me).

They wanted me to call security which I did. Security told me that a 10 year old kid they normally do not respond to since he is old enough to take care of themselves and that the guest can leave a message at City Hall for them. Security came anyways and told the parents the same thing about the 10 year old being old enough to take care of themselves and how is is probably off on rides having fun. He then told the parents he would take them to city hall to leave a message for the kid. :)

Esmerelda · Post by **Esmerelda** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 5:37 am

What is the world coming to?

I was standing next to a manager when a call came in that there was a little girl abandoned in the parking structure. How do you accidentally leave YOUR KID at Disneyland?!?

Grumpy · Post by **Grumpy** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 10:34 am

Wizard69 wrote:... Security told me that a 10 year old kid they normally do not respond to since he is old enough to take care of themselves and that the guest can leave a message at City Hall for them. Security came anyways and told the parents the same thing about the 10 year old being old enough to take care of themselves and how is is probably off on rides having fun. He then told the parents he would take them to city hall to leave a message for the kid. :)

That's interesting. My b/f's kids and I were playing in the park last week, and the eldest and I got on Tower of Terror. We told the younger 2 (8 and 12) to stay right in the HTH area, and that we would be out within 30 minutes or so (the wait was about 20). Well, we get out, and we don't see them ... so we did the typical search the area thing, and waited around for about 10 minutes (figuring they may have gone to the restroom). 25 minutes go by, and we're startin' to freak. We keep searching the area, and then the eldest asked me if we can get security (she's 15). I tell her sure. The officer that answered the call said that if the kid was over 13, that's when they have them leave a note at city hall....

Hmm ... mixed info? wrong info?

GMC · Post by **GMC** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 5:38 pm

i got a call on th train once for two 14 year old girls, but that was because their parents were pissed and wanted to be on thier way, i saw them come running up to the station as my train was leaving, almost stopped to get them on and hold them at mainstreet so that the parentals could re-unite, but instead i just went and called them in at mainstreet, and got them off the next train, probly just depends on the attitude of the parents, and the person(s) handling the situation.

SRT_GB · Post by **SRT_GB** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 10:25 pm

I'm sure I've posted this story before somewhere. A boy sat in Lost Children for a good 4 hours or so before the parent finally went looking for them. When they were reunited the mother had the audacity to ask for a refund because she didn't get to spend her day at Disneyland with her son.