Do us a favor? Read the title of this post again.
There are two important things in there we don’t want you to miss.
Did you do it? Good.
The first thing we want you to notice is how we said “when a kid gets lost” and not “if a kid gets lost.” The fact is, kids get lost in Disney World every single day.
The second thing we want you to notice is…
…we said “Don’t Panic.” That is the number one step for relocating a lost kiddo. Because a kid gets lost in Disney World every day, the cast members on property are prepared and experienced when it comes to reuniting families. If you have a child, chances are you’ve experienced that pit-of-dread feeling — in a grocery store, at the mall, or even in Disney World — of your kiddo there one second and gone the next. *If* your kid ever gets lost, these are the actions you need to take.
Stay Put
When a kid gets lost, it’s easy to slip into that mindset of “I’ve got to go find them.” But when you first notice your kid is no longer walking next to you down Main Street, U.S.A., don’t run off to find them. More than likely, your kid will still be in the nearby vicinity.
If there’s another adult member in your party, have them go search for them while you keep rooted where you are — or vice-versa.
While you hold down the fort, wave down a Cast Member (you shouldn’t have to wander too terribly far from where you are to find one — Cast Members are ready to help around every corner!).
Calmly explain the situation to the cast member. They’ll be ready to take action immediately.
Let’s plan a Disney World trip your kids are going to love together! Click HERE!
Trust The Cast Members
It’s easy for us to say “Don’t panic,” but we understand it’s difficult to put into practice. If a little panic bubbles over, it’s normal. Losing your kid is a stressful situation and no one’s going to blame you for getting upset. Just don’t take your frustrations out on the Cast Members.
These Cast Members are going to do the best job possible to locate your kid. If they’re asking you questions, don’t be short with them. Breathe, focus, and work with the cast member, not against them.
This might seem obvious now, but when you’re in the heat of the moment and your whole heart is worried sick, that reminder to still be kind despite it all is good to keep in mind.
When you tell a cast member about your missing kid, they will notify their supervisor and security ASAP. They’ll ask you for a recent picture and to list off some defining characteristics (ie: height, age, what they’re wearing, hair color, etc.). As soon as you give them enough details to go off of, the cast member will report the missing kid’s description to the central communication center so all cast members can be on the lookout.
When a Cast Member finds a child, they’ll escort them to the park’s Baby Care Center.
Cast Members are trained to keep kids calm during this stressful situation. first of all, they usually tell your child that their PARENTS got lost, not the kiddo (talk about diffusing the situation!). Then they’ll ask them the important details first (“When did you last see your mom/dad/guardian?” “What does your mom/dad/guardian look like?”), and then they’ll ask some fun questions to keep them from panicking. (“Who’s your favorite Disney character?” “What rides have you ridden today?”)
Oops — we didn’t realize THESE Disney World rides would freak kids out!
Know The Baby Care Center/Guest Relations Locations
Along with Baby Care Centers, it’s also important to know where Guest Relations is located, just in case your kiddo is waiting there instead. Don’t know where the Baby Care Centers and Guest Relations Locations are in Disney World? Don’t sweat it! A Cast Member will guide you to the correct place once your kiddo has been tracked down.
But, if it makes you more comfortable knowing where they are ahead of time, we’ve got you covered.
Magic Kingdom:
- Guest Relations is located at City Hall on Main Street, U.S.A., and at the Guest Relations Window. (The Guest Relations Windows will all be located at the main entrances of each of the parks.)
- The Baby Care Center is also off Main Street, U.S.A. between Casey’s Corner and The Crystal Palace.
EPCOT:
- EPCOT has 3 Guest Relations locations — the first is at the Guest Relations Window at the entrance, the second is at the lobby of Innoventions East, and the third is at the International Gateway (between the France and United Kingdom pavilions.)
- The Baby Care Center is in the Odyssey Plaza between Showcase Plaza and Test Track.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
- Guest Relations is located at the Guest Relations Window at the entrance and directly to the left after you enter the park.
- The Baby Care Center is in the same building as Guest Relations! So just head to the front of the park and you’re golden.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
- Guest Relations in Animal Kingdom is at the Guest Relations Window at the entrance and, just like Hollywood Studios, directly to the left after you enter the park.
- The Baby Care Center is on Discovery Island in a building to the left of The Tree of Life.
Check out the BEST Disney World rides for toddlers HERE!
Plan Ahead
No, we don’t mean “plan to lose your kid ahead of time.” That’d be terrible. We hope NONE of you ever have to go through the panic of not knowing where your kiddo has run off to in Disney World, no matter how brief of a time it may be.
What we really mean is plan ahead to help prevent an accident like this from taking place with these 6 tips:
1. Wear BRIGHT clothes! It’s easier to spot your kid (or any of the members in your party, for that matter) if they’re wearing something neon or eye-catching.
2. Quiz your kiddos to make sure they know your cell phone number. That way, if your kiddo gets lost and finds a cast member, they can give the cast member your number and get in contact with you immediately.
3. Give your kid a tattoo phone number on their wrist if they’re too young to memorize it. You can find them for $5 on Amazon.com!
4. Create a game plan. Give your kid an easy-to-find spot in the park that they can go to and wait if they can’t find you. (ie: “If we ever get separated, meet me at the back of Cinderella Castle, next to the carousel!”)
5. Show your kid how to identify a Cast Member. Namely, point out the oval shape of the name tags they wear. That way, your kid will know they’re approaching someone trustworthy and not just a complete stranger.
6. Take a picture of your kiddo at the beginning of each day so you always have the most updated photo with their most recent outfit/hairdo/etc. on-hand.
Let’s think back to the title again.
“When A Kid Gets Lost” doesn’t mean your kiddo will be one of the dozens of kids who accidentally get separated from their parents during their day at Disney. But if they are, don’t panic. There aren’t just ways to prevent this because, sometimes, you can’t. But there are *definitely* ways to get reconnected a give your aching heart that sigh of relief — and the Disney team will help you every step of the way.
Don’t stop preparing for your Disney World vacation now! Read about the 13 things you need to know before you go to Disney World with kids HERE!
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Have you ever lost a child at Disney world? Any tips you want to share?
BJ says
My son got lost when he was anout 11. He was supposed to stay with his dad and brother and go on SM. I went to Liberty Square with our adult niece and her preschoolers. 11 yr old didn’t want to go on SM and the others went on amyway. When hubby turned up at LS, no 11 yr old in sight. His phone had gone throught the laundry, so calling him was’t an option. We split up. I found him in Fantasy Land. He had walked right past me, and because I wasn’t expecting him, wasn’t looking for him. And no, dad didn’t go looking for him.
Lianne Rea says
At the start of each day we take a photo of the kids at the parking number so we know where we are parked and what the kids are wearing etc
DFB Gigi says
That’s such a great idea, Lianne! In the absolute best case, you have a memorable picture to look back on!
Cookie says
We lost our 7 year old once in Epcot. (Dad thought I was watching him, I thought he was watching him). Total panic from both of us when we realized he was “missing”. Cast members were INCREDIBLE at calming us down, getting his picture out, etc. He was found nearby with a cast member. He had stopped at a booth of toys and cast member noticed he didn’t appear to be with anyone and was young to be on his own, so they a kept a close eye on him. Every cast member did their job very well. (And yes, we wrote to Disney HQ to compliment every single cast member who helped).
Kat My 2 cents says
I used to dispatch for Disney security. Kids came first when it come to security. We found every one of them while I was there. I learned this:
Take a photo at your car if you drove, before you start the day. 1. It’ll help you remember where you parked as well.
Write your phone number on the inside of the bottom of the kids pants leg or shorts or sleeve, somewhere/anywhere and tell them what it is and where it is. If you get separated TURN YOUR VOLUME UP and hold your phone in your hand. Answer unknown calls if you are separated.
Do not panic and shout at security or any cast members. We understand and we’re here for it, but I can’t tell you we’ve already found him if you’re shouting at me. (That actually happened while I was a cast member)
Teach your children to “look” for a cast member if they get separated. Especially security. The Mickey Police are their friends.
With that said. Don’t tell your kids the mickey police will take them away if they are being bad. You need them to like and trust us if they are separated from you. Most of us had some type of military, police or fire training, so this job is done with love.
I had a little one on main street, who didn’t speak any english at all. He came and stood in front of me with the saddest look in his eyes and I knew exactly what was wrong. I bent down to speak to him and he latched on to my neck. He was so scared, but that was okay, because he was safe now and soon reunited with mom and dad.
DFB Gigi says
This is great advice, Kat! Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you were there for them.
Dan Lundgren says
We lost our non-verbal 7 year old at Disneyland recently. Pretty hard to get any info out our little boy, so we were a little worried in advance. We specifically wore matching shirts and added a phone number to his medic alert bracelet just in case. When he went missing I approached a security person who started the proceedings. Then, a woman spotted my matching shirt and said she had Erik. When I looked at my phone I saw that she had sent me a text. All sorted in 20 minutes. The hardest thing was to stop my wife from running off looking for him.
Kate says
My 7 year old wandered off one day at Disneyland, the older kids and my now Ex went towards SM as I with the smaller ones headed to Fantasy land. Once we met up we realized neither of us had him. Notified a cast member and he was where he was and I was the lost one. This was before digital pictures so you were relying on memory of what was being worn. He wasn’t frightened and had juice and a good time at the Lost Parent’s center till I was able to join him.
A stressful few minutes worked out find. As a note, this child wandered off at 6 Flags, Great America and Sea World in addition to every store I ever took him too, he went through a period of wanderlust . Disney is the best place to have this happen