Age restriction enforcement starting March 23

[cy1229]

Just in time for spring breaks!

http://www.jedimouseketeer.com/2013/03/ ... ceBook&m=1
Can someone please fix that? J can't see frack on my phone. It's from the WDW After Dark FB page.

[Amy]

Just in time for spring breaks!

http://www.jedimouseketeer.com/2013/03/ ... ceBook&m=1

Can someone please fix that? J can't see frack on my phone. It's from the WDW After Dark FB page.

There you go...you were just missing an "l" from the first url...I can't imagine people were letting children as young as seven enter the gates and run around alone anyhow

[cy1229]

Thanks Amy!

I wouldn't allow a 7-y-o in the parks alone, but 13... that's old enough to handle oneself for a couple hours, I think.

[Wizzard419]

But... stranger danger! Sure kidnappings and crimes against children have been on a downward trend last I checked, but coverage has gone up....

Actually, it probably is for insurance reasons more than anything else.

[TTA Traveler]

Sucks to be thirteen! Though joking aside I think I'd be okay with letting my (non-existent) thirteen year old travel the parks. Of course that's speaking from my own experience as a teen along with the notion that my kid would be a mature and responsible teenager.

Though in the end I think it's pretty reasonable.

[BenB]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

[Amy]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

I was wondering the same thing. I read it as they only need to be accompanied during entry to the parks. Once they are in, it doesn't really say they need to have supervision.

[Soarin08]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

I was wondering the same thing. I read it as they only need to be accompanied during entry to the parks. Once they are in, it doesn't really say they need to have supervision.

They need to have supervision. I just had to get a refresher course on this.

Personally no 14 year old is capable of even taking care of themselves much less a young kid.

[cy1229]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

I was wondering the same thing. I read it as they only need to be accompanied during entry to the parks. Once they are in, it doesn't really say they need to have supervision.

They need to have supervision. I just had to get a refresher course on this.

Personally no 14 year old is capable of even taking care of themselves much less a young kid.

I beg to differ on your perspective on 14-year-olds. True, they cannot handle unusual circumstances or frightening emergencies due to lack of experience and wisdom, but all of the teenagers I know well would be fine for a morning or afternoon in one of the parks without an adult. I would even feel comfortable having my girls (18 and 14) take my nephew and niece (12 and 7) into a park for the day.

[Wizzard419]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

I was wondering the same thing. I read it as they only need to be accompanied during entry to the parks. Once they are in, it doesn't really say they need to have supervision.

They need to have supervision. I just had to get a refresher course on this.

Personally no 14 year old is capable of even taking care of themselves much less a young kid.

Yeah... no...

Just because a society infantilizes their children doesn't mean they are not capable of doing normal activities by themselves.

[Soarin08]

To me, 16 would make more sense than 14. My mother never would have trusted my brother to me at that age. And who is to say the older one won't get distracted and lose sight of the younger?

14 on your own is one thing maybe, but with a young kid? I'm curious how many parents would actually let that happen.

[Wizzard419]

Would, probably not a lot since parents were on the butt-hurt express when a mother let her child ride the subway alone. http://theweek.com/article/index/96342/ ... -worst-mom

It doesn't mean the children are incapable of logic... at least if their parents taught them how to be safe.

That and parents now can track the kids anyway, through their phones.

[GeoffS]

I'm with Wizzard on this one: kids can be responsible on their own if they learn how. I spent my youth roaming Los Angeles by myself on a bike, between the ages of 8 and 13. In high school, I got into FAR LESS trouble than kids who weren't allowed to act independently when they were younger. I attribute that to experience. Plenty of parents are fine with leaving 12-14 year-old babysitters alone for a day or an evening. Responsibility is learned behavior. If you start small and young, when you get older you will be able to apply those lessons to the big things.

Tragedy is over-reported. Kids are overprotected. The result is young adults under-prepared to fend for themselves in society.

[cy1229]

I'm with Wizzard on this one: kids can be responsible on their own if they learn how. I spent my youth roaming Los Angeles by myself on a bike, between the ages of 8 and 13. In high school, I got into FAR LESS trouble than kids who weren't allowed to act independently when they were younger. I attribute that to experience. Plenty of parents are fine with leaving 12-14 year-old babysitters alone for a day or an evening. Responsibility is learned behavior. If you start small and young, when you get older you will be able to apply those lessons to the big things.

Tragedy is over-reported. Kids are overprotected. The result is young adults under-prepared to fend for themselves in society.

Agree completely. I do very little correction beyond a "Hey!", and even less discipline, now that they're teenagers. Just have to pay attention to what they're doing, who they're with, etc.

[Sharonofwindham]

Can anyone clarify whether this is just for admission or if the child would need to be accompanied by an adult at all times within the park? I only see it referring to the front gate.

I was wondering the same thing. I read it as they only need to be accompanied during entry to the parks. Once they are in, it doesn't really say they need to have supervision.

They need to have supervision. I just had to get a refresher course on this.

Personally no 14 year old is capable of even taking care of themselves much less a young kid.

I was babysitting at twelve...for not one, but three children, and I was much more responsible than some adults I know
I read that Disney really did a lot of research...Red Cross Training for babysitting now says 14 yrs is when they are responsible enough, and they also checked with child psychologists for their opinions. Hopefully MOST parents will judge whether their 14 yr old is mature enough. Soarin08, do you see a lot of kids by themselves that seem too young? I bet there are a lot of parents that think, "we're at Disney, they'll be fine, what could possibly happen" .