On of the big things parents worry about at their Walt Disney World is their children get lost. I understand, there are A LOT of people there. Its particularly crazy right after all the fireworks end and the masses pour out onto the bottleneck of Mainstreet and out the front gates.
Parents do a lot of things to keep their kids safe at Walt Disney World, but I wanted to discuss some of the things we do to make ourselves feel a little more confident with the large crowds.
1. Chid ID wrist bands – Sima Enterprises has multiple different ID bands to pick from, but I would suggest the Disposable Tyveck Child ID wristbands. These wristbands have a spot for your name, hotel and two contact phone numbers as well as a spot for any medical conditions. You can find all of these items on their website at http://www.simaenterprises.com/
These bands are really tough and since they’re disposable they’re perfect for travel. You can get a set of 6 for $5.95. They also have some that are velcro which may be perfect if you travel a lot. If your kid freaks out about having something on their wrist they also have ones that can go one your little ones shoes. Two shoe Id’s are only $8.00 so it’s a very affordable option.
They also have a child locator that reminds me of a car key-alarm for your child. Apparently if your child walks away the transmitter you keep with you will make the one on them to chirp/ beep loudly. I have no idea at all if it would work, but it’s a decent idea.
These are only $32.00 and are water and shock resistant.
2. Meet up Location. Regardless of your child’s age your entire family should have established “meet up locations” if any one of you get separated from one another. Now, the Diva kids know Disney World like the back of their hands, but they DON’T know how to find us among 3,000+ people. So they know if they ever get separated from us and cant find us after a quick look around to go to our meet-up spots. Make sure your meet-up spots are easily identifiable and that the area is not so huge you couldn’t even find them at that location.
Magic Kingdom: Statue of Walt and Mickey in the hubcap of Magic Kingdom.
Epcot: The fountain that is closest to the Ball.
Hollywood Studios: The large Dinosaur (ice cream stand) in the lake.
Animal Kingdom: The Dinosaur in front of the RIDE Dinosaur.
3. Recognize the Nametag. All children need to be taught, quickly, like the first thing you point out to them when you walk in the park for the first time, to recognize a cast member. If they ever get lost they need to find someone with one of these nametags on quickly and tell them that they are lost and need to find their parents. Once you realize they’re lost (which may be first) you need to tell a cast member also and then they will direct you towards the nearest Baby Center where once the child is found they will be taken to.
At the Magic Kingdom, check the Baby Center and City Hall, where lost children are kept. At Epcot, check Baby Services near the Odyssey Center. At Disney-MGM Studios, check Guest Relations at the entrance, near Hollywood Boulevard. At the Animal Kingdom, try the Baby Center on Discovery Island. 90% of children will be found within 2 hours at the meeting point. If not, Disney has an internal communication system and will issue an all-employee bulletin.
No need to panic about this. In all our trips we have never even gotten separated for more than 20 seconds or so. I think you should just make sure that you have a plan in place.And that’s no secret. 
Oh I bet that was scary! It is easy to get turned around for sure!! I’m glad to know that you agree with all I’ve read which is the cast members have been trained extremely well on how to deal with the situations. 🙂