Parental Responsibility and Disney Destinations
You are at Disney. Does not matter what park, resort or
cruise ship. You feel safe and just want to have fun. But that does not mean
you are not a parent and have responsibilities for your child’s safety. It
seems that some parents think that everything is a safe protected bubble while
in a Disney environment. I wish that was true. Parents, watch your children.
Don’t let them get into a dangerous situation. Don’t put your child in danger.
I cannot count the stories I’ve heard of children getting
hurt at Disney Parks, Resorts or on the Disney Cruise ships. Parents feel it is
safe, so they step away, even for a moment and their child gets into a pool.
Maybe one parent thinks a child is with the other parent and they lose track
for a moment. I know of a family that had this happen. The child wonders off and
gets hurt. Things happen. It is not Disney’s fault if you don’t watch your
child. Do I think you need to keep a leash on your child 24/7 at Disney? No,
unless they have an elopement issue or are neurodivergent and doesn’t realize
dangers. Just be aware. Only you know your child best.
The most recent story really hurts my mama heart. I love
children. I hurt when I see a child hurt. June 30th parents lost
track of their 5-year-old daughter while on deck 4. Exactly how this happened
is under investigation. The ship was moving at sea. The child fell off deck 4
into the ocean and the father jumped in after her. Only around 20% or less of
people who fall off of cruise ships survive. That means 80% or more don’t survive.
The father kept his daughter afloat
while rescuers came. Thankfully both survived with little apparent injury.
As soon as they went over Disney Crew Members sounded the
alert of a man overboard. They tossed life preservers to them. The bridge was
notified and the ship stopped and turned around. A lifeboat was deployed, and
rescuers safely returned the father and daughter to the ship in around 30
minutes.
Disney did their job to protect the guests in their care. I
feel they went above and beyond to do so. They showed their exceptional
dedication to safety and skill. You may think the parents are bad parents. I
think they got complacent and felt over safe. But the dad did what he had to do
to save his daughter’s life. We all make mistakes. I’m sure they feel horrible.
You may think this is the end of the story. But it may not
be. For example, when you get on a ride at a Disney Park you are told to keep
your body parts inside the car at all times. A 16-year-old, who in my opinion
is old enough to know better, stuck his foot under the moving car of Alice in
Wonderland at DLR. The wheels of the car sliced off his toes. Because of that
incident doors were installed on the ride vehicles. These doors make it harder
to load and unload, especially for those with mobility issues. There are
countless other examples of this type of response to someone putting themselves
in danger.
I can honestly see the 4th deck of Disney Cruise
Ships being closed in and all railings on the ship, including those on private
verandas being raised to stop someone from doing this again. Is that a good
idea? I don’t think so. It would detract from the fun of cruising! You would
not be able to enjoy the deck and feel the ocean breeze as well. It is only
being done because someone could not follow the simple rules! It would happen
because someone did not think about safety and put someone else in danger.
