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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Disneyland Paris - Secondary thread

30 replies

Italiangreyhound · 02/07/2015 19:42

Disneyland Paris - Secondary thread

If a school or other group is taking secondary age children Year 7 to Disneyland Paris would you think allowing the children to round in groups of four without an adult was a good idea?

They would have a 'session' to prepare them and either the group or the individuals would have mobile phone.

I'm posting in secondary and primary because primary seems to get more 'traffic' but secondary is the actual age.

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Italiangreyhound · 02/07/2015 19:42

Thank you.

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TeenAndTween · 02/07/2015 19:56

Further to my reply on the primary thread, Disneyland Paris isn't very big really and you can't get 'lost'. I would assume that maybe a teacher/adult would be in a known location e.g. at the front of the castle at all times, so the kids could find an adult if needed.

I would also expect a requirement to 'check in' every couple of hours or something perhaps.

FannyFifer · 02/07/2015 21:35

How old are year 7 children?

Italiangreyhound · 02/07/2015 21:41

The children will be aged from 11 to 12. The very oldest will have only just turned 12. My dd will be almost 12 but she is quite young for her age.

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Doonuts · 02/07/2015 21:50

No I personally wouldn't allow it. Children still get abused and abducted in such parks. What a shame as it would be a great trip!

Floralnomad · 02/07/2015 21:54

I think it would be ok , but both my DC were very used to DLP by 11 and could have given a guided tour . There are always lots of groups of children wandering about .

thehumanjam · 02/07/2015 21:57

When I was in primary school we went around London Zoo in pairs and we were in year 4. Times have changed however I think year 7 is reasonable.

Singleandproud · 02/07/2015 22:00

I think it would be fine, providing they stayed in those groups, and met up every couple of hours with a staff member staying somewhere specific they can meet with. They should also have a school mobile number students can use to contact staff should they need to.

You do have the mine field of the water rides with the boat etc so maybe I would say they could go unsupervised around Fantasyland, Discoveryland but for frontier land they would go together unless ALL children can swim well.

TeenAndTween · 02/07/2015 22:04

No traffic to get run over by, a big tick from me.
An enclosed area, albeit large, another tick.
Staying in groups of 4 kids means unlikely to abused or abducted imo.

But for a young 11 could be daunting. If there might be problems in the group leading to arguments / storming off / tears / lack of compromise regarding what rides to do, then closer supervision of some groups may be needed, otherwise it could be scary.

If oldest only just turned 12, this sounds quite early in y7, not the end-of-y7 that we experienced, which would also lead to thinking that closer supervision may be needed.

TeenAndTween · 02/07/2015 22:26

This thread also has some relevant views.

Patricia909 · 02/07/2015 22:45

DS2 went there on a rugby tour in Y7. They went round in groups without teachers. By Year 7 most students are travelling to and from school on their own, even in London. By comparison, Disneyland Paris is a controlled environment with CCTV and security staff everywhere. Biggest risk is probably getting lost, but provided they have an agreed meeting point I can't see that being a major problem for students of this age. If worried, make sure their phones will work in France.

happygardening · 02/07/2015 22:54

When my DS's were at prep in yr 7 they went to Chesington in yr 8 Thorpe Park. They had to go around in groups no smaller than four, if one didn't want to go on the rides they couldn't be left alone whilst others went on it they had to take it in turns in missing a ride and staying with that person, they were given money to buy food and a small treat and were told where a member of staff could be found at all times.
Result: they had a time of their lives.
I was also recently part of a team accompanying children between 11-18 with a very serious medical condition to somewhere very similar, we let some of our 11 year olds go off at times on their own, there were quite a few staff and again we said the kids had to stay in groups. We made up groups with similar interests those e.g. those who loved heart stopping roller coasters together, those who wanted to see the animals, etc, everywhere we went theme park staff were very helpful and attentive.
I just don't except children are regularly being abused and abducted in these parks, very sadly statistics show most children are abused by someone they know.

SueDunome · 02/07/2015 22:54

Year 7 are young people who are learning about independence. Most of them already go out in small groups in their own home towns together, walk to school independently or with a friend etc. Of course it is reasonable for the school to let them walk around Disneyland Paris in small groups. What is the alternative? Herding the entire group around together with a teacher at the front and another at the back? They are Year 7, not seven year olds.
Independence has to start somewhere. We need to give them freedom or they will still be holding their parents hand when their 18.

Italiangreyhound · 03/07/2015 00:41

Thanks for all your replies.

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Italiangreyhound · 03/07/2015 00:50

TeenAndTween thanks for the link!

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simbo · 03/07/2015 12:21

My dc both went when they were in Y7 with no problems. They had to stay in groups and check in with a designated teacher at a particular location every hour. Also they all had a mobile phone to be located if they failed to turn up (no one did). They had a great time. I wouldn't have been happy for them to have the same freedom in Paris but as others have said this is quite a safe environment.

Heels99 · 03/07/2015 12:31

Yes fine.
What cases are there of childten being abducted or abused at disneyland? ?!!

Italiangreyhound · 03/07/2015 12:51

I'm not sure I am personally worried about children being abducted or abused, maybe that is a fear but the more real likehood (knowing some of the kids) is fallings out, stormings off and general not-so-nice-ness. I am aware some will say this is all part of life but when you have paid 100s of pounds for a trip and seen the fallings out happening locally I guess I would rather that special, short, visit was more protected.

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MEgirl · 03/07/2015 23:53

I took my 3 on my own when the DTs were 10 and DD 7. They wanted to go on different rides so I gave the boys a walkie talkie. They went off to one ride while I took DD on another. The deal was that they come and find me after each ride. It worked well. As long as they stay sensible and have a means of contacting a member of staff they should be fine.

Lioninthesun · 04/07/2015 00:07

I've just been a few weekends ago. To be honest it isn't really big enough to get lost in, and as long as they have their tickets even if they storm off they can come back in. Could you have the stressy group with a teacher, rather than worrying they are disrupting other groups solo? So if in groups of 4 and you have 4 stress heads, you could just put them all together with one or two teachers and let the rest enjoy whilst you share the burden? IME they may act better with adults around and if there are two of you one can take one to the side whilst the rest can carry on if there is a problem? How many adults are going?

Sammy3 · 04/07/2015 18:52

Both of my DDs (2 years apart) went to Disneyland Paris in year 6. The school let them go around in groups of no less than 4. They all wore the same top so were easy to spot as they walked around. If any had broke away from their group, another group of teacher would have spotted them since it's not that big an area. They were also told shown the meeting point they could go to where a teacher was always present (they rotated the duty). I felt they were perfectly safe and both said it was their fave school trip so far. DD1 was one of the oldest on her year but DD2 was one of the youngest in hers so being 10 or 11 didn't make any difference.

PotteringAlong · 04/07/2015 18:56

As a teacher we allowed year 8 pupils to do just that. We had a point where there was a member of staff at all times and a specific time when they had to come and be registered by us.

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Italiangreyhound · 04/07/2015 19:49

Lioninthesun not sure, I am not an organiser.

Thanks all, you've made me feel a lot better.

Although I am surprised about how small everyone is saying it is. I thought it was a big attraction.

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TeenAndTween · 04/07/2015 20:49

Just googled it.

DLP is 57 hectares
Paultons Park is 57 hectares
Legoland 61 hectares
Thorpe Park 200 hectares

So surprisingly small it turns out.

Italiangreyhound · 04/07/2015 21:34

Cor that is pretty small. It's very stange because I would say Paulton's Park is small but Legoland is big so to me those 4 hectors make a difference!

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