Child unwell on school trip

I too thought Disneyland sounded a ''safe'' place to be unwell at.

We went on a school trip to Belgium aged 11, and were basically given free rein on certain afternoons-
The teachers were settled on the windy beach behind a windbreak, and we amused ourselves -including riding horses along the long sandy beach by ourselves...No hard hats, just pay the horse owner, and the horses knew where they were going, bless them.

Nowadays that sort of thing probably wouldn't be allowed because of risk assessments.

One of the girls was sick, but was just left alone at the old hotel with a student teacher.

You don't know this for sure. You know your distressed son's version of this.

I feel like I'm the only one who disagrees with other posters. 16 or not, the teacher has a safeguarding duty to protect your son whilst on the trip, especially if he is unwell- who knows what it could turn into in the least scary way possible, it is important for someone to check on him. I'm sure he probably wants to stay lowkey and not have to walk around the park to find the teacher. The teacher should be concerned with his welfare.

@G172125

“The teachers have got to go on a trip to Disneyland. “

not sure why you’re saying that like it’s some big treat? Most adults would cringe at the idea of going to Disneyland because well you know they’re adults. And also they’re working.

Hopefully not Norovirus or the entire group will get it.

I understand that first time out of the Country if he can't speak the language[?] might be a bit uncomfortable, and to be vomiting away from home isn't pleasant, but these things happen.

Hope he is feeling better, @G172125 .

A 16 year old vomited in a very large theme park and became separated from his friends, made the teachers aware of his location through his mother, and was located within 2 hours. He has seemingly recovered, and has not needed medical care.

What's the problem here? It can take the best part of 45 minutes to walk from one end of the park to the other. He vomited. He didn't have a life threatening illness.

1. It's Disneyland. They have an advanced system for helping sick visitors. All he had to do was find a park staff who could contact the infirmary, or ask anyone working in a shop or restaurant. Heatstroke, motion sickness, too much candy...dealing with vomiting guests is probably one of the most common medical problems there. They definitely have a place to take anyone taken ill and he would be able to rest in peace, without needing a teacher to bring him back to the hotel. Did you tell him this over the phone?

2. Where were his friends? At 16, teens are perfectly capable of helping and supporting each other. Getting water, contacting the park first aid etc. And they all have mobile phones too so there's no excuse why any of them didn't chase up the teachers, get in touch with the Disneyland infirmary or whatnot.

3. I recall many overseas school trips before the age of smartphones (ages 14-17). Amusement parks were the easiest ones because they were in a safe, enclosed environment during daytime. With other trips, we were literally left to our own devices with host families. I remember lots of friends getting sick, some as the result of smoking weed or drinking which was enabled by the students who hosted us. One girl got bad food poisoning after everyone went for a movie and then to dinner at a dodgy Chinese place. The teachers were barely present at all during those times, and had absolutely no way to contact each student let alone their parents.

I'm slightly confused with your updates about the teacher going to look for him but also queuing etc but regarding the two hours, it's about a 15 min walk across the park to Disney Village iirc and then some tracking down time providing he hadn't moved, also they're an hour ahead of us so I'm wondering if there was some confusion about how long it took eg you looked at your phone when he called at say, 1.00 and he said later that he was on his own until 3.00 but really it was only an hour? Just trying to make you feel better!

When we went to NY, one child wasn't feeling well so me and her sat at the pier whilst everyone else went to Staten Island and back.
The child should have been prioritised over a ride. Or at least someone else go and see the boy if the teacher was helping a disabled student on the ride.
Would t have happened on my watch!

Have never come across a school like this before!

Are you a teacher or a parent?

I'm ignoring the absolute batshit responses and just wanted to say his symptoms sound exactly like mine when I get severe motion sickness. D&V and I feel soo tired I have to go to sleep! I also get really hungry, but that could just be me! It makes me really ill and I feel awful for ages after. (I was in bed for 2 days once after sitting too close to the screen in the cinema!)

@Ophy83 what is this unicorn school?

I agree you sent him away with teachers not on his own with friends. He’s not an adult and the teachers should be doing their job looking after the kids not acting as if they’re on holiday.

no but some do, alcohol or illegal drugs account for more than half of illness among 16 year olds on school trips in my experience

Sounds terrible but I am astonished that any school would take Yr11 on a holiday to Disneyland in the Easter holidays. Most are running revision sessions. I also find it weird that there are enough parents willing to send their children on this trip to make it viable.

I work in a senior school and we would never allow this. We take our year 7s to Alton Towers and the teachers agree a rota for at least one of them to be in a cafe for anyone who needs them, and if they needed to go somewhere they would get someone to cover them or ask another teacher to go.
For those saying he is old enough to look after himself, teachers are in loco parentis in this situation so would you leave your child if they called you distressed and sick when you were within 15 mins or so of them?

😁

Why is he not locked in a room revising for his exams? Bad parent alert 😂🫢

Lots of presumptions going on here:- Teachers were probably with Sen kid; son was hungover; son should have found the others himself or gone back to the hotel; teachers are worked off their feet…. What it boils down to is a child was left for two hours while vomiting and feeling ill. It doesn’t matter that he was 16. It is negligent. How did they know he didn’t have appendicitis? Doesn’t matter if teachers were queueing, having coffee or whatever. Somebody should have gone and found him. That is their job.

Why was he in the Disney village and not in the theme park? It can take a long time to get to the village from the far end of the park.

Your son sounds a proper simp. Why's he phoning his mummy to say hes unwell.

@Maddy70

Aren't you charming. 😡

The parks usually have first aid. He can go and explain the issue - they may be able to give him gravol or the country’s equivalent. Alternatively they may tell him the closest place/pharmacy he can go get something

How on Earth would you know? 🧐