Whose Job to Supervise the Children? : Parental Responsibility Shouldn’t End at Entrance to Disneyland, Other Amusements

Disneyland may need to be more tactful in dealing with some of its guests, the so-called “locals.” These are the teens and pre-teens who buy summer passes and make the theme park their summertime hangout. But there’s also something missing--parental supervision--when families simply drop their kids off at the gate with no further checking on what their children may be up to during their hours away from home.

Hanging out on the streets of the self-professed “Happiest Place on Earth” might seem like some people’s idea of heaven, especially youngsters. But, once the fun of riding Splash Mountain starts to lose its appeal, the kids who have become a daily staple at the park seem to get a little bored. They gravitate to a small area near Tomorrowland Terrace, where they meet up with their friends. Disneyland officials say they sometimes interfere with other guests, or get smart the way high-spirited kids do when they get together.

The youngsters complain that Disneyland treats them differently from other patrons, even when they are doing little more than sitting on a bench. They say they are denied routine privileges granted to others, and are occasionally harassed by park security for minor offenses. If so, that hardly seems in the spirit of the home of Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the rest of the gang on Main Street.

But isn’t it sad that children, even teen-age children, are left to their own devices day after day? Park officials tell about a brother and sister, both under 10, who were dropped off every day one summer several years ago. They hung around Tom Sawyer Island all morning, ate lunch nearby and put the little girl down for a nap on the island in the afternoon. How lonely they must have been.

Park officials have an obligation to be fair with the “locals” who are minding their manners. But they are right when they say they should not be expected to be baby-sitters.