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Kids clubs for 3 year old


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Hi everyone! I have 2 older kids who have gone to the kids clubs on the Disney dream. I was wondering if anyone has experience with their three year old and the kids club? The age range is very wide in my opinion.

Oceaneer's Club/Lab is ages 3-12. The space is roughly separated into the Club, with activities aimed toward the 3-7 group; and the Lab, with activities aimed toward the 8-12 group.

 

That said, anyone in the space can participate in whatever activities appeal to them, regardless of age.

 

Also, 11 & 12 year olds can participate in Edge (ages 11-14), so, often, there aren't a lot of the "older" kids in there.

 

A 3 year old can also use the nursery, but not until they've tried Oceaneer's first.

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My older children have been to the kids clubs on numerous cruises but this is the first time my 3 year old will be going. I found an article while researching about Disney losing a child for 45 minutes so I'm wondering if 3 is too young.

 

http://www.brentcsutoras.com/2013/03/06/disney-cruise-lost-child-destroyed-vacation-lost-confidence/

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My older children have been to the kids clubs on numerous cruises but this is the first time my 3 year old will be going. I found an article while researching about Disney losing a child for 45 minutes so I'm wondering if 3 is too young.

 

http://www.brentcsutoras.com/2013/03/06/disney-cruise-lost-child-destroyed-vacation-lost-confidence/

 

While the child was "lost" (if it's the one I'm thinking of), he was located still in the clubs. They cannot just walk out of Oceaneer's.

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THe kids are required to wear their bands in the OC/Lab, and the computer can show where the band is. Yes, there is that one story on line...but the programming area is secure. No child can walk in or out without being scanned in or turned over to an authorized adult to leave, and they do check each time even if they've seen Mom 25 times that day. Sure, a 3 year old can fall asleep in a corner, but their band remains active. If a child removes their band, (they are not supposed to), it is harder to locate them within the space.

 

As for a 3 year old....there are activities divided by the "intended" age group. Anyone can do any activity, and yes, a 12 year old can do a 3-4 activity but that doesn't happen often unless it is an older sibling looking out for a little one. It works better in reality than it looks on paper.

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My daughter turned 3 on the ship, so they said she could go wherever she was most comfortable. We went in during open house and she loved it, but it was incredibly stimulating and a bit overwhelming for her on her own. The other catch is that they have to be able to use the restroom 100% independently. It's not just about being potty-trained, which she was, but they have to be able to go into the restroom, move the step stool, do their thing, pull up their pants, wash their hands, etc. - 100% by themselves as no one can assist them. This was the "seal the deal" moment when we realized she still needed to be in the nursery. As most parents know, potty training is an on-going process of reminders, checking in to see if they need to go, making sure hands are getting washed properly, etc.

 

The next year we went when she turned 4 and she LOVED the kids' club and never wanted us to pick her up! What a difference that year made!

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While the child was "lost" (if it's the one I'm thinking of), he was located still in the clubs. They cannot just walk out of Oceaneer's.

 

That story did make me choke up because I can imagine how it felt, but I have no concerns whatsoever about dropping my kids off with them. My older daughter always had an amazing time and the security in there is crazy good. In the time between her 3rd and 4th birthdays they actually implemented magic bands and could tell me exactly which room she was enjoying when we picked her up. That was crazy amazing to me and gave me even more confidence that they knew EXACTLY where she was.

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My daughter turned 3 on the ship, so they said she could go wherever she was most comfortable. We went in during open house and she loved it, but it was incredibly stimulating and a bit overwhelming for her on her own. The other catch is that they have to be able to use the restroom 100% independently. It's not just about being potty-trained, which she was, but they have to be able to go into the restroom, move the step stool, do their thing, pull up their pants, wash their hands, etc. - 100% by themselves as no one can assist them. This was the "seal the deal" moment when we realized she still needed to be in the nursery. As most parents know, potty training is an on-going process of reminders, checking in to see if they need to go, making sure hands are getting washed properly, etc.

 

The next year we went when she turned 4 and she LOVED the kids' club and never wanted us to pick her up! What a difference that year made!

Not sure when this was, but they now allow untrained kids in the OC --kids in diapers. The staff cannot change them; they use the wave phone to call a parent when attention is needed. The difficult time is the "in training" process--as you noted, when they can handle the need to go an how to go, but not necessarily all the clothing and washing up. If you want them in the OC at this time, the "trick" is to set them up for success. Tell them that they "must" go in the cabin before going to the programming and then check on them 60-90 minutes later so you can escort them to the bathroom and help with everything. Then back to the OC for playtime if desired.

As you noted, the entire atmosphere may be overwhelming for a 3 year old on their own, but they'll love "Open House" hours with a parent. It also works reasonably if there is an older sibling in the picture. I do not advocate telling the 5 year old that they have to watch over the 3 year old; that's not fair to the older one. But just knowing that a sib is there can be reassuring to the younger one.

 

Still, some 3 year old "onlys" love the OC and do great. It is an individual thing.

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Not sure when this was' date=' but they now allow untrained kids in the OC --kids in diapers. The staff cannot change them; they use the wave phone to call a parent when attention is needed. The difficult time is the "in training" process--as you noted, when they can handle the need to go an how to go, but not necessarily all the clothing and washing up.[/quote']

 

Oh that IS new! Our last Dream sailing was 2014.

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Oh that IS new! Our last Dream sailing was 2014.

Yeah, I can't say that I agree with it, but fortunately I don't have any little ones involved any more. I really don't know if it is diapers or just pull ups, but the idea is the same--untrained kids were permitted in the space. And of course, they must be fully 3 years old (not almost or "pretty please to be with sibling.")

 

One never knows what to expect on board. Policies seem to change on a pretty regular basis.

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Not sure when this was' date=' but they now allow untrained kids in the OC --kids in diapers. The staff cannot change them; they use the wave phone to call a parent when attention is needed. The difficult time is the "in training" process--as you noted, when they can handle the need to go an how to go, but not necessarily all the clothing and washing up. If you want them in the OC at this time, the "trick" is to set them up for success. Tell them that they "must" go in the cabin before going to the programming and then check on them 60-90 minutes later so you can escort them to the bathroom and help with everything. Then back to the OC for playtime if desired.

As you noted, the entire atmosphere may be overwhelming for a 3 year old on their own, but they'll love "Open House" hours with a parent. It also works reasonably if there is an older sibling in the picture. I do not advocate telling the 5 year old that they have to watch over the 3 year old; that's not fair to the older one. But just knowing that a sib is there can be reassuring to the younger one.

 

Still, some 3 year old "onlys" love the OC and do great. It is an individual thing.[/quote']

 

Thank you for that info - so good to know! My younger son will turn 3 a few weeks before we sail and he is out of diapers, but not 100% independent yet. I'm going to try what you suggested, about going to the bathroom right before and then checking in. (Assuming he stays in there without crying for us! - I am hoping!). ;p

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I just got off the Dream Friday. My 7 year old loved the kids club. My younger son turned 3 this past Sunday so he wasn't able to use the kids club - they are very strict w/ age requirements however from what I observed during the limited times I was allowed in the area, he would've done fine. I only say this because he has an older sibling so he's a bit more independent and comfortable in that type setting. He spent a little time in the nursery and he was fine there as well, said he had a great time.

 

I think an early 3 year old with no older siblings might struggle some, but like a previous poster said it really depends on the kid.

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I just got off the Dream Friday. My 7 year old loved the kids club. My younger son turned 3 this past Sunday so he wasn't able to use the kids club - they are very strict w/ age requirements however from what I observed during the limited times I was allowed in the area, he would've done fine. I only say this because he has an older sibling so he's a bit more independent and comfortable in that type setting. He spent a little time in the nursery and he was fine there as well, said he had a great time.

 

I think an early 3 year old with no older siblings might struggle some, but like a previous poster said it really depends on the kid.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience! When we sail in a few weeks my boys will be just turned 3 and almost 6 - I'm hoping the older one will help the younger feel more comfortable, as you said. Thanks again!

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We cruised Dream a month after our oldest turned 3. He struggled with being left at the club, and we were called almost every time. He regularly attends preschool on a M-W-F schedule but does the "sad" drop-off, which at the kids club means, they will call you if he doesn't calm down quickly. It was a bit big for him and overwhelming. Basically if the Star Wars section was in use - we could almost guarantee he wouldn't be staying. He did join his brother (18 months) in the nursery and did better with that. But yes, its hard on the little guys and you might find you are spending more "family time" than you bargained for. They did manage to keep him long enough for us to get through a dinner in Remy - but not dessert.

 

Good luck!

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I have to agree with the "depends on the kid" thing. Our 2 1/2 year-old granddaughter is better at accepting these kinds of new situations than her six year-old sister. Very different personalities.

 

She's also militant about using the potty. Because she's a BIG GIRL, doncha know. :D

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  • 3 weeks later...
Not sure when this was' date=' but they now allow untrained kids in the OC --kids in diapers. The staff cannot change them; they use the wave phone to call a parent when attention is needed. The difficult time is the "in training" process--as you noted, when they can handle the need to go an how to go, but not necessarily all the clothing and washing up. If you want them in the OC at this time, the "trick" is to set them up for success. Tell them that they "must" go in the cabin before going to the programming and then check on them 60-90 minutes later so you can escort them to the bathroom and help with everything. Then back to the OC for playtime if desired..[/quote']

 

We just got off the Wonder (embarkation May 29) and they were absolutely adamant that children who met the age requirement, but were not toilet trained were not allowed in the Club/Lab - even if wearing pull-ups or diapers. My daughter is 3.5 and small for her age, so naturally they assumed she was younger just by looking at her - we were asked by the registration employees at check-in if she was fully toilet trained and by two separate counselors onboard in the Club/Lab if she was fully trained. We assured them she is (and it's obvious when looking at her that she doesn't wear a pull-up or diaper). They did tell us that if she needed help using the restroom, they would message us to let us know; they have a family restroom that parents can take their kids into help them out. During the first open house on embarkation day, we made sure she could use the toilet fully on her own (there are stools in every stall and stools at the sinks). Additionally, a counselor stands near the entrance to the restroom whenever a child is there and calls in to check on them about every 5 minutes.

 

On our cruise there were about 2-4 hours per day that the Oceaneer Club and/or Lab had open house times, so parents could take younger kids, non-toilet trained kids or kids who just didn't want to be the Club/Lab by themselves (parent supervision required during these times). There were also planned activities during the open house times as well.

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This rule seems to change on a very regular basis. Thanks for the update. The "must be fully trained and able to handle the bathroom on their own" was the rule beginning in 1998. It has changed multiple times since then. The one thing that has remained the same is that the staff cannot assist the children with toilet needs, changing, or accidents--the parent must be called.

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So, I'm a YA Counselor, just come back from my 5th contract and have hit the two year mark.

Just want to clear up the diaper/pull up thing for anyone cruising in the future so no one gets disappointed when they get onboard.

 

They are NOT allowed in the club/lab during secured programming, unless they have a medical need (and then parents have to come back a check every 30-45minutes). This has been the case the whole time I've been in YA, so I'm not sure where the comment about the rules constantly changing comes from, because they haven't in the last two years, and think it had been in force for quite a while before I got there...

When you register you sign to say your kid is potty trained.

We cannot help them in the bathroom in anyway.

 

Do people break the rules and send them in not potty trained/In pull up, yes, there's at least one every cruise. Most get caught, it's pretty obvious on most kids, if it is caught, you will be asked to go and remove the offending item.

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So, I'm a YA Counselor, just come back from my 5th contract and have hit the two year mark.

Just want to clear up the diaper/pull up thing for anyone cruising in the future so no one gets disappointed when they get onboard.

 

They are NOT allowed in the club/lab during secured programming, unless they have a medical need (and then parents have to come back a check every 30-45minutes). This has been the case the whole time I've been in YA, so I'm not sure where the comment about the rules constantly changing comes from, because they haven't in the last two years, and think it had been in force for quite a while before I got there...

When you register you sign to say your kid is potty trained.

We cannot help them in the bathroom in anyway.

 

Do people break the rules and send them in not potty trained/In pull up, yes, there's at least one every cruise. Most get caught, it's pretty obvious on most kids, if it is caught, you will be asked to go and remove the offending item.

I've cruised DCL since the Magic's maiden voyage in 1998, and I've seen rules come and go. They started with "the child must be potty trained," then there was a phase where pull ups were allowed at night. After the incident that resulted in the tightening of age rules (you used to be allowed to continue in the Stack/ Vibe if still in high school until this incident) there was a time when 3 year olds were in the OC, regardless of toiletting status. The medical exemption is also a newer phase; originally there was no medical exemption.

 

Based on your post in another thread, it seems they are in a "less age enforcement" phase with allowing kids to move up in programming. For MANY years, the policy was that you had to be within 30 days of the birthday to allow a move up. Then there was a time of "just ask and you'll probably get in." The problem with allowing kids to move to an older group is that the kids in that older group really don't want "babies" in their programming, so the kids of the age the level is intended for tend to just not participate....and that's sad. This is particularly true in the Vibe age range. The overlap in the ages for the various groups was designed in part to combat the need to move up. We've also seen DCL change and rearrange the age groups thru many permutations. I guess they finally learned that no matter where they place the cut offs, there will be parents who object and want to advance their kid. In this regard, I like the Princess Cruise Line policy--No, your younger child cannot move to the next older group. But the older child can move to a younger group. It almost never happens!

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I've cruised DCL since the Magic's maiden voyage in 1998' date=' and I've seen rules come and go. They started with "the child must be potty trained," then there was a phase where pull ups were allowed at night. After the incident that resulted in the tightening of age rules (you used to be allowed to continue in the Stack/ Vibe if still in high school until this incident) there was a time when 3 year olds were in the OC, regardless of toiletting status. The medical exemption is also a newer phase; originally there was no medical exemption.

 

Based on your post in another thread, it seems they are in a "less age enforcement" phase with allowing kids to move up in programming. For MANY years, the policy was that you had to be within 30 days of the birthday to allow a move up. Then there was a time of "just ask and you'll probably get in." The problem with allowing kids to move to an older group is that the kids in that older group really don't want "babies" in their programming, so the kids of the age the level is intended for tend to just not participate....and that's sad. This is particularly true in the Vibe age range. The overlap in the ages for the various groups was designed in part to combat the need to move up. We've also seen DCL change and rearrange the age groups thru many permutations. I guess they finally learned that no matter where they place the cut offs, there will be parents who object and want to advance their kid. In this regard, I like the Princess Cruise Line policy--No, your younger child cannot move to the next older group. But the older child can move to a younger group. It almost never happens![/quote']

 

I've heard all the stories of all the 'incidents' that have happened over the years.

 

But I wasn't posting that here to get into a debate of if what DCL do with their rules or policies is right or wrong, or if other cruise lines are better.

Yes I've seen many of them change. Back when I first started 2 years olds could come in the club.

 

Like I stated: I just wanted to make things clear so people don't get upset when they get onboard.

 

I'm not saying you're right or wrong, good for you for cruising so long...

 

I'm just saying what the rules are NOW and those particular rules I was talking about have been like that while I've been there....over two years now.

 

I saw you posted, not too long ago that pull ups and diapers were now allowed. I honestly just didn't want kids and parents to go expecting that to be allowed and being told no once they go to check in.

 

We can talk about the past if you want to, but that's not relevant or helpful to people who are looking for current information...

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  • 4 weeks later...
This age range is pretty big to me as well.

There is a long story behind that as well. In 1998, the OC was for ages 3-7 and the lab for 8-12 with 2 subgroups in each space. And the parents complained because the sibs or cousins or whoever couldn't be together. Thru the years, DCL tried many variations of ages and there were always lots of parents wanting to move up their younger kid to be with someone or because he/she is "advanced" and "bored" in the age group. Most recently, they made the lab and OC open to age 3-12, but within that group there are activities suggested for specific ages. Yes, a 12 year old can do an activity suggested for ages 3-4, but it rarely happens unless they are there with a young sibling. And DCL started the overlap of ages. The Lab goes thru age 12, but the Edge is for 11-14. This allows 11s and 12s to decide where they fit best.

 

The problem of parents still wanting to move up kids persists. IMHO, it is a BIG mistake. Yes, there have been times when 10 year old kids were allowed in the Edge. The problem is that when they let "babies" in, the older kids leave. Again, my opinion, but it works much better when they stick to the posted ages in each location--there is already overlap for kids who are bored in the Lab. Yes, mine was one of those before the overlap ages existed...too bad! Teach them that rules are rules. You don't move a 4th grade kid to 6th grade because they have a sibling in 6th!

 

I honestly like the Princess system better. When a parent asks to move up a younger child to be with a relative or friend, they are told that the younger kid cannot move up BUT the older one is welcome to move down. Suddenly, the kids are OK being separate!

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Oh,ok. That makes sense. My daughter will be 6, so smack dab in the middle. I just worry about bigger kids being around. Hopefully she meets some nice kids her age.

From a size standpoint, she'll fit better in the Oceaneer's Club. That's also where most of the activities for her age will be held. Look at the activity schedule in advance and let her choose what she wants to do. The one time she will have to go to the Lab is during open house hours if she is signed into the secure programming. And yes, the key to having fun in the programming is making a friend!

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