This has happened more and more- Mommy I hide from you. Generally it doesn’t last long and I know where she’s gone but there’s been a couple of scary moments.
I’m not tryin to be irresponsible but I know I am the primary leader of the pack and working a good touring plan takes effort as well as when I want to look at the shops. For those times I think I’m going to get a backpack one. Then I can use as needed but she can still go when it’s safe.
A stoller would work but she knows how to get out of it. I think she’ll ride ok and I’m definitely using it but it won’t contain her for long.
I’m running (this really means walking/jogging) a super villain 10k in the Fall and planning to get spotted tights, and a black running skirt. I have red gloves and hair spray from the year. I’ll upload a picture in a minute. I’m going to dress her up as a puppy and meet at the finish line. I’ll definitely remember this as I’m hoping to do one or both parties 2019-2020. 
I have 6 children and the youngest is 3 and very social as well. I have never lost her or any of my kiddos and we have considered the dreaded leash but in the end realized that we do not need it. If she is your only child I am sure you will have no issue keeping a close eye on her while letting her explore. I also think a leash could cause a hazard by getting tangled or tripping people. Hope this helps.
My youngest of 4 kids (who could crawl at 4 months and run at 8 months) was a wild one who did not enjoy the stroller so much. His first trip at 18 mos, we used the stuffed dog backpack with leash. Had never needed it with my others. It was great as he could move around while we were standing in line or waiting for something or when we were walking slowly without us panicking every 5 sec when he walked behind the stroller. It was actually better for him bc he got to move around and be independent within 3 feet of us. He enjoyed exploring right near us and the peace of mind I had that he wouldn’t bolt or climb something within the 0.3 seconds I was blinking was amazing. The leash could not be a tripping hazard for anyone as it is maybe 3 feet long. He is 7 now and still likes the dog from the backpack–he remembers when he wore it at Disney (prob from the pictures). Don’t worry about naysayers; I’ve learned that the cardinal rule of parenting is “never judge or you will be next!”
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I would suggest trying a baby carrier or a stroller. Not that you can’t do a leash, but then you have to worry about getting tangled up with others or tripping someone. You have to do what you as a parent are comfortable with though. I totally would NOT judge you for using a leash though. I have contemplated using them in the past with my triplets, but I never have.
Last year we bought one of these to take to the parks with our 2 year old who is small for his age and likes to bolt. It came with a small tether that you can take off when you don’t need it and it’s just big enough for a drink and snack and some small activities to keep busy in lines.
https://www.amazon.com/Leo-Sung-Healthy-Toddler-Backpack/dp/B01NATB2YT/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1522260167&sr=8-5&keywords=tiger%2Bbackpack%2Bleash&th=1
No. No. No. It doesn’t work that way.
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No leash! I have 4 kids, all very close in age. My youngest was 2 when we started going. We’ve never had any problems. We just use a stroller most of the time and hand holding when needed. You’ll be ok without a leash 
Every kid is different. I had one that had no need for a “leash” and the other absolutely needed his harnessed monkey backpack…and we used a structured carrier, a stroller, and a harnessed backpack.
Sometimes you won’t be able to tell which kind of kid you have until you are in the middle of the situation…better to be prepared and have all the tools you might need.
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DD (3 years) doesn’t listen well when you tell her to stop. She’s more likely to run faster. We have a really nice safety harness from our trip to Yellowstone last year where one wrong step off the path could lead to a fatal plunge in boiling hot water. We went with one that could safely suspend DD from the attachment point in case she tried to jump off of an elevated boardwalk. (Which she did try when we were at the top of a waterfall.) If I was buying one just for Disney, I would go with a less expensive option - $80 is very steep for this sort of thing.
We used the harness a LOT in Yellowstone. The risks are far lower in Disney so I don’t think we’ll be using it nearly as much, but we do plan to bring it. If she repeatedly runs off, we’ll put her in the harness. That reminds me - I should add it to our packing list.
Someone else mentioned the Safety Tattoos that you write your cell # on in case the kiddo gets lost. I’ve heard that some kids (not many, but a few) have a skin reaction to that, though, and my little guys have sensitive skin. For $3 on Amazon, I found some metal tags that you can have etched. I got little star shaped ones with our cell #s on them that I plan to attach to the kids’ shoes.
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Dang it. I was taking a drink when I read this… and now soda is all over my keyboard. You owe me a new keyboard!
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When my daughter was 2 1/2, my mom and I took her to see her great-grandparents in San Diego. While there, we visited the San Diego Zoo. For most of the day, she rode in a rented stroller, but we turned it in as we were about to leave. We stopped in a gift shop at the exit to get souvenirs for her brothers. She was standing at my feet, in front of me … ON my feet, actually, playing with a toy on the shelf while I looked at something at my eye level. A moment later, I looked down, and she was gone.
I yelled at my mom on the other side of the store. She didn’t have her. I raced up and down the aisles of the store. Not a trace of her. I ran back outside - right next to the exit gates - my heart stopped. I grabbed the nearest employee, and babbled like a psycho, but fortunately, they understood me. A quick radio call, and the gates were closed. A team of security looked outside, while all zoo employees inside were alerted to the missing 2 year old with red hair, wearing a white shirt and pink shorts.
I was frantic. I didn’t know what to do. Eventually, a lady came up to me and asked if I was missing a child. I guess the crazy look on my face gave it away. She told me her husband was down the way with a lost little girl by the monkeys, keeping her entertained and in place. I followed the lady, and sure enough, it was my daughter.
My daughter is now 28 years old, with a little one of her own. In all that time, I still remember the feeling of utter horror and terror I felt that day, as if it was just this afternoon, and praise the Lord that it turned out OK.
You put that leash on that baby, if you think it necessary, and don’t you dare apologize to anyone.
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Well said!
We had buddy tags for our kids. Last thing I wanted was to lose them in lax or something.
They are small enough to be laced into shoelaces or out in the bottom of a backpack. It has a proximity alarm, a submersion alarm and GPS tracking (accurate enough, is a small radius rather than a pin point).
Well worth the peace of mind. My ds 10 is a wanderer. He would come and grab onto my or dh’s hand when moving through the crowds. He was more worried about losing us than we were of losing him!
My kids are a little older tan yours, but we got a safety tattoo to put on their arms. We told them to go to any cast member and show them the tattoo so they can call one of us.
Just a thought.
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Amen! And been there too!
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Never thought I would use one- but when DD10 was 16 mo old, she was a VERY SPIRITED middle child (still is and we love it!). It looked like child abuse when we would attempt to get her to sit in the stroller. The stuffed animal leash was a great balance for her thinking she was being independent and us knowing that she was always at a safe distance. Made for less crying, less frustration and more fun for all 5 of us! Didnt use it all the time, but it came in handy when we needed it.
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Every time I see a kid on a leash I think of that scene from The Simpsons with the baby translator where the baby is saying, “This leash demeans us both.” But in all seriousness I completely understand why someone would use one of these on their children. Especially if that child is know to run off when they get excited. I freak out when I can’t find my cat in my house for 5 minutes so I can only imagine it’s much worse when you don’t know where your child went.
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