Ethical question re: A&E

SFla Dis Fan · Feb 27, 2015

My wife and I are taking our daughter just after her 3rd bday. FP+ for A&E for our party of 3 were not available. I was able to get individual FP+ for my wife and I for A&E, but I could not switch our daughter. (Would not let me sign her up alone due to her age). If we carry her in with us as a '2 year old', without her Magic Band, will we have an issue with castmembers?

hiroMYhero · Feb 27, 2015

No, you shouldn't have a problem. It's been reported here on the Boards that A&E CMs have allowed both parents with a child to enter a FP line when only one parent has a FP.

The loaders load "groups" into the meet and greet rooms. You are still a "group" whether you are a group of 3 or a group of 2.

If you are uncomfortable doing this, change your daughter's age to 7 in MDE and book a FP for her.

javert78 · Feb 27, 2015

People do far worse for less on a daily basis, but I wouldn't be comfortable exposing her to the lying. On one hand, you're in the right, but how much is it worth going through the trouble? I might let the cast member know you have two fast passes and wanted to transfer one to your daughter without having to go through a whole process at guest relations because the system wouldn't let you book it for her alone, even though she wouldn't be alone. I sincerely hope the person there would have you all go through and give you an extra set of fast passes just for wrestling with something most people unfortunately wouldn't think twice about.

dwbrewster · Feb 27, 2015

I wouldn't lie about it but they shouldn't give you a problem, but if they do the other option you have is giving her your (or your DW's) MB and only have 1 parent go in with her.

nickcapp · Feb 27, 2015

I don't see this an unethical (others may disagree) as you go in as a group anyway. You don't even need to lie. Just take off her magic band and walk right in. The other option is to just give her one of your magic bands and have one parent go in with her. But again its a group. Same amount of time. You are not taking someone else's spot.

volfan1978 · Feb 27, 2015

I say it's a non-issue...system is not setup to handle your particular situation. And while I absolutely agree that it's not a good idea to "normalize" lying around your children, I think if you just leave off her band and walk right in that she's too young to really understand what you're doing. Like others have pointed out...you're not taking someone else's spot, so there's no victim here.

cakebaker · Feb 27, 2015

SFla Dis Fan said:
If we carry her in with us as a '2 year old', without her Magic Band, will we have an issue with castmembers?

I'm not sure you actually have an ethical question. Your question seems to be, can you get away with it. And the answer is very likely yes. Whether you should or not, that's up to you.

LaurenT · Feb 27, 2015

I don't think it's a problem at all. You'll surely be able to do it and as far as ethics are concerned ... It's not like you and your wife will be posing for individual photos and taking up more that 2 FPs worth of time...

Hopefully · Feb 27, 2015

I think if you asked the question, you know the answer. It is wrong to lie - no matter why.
Can you get away with it, most likely.
But I would never lie, especially in front of my impressionable child.
Good Luck

mom2rtk · Feb 27, 2015

hiroMYhero said:
No, you shouldn't have a problem. It's been reported here on the Boards that A&E CMs have allowed both parents with a child to enter a FP line when only one parent has a FP.

The loaders load "groups" into the meet and greet rooms. You are still a "group" whether you are a group of 3 or a group of 2.

If you are uncomfortable doing this, change your daughter's age to 7 in MDE and book a FP for her.

If this is true, it's a pretty substantial difference from what I have seen reported here over time. Maybe there's a CM or two who has offered some pixie dust, but I haven't seen it reported with any regularity. They don't allocate FPs based on groups, but indeed based on individual numbers. I certainly would not count on this working in a situation other than what the OP described.

OP, your situation is different in that she will be just barely 3. While I won't make a recommendation on whether you should, I'd have to think you could just based on that.

For anyone else with an older (clearly not near age 2) I would not count on this working.

LaurenT · Feb 27, 2015

Hopefully said:
I think if you asked the question, you know the answer. It is wrong to lie - no matter why.
Can you get away with it, most likely.
But I would never lie, especially in front of my impressionable child.
Good Luck

I couldn't disagree more. First, you're not lying - your child is barely three and if you were a cheater you'd be trying to pass her off as two so you would save a small fortune - so don't let people make you feel bad about this!
You would get her a FP if the system would allow it, but she is under 7 and the system won't let her have an individual pass because it doesn't know that you're planning to go with her with an overlapping pass. So, now are we all going to say that if you're kid is under 7 you have to be able to find two FPs together or you dont get to go, but teenagers do? That would be ridiculous!
I stick to my answer - just carry your daughter - the CMs won't even ask so there's no need to lie. You're not going to be taking up one second more than you would if the 2 FPs were for one adult and one child.
I do agree with the PP though that people with older children unfortunately wouldn't be able to do this.

nugov2 · Feb 27, 2015

Hopefully said:
I think if you asked the question, you know the answer. It is wrong to lie - no matter why.
Can you get away with it, most likely.
But I would never lie, especially in front of my impressionable child.
Good Luck

I think that's a little extreme. She will have no idea. It isn't like you are going to say to her, mommy and daddy are going to lie now. Nobody will ask so no lie will need to be told. So I'd say it falls under a lie of omission category and your impressionable child will be shielded from any potential for being damaged/scarred from the lie.

OP each person has to decide what they are comfortable doing. I equate this to telling your child no chocolate for breakfast and then eating one yourself after everyone leaves for school. I'm sure you don't come clean when they get home and a lie of omission is still a lie...I'd bet we are all guilty of this from time to time.

Hopefully · Feb 27, 2015

LaurenT said:
I couldn't disagree more. First, you're not lying - your child is barely three and if you were a cheater you'd be trying to pass her off as two so you would save a small fortune - so don't let people make you feel bad about this!
You would get her a FP if the system would allow it, but she is under 7 and the system won't let her have an individual pass because it doesn't know that you're planning to go with her with an overlapping pass. So, now are we all going to say that if you're kid is under 7 you have to be able to find two FPs together or you dont get to go, but teenagers do? That would be ridiculous!
I stick to my answer - just carry your daughter - the CMs won't even ask so there's no need to lie. You're not going to be taking up one second more than you would if the 2 FPs were for one adult and one child.
I do agree with the PP though that people with older children unfortunately wouldn't be able to do this.

Barely three is NOT two. Saying a barely three year old is two is a lie.
It is attitudes like this in todays society that leave me wondering!!!

nkereina · Feb 27, 2015

Hopefully said:
Barely three is NOT two. Saying a barely three year old is two is a lie.
It is attitudes like this in todays society that leave me wondering!!!

Curious what you would do if you were in OP's situation? Honest question, no snark. Would you disappoint the 3 year old or would you or your spouse miss out on the reaction of your child meeting their hero?

JoshuaShaw · Feb 27, 2015

nkereina said:
Would you disappoint the 3 year old or would you or your spouse miss out on the reaction of your child meeting their hero?

Hopefully in the future technology will reach a point that we can capture life on some sort of physical medium, then these ethical conundrums will no longer be a problem.

As for the question at hand, is it ethical? Not at all. Can you get away with it? Without a doubt.

ModernArtist · Feb 27, 2015

Just let your wife take her in and you go get an ice coffee somewhere and relax.

Bluegrrl · Feb 27, 2015

Honestly, I've never had a problem. The CMs are in such a rush to get everybody though and they honestly don't care very much about younger children and FP MBs. She still gets in for free, no? You are in such a cusp situation, she's not 2 anymore, but not quite three...she probably still looks 2, right? Even Disney's system won't let it work because of age. Pick her up if you are worried and walk right in. It's not a big deal. If anyone calls you on it, say that its her birthday today. It's OK.

And if you are really worried, stop by GR. Many's a time when they helped me out with FPs because of tough situations (FP won't work, computer systems are down, etc).

BigAlsGal · Feb 27, 2015

Hopefully said:
I think if you asked the question, you know the answer. It is wrong to lie - no matter why.
Can you get away with it, most likely.
But I would never lie, especially in front of my impressionable child.
Good Luck

nkereina · Feb 27, 2015

JoshuaShaw said:
Hopefully in the future technology will reach a point that we can capture life on some sort of physical medium, then these ethical conundrums will no longer be a problem.

Obviously it can be captured in photo and video, but is that the same as seeing it in person on a potential once in a lifetime trip to Disney? Probably not. One parent would see it through a device while the other parent is focused on capturing it on the device. Someone with kids can chime in there.

Ethics has really nothing to do with it. The parents aren't asking the child to lie - we all know the CM won't stop and quiz the child on their age. And it's just a matter of having one parent go in versus two. Since everyone meets as a group, it doesn't impact others' wait times. So it shouldn't be of concern to anyone else. It's not as if the parents are trying to bring in a second child which would hold up the line, and it's not like they're trying to get on a ride like RnRC where they'd be taking up an extra seat, thus impacting the line.

MrInfinity · Feb 27, 2015

cakebaker said:
I'm not sure you actually have an ethical question. Your question seems to be, can you get away with it. And the answer is very likely yes. Whether you should or not, that's up to you.

Of course it's lying. A white lie, but still. Is the question... "is it unethical to lie?" "is it unethical to lie if no one will know?" "is it unethical to lie if no one will get hurt?" Come on.

No one cares if you do this. The CMs wont care, other guests wont care. I might even do it. If your DD looks 2 or even 3 they'll just waive her right thru. They're not going to grill you on her age. It would be neat if the CMs were trained to ask the kid... cuz someone her age would either say the right thing, or turn bright red and smile and say the lie if so instructed.

Obviously there is a big picture to consider. At what point is someone put out? Should a group of 6 book one FP+ for A&E, then claim their five 3-year-olds are 2, so that the parent can then use their fast passes to get on something else? Would you do this and then still use your other fast pass on something else? If that's the case, then you've not only lied, but stolen. But still... it's so minutely relevant and so so so far below the level that any CM would want to make a scene about that no one will care.

Enjoy. You'll be fine. But yes it's still lying.
Great, Now I have guilt!

-Rex

Ethical question re: A&E

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