Just got back. My observations.

[Passions71203]

They never charged for her meals at the sit down resteraunts. She even ordered from the menu at the Princess Storybook and they still didn't charge.. I think because she sat in a highchair they assumed she was a baby.. I did pay for her kids meals at the CS.

QUOTE]


Glad to hear that you guys had a good time
That shocks me that you were never charged for meals at the sit down places. I am not saying that I agree or disagree with it, I am just shocked

 

[GoochiGirl]

They never charged for her meals at the sit down resteraunts. She even ordered from the menu at the Princess Storybook and they still didn't charge.. I think because she sat in a highchair they assumed she was a baby.. I did pay for her kids meals at the CS.

QUOTE]


Glad to hear that you guys had a good time
That shocks me that you were never charged for meals at the sit down places. I am not saying that I agree or disagree with it, I am just shocked

I was shocked too and I only found out each time after I received the bill and looked at the receipt. I am shocked they did not ask her age not even when entering the parks. I gueass it did not matter for the meals because we were not on the DDP we payed OOP for all of our meals. I had bought her ticket and now we have so many 4 days left on her ticket but they do expire. They should just change it to ages 3 and under are free for the parks and meals if they don't seem to care so much anyway.

 

[GEM]

I read that on the board to before I left but on the ride itself I did not see any sign that said that not does BTMR. I think they use to.. I do know for a fact that TT, and Soarin, and Space Mountain, Mission Space, Rock and Roller Coaster, EE and Kali do because they measuured my kdis on those rides.

Splash and Big Thunder definately DO have height restrictions of 40 inches. My little guy was measured for both last Feb. and came up too short. (He's four years old, but only about 36 inches tall.) Too bad. He's a little daredevil and I know he would LOVE all those rides, but he may be in college before he's tall enough to get on them!

As for what you say about the rest - especially not being charged for sit down meals - I'll just say that yours was a very unusual and strange experience, definately not the norm.

 

[Mickeefan]

The P &PP on the 18th was awsome!!!

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I agree! We were there, too. I watched the fireworks from Fantasyland and they were good, but I bet they were spectacular from in front of the castle. We saw Captain Jack Sparrow and we only had to wait about 20 minutes. We had a fabulous time!

 

[Hodder]

Splash and BTMRR both have height restrictions of 40". It is on the official Disney site. It is 44" for Space Mtn. So if your daughter was tall enough to ride that then I'm sure the CM recognized that she was tall enough for Splash and BTMRR.

Just wondering what you did when you looked at the bill and realized that you weren't charged for the meals?

 

[dqpowell]

I am shocked they did not ask her age not even when entering the parks. [...] They should just change it to ages 3 and under are free for the parks and meals if they don't seem to care so much anyway.

I've explained this before on other threads, but it bears repeating here.

The reason why WDW has set the "buy a ticket" line at 3 years old, but then doesn't require proof of age, is to ensure near-100% compliance for 4-year olds. No matter what the cut-off age is, there will always be people who will try to get their child in a little past the cutoff. They know this. That's why there was no issue or controversy about the OP's 3-year-old going in without using a ticket.

Contrary to what some here would have you believe, this is actually a fairly common occurrence.

As for your suggestion to just change the cut-off age: they can't do that, if they want near-100% compliance for 4-year-olds. If they made it official policy that the cutoff was 4, then they wouldn't get anywhere near 100% compliance for 4-year-olds. If that's what they want, they have to set the line at 3.

David

 

[kimluvswdw]

Things I noticed:
My DD just truned 3 so I got her a ticket. Nobody asked for her ticket when I entered the parks. I pushed her throught the stroller entrence and they told me to put myticket through the machine. At the first park I aksed what about Dd and they said no just push her through. Asfter that each park they told me the same thing. They never asked her age except at MK where the asked and I said 3 and they told me to slide her ticket through.

They never charged for her meals at the sit down resteraunts. She even ordered from the menu at the Princess Storybook and they still didn't charge.. I think because she sat in a highchair they assumed she was a baby.. I did pay for her kids meals at the CS.

They never did a height check at big thunder mountain railroad, splash mountain, and TOT. She rode them and loved those rides. After TOT she said that wasn't scary. I thought that those rides had a hieght requirement. She was checked at Soarin, Test Track, and Kali and she just made it. She was also checked at EE and didn't make it. She was pretty upset about that.

She is braver than me, I am in my 30's and I won't ride TOT. Yes, I am a chicken and proud of it.

 

[GoochiGirl]

Splash and BTMRR both have height restrictions of 40". It is on the official Disney site. It is 44" for Space Mtn. So if your daughter was tall enough to ride that then I'm sure the CM recognized that she was tall enough for Splash and BTMRR.

Just wondering what you did when you looked at the bill and realized that you weren't charged for the meals?

Nothing I had already paid at that point. I give them my credit card as soon as I ask for the check. I don't even look at it before I pay. The only time I look at it is when I get the receipt to calculate the tip. I alsways do that at resteraunts I guess it is just a habbit. I did pay for her meals at he CS resteraunts because I went up and orderded them while everyone else sat down.

 

[GoochiGirl]

I've explained this before on other threads, but it bears repeating here.

The reason why WDW has set the "buy a ticket" line at 3 years old, but then doesn't require proof of age, is to ensure near-100% compliance for 4-year olds. No matter what the cut-off age is, there will always be people who will try to get their child in a little past the cutoff. They know this. That's why there was no issue or controversy about the OP's 3-year-old going in without using a ticket.

Contrary to what some here would have you believe, this is actually a fairly common occurrence.

As for your suggestion to just change the cut-off age: they can't do that, if they want near-100% compliance for 4-year-olds. If they made it official policy that the cutoff was 4, then they wouldn't get anywhere near 100% compliance for 4-year-olds. If that's what they want, they have to set the line at 3.

David

Oh I see. I am glad I did have a ticket for her because one of the days at Mk the CM did ask and I said 3 and he said put the ticket in.

 

[GoochiGirl]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I agree! We were there, too. I watched the fireworks from Fantasyland and they were good, but I bet they were spectacular from in front of the castle. We saw Captain Jack Sparrow and we only had to wait about 20 minutes. We had a fabulous time!

That was our best day of the trip. It was great!!! Did you see the last breakdancing pirate show in tomorrowland?

 

[dqpowell]

Oh I see. I am glad I did have a ticket for her because one of the days at Mk the CM did ask and I said 3 and he said put the ticket in.

Right... sometimes CMs will ask, but often they won't. I'm not advising people to skip buying a ticket. I'm just explaining why they set the line where they do and why they don't require proof of age.

David

 

[Tinkergirl]

How tall is your daughter? Was she close or still a couple inches shy of 40?

 

[GoochiGirl]

How tall is your daughter? Was she close or still a couple inches shy of 40?

When they measured her for some of the rides her head was definatly touching the stick they measured with so I guess she was 40 inches. She has not had her 3 year old check up yet to get an accurate measurment. That is scheduled for next month.

 

[BlueJeansGirl]

My 5 year old (almost 6) is DYING to ride TOT. I haven't let him ride yet, because I was afraid he would refuse to get into an elevator again. I have promised he can ride on our trip in November, and he is SO excited. Makes me feel better to know that younger kids have ridden it & liked it.

 

[sjlupin]

The last time we were at MK, my DD was just 44". She wanted to go on Space Mountain badly, and the guy at the entrance to the fast pass line measured her and let her in. Then before boardng the vehicle, the CM there measured her again and said she wasn't tall enough! She was devasted and cried for ages. I felt so bad. This trip she is 48" so hopefully can ride whatever she wants!!

 

[GoochiGirl]

The last time we were at MK, my DD was just 44". She wanted to go on Space Mountain badly, and the guy at the entrance to the fast pass line measured her and let her in. Then before boardng the vehicle, the CM there measured her again and said she wasn't tall enough! She was devasted and cried for ages. I felt so bad. This trip she is 48" so hopefully can ride whatever she wants!!

My DS 4 got on Space Mountain and Mission Space easily when they measured him. I did not even try to take DD on it. I know she is nowhere near 44 inches plus those rides are too intense for me let alone her. My kids love roller coasters.

 

[mla2177]

Wow I was worried about bringing my six year old on a few of those rides letalone my 3 year old.

Ditto!!!!!! I'm worried about Goofy's Barnstormer and Kali River Rapids and my son is 39"!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

OP, I don't think you even needed a ticket for your DD at all!!! I can't believe they didn't check her height at those bigger rides! I've never put my DD3 on those bigger rides but she had done the barnstormer and they did not check her height. I thought they were strict about this, but I guess not.

Disney would get into a lot of trouble though if they let a child on a ride that didn't meet the height requirements and that child got hurt so I'm very surprised that they let some children on without checking.

 

[GoochiGirl]

OP, I don't think you even needed a ticket for your DD at all!!! I can't believe they didn't check her height at those bigger rides! I've never put my DD3 on those bigger rides but she had done the barnstormer and they did not check her height. I thought they were strict about this, but I guess not.

Disney would get into a lot of trouble though if they let a child on a ride that didn't meet the height requirements and that child got hurt so I'm very surprised that they let some children on without checking.

I think I neede to buy a ticket for her because she had just turned 3
. If they had checked her height she would have made it anyway.

 

[mickeychic]

a lot of times, the cm's on attractions with height requirements become very familiar with the heights and can tell whether or not a child is tall enough just by looking at them without actually measuring. usually only if it's really close or they don't feel comfortable with just eye-ing it, then they'll measure. it's possible they could tell she was tall enough. also, i have observed them on few occasions, and they'll watch very closely as they walk by the measuring stick if they're not close. it's possible they just could tell she was ok.