Age cut off

[basketrn]

Ok here is my question. My DS is currently 9 years old. We are planing a trip in October. He will turn 10 September 14th. Which tickets/DDP do i purchase?? I was going to buy annual passes way before we leave, but he will be 9 at the time of purchase and 10 when we actually use them? Also with the dining plan??


Thanks!

 

[disney91]

I think you are fine with buying the child ticket since you are ordering ahead of time and he is currently 9. Disney does not check id's on children and at the time of purchase he is considered a child by Disney.

 

[kizmac]

You should purchase the adult ticket and adult dining plan since you know he will be 10 at the time of travel. Will they know...no so I guess it's what ever you feel like doing.

 

[aubriee]

At the time of first use he will be 10 y/o and considered an adult. Can you get by with buying him a child's ticket? Probably, but is it the right thing to do is up to you.

I am considering adding my 9 y/o GD to my trip in Sept. We'll be there Sept 22nd-30th. She'd turn 10 during the trip on Sept 25th and I'm debating on whether it would be right to buy her a child's ticket.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I am considering adding my 9 y/o GD to my trip in Sept. We'll be there Sept 22nd-30th. She'd turn 10 during the trip on Sept 25th and I'm debating on whether it would be right to buy her a child's ticket.

Upon your arrival date, she's 9. Hence you're fine buying a child's ticket per Disney rules. It's just like if you arrive the last day of value season. Your rate is value rate your whole stay.

 

[Schmeck]

Buying APs ahaead of time will only get you vouchers for the AP. You "activate" them at the park, getting your actual AP at the ticket counter/guest services outside of the park. Since the OP's son will be 10 yrs old at the time of activation, he would need an adult pass.

 

[patsal]

You should purchase and reserve based on what age the child will be when you travel. The no penalty for turning older thing is when you bought a ticket or AP and began using it when the child was 9, if the first day of your vaction your child is 9, etc. It is pretty clear, even on the website when you are planning out a reservation it says to enter the ages your child will be when you travel.

 

[kizmac]

At the time of first use he will be 10 y/o and considered an adult. Can you get by with buying him a child's ticket? Probably, but is it the right thing to do is up to you.

I am considering adding my 9 y/o GD to my trip in Sept. We'll be there Sept 22nd-30th. She'd turn 10 during the trip on Sept 25th and I'm debating on whether it would be right to buy her a child's ticket.

Turning 10 while on the trip is fine! Just buy they child pass. Disney's rules allow this and will even upgrade it to an adult pass for free on the 25th.

 

[Hannathy]

He is 10 when you use the ticket. What you are really asking is "is it alright if I cheat and claim he is still 9" Everyone knows the answer it is dependent on how honest you are. This is why they are really starting to ask for birth cert. for under 3. I would buy the adult because he is 10. Same with the dining plan he is not 9 he is 10.

 

[loriandmatt]

Buying APs ahaead of time will only get you vouchers for the AP. You "activate" them at the park, getting your actual AP at the ticket counter/guest services outside of the park. Since the OP's son will be 10 yrs old at the time of activation, he would need an adult pass.

True, True, True.

I bought AP vouchers when DS was 8 for a trip we were planning when he would have turned 9 - life happened and we did not make the trip until he had turned 10. I didn't even think about the age difference, but the CM who activated our vouchers (issuing us actual passes) asked DS (not me) his birth date (including year) CM did the math and informed us that he needed an adult pass not the childerens voucher that we presented to her. i told her my story above and asked if i could pay the difference between the child and adult pass price - answer was yes and we were on our way.

moral of the story - could you get away with it if the CM is less than vigilant? yes and it probably happens often. could you get a vigilant CM who is not being nasty but following the rules and you would have to pay the difference between the child pass and the adult? yes, so go there knowing that and be ready to do so if asked. or you can take the moral high road and go there ready/willing to disclose your child needing an adult ticket. (not my job or anyone elses to judge you on how you decide to proceed on that one)

- lori

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

This is why they are really starting to ask for birth cert. for under 3.

I have taken 2 kids under 3 for the past 2 years. DD will be 3 in June (we are going in May). They did not even suggest I needed to show proof that she was 2.

I agree, if your son will be 9 when you activate the pass....get a child's. If he will be 10, get an adult.

It makes you wince when they change, I know, DS went 2 years ago at 9 and now he is all adult for everything at 11.

And next year, DD will be 3, so we'll be adding on for her too.

Painful, but necessary. I need my Disney fix.

 

[DebIreland]

What you are really asking is "is it alright if I cheat and claim he is still 9"

Not necessarily. It sounds to me like the OP is genuinely confused as to the procedure for purchasing advance tickets and the ages Disney go by. It's a genuine question and I don't think anyone needs to jump to the conclusion that the OP wants to "cheat".

 

[rejobako]

Not necessarily. It sounds to me like the OP is genuinely confused as to the procedure for purchasing advance tickets and the ages Disney go by. It's a genuine question and I don't think anyone needs to jump to the conclusion that the OP wants to "cheat".

Excellent point. I've seen about two dozen threads since I've joined the boards on the topic of "fudging your kids age". They inevitably lead to namecalling between saints and sinners, and then the thread gets closed down because the board mods don't tolerate anarchy when it comes to Disney policy. All that being said, this is not one of those threads. The question is legitimate, and the discussion enlightening.

 

[mdoc]

The way my conscience works, if the child is 9 at the time of first use, you buy a child's ticket. If they turn 10 two days later, that's OK. If the child will be 10 at the first use, you buy at adult ticket even if they're 9 at the time of purchase. Disney keys everything (the 14 day period for a MYW ticket, the one year for an annual pass) off the first use, not off the date of purchase, so that seems the relevant date to me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

That's not just the way your conscience operates, mdoc - that's the way Disney's policy operates as well.
Think about it - what's to stop someone from buying a child's MYW pass, or a child's AP, for a newborn and locking it away in a safety deposit box for twenty years? Then you go to Disney World and say, "But she was only three months old when I bought the pass!" Extreme example, I know - but concievable.

 

[Andrea]

Not necessarily. It sounds to me like the OP is genuinely confused as to the procedure for purchasing advance tickets and the ages Disney go by. It's a genuine question and I don't think anyone needs to jump to the conclusion that the OP wants to "cheat".

i agree with this, some people are really "newbies" and can reallly be confussed.

 

[beattyfamily]

Ok here is my question. My DS is currently 9 years old. We are planing a trip in October. He will turn 10 September 14th. Which tickets/DDP do i purchase?? I was going to buy annual passes way before we leave, but he will be 9 at the time of purchase and 10 when we actually use them? Also with the dining plan??

Thanks!

Disney's policy is it doesn't matter what age they are when you buy your tickets or the dining plan, it only matters what age they are when you arrive at WDW.

So if you child is 10 when you arrive at WDW then they are considered an adult for tickets and dining.

If you call WDW and book a trip, they will ask you your children's ages 'at time of travel'.

Let's hope this thread can stay civil and we can just answer the question without name calling on both sides of the "age fudging" issue.

 

[TikiGoddess]

I agree since he will be ten at travel time you will have to buy the adult ticket. I think it is kind of confusing as well and I also believe the OP was asking a legitimate question. Boy, let's not be so quick to jump on someone!

By the way, I'm thinking of following Disney policy and considering my children adults at age 10. I say they either pay rent or MOVE OUT! Since when is age 10 considered an adult? It's not even a teenager! Of course I will obey the rules because they are rules, but does anyone else find it strange that age 10 is considered an adult?

 

[rejobako]

That's not just the way your conscience operates, mdoc - that's the way Disney's policy operates as well.
Think about it - what's to stop someone from buying a child's MYW pass, or a child's AP, for a newborn and locking it away in a safety deposit box for twenty years? Then you go to Disney World and say, "But she was only three months old when I bought the pass!" Extreme example, I know - but concievable.

Playing devil's advocate, in that case Disney has had the benefit of that person's money for 20 years. Let's say that on your child's 1st birthday you bought a 2-day pass that you intend to give him when he's 21. I think that pass costs about $110 today, or roughly $34 more than for an adult. Assuming a very conservative investment return of 5%, Disney would have $292 by the time your son walked through the gates with his child's ticket. Doesn't seem like a bad deal for the Mouse to me.

Disclaimer: I am not advocating the breaking of Disney policy -- merely suggesting that the economics of the example do not necessarily work to Disney's disadvantage.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

By the way, I'm thinking of following Disney policy and considering my children adults at age 10. I say they either pay rent or MOVE OUT! Since when is age 10 considered an adult? It's not even a teenager! Of course I will obey the rules because they are rules, but does anyone else find it strange that age 10 is considered an adult?

I prefer the age to be 10 to what Six Flags (at least the one here) does. Their "adult" or top ticket price is anyone over 48". My DS was 48 inches a couple years before he turned 10. The dining, though, I am not so sure. I know kids appetites pick up in puberty, but not at 10??? My DD ate like a bird at age 10. And she also was not into "adult" meals either. That is something she has started over the last year or so.

Ah well.....