AP discount ID for 13 year old

[Cinderumbrella]

How to stop abuse? Scan the Magic Band. If there’s an AP tied to it, give the discount. Are there really a ton of rogue 10 year olds wandering the parks looking for discounts?

Like I said, I never had a CM ask my 15 year old for id when he turned over his yellow card.

 

[ScrampShopper]

My 8 year old was asked for ID every time she tried to use her AP discount, and I had to go and use mine instead. We will take her school ID on the next trip and hope that works because I'm not handing her the passport card in case she misplaces it. It seems they trust older kids without ID, but not younger kids!

And another thing, the CM spelled my name wrong on the back of my AP card, but it was not once questioned that it did not match my ID!!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

See and that’s crap and almost power trippy to me. What 8 year old regularly carries id?

To be fair, I’m not blaming the CM for attempting to enforce a rule (even though it’s clearly not consistently enforced). I’m blaming the process. In the day and age of magic bands and MDE, I find the whole id and yellow card thing to be archaic.

 

[jbehr12]

How to stop abuse? Scan the Magic Band. If there’s an AP tied to it, give the discount. Are there really a ton of rogue 10 year olds wandering the parks looking for discounts?

Like I said, I never had a CM ask my 15 year old for id when he turned over his yellow card.

It’s not “rogue 8 year olds” that are the problem, it’s adults looking to share their discount. And I guess you got lucky because that’s standard practice.

I do think the magic band could be used though, but what happens if you’re a family who doesn’t get bands? AP holders are probably the most unlikely guest to regularly wear bands in the first place. I liked it when I was new to Disney but now that the novelty has worn off I actively avoid wearing mine.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Then ask an adult for id. I have an issue with asking kids to produce one when it’s not commonplace.

 

[Moliphino]

They asked for ID for my daughter's AP when she was like 7 or 8. I happened to have one of those school safety picture ID cards you sometimes get with school pictures in my wallet and they accepted that. But the CM just suggested carrying a passport when I asked what kind of ID a child like that would have. Seems like there should be a way, at least on the app, for them to have a picture to verify identity for the AP discount or something.

How many kids even have passports? I didn't get my first one until I was 19.

 

[goofygal531]

I’m not aware of cruise ports that require a minor to have ID, but I just want to remind you that if you miss the ship and have to fly home, you’ll get to get a full passport before that flight. Those cards aren’t much of a help in case of emergency.

Copies our of passports our scanned in a file on my phone, which is sufficient should we have to fly home in an emergency situation. Although, after 26 cruises I’ve never come close to missing the ship! Also, my minor is 15 yr old and gets asked for ID often as he’s 6ft tall and does not look his age. “Those cards” do come in handy and can be used instead of a passport for board crossings when visiting Canada.

 

[AngiTN]

How many kids even have passports? I didn't get my first one until I was 19.

I'm 55 and don't have one. Never plan to get one with no plans to ever travel out of the country. Living in a well land locked state it's just not something that's commonplace here either.
Nor are state IDs for anyone under 16 here. There's just no need as the kids have no use for them

 

[kylenne]

How many kids even have passports? I didn't get my first one until I was 19.

I'm 55 and don't have one. Never plan to get one with no plans to ever travel out of the country. Living in a well land locked state it's just not something that's commonplace here either.
Nor are state IDs for anyone under 16 here. There's just no need as the kids have no use for them

This is such a culture shock to me, lol. I’ve had a passport since I was 8 because my family believes pretty strongly in having them, it’s just how we were raised. And as a latch key kid in the 90s I had a state non driver ID along with most of my peers. Nowadays we have a municipal ID card program that is open to 10 year olds and up and is very popular (I have one solely for the free museum and cultural institution memberships—the Met, Bronx Zoo, etc). It would be more bizarre for a young New Yorker not to have some form of gov’t ID.

 

[lovethattink]

My son has had a FL state ID since 2012. Makes it convenient for flying and getting a discount with his AP, and those magnets at Epcot. Any FL resident can get a FL state ID. Other states probably offer the same thing.

 

[goofygal531]

This is such a culture shock to me, lol. I’ve had a passport since I was 8 because my family believes pretty strongly in having them, it’s just how we were raised. And as a latch key kid in the 90s I had a state non driver ID along with most of my peers. Nowadays we have a municipal ID card program that is open to 10 year olds and up and is very popular (I have one solely for the free museum and cultural institution memberships—the Met, Bronx Zoo, etc). It would be more bizarre for a young New Yorker not to have some form of gov’t ID.

Completely agree!

It’s our New York state of mind! You ALWAYS need ID to verify your street address. Streets are always closed off due to something!

 

[Roxyfire]

My son has had a FL state ID since 2012. Makes it convenient for flying and getting a discount with his AP, and those magnets at Epcot. Any FL resident can get a FL state ID. Other states probably offer the same thing.

Yup, just got my son an IL state ID. It's much easier for a single parent to get that than a passport. Plus I needed it to get him TSA PreCheck because he no longer qualifies to use mine for free. It is kind of annoying to get all the documents together but really it was just a social security card, birth certificate, and something with our address that was "official" and we used a letter from his school. I'm not saying it's necessary for younger kids but it can be something nice to have once they're a little older, 12 or 13.

 

[goofygal531]

Yup, just got my son an IL state ID. It's much easier for a single parent to get that than a passport. Plus I needed it to get him TSA PreCheck because he no longer qualifies to use mine for free. It is kind of annoying to get all the documents together but really it was just a social security card, birth certificate, and something with our address that was "official" and we used a letter from his school. I'm not saying it's necessary for younger kids but it can be something nice to have once they're a little older, 12 or 13.

It’s all worth it for that TSA Pre Check!

 

[danielocha30]

At 13 I would suggest getting her ID, but not for the sole purpose of pleasing this particular Cast member, like other millions circumstances at Disney, it comes down to the specific person you’re dealing with. For example my husband always carries both our ID’s when we are at the parks once I found myself with no Id and cast member simply ask me to spell my complete name and even though he reminded me to have my ID for discount he still gave it to me.

 

[StacyStrong]

To be fair how else can Disney stop those who abuse it? What if I came with 10 of my nieces and nephews and let them all use the discount? That’s a lot of revenue they’re losing by me abusing the system. And with tens of thousands of people a day that can snowball quickly. Disney is a business whether we want to admit it or not. But I do agree they should come up with a better solution to the problem.

Alternatively, as an uncle, you could just buy gifts for 10-12 of your neices like I tend to do for my nephew. They would be out the same money. Small kids, as a general rule, aren't really income earners .......

 

[Rosanne]

After paying over $900 for an AP I'm surprised they don't have the option of a photo. We live in a rural area and really have no need for ID as a general rule.

If they had an option to, say, pay $5 and they have a style discount card with the person's photo that seems reasonable. Disney would make a few bucks on the picture and I wouldn't have to drive and stand in line at the DMV for an ID that we only need for Disney.

 

[Simba's Girl]

I asked a CM this very question last January about my DD using the discount after I had just showed my ID. I got a very snarky comment in return. Something about "most parents don't buy their kids APs" and made it seem like we weren't being truthful. I was like, well, we're not most parents and weren't lying to you about her having one. My 16 yo has her school ID but my 12 year old doesn't have one, nor a valid passport and waiting in line to get her a state ID is not worth it. That said, you would think Disney would come up with some sort of work around (like scanning MB with picture in MDE) for all of it.

 

[eliseisawkward]

I asked a CM this very question last January about my DD using the discount after I had just showed my ID. I got a very snarky comment in return. Something about "most parents don't buy their kids APs" and made it seem like we weren't being truthful. I was like, well, we're not most parents and weren't lying to you about her having one. My 16 yo has her school ID but my 12 year old doesn't have one, nor a valid passport and waiting in line to get her a state ID is not worth it. That said, you would think Disney would come up with some sort of work around (like scanning MB with picture in MDE) for all of it.

“Most parents don’t buy their kids APs”?! That’s laughable! Locals get APs. People with multiple trips a year get APs... there are probably TONS of kids with APs. That cast member is clearly not thinking.

 

[rteetz]

How many kids even have passports? I didn't get my first one until I was 19.

I'm 21 and don't even have one yet.

 

[tjmw2727]

My dd's have had annual passes since they were young. Once they were in middle school and high school they used their school ID and had no issues using those until they got a drivers license.