Besides the obvious answer (ethics)....

[26555]

what is there to prevent a child from using another childs annual pass?

Just curious, I have no need to exploit the apparant loophole, just surprised it seems to exist. Figure scans prevent adults from sharing passes and other theme parks put the childs pictures on passes. I can see passholders advising family members to buy 4 plays for the adults and borrow child annual passes for their niece and nephews if their once-a-year trip doesn't happen to correspond to the passholders. Moving to plastic cards with pictures for all and finger scans for adults would close off the loophole and the more durable cards would be nice.

 

[Destination Disney]

I really do not think that anything can prevent another child from using another's pass. I guess it does come down to ethics, but is it really all that bad? I mean Disney admission is quite high, and I think that children 3 and under should be free instead of two. I mean is it really worth it to pay $50 for a 3 year old to enter the park! Heck, Disney will make up the money in all of the souveniers that the kids just have to have, then there is the food, drinks, snacks, photo with the characters, balloon, pins, etc. Think of this as a favor!

 

[anditoo72]

When we were there two years ago we had eight people with us- 3 adults and 5 children (two were under the age of three). I would be the first one through the line with the double stroller and I just handed the person taking the tickets all eight tickets, I don't know whose is whose after the first day, never mind after a year or two. He or she counted heads and let one person go through after he put in the ticket. I don't know if things have changed, but I don't see how they would be able to tell if that is your from some other adults never mind just the childrens tickets.

 

[B'rer Karen]

Anditoo, you must have had park hopper passes. The OP was referring to annual passes. With the hoppers it's not really going to matter if the first 4 days were used by some other kid and the last day was used by your kid. If the hopper pass is only good for 5 days, once all 5 days are used up the pass is done. With an AP you can get in 365 days a year. For adults they make you do a biometric finger scan to verify you are not allowing another adult to use your pass. If the scan doesn't work you show an ID. But they don't have anything similar for the kids. So people could abuse this, but I would hope they wouldn't. I personally wouldn't feel right about it.

On a related note, I do think Disney should base their pricing on height, not age. 3 year olds can't ride the same things that a 9 year old can. Often they can't ride anything more than a 2 year old. I don't know how they'd manage it, but I'm thinking less than 40" would be free, 40-46" would be the "child" price, and over 46" would pay the adult price, or something like that. That way you'd be paying in proportion to the activities you can participate in. Just my two cents.

 

[zakatak]

I agree with Karen, except then Disney couldn't sell tickets in advance and the lines at the park ticket counters would be crazy! I guess you could buy them ahead of time if your child is definitely in a certain height range, but wrist bands would be nice, then there would be no measuring at the rides either. Maybe get your wristbands at city hall?

I think in general, that would be too complicated on a daily basis.

 

[anditoo72]

Karen I must have been reading to fast because that .

I do aggree however that it should be based on height not age!!!!!!

 

[carone0318]

I am all for pricing by height. My dd wasn't 40" until she was 5 years old. I was paying for admission and she really couldn't ride anything until she was 5.

I guess they would have a hard time though with APs especially with kids if you went with this approach because they grow like weeds in a year - that is except mine . She will be 8 in Sept and she is 46", it is killing her that she can't ride RNRC (she is my little dare devil.)

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by carone0318
I am all for pricing by height. My dd wasn't 40" until she was 5 years old. I was paying for admission and she really couldn't ride anything until she was 5.

Well, that's not entirely true. There are about 60 rides or attractions at WDW (not counting shows, parades and fireworks), and only ten that require you to be 40" or over in order to ride. So while your DD wasn't able to go on those ten "thrill" rides, she did have 50 other attractions and rides she could go on, plus shows, parades, fireworks, and other diversions. So it's not like you paid child admission and all she did was sit outside on a bench.

 

[disney4us2002]

Height - but then you have those with freakishly tall kids! I would've had to pay adult prices at 5 if height of 46" was used! YIKES! I'd just like the kids ages on passes to match the kids ages on dining. Why not 3-11 for child passes?

 

[tjmw2727]

I would imagine that one could get away with it but the more the pass was used the more likely they would get caught. We have AP's and more often then not the CM's engage my girls and call them by name.

I bet that if your childs name was not the name on the pass it would be pretty clear. I can't imagine my dd being "smooth" enough to answer if the cm said for example "hello Nicole nice to see you". Her reply would be "I am not Nicole that is my cousin/friend, etc and I am just using her pass". Nor would I even consider asking her to go along with such thing.

TJ

 

[jann1033]

if they are going to price for 3 yr old, 5 yr old, 7 yr olds ect how about 50 yr olds, 60 yr olds ect ect! enough of this age discrimination!

 

[LeftCoaster]

Originally posted by 26555
what is there to prevent a child from using another childs annual pass?

Just curious, I have no need to exploit the apparant loophole, just surprised it seems to exist. Figure scans prevent adults from sharing passes and other theme parks put the childs pictures on passes. I can see passholders advising family members to buy 4 plays for the adults and borrow child annual passes for their niece and nephews if their once-a-year trip doesn't happen to correspond to the passholders. Moving to plastic cards with pictures for all and finger scans for adults would close off the loophole and the more durable cards would be nice.

The downside to using the pictures is that people will still pass them off is people look similar. It happens all the time at Disneyland. Cast members are so busy trying to get people through the turnstiles that they just tend to give a cursory glance at the picture.

 

[carone0318]

Originally posted by WDSearcher
Well, that's not entirely true. There are about 60 rides or attractions at WDW (not counting shows, parades and fireworks), and only ten that require you to be 40" or over in order to ride. So while your DD wasn't able to go on those ten "thrill" rides, she did have 50 other attractions and rides she could go on, plus shows, parades, fireworks, and other diversions. So it's not like you paid child admission and all she did was sit outside on a bench.

To a 5 yr old, she couldn't ride anything. Though technically you are right, you should tried to spend a day with her in MK, you would get my point.

 

[MickeyisanNDfan]

Does any one else remember Junior Passports? I think it they were for kids 10-17 or something like that.(I don't remember, I wasn't paying for them at the time) They should bring those back.

 

[mrsltg]

As a parent who will be paying full child's fare for the first time, I have NO problem with Disney basing tickets on being a certain age. The cut-off has to be somewhere, so why not 3?

I prefer basing pricing on age rather than genetics.

Erin

 

[elemusing]

We just took a trip to Six Flags because my DS6 got a toy with a free child's pass in it for his birthday. Imagine my surprise when the lady at the ticket counter would not let us use it because he is 52 inches high and they charge by price! We had to pay the full adult admission for him and he is too young to ride the 46 inch rides even if he is tall enough. He has no deisre to ride the thrill rides. I think pricing by height is fine if you have children of average or shorter height, but for those of us with tall kids, it stinks. I for one am glad that I can still pay for a child's ticket for him at WDW.

Angie

 

[Donnainnj]

Angie,
I know how you feel, I have an 11 year old girl who is about 5'4", and a 7 year old girl, about 51". The older one was 36" at two, she was probably over 46" at about 5. One good thing is that they are more adventurous then most kids their age, and have been going on the big rides, just about as long as they have been tall enough to.
Donna

 

[dsnycrzy]

height rather than age would work for me. My oldest DD 11now pays adult price but she is my height. My baby and middle child are short like me so would pay the lower price forever.

 

[Skylarr29]

I don't know how long ago this was but when i was a teenager and had a seasonal pass they used to be plastic with pictures. That was right before they switched to the finger scan. I guess it wasn't working out.