dolphindan1 said:
I still go back again to bringing food into the park....If you bought food into the park and your child says I thought you couldnt bring food into the parks are you gonna throw it away or go back to your vehicle....What then?...Is it not the same pricipal?
No, not really. Disney has always allowed people to bring outside food into the parks, in reasonable amounts. A few granola bars and juice boxes for the kids, snacks for the grown-ups or a small cooler of food for a diabetic grandmother has never been an issue. Bringing in a rolling cooler of sandwiches, soup and sodas and then setting up your meal at the tables outside of Casey's is what they're guarding against. The overall notion being, of course, that they would prefer you to purchase food on property. Not only do they get the revenue, but they know what's IN the food. If someone gets sick after eating at WDW, Disney would actually prefer it be on Disney food, since that's trackable, than on some spoiled macaroni salad brought in from the outside. Much of it is a health issue. Also ... Disney Security checks every bag going into the park. They see the food coming in and let it go unless it's obvious that the family is planning a major feast, in which case the food will be returned to the car before that family enters.
When you're talking admission, that's a totally different thing. That is simply what it costs to go to WDW. To say that your child can't appreciate what's there enough to make it worth your while to pay for him or her is just a justification for cheating. If they can't appreciate what's there enough to make it worth your while, then why are you taking them? You're equating worth with how many rides or characters your child will see or enjoy. Obviously, you have other reasons for bringing your child to WDW that have nothing to do with that, and THAT is what you are paying for. It costs Disney a lot of money to create all that atmosphere and magic that you're bringing your child to see. And by the 3-year-old mark, kids are cognizant enough to get enough out of it to warrant paying the price. Plus, if you stopped at the gate and asked the CM there if your 3-year-old can get into the park for free even though he should be buying a ticket, they'll say "no" and send you to the ticket window. That's a difference too.
Look at it this way ... let's take a family who has a 15-year-old child in a wheelchair. Parapalegic and autistic. Child cannot ride any rides or see any shows due to mobility and darkness issues. Child has the cognitive abilities of a 2-year-old. Those folks are bringing their child to WDW because the child reacts to what is there ... they enjoy the sounds and the colors and the atmosphere. They're not riding rides, seeing shows, or participating in all that WDW has to offer, but those parents are paying full price for their child to be there.
Or ... what about the family with the 5-year-old who is tall enough and old enough to ride everything, but he doesn't want to. He's a little scared of the characters too. But ... he sits with his parents and watches all the shows. He loves the parades. Thinks fireworks are great. He laughs at all the silliness of the Characters, just doesn't want to get up close and personal. He's not participating in all the WDW has to offer, but those parents are paying for him to be there at the child price.
Based on those two examples, what makes you so special that you should you get a freebie?
