Child vs Adult Tickets

[dpaine]

If you are taking a trip with a child, who at the time you purchase tickets is 9, but is turning 10 right before you leave, do you fess up and get an adult ticket and an adult meal plan or do you keep it a a child rate? The trip isn't until the summer, but not sure what to do.

 

[Sue Sullivan]

Personally, if they were of adult ticket age when we used the ticket, I would purchase the adult ticket. I believe you can still order counter servce child's meals if that is enough food for them. Some sit down restaurants will even let you order off the child's menu.

 

[pta-mom]

Well, in all niceness and without sounding holier than thou...what you are basically asking is, "Should I lie or should I be honest?". This is an ethics question and one you would have to answer for yourself as it is your ethics. I can however tell you what I would do, I would tell the truth.

Interestingly, I sort of had the same issue....my DS9 is turning 10 next month and we were aware that with that birthday came higher costs at DW...we choose to do our holiday BEFORE he turns 10. His birthday is two days after we leave DW!

For me, I want to remain true to my beliefs and I believe in honesty!

Either way, have a great time in DW!!

 

[seashoreCM]

So long as he starts using the child ticket before his 10'th birthday he's OK using the entirety of the ticket.

 

[ajc8699]

I'd say yes. But that's just me. I think you will spend plenty of money during your trip so I wouldn't feel to bad for Disney.

 

[denanbob]

This happened to us! We booked our trip last January (2005) for an October 2005 vacation (my son would've been 9). However, my husband switched jobs last April (unforseen) and he didn't get any vacation until he'd been there for one year. So we had to "postpone" our trip until this May (exactly 7 days after his year anniversary there........not wasting any time nabbing that vacation pay........LOL). Well, my son turned 10 in January (and this being our first trip, I had no idea what/when the cutoff was). My travel agent changed the dates for us and we were all set and didn't lose any deposit/trip insurance money. I thought all was well. Well, when she sent us a confirmation of everything when it was time to pay the trip off, I noticed it still said Jake was 9. I emailed her and told her and she emailed me and told me that ticket prices went up in 2006 and that if she changed his ticket, she would have to redo ALL of our tickets and the difference would be at or above $300!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, we are BARELY affording this trip as it is, and that was just too much of an unexpected expense. I asked her to leave them as they are because it was an honest mistake/oversight on both of our parts (she didn't know when his birthday was when she changed the dates), and I know that I wasn't purposely trying to cheat anyone. Now having said that, if we were booking the trip from scratch, I would never ever consider lying and saying my son was only 9 just to save some money. Maybe that sounds hypocritical, but it's the truth and I don't feel bad about leaving his ticket as if he were 9. He will still ride all the same rides he would have (since it's by height, not age), and he will order off the children's menu (since that's the rule for 9 and under). So they are NOT losing any money at all. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Sorry for the long ramblings............

 

[tjmw2727]

If I were taking a trip with a 10yo, I would buy an adult ticket and if I were taking a trip with a 9yo I would buy a child ticket.

What you would do is between you and your concience.

FWIW I took a trip with newly turned 3yo twice and purchased a childs ticket. On another trip my dd turned 10 a week prior to the trip and even though I bought the ticket when she was 9 I knew when we were going and that she would be 10.

Not going to tell anyone else what they should or shouldn't do but you asked what I would do.


HTH
TJ

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Sorry, guys. This isn't an ethics issue. By Disney policy, you pay the price of the ticket according to your age WHEN you make the purchase. The same works with room rates. You pay the rate upon check-in throughout the length of your stay.

 

[Mermaid4me]

So long as he starts using the child ticket before his 10'th birthday he's OK using the entirety of the ticket.

Last year my son turned 10 while we were in Disney. I was honest when I booked and she told me that it was fine and he could still be considered a child because that is how he began his trip.

Mermaid4me

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[pta-mom]

Sorry, guys. This isn't an ethics issue. By Disney policy, you pay the price of the ticket according to your age WHEN you make the purchase. The same works with room rates. You pay the rate upon check-in throughout the length of your stay.

Wrong!

Read your policy again because you do not pay the ticket according to the age WHEN you make the purchase but the age you are WHEN you travel!

By your logic, one could book their tickets now for five years away and not have to pay for their now baby at all...who would be over five then!! Or pay for a child's rate early and take the trip when they are an adult!!

Disney asks how old the children WILL BE when you get there, not what age they are when you book. However, if your child has a birthday WHILE IN DW, they pay the price of the age they are at arrival.

Sorry Squeaky Mouse, but I stand by my original take on this issue....this is an ethic issue!

 

[tjmw2727]

Sorry, guys. This isn't an ethics issue. By Disney policy, you pay the price of the ticket according to your age WHEN you make the purchase. The same works with room rates. You pay the rate upon check-in throughout the length of your stay.

I disagree, to use your example. You pay the room rate based on the day you check in not the day you made the reservation. Otherwise I can make a reservation during value season and pay that rate even if my trip starts in peak season? Of course not, but I can start my trip in value season and keep the rate even if the rate goes up.

Same thing with tickets, if the child is 10 on check in day he/she needs an adult ticket. If the child is 9 and turns 10 during the trip a childs ticket is ok for the entire trip.

When I make a reservation I am asked how old my kids are now and for birthdays. WDW sells the ticket based on the age of the child during the trip. This was my experience when pricing out our next trip. My dd's are 9 and 11 and the youngest turns 10 prior to the next trip. Even though my dd is 9 my quote for tickets (as well as dining) was based on 4 adults (actually 2 adults, 2 juniors!).

HTH
TJ