Children Aged 10

[LorraineH]

I can (sort of) just about understand prices for park tickets rising for 10 year olds, and being classed as "adults" as, in theory, most 10 year olds can do all the rides etc that an adult can.

But what I dont understand is 10 year olds being classed as "adults" for meals. My 9 year old will be 10 when we go back, and there is no way she could eat "adult" portions. Surely this isnt fair??!!!

We had planned to book quite a few ADR's, especially for the FDP, but at $22.99 for four of us (2 x adults, 2 x children aged 10 & 12) this seems ridiculous. It will be such a waste.

The Dining Plan seems great on paper if your kids are under 9. But not if they're aged between 10 to mid-teens.

Sorry guys, just wanted a whinge!!!!!!



Lorraine D

 

[carolfoy]

Don't worry about whinging - I totally agree, theres no way my 10 year old would eat adult portions at table service restaurants, that's why, in the main we stick to counter service. We'll have maybe one or two TS meals and at least if we book character meals I'll feel like he's had his moneys worth. I gues when you look at the average size of American 8 and 9 year olds and upwards you can see the reasoning!!
I eat child portion meals on several occassions just 'cos theres no way I can eat big portions every day for a fortnight.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I actually think it's crazy a 10 year old should be charged adult price for theme park tickets, not exactly adult age in my opinion.

 

[Spook]

I actually think it's crazy a 10 year old should be charged adult price for theme park tickets, not exactly adult age in my opinion.

Totally agree Johnny. It also amazes me that children are classified as
adults at 12 on some airlines and in some hotels.

Jan

 

[magicmouse2]

If the server asks she is 9.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

If the server asks she is 9.

No, she should be shown its wrong to lie and wrong to steal. If the server asks, she is the age she is.
Morals

 

[Madjock]

This is a huge gripe with me and not just with Disney but any of these companies that choose totally ridiculous ages to class children as adults, maybe it's time us 'real' adults put our foot down

Anyway, sorry will get off the soap box now. I completely understand where you're coming from, our DD turns 13 before we go at Xmas and we have had to pay adult prices for everything this time around and it doesn't half hike the cost up. We did decide to go with the dinning plan though because there is no way I eat that much so her and I will share meals.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

This is a huge gripe with me and not just with Disney but any of these companies that choose totally ridiculous ages to class children as adults, maybe it's time us 'real' adults put our foot down

Anyway, sorry will get off the soap box now. I completely understand where you're coming from, our DD turns 13 before we go at Xmas and we have had to pay adult prices for everything this time around and it doesn't half hike the cost up. We did decide to go with the dinning plan though because there is no way I eat that much so her and I will share meals.

I fully agree, flight prices at certain times of the year (like when we go in August) are crazy, it doesn't help though when a 10 year old is considered to be an adult ticket-price wise.

I am sure that many people have to holiday elsewhere because of this.

 

[carolfoy]

We'll be sticking to CS meals for as many as possible, simply because of this ridiculous rule. I don't mind paying adult price for tickets for Call (Well not much) just because they're good value anyway but I do feel the meal thing is daft. The DDP is not good value for my party just because of this.

 

[traceycooper]

Just wanted to add my grip on this subject too,
Mine is with Virgins teen prices, i thought ThirTEEN was the first TEEN year not twelve!!!!
Yes you've guessed my dd turns 12 this year, HUGE price difference £799 during peak times!!!!!

 

[carolfoy]

Yet another reason why charters will probably win over schedules for pricing, now if they could just sort out the baggage allowance they'd be getting almost all passengers going to FL

 

[Sue & Co.]

For our trip this April our twin DD's are just 12 and our DS 14 so we are paying for five adults for everything - flights, park tickets etc it really adds to the cost. As to meals I often can't eat an adult portion and I know DD's won't so we will eat CS or off site where they are allowed to share a meal or still have childrens meals (obviously not at buffets).

sue

 

[JohnnySharp2]

The thing that really annoys me, as we have all said, is the theme park ticket prices, we all know that Disney and Universal are great for kids (and adults) of all ages.
Yet 10 year old is adult price - it's just a joke, we have just the one child who is 9 (although he looks more like 7....) but for people with 2 or 3 children who are slightly older and have to go in the summer - when flight prices are high too ..........it's just a nightmare.

 

[carolfoy]

Maybe if we send a group email from all on the DIS they'll sit up and take notice

 

[SimonY]

With children who will be 12, 9 and 5 when we go this year I have thought about the tickets question quite a lot.

I can't think of a particularly logical reason for charging a different entry price for adults and children. In every park - possibly excluding Epcot - there are different things to appeal to different ages. I haven't seen many adults without children queueing for the Dumbo ride for example. I could come up with a stronger argument for a reduction for older people. I'm not aware of discounts for disabled people either - do they exist? Again there could be some logic for pricing these differently.

Of course in practice the childrens' prices are more done for sales and marketing reasons than logic.

In terms of eating my 12 year old DD will eat more than me and my DW together!!

 

[alisonbestford]

I'm not aware of discounts for disabled people either - do they exist? Again there could be some logic for pricing these differently.

No, Disney don't do disabled discounts which seems pretty silly to me
DH's 'day' is only, comfortably, about 4 hours long, and he's unable to go on many of the rides, yet we have to pay the same
Ok, there's lots to see and do in WDW but it hardly seems fair.

SeaWorld, on the other hand, have a 50% discount for disabled guests and carers

 

[Madjock]

Mine is with Virgins teen prices, i thought ThirTEEN was the first TEEN year not twelve!!!!
Yes you've guessed my dd turns 12 this year, HUGE price difference £799 during peak times!!!!!

Our flights are also with Virgin and on the invoice it charges for 2 adults, 1 teen and 1 child however the teen price is exactly the same as the adult price, go figure

 

[bicker]

Our six-year old DN did more rides, shows and attractions than any of the adults, on our recent trip. I think it is great that Disney gives a discount for young children, and see no problem with them charging full price for older children. If anything, I think there should be an over-50 discount!

The food is a more difficult issue. It used to be different, but people complained about how dining and admission age limits were different. It made no sense to extend the discount for younger children to older children (for the reason I mentioned above) so it appears the decision was made to settle on the lower age as the limit.

We consider it simply part of the the cost of visiting WDW. What they charge is based on how much we value the experience, as demonstrated but how we spend our money. If it were better for them to charge less for children 9-11, then they would.

 

[wideeyes]

This is Interesting as my mum never goes on rides and thinks that they could have a reduced fee for people who don't go on rides. They could stamp the hands of people who have paid in full only so they can go on the rides and they will not be able to cheat the system by sharing tickets, wristbands etc.

 

[carolfoy]

At the end of the day we'd all like our favourite holiday destination to be cheaper. What you have to take into consideration is: Do you feel you get value for money? I personally do, so I don't really resent paying adult price for my 10 year old son. There are many many attractions in this country that charge astronomical entrance fees and don't have even a quarter of WDW rides, shows, parades, fireworks etc. Also when have you ever seen a happy smiling face at Alton Towers/Blackpool pleasure beach/The London eye picking up the rubbish? Disney deserves its high reputation and if that enforces high entrance fees then its our choice - will we keep going? I know I will