DME age lowered to ride without adult

[SmallWorld71]

This comes up from time to time, so I figured I'd throw it out there for anyone who hasn't seen it.
http://blog.wdwinfo.com/2014/07/20/...limit-changes-a-parents-teachers-perspective/

DME lowered the age to ride without an adult to 12 from 16.

I have to say I am a bit surprised. I have a pretty savvy and mature 11 year old and I'm on the fence about whether or not I'd be comfortable with her navigating MCO by herself. OTOH, I have a 15 year old and he'd be fine and probably would have been at 12 as well.

To me, it would have made more sense to have the age be 14, since that is now their age to enter the parks alone as well as ride with someone under the age of 7. Some consistency across the board would be nice. Now it's 10 and you're an "adult" for food and passes, 12 and you're an "adult" for DME and 14 and you're an "adult" for the parks.

 

[drinkme]

I think it's a good thing they lowered the age. It will work for my family. My kids know their way around an airport, and especially know how to get on the DME bus. Now I can plan that trip I wanted to make where I fly out alone for a couple of days and the kids meet me at WDW. I won't have to take a taxi and head back to the airport to wait for them.

However, like anything else, some kids will be ready at 12 and some won't. Each parent will have to make the decision if they think their kid is ready.

I also agree with the OP that 14 would probably be a better age. But if there were siblings traveling together, a 12 year old could travel with his/her 15 year old sibling now. KWIM?

 

[Lewisc]

I'll disagree with the PP 100%. DME offers complimentary transportation between MCO and WDW. Southwest will allow a child 12 and older to fly as an adult. Passengers 11 and younger are treated as unaccompanied minors. An airline allows the child to fly alone. The parent allows the child to fly alone. Makes sense to allow that child to ride a DME bus. Some 12 year old children take public transportation to school.

Consistency with airline policy, not Disney policy, makes the most sense to me.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I'll disagree with the PP 100%. DME offers complimentary transportation between MCO and WDW. Southwest will allow a child 12 and older to fly as an adult. Passengers 11 and younger are treated as unaccompanied minors. An airline allows the child to fly alone. The parent allows the child to fly alone. Makes sense to allow that child to ride a DME bus. Some 12 year old children take public transportation to school.

Consistency with airline policy, not Disney policy, makes the most sense to me.

I was not aware that Southwest was age 12. We usually fly JetBlue or Delta and they are 14 to fly as an adult. So, no consistencies among the airlines, either.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I was not aware that Southwest was age 12. We usually fly JetBlue or Delta and they are 14 to fly as an adult. So, no consistencies among the airlines, either.

It just depends on the airline. You can also fly as an unaccompanied minor at age 12 on American, United, Hawaiian, and US Airways, just to name a few.

 

[CPT Tripss]

What's the problem with the change. Seems that if a parent doesn't want a child to travel alone, it's easy to accomplish. Don't buy them the ticket.

 

[elaine amj]

I'll disagree with the PP 100%. DME offers complimentary transportation between MCO and WDW. Southwest will allow a child 12 and older to fly as an adult. Passengers 11 and younger are treated as unaccompanied minors. An airline allows the child to fly alone. The parent allows the child to fly alone. Makes sense to allow that child to ride a DME bus. Some 12 year old children take public transportation to school.

Consistency with airline policy, not Disney policy, makes the most sense to me.

Makes sense to me too

What's the problem with the change. Seems that if a parent doesn't want a child to travel alone, it's easy to accomplish. Don't buy them the ticket.

Exactly.

This way, it's the parent's choice. Kids mature differently. Also I guess it depends where you live. If you live in a city heavily reliant on public transportation and your kids navigate it from an early age, they should have no problem getting on the ME.

We live in a car city. I think it highly unlikely I would let my kids use public transportation until they are in their mid-teens. And I can't imagine that they would ever even want to anyway - they are used to being ferried around by their parents. Public transportation here is much more challenging to use because it doesn't go everywhere and only comes in 20-30 min intervals.

 

[SmallWorld71]

What's the problem with the change. Seems that if a parent doesn't want a child to travel alone, it's easy to accomplish. Don't buy them the ticket.

Very true. I really just wanted people to be aware as the ? comes up fairly often.

It did surprise me though, as Disney has gotten stricter with age in other areas. (Raising the age to enter the parks without adult, questioning kids more about ages on rides etc...) I know one has nothing to do with each other; it just seemed that they were swinging in the opposite direction.

 

[Lewisc]

Very true. I really just wanted people to be aware as the ? comes up fairly often.

It did surprise me though, as Disney has gotten stricter with age in other areas. (Raising the age to enter the parks without adult, questioning kids more about ages on rides etc...) I know one has nothing to do with each other; it just seemed that they were swinging in the opposite direction.

Disney has gone away from having a set single adult age for all activities. Disney decides on an appropriate age for a service. A parent who thinks its OK for their child to fly alone probably thinks It's OK to ride DME alone

edited to add: lost in cyberspace--Airlines generally require an adult or designated guardian meet an unaccompanied minor at the gate. I doubt DME is offering that service.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

........

edited to add: lost in cyberspace--Airlines generally require an adult or designated guardian meet an unaccompanied minor at the gate. I doubt DME is offering that service.

I think you are confused; what does this have to do with what I posted? The airlines I mentioned let kids travel at age 12 or older on their own. They are not considered unaccompanied minors. No one has to meet them with an id; they travel as adults.

 

[Lewisc]

It just depends on the airline. You can also fly as an unaccompanied minor at age 12 on American, United, Hawaiian, and US Airways, just to name a few.

I don't know how to multiquote on mobile. 12 year old children aren't considered unaccompanied minors by Hawaiian Air (and I assume the other airlines you list. They can fly as an adult. Unaccompanied minors fly subject to conditions and generally fees.
From their website:

Your child is an unaccompanied minor if he or she is:

5 to 11 years old, and
Traveling without a companion on the same domestic flight and in the same compartment who is 15 years of age or older, or
Traveling without a companion on the same international flight and in the same compartment who is 18 years of age or older.

Your not using the term the way airlines use it.

 

[goofy4tink]

What's the problem with the change. Seems that if a parent doesn't want a child to travel alone, it's easy to accomplish. Don't buy them the ticket.

Dear God...we're agreeing on something!!

Disney isn't telling anyone that they have to allow their 12 y/o child to ride the bus alone, or that they have to allow their 12 y/o child to wander the airport alone! But, there are going to be situations where a child is traveling alone. How many times have we seen, right here on this board, parents complaining because they want their 14 y/o child to ride the bus alone because that child had to fly down to WDW later...and they were all told that no, Disney won't allow that. Now, Disney allows it. Big deal. If it isn't how you want to 'do business' then don't. But plenty of people have shown that they would like the ability to have their child ride alone.

Do I think every 12 y/o is capable of getting from the gate to the DME bus area? Nope. Geez, I wasn't sure my dh could do it the first few times he traveled to WDW without me!!!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I don't know how to multiquote on mobile. 12 year old children aren't considered unaccompanied minors by Hawaiian Air (and I assume the other airlines you list. They can fly as an adult. Unaccompanied minors fly subject to conditions and generally fees.
From their website:

Your not using the term the way airlines use it.

Okay; now I see the confusion. I should have said that 12 year old kids can travel as adults on many airlines.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Dear God...we're agreeing on something!!

Disney isn't telling anyone that they have to allow their 12 y/o child to ride the bus alone, or that they have to allow their 12 y/o child to wander the airport alone! But, there are going to be situations where a child is traveling alone. How many times have we seen, right here on this board, parents complaining because they want their 14 y/o child to ride the bus alone because that child had to fly down to WDW later...and they were all told that no, Disney won't allow that. Now, Disney allows it. Big deal. If it isn't how you want to 'do business' then don't. But plenty of people have shown that they would like the ability to have their child ride alone.

Do I think every 12 y/o is capable of getting from the gate to the DME bus area? Nope. Geez, I wasn't sure my dh could do it the first few times he traveled to WDW without me!!!

There's hope for you yet.

ETA: dear CPT is the appropriate salutation, I do appreciate the promotion . . .

 

[seashoreCM]

Actually lowering the age for using Magical Express alone simplifies things for Disney.

Disney no longer needs to make special arrangements for these children, such as let a parent ride DME on an extra trip out to the airport and back to escort his child.

Children traveling under the care and custody of an airline via the airline's unaccompanied minors program need to be delivered into the custody of a designated adult upon arrival. Some airlines specify an age range, for example 12 through 16, where participating in the UM program is optional. The UM program has some flight restrictions but typically provides that in the even of a cancellation, the UM goes on the next operating flight regardless of overbooking.

 

[goofy4tink]

There's hope for you yet.

ETA: dear CPT is the appropriate salutation, I do appreciate the promotion . . .

Ummmm, no.

 

[bumbershoot]

Do I think every 12 y/o is capable of getting from the gate to the DME bus area? Nope. Geez, I wasn't sure my dh could do it the first few times he traveled to WDW without me!!!

Laughing so hard with you on that.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Do I think every 12 y/o is capable of getting from the gate to the DME bus area? Nope. Geez, I wasn't sure my dh could do it the first few times he traveled to WDW without me!!!

LOL!
My husband and DS18 are flying down about 12 hours ahead of the rest of us this time due to my work/ kids' school schedules. DS15 and I are ALWAYS the ones in charge of the details. I'm wondering what the chances are that we'll get to the airport that night and see them still wandering around...

 

[goofy4tink]

So.....with all due apologies to the husbands out there, has anyone noticed that husbands are the common denominator of confusion here? Must be that they are so used to us herding them around, that they pay little to no attention at MCO! My dd has no issue at all. She would have been the 13 y/o giving directions to DME to those hapless husbands!

 

[bumbershoot]

So.....with all due apologies to the husbands out there, has anyone noticed that husbands are the common denominator of confusion here? Must be that they are so used to us herding them around, that they pay little to no attention at MCO! My dd has no issue at all. She would have been the 13 y/o giving directions to DME to those hapless husbands!

It's weird. He's so competent in other airports since he's has this job that he travels for. But vacation? He checks his brain with the bags, I swear. Then follows me around like a duckling. We followed him on a work trip in June and I got to see the work persona when traveling home, and it's like I have two husbands. Working DH an Disney DH. Bizarre.