Does anyone think 10 is a bit young for adult ticket?

[WDSearcher]

In any case I wouldn't expect the kids to pay for their own holiday. But it is prohibitively expensive for 2 wage earners to pay for 7 people treated as wage earners.

Well ... we kids all really wanted to go, but knew that it was pricey, even then. So, we contributed to the travel fund in order to have a great family vacation. I think my dad was actually surprised at the amount we were willing to work on weekends in order to secure the coveted Disney vacation. I'll tell you, though, that after all that work, standing on Main Street and looking at the castle was pretty sweet. I'd say we definitely got our money's worth.

 

[HappyLawyer]

Well the height admission thing would not be of much help as our kids are all very tall! But that still does not make them "adults" in my eyes.

Oh well, I know I am not going to change anything, but I just wondered if anyone else felt the same as I do! Glad to see I am not alone!

i am so there with you my dtr is 9 and she is about to pass me up. adult is just that 18 but i could see them do it at 15 or 16 not 10

 

[GoN2WDW]

As much as I would love to say "I payed too much", my 12 year old DD does just as much in the parks as any adult. Probably more than most! Yep, it hurt the first year we had to pay for her as an adult, but whether she's riding with me or as a single rider on rides DH and I skip, she's doing it all and seeing it all. I can understand why they charge her full fare. Now as for the restaurants, I would love to see a further breakdown in prices. We skip many restaurants just because after looking at the menus I can see straight off that she's not going to eat anything off the adult menu. Plus, even at the regular buffets, she never even comes close to eating the same amount as an adult...I'd like to see a "junior" buffet price!

All in all, I know how much things cost in WDW and still choose to go! Just can't spend too much time worrying about it or you won't enjoy your vacation.

5 MORE DAYS UNTIL WDW!!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Well ... we kids all really wanted to go, but knew that it was pricey, even then. So, we contributed to the travel fund in order to have a great family vacation. I think my dad was actually surprised at the amount we were willing to work on weekends in order to secure the coveted Disney vacation. I'll tell you, though, that after all that work, standing on Main Street and looking at the castle was pretty sweet. I'd say we definitely got our money's worth.

That is so true! My little sister and I put all of our babysitting money one summer towards a trip. By that time it was just the two of us and our mom, and it felt great to be an active part of making the trip happen. We had sibs in college, and a dad who contributed very little, so this particular trip wouldn't have happened if we hadn't worked together.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Well ... we kids all really wanted to go, but knew that it was pricey, even then. So, we contributed to the travel fund in order to have a great family vacation. I think my dad was actually surprised at the amount we were willing to work on weekends in order to secure the coveted Disney vacation. I'll tell you, though, that after all that work, standing on Main Street and looking at the castle was pretty sweet. I'd say we definitely got our money's worth.

Jeez...who was your Dad...Norman Rockwell?!!? That story's about as American Dream-ish as you can get!!

 

[mking624]

Disney charging "adult" admission prices is not them saying they now vew a 10 yr old to be legally of age. It's saying that they have the ability to do the exact same things as an adult would. The only thing here I view to be more of a legitimate complaint would be the children's menus...but then most places have a cut off age, and no matter what age a place picks, someone is likely to be upset about it.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Rides are designed for "X" people per hour (capacity).
2) Divide that into the price of the ride.
3) You now have a per-rider value for the ride.
4) You must now recover the cost of the ride.
5) Thus, each rider pays for it (plus overhead and profit, of course)
6) So, if you can ride it, you should pay.
7) At age-10, kids can ride most of the rides.
8) It is logical and makes sense (common sense and business sense).

 

[TimothyG]

I think that 10 is too young for some children but a lot of 10 year olds do meet the height requirements to ride every or just about every ride at WDW. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that all 10 year olds will ride the kind of rides that say 13 year olds would. Therefore, I see why Disney does it that way but I think that they should raise the age to 13 for adult tickets.

 

[WDSearcher]

Jeez...who was your Dad...Norman Rockwell?!!? That story's about as American Dream-ish as you can get!!

Remember ... it's just one tiny slice of life. We won't discuss my high school years, okay?

 

[mking624]

I think that 10 is too young for some children but a lot of 10 year olds do meet the height requirements to ride every or just about every ride at WDW. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that all 10 year olds will ride the kind of rides that say 13 year olds would. Therefore, I see why Disney does it that way but I think that they should raise the age to 13 for adult tickets.

For that matter, there are full grown adults who don't necessarily ride everything at the parks and there are children who will do rides that some adults won't do (I can definitely speak for myself on this...because there are rides I refuse to go on, but I see young children on there). So then should adults have a different pricing system as well? They can't base it on what child will or will not go on certain rides because every child...and every adult for that matter...is different. The most fair way to do it would be to determine at what age the children are most likely to meet all the height requirements.

 

[poohpcgirl]

I understand about how a 10 year old could enjoy the parks as much as an adult. I just do not think they should be double charged if they want to order off the kids menu. My Godson will be 9 when we go, so the option will still be open for us, thank goodness. But he eats mostly the kids meal stuff now and I don't think that will change when he turns 10. I just think it is tacky about the child's menu.
IMHO

 

[MrsKreamer]

In the UK these days 13 in the legal age to start a paper round and 16 to start any sort of part time job. In any case I wouldn't expect the kids to pay for their own holiday. But it is prohibitively expensive for 2 wage earners to pay for 7 people treated as wage earners.

Going to WDW or any theme park for that matter, is a privledge, not a right. If you don't like it don't go.

 

[MKCP5]

wow! that was harsh.

 

[MrsKreamer]

I am a little turned off about the meal prices though. It won't be an issue for us for 10 years, but I can't imagine a 10 year old eating like an adult. That said, I probably will still choose to go to sit-down places. After walking all day, I like to sitdown inside for a nice slow meal. I still stand by what I said above. It is not to be mean, but look at it from a "business" point of view. Yes, Walt did imagine WDW as a place for kids of all ages, but he still had to pay the bank back, pay his CMs, and feed and cloth his own family. When I look at our own SF park here in New Orleans: you pay $40 to get in, and that's 48' and up price, and the food is bad, the park is dirty, the rides are "blah", the employees rude, and the entertainment stinks....so for just an extra $15 bucks(and a 12 hour drive ) I can get sooooo much more. Just to add, I went to SF for the first time when I was 10 and while I was tall enough to ride most things, I was scarred as all heck and hated it there. I was 12 when I went to WDW for the first time, and while I still was a scarredy-cat(I wouldn't go near TOT), I had so much more fun b/c there was only 1 or 2 rides I didn't want to go on(TOT and BTMRR...before RnR and M:S were built). So while 10 may seem unfair, I definatly think we get our money's worth!

 

[SueM in MN]

I understand about how a 10 year old could enjoy the parks as much as an adult. I just do not think they should be double charged if they want to order off the kids menu. My Godson will be 9 when we go, so the option will still be open for us, thank goodness. But he eats mostly the kids meal stuff now and I don't think that will change when he turns 10. I just think it is tacky about the child's menu.
IMHO

They don't literally charge double for the kids menu after a certain age.
We have ordered things from the kids menu in many restaurants (counter service and sit down) and the price doesn't change based on the age of the person ordering it. The item has a certain price for that item, no matter what the age of the person who buys it. (Actually, my 70+ yo MIL bought food from the kids menu in some places and was not charged more, so it's not like they thought she was 9).

I think the OP of that information was talking about buffets and character meals where the cost is based on age. If her 10 year old son ate buffet items from the kid's buffet and was paying adult price, he would be paying more for the same food he ate as a 9 year old.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Remember ... it's just one tiny slice of life. We won't discuss my high school years, okay?

Don't worry, I can figure it out myself. I can just imagine the van pulling up in the high school parking lot, smoke billowing out and Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride" jamming on the hi-fi.

 

[bethbuchall]

They don't literally charge double for the kids menu after a certain age.
We have ordered things from the kids menu in many restaurants (counter service and sit down) and the price doesn't change based on the age of the person ordering it. The item has a certain price for that item, no matter what the age of the person who buys it. (Actually, my 70+ yo MIL bought food from the kids menu in some places and was not charged more, so it's not like they thought she was 9).

I think the OP of that information was talking about buffets and character meals where the cost is based on age. If her 10 year old son ate buffet items from the kid's buffet and was paying adult price, he would be paying more for the same food he ate as a 9 year old.

There have been a few posts on the DIS boards that indicate new policy is to charge double-price for people over 9 eating from the kids menu at a table service restaurant (not buffet/character meal). Some say that it is for a slightly larger serving and some say that the serving is the standard kids menu size.

I haven't been there lately and don't know official policy. When we were there last (May 2004), my 13 year old was allowed to order from the kids menus in a couple of places for the same price as my younger two (then the dining age was 12 and under). I told the waiter/waitress his age and that he would prefer the kids menu, and they were fine with that.

Beth

 

[WDSearcher]

Don't worry, I can figure it out myself. I can just imagine the van pulling up in the high school parking lot, smoke billowing out and Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride" jamming on the hi-fi.

Alan Parson Project, actually, but no smoke. Of any kind. (Smoke ... bad.)

 

[Lewisc]

Guests who for whatever reason chose not to go on the (VERY EXPENSIVE)rides with the warnings have a much bigger reason to complain. The 10 year olds are tall enough to ride, and enjoy, almost all the attractions.

Most of us would not like the fairer alternative. Go back to paying a low price for admission but than pay each time you ride an attraction. The newer, more expensive, attractions would cost more.

 

[dbriggsq]

Going to WDW or any theme park for that matter, is a privledge, not a right. If you don't like it don't go.

I agree it is absolutely not a right and we are very fortunate that we are able to go.

However if we were an 'average' family in the UK, meaning earning the average wage, we certainly would not be able to go with 5 children, all paying 'adult' prices. Which is why our first trip was in 2001 when our youngest was 10 and eldest 19. How nice it would have been if we could have taken them when they were younger and the 'magic' would have been that much more impressive.

I thought Walt's original idea was that Disney World should be a place where families, adults and children, could enjoy a day out in a themed park. I believe that the pricing structure should incorporate 'families' by having a 'family' ticket which allows for the fact that 2 adults are paying for themselves and all the non-earning children in their party. It really has nothing to do with how many rides a child can go on - my 6' tall 16 year old is too scared to go on many of the rides but enjoys the atmosphere, as do I.