HELP! Driving to DW with 4 kids that don't have passports yet for 25% discount tickets. Problem?

[equusjumper]

Driving to Disney World mid March from Ontario. Parents and 4 kids. Since we are driving the kids don't need passports to get through US Customs. I cross all the time with just their birth certificates. Parents have Canadian passports and lots of residency ID. I was about to purchase the park tickets on the 25% Canadian discount special but it says must show passports for everyone in the party. But the kids don't have them and don't need them to enter the US!

I called and spoke to someone at Disney and they said policy is passports for all in order to get that discount. I tried to explain that kids don't need them when driving and that US Customs takes BC as proof of citizenship etc to cross the border. Why on earth would Disney not find the same ID that Customs accepts as acceptable for tickets?! I think most Americans maybe don't realize this stuff. I can also take other documents that would show residency of the kids like school transcripts. She said all I could do would be to send an email to Guest Relations (no phone for them). I'm buying 9 days worth of tickets for 7 people so I REALLY don't want to get there and have them tell me the 4 kids are going to have to be full price and be out hundreds of US dollars.

Has anyone else dealt with this problem? Do they really need passports for the kids or just the adults? Has anyone redeemed the vouchers with other ID for kids? Would you risk buying the tickets and hope for the best when you get there? Or any other ideas to get something firm from them before leaving? Thanks!

 

[danielocha30]

bring all that you have and probably you will get the discount, it is up to the cast member with your Canadiense ID they might give you the discount for the children. Remember the guy who talk to you on the phone is not the same who do work with this on a daily basis, guest relations people at the parks deal with this kind of situation all the time, bring all that you can with you if a passport is not available, also if the first person doesn't help you very politely stop the transaction and go to another window, good luck and have a great trip!

 

[equusjumper]

Thanks, I was going to buy them online now (you can't buy at the park). So that is my worry, that I will pay for them and show up and they won't accept the IDs for the kids and make me pay hundreds more for regular price. Just curious if anyone else has dealt with this and had success?

 

[adisneyaunt]

No direct experience ... but do the ages of the kids play into this at all? Are they older than 9, technically adults.. kwim?
I know Fla residents who bought Fla resident tix, and brought their grandkids in that are NOT Fla residents ..but they fell under the care of grandparents... but they were all 4-7 years old... not adults.
I mean kids are not required to have passports to enter here... so what does Disney do in this case.. for kids/little kids...

Best of luck!!!!

 

[ottawamom]

The kids Health Cards are government issued proof of residency. You can't get an Ontario Health card unless you're a resident. The CM's you spoke with may not realize this as they don't have such a thing in the States. Birth certificate and Health card you should be all set to make your case! Good luck.

The original paperwork they came out with said "proof of residency" not Passport. Technically a Passport doesn't prove residency it just proves citizenship. People of different citizenship but who reside in Canada were also able to take advantage of this offer.

 

[lorenni]

The kids Health Cards are government issued proof of residency. You can't get an Ontario Health card unless you're a resident. The CM's you spoke with may not realize this as they don't have such a thing in the States. Birth certificate and Health card you should be all set to make your case! Good luck.

The original paperwork they came out with said "proof of residency" not Passport. Technically a Passport doesn't prove residency it just proves citizenship. People of different citizenship but who reside in Canada were also able to take advantage of this offer.

I had wondered about this! I debated buying the tickets and holding on to them for a future trip, but we are Americans living in Canada. So we don't have Canadian passports even though we are absolutely Canadian residents. I could certainly show them our drives licenses, health cards and Canadian tax returns!

 

[kuhltiffany]

When we went to use ours at the turnstiles at DL, (a few weeks ago) they didn't even ask for the kids ID, and accepted our Driver's Licenses (I always lock our passports in the safe at the hotel).

 

[MoreTravels]

Trying to explain OHIP to an American? Also refugees and student visa can get OHIP too... So your proof is not even true. Even if it's true, Americans don't know what free healthcare for residents is. It's like trying to explain gold jewelry to Martians... They will not understand what an industrial metal has to do with fashion.

 

[ottawamom]

Trying to explain OHIP to an American? Also refugees and student visa can get OHIP too... So your proof is not even true. Even if it's true, Americans don't know what free healthcare for residents is. It's like trying to explain gold jewelry to Martians... They will not understand what an industrial metal has to do with fashion.

I mentioned that the OHIP card in conjunction with Birth Certificate should work. These are minor children not students or refugees. The OP doesn't want to have to go to the trouble of getting Passports which don't prove residency anyway. This seemed to me to be a option. Perhaps you have an alternative solution to add.

 

[equusjumper]

FYI for anyone else in the same boat, I heard back from guest services with this:

Thank you for contacting Walt Disney World Ticketing.



Upon arrival, Canadian Resident Promotional Tickets must be activated prior to first use in person at any Theme Park Ticket Windows or Disney Springs Guest Relations. All Guests must bring and present a valid Canadian passport. For residents of Canada who are not Canadian citizens, they must bring a valid passport and valid proof of Canadian residency.



Children under 18 would not be required to show an ID upon arrival.

 

[ottawamom]

So glad you got to the bottom of it with a satisfactory result. Thanks for posting the update for others who may be in the same boat. Happy travels!

 

[fitmom3]

We are in Florida right now. I redeemed my voucher at the park. The CM didn't need to see any ID for my children. We also only use passports. He told us a photocopy of our passport would have been fine or drivers license. I didn't like carrying my passport around the park.

 

[AngelDisney]

We are in Florida right now. I redeemed my voucher at the park. The CM didn't need to see any ID for my children. We also only use passports. He told us a photocopy of our passport would have been fine or drivers license. I didn't like carrying my passport around the park.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Have a magical time, escaping the cold in the happiest place on Earth!

 

[Marie2016]

We are Canadian citizens living in the USA.... anyone know if I can buy these tickets? I already have a trip booked (not paid yet) but I'd love to get this offer, we are here temporarily and all carry Canadian passports. I'd have to tell them the truth though in that our address is In the USA.

 

[AngelDisney]

Someone reported about this in the long ticket offer thread. You would have to read through it for more confirmed details. I believe "yes" since you have Canadian passports. I think those who have problems buying because they were using a non-Canadian credit card to purchase the tickets and the system can't recognize that for a Canadian ticket purchase. Hopefully someone with more experience can answer your question better.

 

[namedafteru]

We are Canadian citizens living in the USA.... anyone know if I can buy these tickets? I already have a trip booked (not paid yet) but I'd love to get this offer, we are here temporarily and all carry Canadian passports. I'd have to tell them the truth though in that our address is In the USA.

We booked ticket a couple of weeks ago for myself (Canadian resident) and my sister and her kids who live in the States and all carry Canadian passports. The booking agent suggested using the discount once he realized they all had Canadian passports. It was a better deal than the current bounce back. Just have to bring the passports to activate the tickets. All bands etc will be mailed to her address.

So short answer is yes!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I redeemed my vouchers on March 10th and my DD also required her passport. We had been told when we checked in at POP that vouchers could only be redeemed at a park and passports would be required. I asked if my DD would also need her passport and the immediate answer was yes. THe next morning I stopped at the concierge just in case they could do it and I got the exact same info as the night before at check in.

When we got to the park I was asked for both passports.

BTW, if the line at guest relations at a park is long any of the ticket windows can do it for you.

 

[otten]

I actually find it kind of odd that they are accepting Canadian passports as proof of Canadian residency as a Canadian passport doesn't actually prove residency, just citizenship. For example, my MIL, who is a US resident but a dual citizen with a Canadian passport, would have valid proof to use these tickets. She isn't a Canadian resident so she shouldn't be allowed to use them but if a passport is considered acceptable proof what would stop her. (Before anyone jumps on me, my MIL is not going to WDW and not using Canadian Res tickets, just pointing out the problem with their id requirements.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I actually find it kind of odd that they are accepting Canadian passports as proof of Canadian residency as a Canadian passport doesn't actually prove residency, just citizenship. For example, my MIL, who is a US resident but a dual citizen with a Canadian passport, would have valid proof to use these tickets. She isn't a Canadian resident so she shouldn't be allowed to use them but if a passport is considered acceptable proof what would stop her. (Before anyone jumps on me, my MIL is not going to WDW and not using Canadian Res tickets, just pointing out the problem with their id requirements.

Interesting point. I think the issue there is that residency documents would be things like utility bills, pay stubs, schools documents. Most likely the CM's would have a problem dealing with those varied types of items. Where as passports are straight forward even though as you correctly stated they do not prove anything other than citizenship.

WDW won't serve alcohol to you without a passport (if you look young enough to be asked). So it would seem they like passports as a form of ID.

 

[otten]

Interesting point. I think the issue there is that residency documents would be things like utility bills, pay stubs, schools documents. Most likely the CM's would have a problem dealing with those varied types of items. Where as passports are straight forward even though as you correctly stated they do not prove anything other than citizenship.

WDW won't serve alcohol to you without a passport (if you look young enough to be asked). So it would seem they like passports as a form of ID.

I wonder if the loophole has occurred to them? Then again it's quite possible that there aren't enough people to exploit the loophole to bother closing it. WDW wouldn't know that a provincial health care card is probably a more accurate proof of residency.