How closely do they check kids' ages?

[savannahcat]

This is my first post, so be easy on me!

If you are 3, you should pay for the ticket.

I am concerned, however, about what I have read about cast members asking for your DC's age over and over again during the vacation. How fun is that? DD is going to be 2 1/2 months shy of being 3 when we are there, but it is terrible to read mutliple people saying that cast members "roll their eyes" after hearing the response to the childs age. Why do they bother asking if all they are going to do is roll their eyes and huff and puff if they don't agree? I see that a PP that was an employee said she did basically to embarass them and to let them know that she was on to them. I get that. But if I tell someone that DD is 2 (which she is!) and they roll their eyes at me I am going to be very upset. It seems very "un disney-like". I thought the CM's were supposed to be very friendly? I guess I will carry her bc as well, but I am not really comfortable carrying around sensitive information like that unless I really have to.

Why doesn't Disney give wristband, a button or pin, or SOMETHING when you check in so that you can identify yourself as 3 or over? You can show the bc at check-in if there's any doubt, and then you don't have to be subject to the questions all day long.

If it makes you feel better, I have been on 12 trips to WDW with my kids. Only ONCE has a CM ever asked one of my kids their age and that was a Kim Possible CM just making conversation with my DD3. It's not been my experience at all that CMs question kids or parents about age.

 

[Clubhouse5]

Anything like a wrist band or button would be an added expense on Disney's part. Heck, they have recently done away with wrist bands at the Extra Magic Hours to save money. I can't see them inventing something else to hand out that will cost them more money.

I just think it is sad that so many people DO cheat and lie about their kids ages. If it wasn't a big problem, I don't think the CMs would ask so much. When asked your child's age, just say with a big smile "She will be 3 in just a couple of months". Typically they will not press the issue.

Don't be mad at the CMs for asking. Be mad at the people who do lie, and therefore put the CMs on the defensive.

But wouldn't that be cheaper than the lost revenue of people who lie about their DC's age?



So true, they wouldn't have to ask if it wasn't a problem I guess. I just can't imagine how I will feel if they roll their eyes at me. It reminds me of when I was little and would go to the card store with my mother, and the SA's would stare and me and follow me around and I never understood it and it really bothered me and made me feel like I had done something bad. Finally, when I was old enough to ask my mom, we figured out that they thought I would steal something, knock something over and break it, etc. I understand that, but man did it ever make me feel bad!

 

[taximomfor4]

This is my first post, so be easy on me!

If you are 3, you should pay for the ticket.

I am concerned, however, about what I have read about cast members asking for your DC's age over and over again during the vacation. How fun is that? DD is going to be 2 1/2 months shy of being 3 when we are there, but it is terrible to read mutliple people saying that cast members "roll their eyes" after hearing the response to the childs age. Why do they bother asking if all they are going to do is roll their eyes and huff and puff if they don't agree? I see that a PP that was an employee said she did basically to embarass them and to let them know that she was on to them. I get that. But if I tell someone that DD is 2 (which she is!) and they roll their eyes at me I am going to be very upset. It seems very "un disney-like". I thought the CM's were supposed to be very friendly? I guess I will carry her bc as well, but I am not really comfortable carrying around sensitive information like that unless I really have to.

Why doesn't Disney give wristband, a button or pin, or SOMETHING when you check in so that you can identify yourself as 3 or over? You can show the bc at check-in if there's any doubt, and then you don't have to be subject to the questions all day long.

When they questioned us, it wasn't like an interrogation at all. THe CMs seemed very friendly, and "conversed" with the kids (for us, mostly the siblings) and carefully slipped in a question about "little sister" and her age. The siblings didn't feel interrogated at all, and actually seemed to enjoy the attention from the CMs. And of course, I didn't mind AT ALL. The kids got to chit chat with Disney CMs, and we had nothing to hide so it was fine.

Honestly, I only saw people sent ONCE to get out of line and go to the ticket window. And I will say, sometimes kids look older than their age but even I could tell this kid's age was being fudged.

 

[drinkme]

Honestly, I only saw people sent ONCE to get out of line and go to the ticket window. And I will say, sometimes kids look older than their age but even I could tell this kid's age was being fudged.

When we were at DL turnstyle last week, a dad bought a child's ticket for his dd. The CM made the dad go back to the ticket booth and purchase an adult ticket for his dd, she was obviously NOT aged 3-9.

 

[Rita007]

My smallest dd will be 3 in late December. I am using this as leverage...against my hubby... as I try to convince him that we need to squeeze in one more trip in early December before we have to buy her a ticket at 3

I worked in museums for awhile and we never questioned a parent when they bought tickets for children or "free" children. We also never questioned those who claimed to be seniors. Mind you, the admission price was no where near what it costs for Disney, but in terms of public relations, it wasn't worth it to start something. We simply relied on our guests to do the right thing.

I DO love that I was asked to prove my age at Mickey's BBQ...I was 34 at the time and was DE-lighted to be taken for 21!

 

[pacrosby]

But wouldn't that be cheaper than the lost revenue of people who lie about their DC's age?

They are probably more concerned about the potential loss of revenue if they did (i.e. families who simply would decide not to go, or go for fewer days, or stay off-site instead of on-property; eat off property; buy fewer souvenirs etc.). It all comes out in the wash.

 

[matt and beth]

As tempting as it is.... I was tempted as well. Stealing is stealing. If you are attempting to enter those gates by breaki ng the rules and avoiding to pay, then you are stealing.

 

[rtmpmm]

I have been there twice with my kids and I (nor my children) were ever asked by anyone how old they were. The first trip they were 3 1/2 and 6mo and the second trip they were 6, 3 and 11mo.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

Do that many of you really bring birth certificates to prove ages? My DS will be 2.5 when we go to Disney on Spring break. He looks his age and is non verbal, so I very much doubt we'll be questioned, but I can't imagine bringing something as sensitive as a birth certificate to a place like Disney. I try to bring the least amount of stuff as possible to avoid things getting lost or stolen.
And I too would be pretty offended if a castmemeber rolled thier eyes at me if I was telling the truth.

 

[momof3lovebugs]

When we go this summer my girls will be 16 and 10 and I bought both adult tickets of course but I did not buy the dinning plan we do not eat at the exspensive rest. enough and my 10 year old will not eat off the adult menue she still gets chicken fingers and fries that is all she eats she is very picky and is small and does not even finish kids meals at most rest. so will Disney let her order off the kids menue even though she is 10 again I did not buy the meal plan so that does not come into play.

I feel it is like steeling to sneak your child in free when they should pay my 10 year old is small and I still bought her the adult ticket.

This is my scenario! My dd will turn 10 three days before we leave (nothing I could do, dh was working until the day before her bday so we would've arrived the day of her bday anyway... So being that she is picky little thing will they actually let her order off the kids meal menu but at an adult price? We bought the adult ticket but will not be doing the dining plan. She is good for chicken nuggets, spaghetti, burgers-standard kid fare. We do plan on eating at Ohana, but I was told that the kids could order off the Kona(?) menu? Just want to get this clarified before we go. We again, are not into cheating the system, we do, however, want to make sure our dd finds food she enjoys, kwim?

 

[maxiesmom]

This is my scenario! My dd will turn 10 three days before we leave (nothing I could do, dh was working until the day before her bday so we would've arrived the day of her bday anyway... So being that she is picky little thing will they actually let her order off the kids meal menu but at an adult price? We bought the adult ticket but will not be doing the dining plan. She is good for chicken nuggets, spaghetti, burgers-standard kid fare. We do plan on eating at Ohana, but I was told that the kids could order off the Kona(?) menu? Just want to get this clarified before we go. We again, are not into cheating the system, we do, however, want to make sure our dd finds food she enjoys, kwim?

She should have no problem ordering off of the kids menu. My niece did when she was 12, as she has a small appetite. We were never hassled about it.

 

[BellyBaby]

Our DD was 2 and 4 months our first trip. Out of 6 park entrances, we were asked ONCE for her age. And she was and still is a smaller than average child, which is why I was so surprised someone thought she may have been 3 (she barely looked 2!) But I was not asked for any kind of proof. Maybe because the castmember got a better look at her.

 

[bigdisneygroup]

My DD turns 3 on our trip. We are taking her to CRT on her birthday. I am just so worried that they may try to charge us there since she is 3. We leave 2 days later after having been there 5 days already.

What do I do if they do charge us? We ordered her a chocolate slipper that says "happy 3rd birthday" so it is obvious she is 3.

I'm not sure how they work charge in the case of a child going from 2 to 3 but when we went to Cinderella's Royal Table on my daughter's 10th birthday, they charged us the adult price for her even tho we had already been there a week. I'm not sure what to tell you to do if they try to charge you, we ended up just paying the adult price for her.