How does it work with a 2 turning 3 yo?

[jayhjay]

My DD will be turning 3 around the time we plan our next trip. I am trying to understand how that works for buying tickets and meals. If she turns 3 during our trip, do we just buy tickets for the days she is three? Or does she not need a ticket at all?

How about with the dining plan? Does she need a child plan? Or can she still eat for free?

We aren't sure of our dates yet, but I am just trying to figure out how this works. Thanks!

 

[bwv4me]

Since she doesn't have id they are not going to "card" her. I don't necessarily want to encourage dishonesty, but if she turns 3 mid-trip I think it would be silly to pay the child price - especially considering she was 2 when she started the trip!

As far as meals go, we went with out 16 month old in August. We did not do the dining plan, but did DDE instead. There is no way he could have eaten off of our plates for all of the meals. He certainly eats his share!

 

[GEM]

I'm pretty sure the "official" Disney policy is that they go by the age they are when you start your trip. So, if she turns 3 while you are there, she will still be free for the whole trip. I think that's right, anyway. Can anybody confirm?

 

[CLASSICPOOH2002]

We leave next week and my Son turns 3 on our last full day there. That day is his birthday. I called to see what the policy was and the cast member said that they go by the age they are when you arrive. So we will not have to pay for him a ticket.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

Yep, they go by the age of the child on day one of your trip. My son will be turning 10 on our trip and gets the kid price. I also found out if the room rate goes down during your stay (ex peak to moderate season) you are charged the peak season price for the whole stay,

 

[GEM]

Yep, they go by the age of the child on day one of your trip. My son will be turning 10 on our trip and gets the kid price. I also found out if the room rate goes down during your stay (ex peak to moderate season) you are charged the peak season price for the whole stay,

Yes, but it works the other way as well! In December, we will check in during a cheaper season and it will switch to a more expensive season during our trip. So,we get to keep the lower rate for all nights of our stay!

 

[tjmw2727]

Yep, they go by the age of the child on day one of your trip. My son will be turning 10 on our trip and gets the kid price. I also found out if the room rate goes down during your stay (ex peak to moderate season) you are charged the peak season price for the whole stay,

If the price difference is worth it you can make two reservations. Check out on the first day of the cheaper "season" and then check back in at the lesser rate.

99.9% of the time you can keep the same room but CRO will not guarantee that. I have done it once and sil has done it twice and neither of us has had to change rooms but we were ready just in case.

To the OP - yes the child is "under 3" for the length of stay if he/she is 2 when your trip starts. Free to enter the theme parks and free at the buffets, enjoy!!

TJ

 

[lovesdumbo]

On the trip that my DS turned 3 (our 2nd to last day) he did not have a park ticket but was charged at CP when he turned 3.

 

[jayhjay]

On the trip that my DS turned 3 (our 2nd to last day) he did not have a park ticket but was charged at CP when he turned 3.

Do most folks find they have to start paying for meals? Your experience seems unusual given the other posts. I don't mind paying for food, just wondering how this would work on the dining plan (assuming 3 of us had it and DD did not). I guess we'd just pay OOP for her? JJ

 

[lovesdumbo]

If you order off a menu or a child's meal at a CS for a child you will have to pay not matter what the age. At buffets under 3 are free. That CP meal was the only one after he turned 3.

 

[jayhjay]

If you order off a menu or a child's meal at a CS for a child you will have to pay not matter what the age. At buffets under 3 are free. That CP meal was the only one after he turned 3.

Got it. Most of the time my DD's share a meal (even outside Disney) b/c they don't eat much. So we probably wouldn't be buying my younger one her own food anyway. Just wondering if she would have to pay for buffets or if we would have to get her a dining plan. But it sounds like that is not the case.

Thanks for the info! JJ

 

[littleprissboutique]

My nephew will be turning 3 after our trip. So he will be two the whole trip. His mom wanted me to ask a question.

He looks like he is three now. He is very big and tall for his age, but does not eat a lot???? ( His daddy is 6'5" ) So she was wanting to know if she would get charged at our buffet meals? Does she need proof of age? We have dinning planned for 5 nights.

TIA!

 

[poohguys]

My nephew will be turning 3 after our trip. So he will be two the whole trip. His mom wanted me to ask a question.

He looks like he is three now. He is very big and tall for his age, but does not eat a lot???? ( His daddy is 6'5" ) So she was wanting to know if she would get charged at our buffet meals? Does she need proof of age? We have dinning planned for 5 nights.

TIA!

littleprissboutique-When we went in 2003 my DS was almost 3 (two weeks before his birthday) he is also very big for his age. We ate at CM twice and did not have any problems with his meal being free.

 

[bethbuchall]

We went down when ds was 2 turning 3. They told me that he didn't need a park ticket him even after he turned 3 (and I asked several CM's), but they did charge me for him at Chef Mickey's when I told them that it was his 3rd birthday that day. We also paid for him the following day at Crystal Palace.

Beth

 

[Colinsmom]

We are at WDW right now, and DS turns 3 tomorrow. When I made ADRs for later this week, I was told over the phone that we did not have to pay for him (buffet) since he was 2 at the beginning of our trip. We were also told that we did not have to get park passes for him for the last couple of days for the same reason. This is consistent with everything that I have always heard about Disney.

FWIW, with the dining plan, if you are charged incorrectly, just call the front desk and they will fix it for you!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I have heard that is the offical policy also. (if you are 2 when you start the trip, no ticket needed.)

Since DD has turned 3 and ever 4 years old we have always bought her a ticke, in fact AP. They never ask for it. Infact a few times we have just strolled her in since it was such a hassel to the the AP to work (not like Disney wasn't getting our $ already.) Then I remembered that it might not work for Fast Pass so we made sure we activated it.

Either way I don't think you will be questioned at all.

I am not sure how the plans works. I think only the all you can eat places are free for under 3. I was talking to a women on the bus with a 2 year old who said it had been a real pain since her DD was 2 they wouldn't let them have a plan for her, but only the all you could eat was free. Everywhere else if they wanted food for her they had to buy it or give them some of theirs. This was May when the dining plan just started so maybe they worked the kicks out. I don't know since we are DVC and they won't give us that dining plan. (yet.)

 

[bwv4me]

Wow! Y'all are REALLY honest! If my child turned 3 DURING our trip, I don't even think it would have dawned on me to pay extra for the days he was 3! God bless each and every one of you!

 

[3littleHalls]

We went a few weeks before DS's 3rd birthday and made it quite clear when we checked in we were there to celebrate his birthday. He is also quite tall(was 40 1/2" tall) when we went. We were never once questioned his age at any eatery. He had to get his height checked several times for the bigger kid rides. At the Poly they even sent a cake, balloons, candles, hats etc. and an autograph. for his b-day. All in all no complaints I can think of and we had wondered if we were going to need his birth certificate to prove his age.

 

[mjmcca]

I went with my kids last Feb. My dd was about a month shy of her 3rd birthday. They charged me for her meal at dinner in LTT. When i made the PS (IT was still called that then) I told them i had 2 kids one 2 and one 4. When she charged me i had her change the bill. I got a really funny look from her because my DD could have easily pased for 3.5 at least. I told her that she wouldnt be 3 for a month and she made some comment about comming back for her birthday. I told her that wasnt likely as we come from NY and another trip in a month just wasnt in the plans.


The moral is if they charge you and they shouldnt have them change it.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I went with my kids last Feb. My dd was about a month shy of her 3rd birthday. They charged me for her meal at dinner in LTT. When i made the PS (IT was still called that then) I told them i had 2 kids one 2 and one 4. When she charged me i had her change the bill. I got a really funny look from her because my DD could have easily pased for 3.5 at least. I told her that she wouldnt be 3 for a month and she made some comment about comming back for her birthday. I told her that wasnt likely as we come from NY and another trip in a month just wasnt in the plans.


The moral is if they charge you and they shouldnt have them change it.

And always make sure to check the bill, it happens alot and people don't notice it. (espcailly in big groups.) So make a point that the sever knows they are under 3 years old. (or just turning 3!)