Mickey Magical Milestone - I thought 10 and up ONLY

[pooh2001]

From the tour books/websites - Mickey Magical Milestone tour listed as ages 10 and older.

My DS (teen) and DD (tween) were please to hear that. No offense to those with little ones - but the Family Magic Tour is better for the younger children.

What I found out - Now Children under the age of 16 can go on the tour if accompanied by an adult

aw: We picked the tour specifically because it said 10 and older - no little ones and my DD is not quiet 16 yet for the other adult tours. aw:

From the allears newsletter: "To our surprise, there were a few small children -- although most Disney tours require participants to be at least 16, this tour is one of the few that permits children 10 and up. Still, these little ones were barely 6 or 7…"

I called tours this AM - I talked to a lead CM. She said I can call 48 hours in advance to see if any child ticket holders are on our tour. She even gave me her direct phone number to call. I can cancell, if I wish, based on if children under 10 are on our tour.

I am not sure why WDW changed their policy on this tour. I hope they revert back to ages 10 years old and up.

 

[pooh2001]

From this DIS website it even says:

Mickey's Magical Milestones M, W, F

Arrive 8:45

Length: 2 hrs

Price: $25 per person 15% AP and AAA 20% DVC, Disney Visa

Required 10 years and older

Where to meet: Guided Tour Garden, adjacent to City Hall

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I am confused?

If there are children on the tour who are younger than 10 years old, you might cancel? Are they really going to ruin your tour? I can understand not wanting a bunch of dissruptive two year olds, but a couple of kids who might be 8 doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

Hope you have a good tour either way

 

[Brian Noble]

As with many Disney policies, the 10-year-old limit appears to be bendable. Officially, they are not allowed. Unofficially, if a group shows up with a seven year old, they are very unlikely to be turned away.

 

[lillygator]

Wow - would you even want to be in Disney with little ones around?

I think it would be great if they changed the age...give the families who do have little ones other options...there aren't many tours available with young ones....we are always looking for other things to do since we go quite often...

 

[CheshireVal]

Wow - would you even want to be in Disney with little ones around?

I think it would be great if they changed the age...give the families who do have little ones other options...there aren't many tours available with young ones....we are always looking for other things to do since we go quite often...

I hope this doesn't turn into one of those kids v. no kids debates.

I think the OP has a valid point. Sometimes it's nice to be able to do something with older children where you're guaranteed to have no crying toddlers or very little kids around.

 

[lillygator]

I just meant I saw nothing wrong with adding an under 10 not necessarily a baby -

and you may not have a crying baby there but I would bet more often than not there will be some obnoxious adult asking questions every five seconds.....

 

[FredS]

I agree that the original poster has a very valid point, and it is unfair to make snide remarks. If you have a middle-schooler and want to take a tour, it seems that the only ones available include, and are geared toward, preschoolers. Having a tour for older kids is great, but realistically if you add in the aforementioned preschoolers then it isn't so great for the older kids. I think most older kids would be disappointed if there were significantly younger children, as they are much more likely to be disruptive.

Just because someone is annoyed by an extreme bending of this rule (no, a well-behaved 8-year-old wouldn't be a big deal to me) doesn't mean that they are a bad person or hate kids or are asking for too much. Disney states rules to the nth degree most of the time, and when booking this I think the CM could make it clear that very young children are not allowed, and then steer the families with them towards one more appropriate for their children.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I think it would take a pretty dense parent to book a child on a tour designed for ages 10 and up. The content is NOT going to be interesting for a younger child and the pace may be too much for them. There are REASONS for age restrictions! My DS will be 10 in January but we aren't doing tours geared to teens.

I am always amazed by parents who are just sure their children are so advanced that the rules don't apply. I used to teach Gymboree and it was a RACE to see who could advance their child through the levels the fastest, even if the child was no longer enjoying it because the level was too advanced for them. What benefit does a child have from being allowed on a tour if they are bored and restless or don't comprehend parts of what is being said? Common sense is such a useful commodity. Too bad there are some who choose not to use it.

OP-
I think it is perfectly reasonable to back out of something if it is not what you thought it would be. Rules aren't always such a terrible thing. Children can do LOTS of things if accompanied by an adult. Doesn't make it a good idea!

 

[experiment626mom]

This is a 2 hour tour with alot of walking. I don't see how anyone under 10 would really enjoy it. I agree with the OP.

 

[lillygator]

has anyone been on it that can explain it better? Is this one of those open air tours around the park? You aren't in the park when other guests aren't are you?

 

[HookdonWDW]

I know that my ds (11) would be disappointed if there are 7 and 8 y/o's on the Steam Train Tour (also billed for 10 and up). He's outgrown the Pirate Cruises, and he's not old enough for most of the Backstage Tours. He's excited that there are now a few tours geared for tweens.

Think of it this way: If you had a 5 y/o and went to sign them into the Pirate Cruise and found a boat-full of 12 y/o's waiting to take the Pirate Cruise w/ your child, would you be happy?

The idea is supposed to make sure that there are AGE-APPROPRIATE activities, and IMHO, there are many activities that are more suitable to tweens than younger children and vice-versa.

JMHO. YMMV

 

[pooh2001]

My DS & DD wanted a tour with older kids.

We did the Seeds tour in EPCOT. At one point a Mom had to find an exit for her & her 3 year old crying child. We could not hear the tour CM over the 3 year old's noise.

My DS & DD do not mind to be at WDW with small kids - however - then tend to do different rides. My DS & DD would not be caught dead on Dumbo, the Bone yard, Disney Playhouse show, or Pooh's playground to name a few.

Likewise, how many small children ride Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Soarin...

Since one is not quiet 16 - we can not do the tour of the tunnels under MK - their dream tour. Thus we picked the tour 10 years and older - hoping for the teen/tween age kids.

Again no offense to the stroller crowd.

A school aged child - 7 and older, I guess would be OK - as long as they do not whine along they way.

When my children were younger, and we went on tour (anywhere - not just at WDW), I told them to pretend they were at my office. People are working - even though you get to see them work - like Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Gund Bears, Civil War Museum, Hershey, Maritime Museum, etc. Pretending they were at my office, kept my children quiet.

 

[tlbwriter]

I think it would take a pretty dense parent to book a child on a tour designed for ages 10 and up.

Yep. And there are lots of them out there.

I don't think there's anything bad or "un-Disney" about wanting something that caters to older kids and stays free of crying youngsters. I recently attended a planetarium show that was ruined by a sobbing toddler. The poor thing was probably either scared or bored out of his mind, but his mom (or whoever that woman was) refused to leave the show. I could barely hear the speaker, and it certainly ruined the peaceful mood. It would have also ruined an informative/educational tour geared toward older kids. You can't blame the children - blame their parents, who don't realize or care what's appropriate.

 

[pooh2001]

Thank you for all who agree there should be tours for the 10-16 age group.

Again - no offense to the stroller crowd- but we have out grown the diapers and whining kids.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Believe me, I agree that there should be tours geared for older kids, but I hope you are not setting yourself up for disappointment. I have met many a whiny ten year old kid. I would never sign my boys up for something that they weren't old enough or ready for, but there is nothing saying that any kid will enjoy this tour just b/c they meet the minimum age requirements. Annoying and complaining kids and adults are everywhere and just in case this happens on your tour, I hope you make the best of it and enjoy yourselves.

 

[QT Pooh]

Just wanted to throw in my two cents. Usually age limits are set for a reason...not because of the potential for crying or acting up or anything like that (BTW, I've been on tours when adults were the rudest!!)

We went on a tour in Carlsbad Caverns which was meant for ages 10 and up. We were led by guides with flashlights down into a cave and were supposed to experience 'total darkness and quiet'. The guides turned out their flashlights. It was a little spooky and the 5 and 6 year olds that were on the tour let everyone know it. So, there goes total quiet... To make matters worse, in order to pacify the children, the mother takes out a small flashlight and says, "Oh, I knew this would happen so we came prepared." She turns the flashlight on. Ugggh...there goes total darkness. So, what we got to experience was people not following the stated guidelines and ruining the experience for others. I do not blame the parks...I blame the parents.

And trust me, I love kids - I have four of my own!

 

[taximomfor4]

Ummm, I just booked this tour for myself. on 12/23. Just me. I was told 16 and up on the phone. Not that I mind 10 and up, or anything...

Now you guys are referring to this as "geared toward tweens/teens." Is it really? Then what can an adult do that is a shorter-length tour? I booked it because my stepmom doesn't have an AP and will not want to go to the parks all 3 of the days we are at WDW. Need to get sanity breaks from her periodically, and without my kids with me, a tour sounded fun. And that one was affordable. So it is not also for adults?

Ideas?

 

[Brian Noble]

I think it would take a pretty dense parent to book a child on a tour designed for ages 10 and up.

Well, you'd have to be pretty dense to stuff your kids' shoes to get them past a height restriction, too, but that happens all the time. Assuming all (rather than most) parents are reasonable is, well, probably not a reasonable assumption.

 

[suevee]

I agree with the poster that you would not want 12 years and up on the pirate cruise, so.... It makes sense to have age appropriate tours so that everyone can experience a special magic at WDW. The tweens often get left out because of their age and it is such a difficult time. I am sure the parents of younger children will appreciate this tour when their children are older. Also it is nice to have something new to look forward to when the kids get older and "to cool"for WDW.

BUT...what is this tour and how can I find out more info? I just happen to have a few older "cool" guys (10 to 13) going on our next trip and am looking for something extra to do with them. This may fit the bill. Where could I find the info? Thanks