New JTA age restriction

[Tom P.]

I'd also like to point out, FWIW, that this works in both directions. It's not always going to be that the younger kids have to watch the older kids getting to do everything and always being left out. During our last WDW trip in October, with our five young children, our daughter had grown just to the point where she was past the height limit for the kiddie attractions at Typhoon Lagoon. During the day we were there, while her younger brothers were enjoying all of the Ketchakiddee Creek attractions, she was told by cast members that she couldn't do them. She was rather upset at the time, but she got over it.

Later, she got the opportunity to go experience the big wave pool, while some of her younger siblings, who were not as big and could not swim, were not able to do so. They didn't like it that she got to go do something they didn't but, again, they got over it.

If you're at a place like WDW and you have multiple children, there are always going to be things that one can do that another can't. That's just the way it works. But the awesome thing about WDW is that there are tons of things everyone will get to do. We just make sure our kids understand the reasons that they can do some things and not others, and try our best to allow time for each to get to experience some of the things unique to their age, height, etc. along with time for all of us to do the things we can do together. I just don't see the problem with that.

 

[piccolopat]

Yeah, we've already collectively been down both of these roads already. To the first quote, I was just speaking hypothetically, but in our real life experience with JTA, we didn't plan our trip around it. We didn't even know what it was. Just happened upon it. If, in that situation, her older sister and her cousin (who were both with us), had been of age, and she was a month short, that is when I was suggesting that I'd likely round her age up if asked by a CM how old she was. I'd do it so that she didn't feel completely left out of an experience that she wanted to and certainly was able to participate in. I wouldn't be inclined to force her to watch her sister and cousin do something like this that she'd have been totally fine handling.

To the second quote, again, I've said that I wouldn't lie in front of my kid, so I'm not setting any example. If someone gets hurt, I'm quite certain an extra 30-60 days wouldn't have prevented it. 30 kids swinging light sabers is inherently risking some accidents, regardless of if they're 4, 6, 10 or 12.

Will you have the same attitude when your child is a couple of months short of the legal drinking age? If you think your kids don't notice when you lie, even if not in front of them, you may be surprised someday. I hope they grow up understanding the importance of honesty.

 

[Ursula's Apprentice]

I'd also like to point out, FWIW, that this works in both directions. It's not always going to be that the younger kids have to watch the older kids getting to do everything and always being left out. During our last WDW trip in October, with our five young children, our daughter had grown just to the point where she was past the height limit for the kiddie attractions at Typhoon Lagoon. During the day we were there, while her younger brothers were enjoying all of the Ketchakiddee Creek attractions, she was told by cast members that she couldn't do them. She was rather upset at the time, but she got over it.

Later, she got the opportunity to go experience the big wave pool, while some of her younger siblings, who were not as big and could not swim, were not able to do so. They didn't like it that she got to go do something they didn't but, again, they got over it.

If you're at a place like WDW and you have multiple children, there are always going to be things that one can do that another can't. That's just the way it works. But the awesome thing about WDW is that there are tons of things everyone will get to do. We just make sure our kids understand the reasons that they can do some things and not others, and try our best to allow time for each to get to experience some of the things unique to their age, height, etc. along with time for all of us to do the things we can do together. I just don't see the problem with that.

I agree with it being the other way around. It irritates me that I can't do BBB. Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I don't want to be a princess gosh dangit! I do understand Disney's policy on being confused for a CM tho, so there is that. It's still a bit of a sore spot.

 

[starjazz]

Will you have the same attitude when your child is a couple of months short of the legal drinking age? If you think your kids don't notice when you lie, even if not in front of them, you may be surprised someday. I hope they grow up understanding the importance of honesty.

I probably will be, to be honest. I think the legal drinking age is rather arbitrary and a bit silly too, to be honest. I very well may allow some wine with dinner when the kid is 20 if they're mature and responsible adults.

That said, I also hope they understand the importance of honesty. I don't particularly think this is much more than a little white lie, and I don't place a huge significance on it. I think there's lessons about honesty either way, much like a previous poster described - its not such a simple "do it or don't" topic, in my mind.

But, as always, I'm flattered by your concern for my kids and they're development.

 

[Aurora0427]

I just think being worried about your child missing out on JTA and feeling left out at the age of 3 is beyond silly. There's lots of things in life where you have to be a certain age or height to do them. Disney isn't going anywhere, and given the success of TFA, neither is JTA.

 

[starjazz]

Disney isn't going anywhere, and given the success of TFA, neither is JTA.

Disney may not be going anywhere, but not everyone has unlimited resources to get there.

 

[Magpie]

My mother used to lie to get me into the planetarium at our local museum. For whatever reason, they had an age restriction of six. But it was my favourite show when I was 3. I would sit through the whole thing, quiet as a mouse, with my eyes glued to the ceiling. I can actually still remember some of the voice over and the way the constellations would spin around.

It's a warm memory, and to this day I absolutely LOVE anything to do with astronomy. Nothing makes me happier than putting on TED talks about space, and I think it has a lot to do with those early trips to the museum with my mum.

Oh, and my mum did get asked several times, by suspicious staff, if I was REALLY six. To which she'd just say, "Of course she is. I should know. I'm her mother, aren't I?"

Would I personally make an exception in the case of the JTA? Probably not... space is limited, my kid would be taking away a chance to do the show from another kid who actually WAS old enough, and it's not exactly a planetarium. But other people might weight that decision differently. Regardless, I don't think this is the make-or-break moment of anyone's parenting career, where if you choose rightly your child grows up to be morally upstanding and honest and if you choose wrongly your child turns out a morally bankrupt liar.

In my case, my mother lying about my age didn't turn me into unrepentant liar. It just made me love science.

 

[starjazz]

My mother used to lie to get me into the planetarium at our local museum. For whatever reason, they had an age restriction of six. But it was my favourite show when I was 3. I would sit through the whole thing, quiet as a mouse, with my eyes glued to the ceiling. I can actually still remember some of the voice over and the way the constellations would spin around.

It's a warm memory, and to this day I absolutely LOVE anything to do with astronomy. Nothing makes me happier than putting on TED talks about space, and I think it has a lot to do with those early trips to the museum with my mum.

Oh, and my mum did get asked several times, by suspicious staff, if I was REALLY six. To which she'd just say, "Of course she is. I should know. I'm her mother, aren't I?"

Would I personally make an exception in the case of the JTA? Probably not... space is limited, my kid would be taking away a chance to do the show from another kid who actually WAS old enough, and it's not exactly a planetarium. But other people might weight that decision differently. Regardless, I don't think this is the make-or-break moment of anyone's parenting career, where if you choose rightly your child grows up to be morally upstanding and honest and if you choose wrongly your child turns out a morally bankrupt liar.

In my case, my mother lying about my age didn't turn me into unrepentant liar. It just made me love science.

Thanks for sharing that - I completely agree. And, to be honest, I hadn't considered the fact that another legit kid might get passed because of me cheating the system a smidge. Had I considered that, I may be a bit more unlikely to try it - tough to say on that one. If I'm in the moment, I'm guessing my concern for my youngest might cloud my ability to consider the other kid who got to the sign up a little too late. And I'd likely still sleep at night. But, as many seem to think, I'm probably just a cold-hearted, lying, cheating, selfish no-goodnick anywho, so what do I got to lose, eh?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Disney may not be going anywhere, but not everyone has unlimited resources to get there.

This is why many guidebooks recommend basing when you go on the ages and heights of your children if the trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime or a rare thing. They don't say "well, your budget constraints are more special than the rules of the operator, go for it!"

 

[hiroMYhero]

@starjazz - You've confirmed that you wouldn't train a child to lie and that is what the OP needs to know - the child is asked to state their age.

The Jedi Training Operations CMs are supposed to do their job and ask the kids to state their age. If the age stated isn't within the specified age range, the child will not be signed up by the CM.

When underage children make it to the stage, Padawans ask them their age and by then, the kids have forgotten they were to lie. Everything gets reported to Management and back to the Operations CMs. That's why CMs ask the child to state their age rather than ask an unrepentant, lying parent.

 

[starjazz]

This is why many guidebooks recommend basing when you go on the ages and heights of your children if the trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime or a rare thing. They don't say "well, your budget constraints are more special than the rules of the operator, go for it!"

You should write one of those, since you're so knowledgeable. Glad things have worked out for you!

 

[starjazz]

@hiroMYhero - LOL, totally true. The OP, I'm sure, could not care about pages 2-6 of this thread. At this point its just for the popcorn eaters!

 

[Ava]

Plan better, IMO. If I, a mother of an "only" (and due to mystifying secondary infertility it's heartbreaking that we only have the one, though he's darned awesome), plan a trip so he is 20 days too young for something, that's on me. I should have planned better.

That's not always possible. We're planning our next trip to celebrate my girls' 8th and 4th birthdays. Their actual birthdays are April 30th (8yo) and May 9th (4yo), but the trip has to be April 23-29 because that's when my older DD's spring break from school is. I'm all for following rules but I'm also not going to tell my younger child, who in her mind is celebrating her 4th birthday on the trip, that she can't do something because the specific date of her birth is not for another 10 days. Some restrictions are important for safety, like height restrictions on rides, and others are arbitrary. Another 10 days of life is not going to make a child instantly more mature and capable of following directions.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

TOTT age is minimum 4 and maximum 12. If they find out during the questioning session that a kid is younger than 4 or older than 12, they won't allow them to participate. Do with that what you will (people will anyway).

 

[AZMermaid]

That's not always possible. We're planning our next trip to celebrate my girls' 8th and 4th birthdays. Their actual birthdays are April 30th (8yo) and May 9th (4yo), but the trip has to be April 23-29 because that's when my older DD's spring break from school is. I'm all for following rules but I'm also not going to tell my younger child, who in her mind is celebrating her 4th birthday on the trip, that she can't do something because the specific date of her birth is not for another 10 days. Some restrictions are important for safety, like height restrictions on rides, and others are arbitrary. Another 10 days of life is not going to make a child instantly more mature and capable of following directions.

You are right. It really doesn't. But the way things are, you can tell your child to lie, lie to her about when her birthday is (my daughter turns 4 next week. I could totally get away with this with her), have her sit out or wait till summer. We get out of school like roughly May 25th, but our spring break starts March 7. I'm guessing by your break you get out later than we do, so its even further from their birthdays. They will ask her how old she is.

 

[mefordis]

I'll just say right now that if my child is close to 4, and her older sibling gets to do something like JTA, and she desperately wanted to but was left out over a couple of months, I'd full on lie about her age so she could participate. I'm not gonna lie about my lying. ;-)

At least you are honest about lying. There are people who will berate you while they have admittedly lied about this or that on their very own trip reports! LOL!! Not that I even care, but c'mon!

 

[mymartianromance]

4-12 years old.

Dang it, I'm about 6 years too old. WDW, can't we just break my heart with height restrictions instead? At least then I'll get to feel like I'm not an ant in this world.

 

[KathyTX]

Okay, the actual age requirements have clearly been addressed. As this has now devolved into arguments about whether it's okay to lie to circumvent those requirements, it has no trip planning value. Consult your conscience or your therapist or your clergy to help resolve this ethical dilemma.

Thread closed.