Proof of age needed for tours?

[stinkerbelle]

Later on this year I will be traveling with a family member who is just a few months shy of 16...however we plan on doing a few "behind the scenes tours". (Sunset Safari and maybe KTTK tour.)

I'm not asking "is this moral or not" I'm just wondering if she will have to prove that she's 16...

her parents will be with us, and attending these tours as well.

Thanks!

oh - ETA - even if she WAS 16...she wouldn't have a drivers license yet...she doesn't get one until 16.5.

 

[peachgirl]

They told us we would have to show proof of age. I suppose if you didn't have a dl, you'd need a birth certificate or some other form of proof.

They told us no proof of age, no tour. She isn't 16, so it doesn't matter, but at 16 wouldn't you be able to have a permit?

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by peachgirl
They told us we would have to show proof of age. I suppose if you didn't have a dl, you'd need a birth certificate or some other form of proof.

They told us no proof of age, no tour. She isn't 16, so it doesn't matter, but at 16 wouldn't you be able to have a permit?

really? a birth certificate? man...that's not something I'd want to travel with.

do you remember who, specifically, said "no proof of age, no tour"? (I'm not discrediting you...just curious!)

thanks!

oh - and Yes - she's be able to have a permit at 16...but not everyone gets one *the day* they turn 16, you know?

 

[jimmybop]

I believe that on most tours that go backstage, everyone who is attending the tour must present ID before the tour starts

 

[stinkerbelle]

from allearsnet.com:
Be sure to bring Photo ID with you to Tour Check-in!

Ok - so will her school id (if she has one) work?

what do they do if you are 16/17 whatever years old...and don't have a license/photo id? You're just SOL then?

Hmm...come to think of it...what do they do at the airport when you are required to show ID when going through security? What do kids in that age range do?

 

[Disney Debbie]

Originally posted by stinkerbelle
Hmm...come to think of it...what do they do at the airport when you are required to show ID when going through security? What do kids in that age range do?

When we traveled with DD in June 2002 they didn't require an ID for her. They had to have it from all the adults in the party - DH and I. I don't know if that would have been a problem if she "looked" older though!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Yes, there is a difference between a photo ID and a picture ID when you are talking about a teenager. My daughter has a school photo ID, but it does not have her birth date on it.

T&B

 

[stinkerbelle]

so "technically"

if she has a "Photo Id" (like Tigger&Belle said - a school id with just their picture on it and their name)...she will be able to get into this tour?

And really - the age thing - she looks 18/19...not 15...

 

[peachgirl]

Originally posted by stinkerbelle
so "technically"

if she has a "Photo Id" (like Tigger&Belle said - a school id with just their picture on it and their name)...she will be able to get into this tour?

And really - the age thing - she looks 18/19...not 15...

No, she wouldn't. You have to have proof of age that also proves it's you. Two in our group were checked, both in their 20's! They seem to be very picky about this, or at least they were with us. Actually, now that I'm recalling, they required everyone to show ID's and 1 in our group was near 50, so how old you look doesn't help.

We were told this when the tour was booked. The cm was very specific to tell us that we needed proof of age and specifically said what I told you...no proof, no tour.

Copies of birth certificates are pretty easy to come by, I doubt it would even have to be certified. I doubt this is a problem WDW encounters very often. By the time one is 16 they usually have some form of ID that shows both age and picture. I'm sure WDW can tell you what ID you'd need, but as I said she isn't 16 so it really doesn't matter.

I'm afraid there's no getting around this one, you simply have to be 16 and be able to prove it or you can't take the tour.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by stinkerbelle
so "technically"

if she has a "Photo Id" (like Tigger&Belle said - a school id with just their picture on it and their name)...she will be able to get into this tour?

And really - the age thing - she looks 18/19...not 15...

Here's the deal. She will need a valid photo ID with her birthdate on it -- or a certified copy of her birth certificate -- in order to be admitted to the tour. Period. "A couple months shy" of 16 is not 16, and she will not be allowed on. No exceptions. Doesn't matter how old she looks, how tall she is, how mature she acts. Without proof of age, and without having passed her 16th birthday, she won't be going.

Does that clear it up?

 

[Debby7]

In NY , you can go to the Motor Vehicle Department and get an official government photo id at any age. This is what we had for our daughter before she got her driving permit.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Thank you ALL very much...I think I need to show this thread to DH...it's his younger sister in question...he wants her to go on these tours with us.

I just didn't know how it worked showing proof and all...thanks!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I suppose that if they let a 15y9m teen on the tour, they'd then need to let a 15y2m, then a 14y8m, etc, etc. Too bad for the girl who's almost old enough since she would probably be fine, but I guess they have to draw the line somewhere.

T&B

 

[Deb & Bill]

Isn't the age requirement based on their insurance? Just something I had heard.

 

[Banzai]

Permit could be used for ID, and many states make ID cards for teens who do not have a licence.

 

[DisneyMim]

I've been on two tours so far and on both they were very picky(as another poster has already said) about people's ages. Also we had to show our ID a number of times to be allowed "backstage".

 

[Timon@BWV]

We went on a tour at the MK last June and I know you needed to be at least 16, because they said that when I made ressies.

Now when we arrived for the tour, my son and me, they had our name badges ready and never asked us to show anything. My son does not look that old, so I thought they would check. We arrived early so they had time.

 

[jimmybop]

I remember a post that Dan Murphy posted a few months ago (if not longer). He forgot his ID in his hotel room when he went to do a tour, and they made him go back and get it from his room (they had someone drive hime to and from his hotel). After he had it, they let him catch up with the tour (I believe it was the Christmas tour he did)

 

[Calcio]

I see the responses seem to be about 50/50 each way.

In November of 2000 I went on the KTTK tour with my DD, aged 15 years, 10, months, 4 days. Mass driver's licenses were available at 16. 5 then so she wouldn't have had an ID anyway. When we arrived they had badges, etc. ready for us to go. We had a wonderful tour, and as usual when you take a well behaved and mature teen on some event, she was more responsible, better behaved, and more polite than the majority of the "adults." If you think your teen would be interested and appropriately behaved, I'm good with that. You certainly know her better than anyone else.

The age cutoff may be for insurance, but I suspect it's a "behavior test" for backstage areas.

 

[nasmith]

Since 9/11 , WDW has been more diligent in checking IDs on tours---for security AND insurance purposes. If you sign her up for a tour that she is "underage" for -then you run the risk of her not being admitted AND your money NOT being refunded. I suppose you could chance it - but I, personally wouldn't.

As far as the Sunset Safari goes - I read somewhere that children might be allowed on the tour IF the family booking the tour were the only ones on the tour that night (and they had enough people going to run the tour). There is an 8 person limit on this tour, and a minimum of 4 req. to run the tour. I'd ask Concierge if this is true, and feasible. Can't hurt to ask - Since this is booked by AKL Concierge, and NOT WDW Tours - their rules may be different.