Should some attractions have a MAXIMUM age

[bethbuchall]

Originally posted by dejr_8
Yes there are trade-offs in life. Sometimes you might be too old to ride a certain ride because it is directed at a younger audience.

But I don't think that the rides were definitely directed at a younger audience. Disney designs rides that people of all ages can enjoy. Yes, there are some rides that for safety reasons a person must be a certain height to ride. Yes, some rides are too intense for certain people. Rides such as Dumbo were not designed for children only. If they were designing it solely for the pleasure of children, they could have made it smaller like many attractions at other amusement parks. If Disney felt that adults should not be visiting the barber shop, they would not have a price for an adult cut. Disney is designed for the enjoyment of all.

No one is depriving a child the chance to ride these rides. They may need to wait a bit longer if adults ride, too, but an adult is not taking away from a child.

In your scenario, when is a child no longer a child?

 

[babar41]

Originally posted by dejr_8
First I am not suggesting that kids ride alone.

A sign like - No Adults unless accompanied by a Child would work.

Second I would add an upper age say 55 (or 60) when you could ride alone again.

And to all those that say they should be able to ride every ride in the park I ask you what about the rides that kids can't do because they aren't tall enough?

Yes Disney is a very special place and I enjoy it very much. And I DO GET IT that's why we have gone nine times in the last two years. But Disney is not only about being a special place for you and you alone it is about sharing the special experience with everyone that is present.

I think that is why people tend to be more pleasent, more friendly and more cordial at Disney than in regular life or at other vacation spots.

Thus if not riding a certain attraction denies me some enjoyment I will receive joy by watching the wonderful experience that a child gets instead of me.

Don't you just love seeing kids (not even yours) experiencing the magic of Disney for the first time?

I am really shocked! " No adults unless accompanied by a child"??? At Disney aren't we all children? Doesn't Disney call to the child in all of us? Isn't that why we visit as frequently as we can?

I can understand your frustration with having to wait in lines. But to blame it on the adults who want to ride the ride... Really now, why don't you blame it on Disney for having such a wonderful place that other people want to see.

"...what about the rides kids can't do because they aren't tall enough?" There are safety issues here. Kids are not being refused access to a ride because they are kids, they are being refused access because they aren't tall enough to ride the rides safely. You aren't suggesting to limit rides because it is unsafe for an adult to ride.

You suggest that as an adult I should not ride rides that I might enjoy and instead get enjoyment from watching children ride rides. I have to admit I do get enjoyment watching children of all ages ride the rides. Part of my enjoyment of going to WDW is the people watching. To see someone, if they are 8 or 82, have their eyes light up with awe and joy... it is a wonderful thing. But, I don't go to Disney to live vicariously. And I doubt you do either.

Since you are not going to be able to talk any of us "kids at heart" into foregoing our pleasures of Dumbo, Peter Pan, or any of the rest, might I suggest you might want to look into early openings, Fast Passes, or visiting the parks during the slower seasons. You will still have adults without children riding the rides (as a matter of fact my DH and myself will be there) but the lines should be shorter for you. I know you think you "DO GET IT", but I don't think you really do. I wish you the magic of Disney.

 

[MartDM]

dejr_8-

I think your idea about a kid's only barber has some validity. Have you made that suggestion to Disney?

However, with regard to your age limit idea, I'm also opposed. As everyone else has stated, we all pay our admission and all should be entitled to experience what the park has to offer. I'm sorry but watching your kids have a good time isn't my idea of a fun time at Disney (nothing against you & your kids but I'm not paying to watch *you* have a good time, I'm paying to have my own good time). Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to enjoy the attractions.

You cite the height limitations on some rides the prohibit kids from riding as an example akin to your argument. Those restrictions are for safety purposes, not to be age exclusionary. Some kids just aren't big enough to safely experience an attraction and so they can't ride. It's hardly the same thing.

I know it can be frustrating to deal with crowds & miss out on some things you want to do but, as a previous poster stated, planning is key. You need to decide what's really important and plan your trip accordingly. Travel during the off season to beat crowds, be first in line at the barber shop if your heart will be broken over a missed haircut. Expecting others to be limited in order to accomodate you & your kids is unreasonable.

 

[Chuck S]

Hmmm...since at least half of the groups that I see at Disney have no "children" in the group, and what the original poster suggests is limiting those groups to "certain rides"...which would, in effect, encourage those groups to spend less time and $$$ in Disney parks, but yet charge them more $$$ than a "childs" ticket...how long does the OP think the parks would remain profitable if approximately half the annual crowd suddenly stopped attending the parks?

What about when school is in session, do enough kids attend during that time to warrant keeping the parks open? Those "kiddie" rides seem pretty busy then, too, and there's no kids on them.

And don't forget that some of those kids that the OP wants to limit the rides to pay NO admission at all because they are too young.

 

[luvmk]

I think disney has done what they can by offering early entry and fast pass. Everyone has to wait, that's part of being at disney.

I just can just hear it now. The commercial that says "Come share in the magic." Then you have the fast talking disclaimer guy at the end saying, "The magic may not be available to all age groups or those without small children."


Rachel

 

[nmudisneyfan]

I agree with everyone else. Disney was designed for children of all ages.
The idea to have an age limit is ridiculous. If you pay admission then you are entitled to all of the rides that Disney has to offer you.
It's sad to see that people today are so impatient and can't wait their turn. I'm 22 years old and if I want to ride Peter Pan or Small World, then admission has been paid, and I get my chance to go. I'll wait in the line for my turn to come up, ride the ride, and enjoy every minute of it.
You can make waiting in line fun by playing games like "I Spy" or "20 Questions." Heck you can even talk to your family about what to do next or about how to vacation is going so far.
Disney will never change their ride policies, because that would lose them a lot of money. So many people come without their children, like for instances my parents, that with them no longer coming Disney would severly suffer.

 

[DisFam95]

I know were all supposed to be positive on this board but quite frankly this is plain STUPID!!!

It seems you're the only person that supports this bad idea. You telling me I can't ride my favorite rides if I don't have kids. There are height restrictions because of safety issues .

WDW is one of the top Honeymoon destinations in the world and we rode EVERYTHING!!

 

[Pinnie]

WDW is for everyone. My DSs are now grown and DH and I go by ourselves and still ride Dumbo, Peter Pan, etc. and remember the times we rode with our kids. The memories are bittersweet and I would hate to find out that I would be no longer able to relive some of them due to what the OP would like to see implemented. What next? Shall we close the MK to families with childern under the age of 10 after 6:00 pm. so the ADULTS can ride without kids? Sheesh!

pinnie

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Gee. I'm 28, have no children and I love Dumbo, Peter Pan and my dream is to one day have amy hair trimmed at the Barber Shop on Main street.

I'm sorry that children have to wait, but so does everyone else. I waited in line for these things when I went as a child and it didn't ruin the magic for me.

I think that if Disney ever put a maximum age on anything at any of it's parks, I'd probably stop going.

At WDW we're all kids again.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by Pinnie
What next? Shall we close the MK to families with childern under the age of 10 after 6:00 pm. so the ADULTS can ride without kids?

Or what about having a sign that says "this ride is not intended to be ridden by small children that will not remember it anyways". They certainly make up a great deal of guests It would make the lines shorter for those us with older kids or no kids that want to get through a line faster!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by MartDM
You cite the height limitations on some rides the prohibit kids from riding as an example akin to your argument. Those restrictions are for safety purposes, not to be age exclusionary. Some kids just aren't big enough to safely experience an attraction and so they can't ride. It's hardly the same thing.

Likewise, if I were to travel with my 87 year old grandmother, I'm sure she would prefer the kiddie rides to the "adult" rides for safety reasons.

Should I tell her she can't ride Dumbo because she's an adult?


To the OP - I'm sorry if you experienced a lot of crowds. I have been to WDW numerous times and even during peak times, have never had a serious problem with waiting in lines. I use Fastpass when I can, and try to travel in the off season. Maybe you should consider doing this next time you travel.

If you have been traveling during low attendance periods and still had these problems, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I think someone 143-years-old should avoid Space Mountain, UNLESS they are in good health.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by RickinNYC
No apologies. I find this line of questioning offensive. It reminds me of a time, several years back, when my partner and I were in line for Peter Pan. He had never been to WDW by that time and admitted he was a tad embarrassed to be in line for a ride that was, in his mind, clearly for the littlest of kids. I just smiled, I understood. I told him once he rode it, he would understand. We chatted and his embarrassment eased to the point of melting away.

Well, an older woman who was in line immediately behind us had apparently been eavesdropping and felt she had to interject. And mightily she did! She had such a look of disdain and anger, spouting off that this ride, like most others in ALL of Disney World, was for children. Then she prattled on about how lines wouldn't be so long if adults would only realize that.

I should note that she was about 60+, and with what I assume were her grandchildren.

Anyway, I likely would have just written her off, but that look of disgust was too much to handle. I exchanged that look of disgust with one of abject pity. And then I launched in and said (paraphrasing here), "It's a shame you feel that way. When Walt Disney built Disneyland, he intended it to be for children of all ages, from the littlest to the oldest. We're all kids at heart. If you don't or won't realize that, perhaps you should you should reconsider your priorities."

I thought that'd be enough for her but her voice went up a couple of octaves, literally screaming some invectives about immature adults.

I calmly said to her, "You should be ashamed of yourself. You're an embarrassment to yourself, to your grandchildren/kids, me and just about everyone else. One last bit of advice... mind your own business. NOW."

I was completely taken aback when she grabbed those poor kids and dragged them away! Those little guys just wanted to have fun but because this bitter, dried up, self involved, disgusting excuse for a human being realized that she was making a fool of herself, they lost that opportunity.

I am happy to say that there was a light scattering of applause by the way.

Anyway, I do NOT equate the original poster of this thread to that old, wretched excuse in any way. It just brought back such an ugly memory.

So NO, NO, NO! To put a maximum age on such classics is offensive. Who is anyone to say what I can or can't do simply because they are unable to recapture their own youth?

If not that, let's put it down to economics. I paid for my ticket, which includes use of and participation in attractions and character meet and greets.

Bravo!!!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by dejr_8
Thus if not riding a certain attraction denies me some enjoyment I will receive joy by watching the wonderful experience that a child gets instead of me.

Don't you just love seeing kids (not even yours) experiencing the magic of Disney for the first time?

Hmmmm....I don't know if you are aware of this, but Disney will not deny anyone the chance to ride any ride. No matter how long the line is, as long as you get in line before the park closes, you get to ride.

MHO, I think you just don't like waiting in lines and quite frankly, I think you just like to complain.

By the way, if you think people who are disagreeing with you are just selfish meanies here's a story from my last trip.

When I was there in Feb. my BF and I were in line for Thunder Mountain for 20 minutes and we had a little girl in line behind us who keps saying how excited she was that she was finally tall enough to ride.

When we got up to the train, we wound up in the very front seat behin the engine. We asked the little girl if she'd like switch with us so she could be in the very front and "drive" the train and the look of absolute joy on her face will stay with us always.

 

[chyam]

Wow.........I saw when this thread started and thought what a waste of time and space, little did I know it would become such a hot topic! My first thought was..........if they don't allow adults to ride, can a child of 3.4 or even 5 ride Dumbo or Peter Pan alone, I wouldn't allow a child to sit in Dumbo and ride alone, but if adults can't ride then I guess I would have to........I love to ride the carosel, I am an adult and I don't think Disney would have made the horses so big for just children. Disney is for everyone and whether you are 2 or 100 it is for everyone to get the same enjoyment and for some to relive their childhoods and forget about the stresses of adult life for a few hours. I get to Disney alot since I live so close and I see more and more childless adults there. It is the magic that makes us want to go. I often wondered why people came toting a baby, thinking that baby has got to be a hassle and is getting nothing out of being carted through the parks, but then I realized it was probably a trip more for the parents. So let us all be children even if it is for a few hours.........live and let live!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I ride the Fantasyland rides at least twice each trip. My son(13) and I get to the parks early and take advantage of fastpass. We only do FL early in the morning or late at night.

I was 33 when I took my first trip to WDW. I had as much fun riding Dumbo as I did riding Splash mountain.

If there were an age limit on the rides, do you think there should be an age limit on character meals? Should adults, older kids and teens be banned from interacting with the characters? What about watching parades? Should adults and families with older children be restricted from prime viewing spots?

 

[simzac]

I totally love this thread. While in NASCAR a Jr. fan can rule the roost, in the world of Disney, they have no power at all. Not a single reply agreed with the OP at this point in the thread. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney 8 fan. LOL

 

[DiznEeyore]

Originally posted by luvmk
I just can just hear it now. The commercial that says "Come share in the magic." Then you have the fast talking disclaimer guy at the end saying, "The magic may not be available to all age groups or those without small children."

Rachel, you about made me spit Coke all over my computer screen! Too funny!!!!

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

WDW is for everyone - this will be our 5th trip - but the first one with a child in tow!!!! On my first visit I rode EVERYTHING I fancied (didn't do Space Mountain - not my scene!) and felt like a child again. I ALWAYS wanted to go to Disney as a child - but we were VERY short on money and I had to wait until I was 28 - so I just behaved as though the 'Twenty' bit didn't exist!!!!!!

I have to say though that, whilst I understand the 'safety' issue with most height restrictions, i'm not looking forward to telling my 43 1/2" tall daughter that she cant't go to see the new Stitch Ride!!!! Surely some flexibility should apply if there's no danger of the child falling off the ride (as with Space Mountain etc). In the case of Stitch it seems it's because they won't get all the special effects - well wow - my DD would just love to sit and watch waht's going on!!!!!

 

[senecabeach]

Absolutely NOT



Its basic Disney 101.........


Walt's Quote:
"Whenever I go on a ride, I'm always thinking of what's wrong with the thing and how it can be improved."


So go tell him .............

Is it really the child who has the wait problem...Hmmmm