Changes coming to minimum age requirement for park entry

[Shadowgate]

I think this is "generally" a good idea but enforcement will be difficult. There are 10 year olds that look like they are in their teens and vice versa teens that look like they are ten. I personally could not see letting our daughter roam the parks even with a friend or friends until she is a teen and even then I would need to know I could get in contact with her on a cell phone to check in with her.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

My problem with the new policy is lack of notice. I am taking a group of 100 middle schoolers next week. This new policy changes the way my group will enter the park. I have received no notice from Disney -Instead I find the info here, only a few days before we are to arrive.

When I went to Hershey in middle school, the school required that we all have chaperones...it worked out fine; it was about 1 chaperone for every 1-6 kids, depending on how we divided ourselves. Even when my high school goes to Disney, the students can separate, but a chaperone has to see them in, and it's about one chaperone for every 4 kids.

 

[Hakunamatata]

This is nothing but an invisible leash for kids...........

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I think this is "generally" a good idea but enforcement will be difficult. There are 10 year olds that look like they are in their teens and vice versa teens that look like they are ten. I personally could not see letting our daughter roam the parks even with a friend or friends until she is a teen and even then I would need to know I could get in contact with her on a cell phone to check in with her.

The other problem is misjudging adults. When I was 12, I was really mature for my age and dressed and acted like I was between 14 and 16, so people thought I was older. Then last year, I was at an Orioles game and they were giving away free hats, but you had to be 15. I'm 17, and the person handing it out asks me, "Are you old enough?" I asked her if she wanted to see my driver's license. Then a few weeks ago, I got carded at Five Below for $2.50 worth of candy because the counter girl didn't think I was old enough to have a credit card. If I'm at the mall or someplace, I carry my car keys in my hand while going in, not just because if I punched someone with them, it could do a lot of damage, but just so they know how old I am. Next time I fly, I'm probably going to surprise the security guard because I'll be required to have out my ID...

 

[disneyeater]

The other problem is misjudging adults. When I was 12, I was really mature for my age and dressed and acted like I was between 14 and 16, so people thought I was older. Then last year, I was at an Orioles game and they were giving away free hats, but you had to be 15. I'm 17, and the person handing it out asks me, "Are you old enough?" I asked her if she wanted to see my driver's license. Then a few weeks ago, I got carded at Five Below for $2.50 worth of candy because the counter girl didn't think I was old enough to have a credit card. If I'm at the mall or someplace, I carry my car keys in my hand while going in, not just because if I punched someone with them, it could do a lot of damage, but just so they know how old I am. Next time I fly, I'm probably going to surprise the security guard because I'll be required to have out my ID...

My wife would empathize with you. She is 30 and just last week was mistaken for a middle school student.....again.

 

[Master Yoda]

My wife would empathize with you. She is 30 and just last week was mistaken for a middle school student.....again.

I doubt she will complain when she gets carded at her retirement dinner.

 

[R W B]

My problem with the new policy is lack of notice. I am taking a group of 100 middle schoolers next week. This new policy changes the way my group will enter the park. I have received no notice from Disney -Instead I find the info here, only a few days before we are to arrive.

I'm pretty sure the article said it goes into affect on March 23rd. If your arriving in a few days, this should not interfere with your trip.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

My wife would empathize with you. She is 30 and just last week was mistaken for a middle school student.....again.

Ah, those of us with the baby face. Just tell her when she's 40, she'll look like she's younger and will like it. That's what I keep telling my one friend who's younger than me, but likes to go tanning and wear too much makeup to make herself look older. "Yup, when I'm 35 and you're 32 and I look 30 and you look 40, those will be the good days. And I will laugh." I wear no makeup, so it doesn't exactly, help, but I've never felt the need.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

My wife would empathize with you. She is 30 and just last week was mistaken for a middle school student.....again.

My mom's really short friend once got mistaken for an elementary schooler. She was in the elementary school for one of her kids and the principal was about to tell her to get back to class before noticing the purse and the car keys.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It is a strange rule, so I can understand why you missed it or it didn't register - "Starting March 23 2013, guests under age 14 will need to be accompanied by a guest age 14 or older."

I could see my daugther at 12 being accompanied by my son 14 and the 12 year old being much more mature. I don't remember ever being in the parks without my parents or someone else's parents before HS. However, I know once my sister and I were maybe 12 or so, we ran all over the parks and just met my parents at designated times (for all the young folk out there, we used these things called "wristwatches").

I see what your saying, but it is a different world now and I understand why they wouldn't want anyone under 14 to be running around with out supervision. What I don't understand is what kind of time bomb that the are cultivating by having two 14 year olds go around unsupervised. That seems like double the trouble and if a 14 year old is capable of watch someone younger, why would they need someone watching them when they are in the parks? It maybe that I am just reading it incorrectly but my head snapped back when I got to the part that one 14 year old should be in the company of another 14 year old (at least). Wristwatches? How positively ancient!
Could it be for the protection afforded by having a companion and not alone?

In all honesty there should be a minimum age you can be before you enter the parks, and how is an underage parent have the dough to afford to go to WDW?

The Fathers a millionaire in hiding?

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's fine if the 14 year old is a babysitter at someone's home (or at a hotel room; I babysat my brother and a friend's daughter once at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort without issue when I was 14. I took them to the pool, though I made sure the lifeguard was out there). It's not so great if they are responsible for a seven year old in Magic Kingdom. That's just...not smart.

I don't believe that anyone has ever accused the average Disney guest of being smart.

 

[Disvillain63]

My problem with the new policy is lack of notice. I am taking a group of 100 middle schoolers next week. This new policy changes the way my group will enter the park. I have received no notice from Disney -Instead I find the info here, only a few days before we are to arrive.

March 23, 2013 is the start date for the new policy.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm headed to other discussions and then lunch ... but the issue really shouldn't go off to some crazy hillbilly scenario (where's @Lee?) regarding 12 or 13-year-old single mothers wanting to take their babies to WDW.

Focus on what it really is and why ... or you might as well talk about how MAGICal new toilets mean that WDW cares about its parks product in FL.

You really should have gone to lunch first. These people do exist! Is it likely that they would be visiting Disney. Heck, I don't know, it's possible and if you bother to read social news, this situation is not limited to "crazy hillbilly's". However, it was only meant to be a small question, but to me seems to ask more questions then it answers. Truth be known, if a parent allows their 7 year old into a park by themselves, they should be put against a wall and shot. But as you are so fond of saying...that's another thread!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I don't believe that anyone has ever accused the average Disney guest of being smart.

True true...that's why there are rules.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I'm all for this. A lot of parents do not want to parent, so let Disney make them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

March 23, 2013 is the start date for the new policy.

I don't believe it said that you couldn't bring more than one. It just said if they are under 14 they must be accompanied by someone at least 14. Why couldn't there be a 10 to 1 ratio, or whatever one fits the rule. Example: If there were three siblings. One was 10, one was 12 and the other was 14, I'm fairly sure that the 14 year old could accompany the other two and stay with them. I don't think that it is a forced one on one, just a way to make sure that someone older then what they apparently consider mature, was watching out for them.

 

[juniorthomas]

As a Jets fan this may be the post of the year!

No way I was the only one to think that, right? Doesn't he have an ark full of children?

 

[bandman]

Groups this size and age may be one of the problems they are trying to correct. Your students may be well behaved, but when you put kids that age together at a place like Disney, they sometimes really act out to impress each other. I think having to stay with someone 14 and older is a good idea. It doesn't say anything about having to be one on one, so small groups with a 14-year-old in charge will probably be allowed.
I think they should even have a rule where teen groups can only be so large with a specified number of chaperones per group. Might help with the big groups.

I have no issue with the policy, but telling a school group booked since last July just 12 days before we arrive is unacceptable.

 

[flynnibus]

This is all about the COPPA 'problem' ... that is why it is effecting kids under 14. Look at the law ...

How do you get that?

COPPA doesn't let anyone vouch for a child - yet Disney's new policy does. Those ideas are in conflict. You can't say 'you can't have people under 13 due to COPPA unless...' and the unless part doesn't meet COPPA requirements.

Additionally
- COPPA has nothing to do with a child being unsupervised or not so it has zero relevance on a entity's policy on unsupervised minors
- For any online services Disney may have accessible to a minor in the parks - they have their own COPPA policy and controls in place
- For any data collected about minors through Disney's online services - they've already complied with any COPPA requirements when the services were setup.
- COPPA requires PARENTAL consent.. not 'anyone over 14'

This makes zero sense to be related to COPPA. It's not online services (the scope of COPPA), it does not follow COPPA requirements (Parential permission), and not a new avenue related to Disney's data collection.

Now something like a policy saying no one under 13 could buy a ticket - now that could be COPPA required. But if a child is supervised or not by anyone over 14? No way.

Unless Disney are just being complete @$%tards and are throwing the baby out with the bath water.

If this were COPPA required - every entity would have to comply.. not just Disney. You malls, gymboree, etc. And as for RFID or other data collection being what makes Disney unique - those requirements would have already been covered when the services were setup by the parent.

 

[disneyeater]

My mom's really short friend once got mistaken for an elementary schooler. She was in the elementary school for one of her kids and the principal was about to tell her to get back to class before noticing the purse and the car keys.

This also happened to my wife.