Ticket policy?

[BeachClubMember]

Does anyone know how strick the parks are about having a ticket for a 3 year old? My son just turned 3 this weekend and we arrive at WDW in a few weeks. Can I get away with not purchasing a park pass for him this time around? How will they actually know or even question his age? I can just say he turns 3 in a week and save some serious $$ right? :shrug:

 

[wannab@dis]

Let me first say that it's none of my business whether you buy a ticket for your child or not, so I'm not being judgemental at all.

I'm honestly interested in the rationale that the OP and others have posted when this topic has come up. The "I've given Disney so much money, I'm entitled to....." argument. You also see this in the refillable mug threads..."I spent $3000 on this vacation, Disney can spare a few free drinks for my family"

If you went into Circuit City or Best Buy and spent $5000 on a plasma TV, does that mean that it would be OK for you to pick up a DVD on your way out of the store and put it in your pocket?

Again, I'm not judging/accusing/lecturing. Don't really care about the ticket. I'm just trying to start an interesting discussion, on how the first scenario is different from the second.

There is absolutely no difference. In fact, it's fairly clear the OP knows it... just look at their post.

... how strick (sic) the parks are...

Can I get away with...

How will they actually know...

I can just say...

It's amazing (well, not really, when you look at our current society) how easy some are rationalizing the actions. Actually, it's quite sad.

 

[PintoColvig]

Well, I was going to start a thread on a similar topic but saw this one so I'll ask it here...

I think I found a place near Adventureland (between JC and PotC) where I can sneak into the MK. Does anyone know if there are security cameras back there? If I can do this, I can save some serious $$. Besides Disney already has plenty of money, my money. In fact, if they hadn't taken so much of my money already I would have enough money to actually buy a ticket from them. Now before you flame me, remember that one extra person in the park is not that big of a deal. It's not like I'm stealing a plush toy or something. Just wondering. Now, I gotta get back to running that tv cable from my neighbor's house. :lookaroun

 

[shoppingnut]

Disney's policy on any given thing is wishy-washy at best.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Are you seriously comparing getting a free cup of coffee offered by a cast member to not buying park tickets for a child who is required by disney policy to have one? :veryconfu

I don't take much of anything in this thread seriously, but I was trying to give an example of how the people who actually work at Disney are in a better position to tell the OP "how strict Disney's policy is" about tickets for almost two year olds or using refillable mugs or pool hopping or any other number of things that get debated on this forum. . . than are the people who post here who don't work for Disney.

I hope that helps unconfuse you.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Disney's policy on any given thing is wishy-washy at best.

So if I dont pay my DVC dues, Disney will be ok with that.....Thats good info to know.

 

[NewfieFan]

Well, I was going to start a thread on a similar topic but saw this one so I'll ask it here...

I think I found a place near Adventureland (between JC and PotC) where I can sneak into the MK. Does anyone know if there are security cameras back there? If I can do this, I can save some serious $$. Besides Disney already has plenty of money, my money. In fact, if they hadn't taken so much of my money already I would have enough money to actually buy a ticket from them. Now before you flame me, remember that one extra person in the park is not that big of a deal. It's not like I'm stealing a plush toy or something. Just wondering. Now, I gotta get back to running that tv cable from my neighbor's house. :lookaroun

Best post ever!!!:sohappy:

The fact of the matter is - is it is dishonest. Trying to convince yourself that it isn't or trying to justify the matter doesn't change the fact that's it's dishonest! I'm not judging your decision or telling you what to do. I feel honesty is the only way to go in every situation in life. I think the fact you asked this question in the first place is b/c you know it's wrong and you're looking for people who will side with you or tell you it's ok. Again, this is fine what ever makes you feel better in the end. Just remember you have to live with your conscience not us...

 

[Lindsy1052]

Does anyone know how strick the parks are about having a ticket for a 3 year old? My son just turned 3 this weekend and we arrive at WDW in a few weeks. Can I get away with not purchasing a park pass for him this time around? How will they actually know or even question his age? I can just say he turns 3 in a week and save some serious $$ right? :shrug:

Some of the responses hit the nail on the head. You are teaching your child to lie. Is it really worth the price of a ticket?? Depending on the size of the child, they may or may not ask how old the child is. They will not however, argue with you about it. There are some that are very young at 3 and some act much older. Some kids will hear the question and pipe up themselves.."I'm 3 years old"..so be aware. I worked for Disney for 9 1/2 years and the only argument I ever had with them was over charging handicapped children full price to go into the parks when obviously they cannot go on many of the attractions. But that's another arguement. Do what you feel is right?? Personally, I fought for years to have the age limit removed and have it done by height. You have kids that are 5 and too small to go on many of the rides. So there are many things to be argued...

 

[tkldisney]

I have to agree, it would be lying. If you tell you child to say their two, then your saying it's ok to lie. Personally, I'd buy a tkt. but you have to do what you feel is right.

 

[shoppingnut]

So if I dont pay my DVC dues, Disney will be ok with that.....Thats good info to know.

:fork:

Off hand I can say some of the wish washy things: smoking, heely's, and reuse of refillable mugs to name a few. It seems like any policy that requires a CM to possibly have a confrontation with a guest is not strictly enforced.

 

[MichWolv]

I would never even consider not buying my three year old a ticket, but I guess everyone is different. I have a hard time with people who think the rules do not apply to them. Funny thing is....I will probably be the one to get flamed for saying that! Always seems like the honest people and rule followers take the most heat.

Glad to see we haven't flamed the OP for this question. We have flamed others for much less.

I shall attempt to avoid flaming as well, but I'll warn ahead of time that I was responsible for writing and enforcing ethics rules in my field for 5 years.

Not paying for a 3-year-old is a clear violation of a policy. No question about it. So, it seems to me that not paying for a three-year-old takes a rationalization that includes something along the lines of "I don't have to follow the policy because it is dumb/not fair." And while going from $0 to $65 for a day at Disney is one day does sound punative, do we each get to pick a Disney policy to ignore? Perhaps somebody doesn't like the "no smoking" policy and lights up in a fairly empty part of World Showcase. Another person doesn't like the handicapped parking policy, and parks in those spots despite not having any kind of disability. And another finds it unreasonable to pay $11 for parking, and waves an old WDW room key at the guard, trusting he/she won't look too closely at it before waving them through.

None of these transgressions seems dangerous, or violent, or much of an imposition on others. And you could probably get away with all of them with little or no consequences.

The OP didn't ask whether it was right or wrong,. So my answer to the OP is that, yes, you will easily be able to get by. Nobody ever asked me how old my child was when we went before he needed a ticket, and I once got a surprised CM when I actually had a ticket for him at the age of three (apparently, the CM thought he was only 2). You will be unlikely to face any penalty from Disney for this, and I suspect you will not be the only ones in the parks that day that have an undocumented 3-year-old.

But the fact that it can be done without consequence doesn't mean it should be done.

 

[MichWolv]

I have to agree, it would be lying. If you tell you child to say their two, then your saying it's ok to lie. Personally, I'd buy a tkt. but you have to do what you feel is right.

Forgive a humorous digression, but it fits here. My son is borderline autistic (actually hyperlexic, for those who are acutely aware of this stuff), and is very slow to pick up on conversation. When he was 2, he could speak ok, but couldn't process fast enough to answer questions. People would always ask him his name and how old he was, and he would smile but not answer. So we taught him, "When someone asks you what your name is, you say "Aaron", and when some asks how old you are, you say "2". Providing him with a script was (and still is) the best way to explain to him how to answer questions.

So we're at WDW while he is 2, and a guest asks him on the monorail, "How old are you?". He responds "When someone asks how old are you, you say 2." At this point, we are absolutely convinced that a CM will ask him, get that same response, and think we coached him to lie! Didn't happen, but we were worried.

 

[amykissangel]

I'm glad the OP asked this question; I certainly didn't want to ask it and incite a war. But on the same note, if someone suspects your child of being over the age of three, what will they do? Will they ask you to step out of line? Do they ask the child how old they are? If they don't believe you, what happens? Do they ask you to go and purchase a ticket for him at the counter and come back? Do they ask you to please not return because you lied?

I'm very interested to know the consequences of "being found out." Someone please fill me in :wave:

Whether it's right or wrong...hey, who'm I to judge? We've had 5 people in the All Star Resorts for over 10 years and never been "found out." Is it right? Nope. Do we still do it? Yep. Anyone who wants to be Judgy-von-Holier-than-Thou (a direct steal from last night's Friends rerun ;~)), you have every right.

 

[Eyorefan]

I'm glad the OP asked this question; I certainly didn't want to ask it and incite a war. But on the same note, if someone suspects your child of being over the age of three, what will they do? Will they ask you to step out of line? Do they ask the child how old they are? If they don't believe you, what happens? Do they ask you to go and purchase a ticket for him at the counter and come back? Do they ask you to please not return because you lied?

I'm very interested to know the consequences of "being found out." Someone please fill me in :wave:

Whether it's right or wrong...hey, who'm I to judge? We've had 5 people in the All Star Resorts for over 10 years and never been "found out." Is it right? Nope. Do we still do it? Yep. Anyone who wants to be Judgy-von-Holier-than-Thou (a direct steal from last night's Friends rerun ;~)), you have every right.

Well, to kind of answer your question I can tell you what happened to a friend of mine.

Her family was in centeral Florida for a soccer tournament and decided to spend a day at MK. She went to buy tickets with her twins who were 2 at the time, but they were, and still are, very tall for their age. She was questioned about their age when she bought the tickets and the CM didn't believe that they were, in fact two. The CM asked the girls how old they were and the were shy and didn't answer. The CM gave them a hard time about it for little bit longer, but when she kept insiting that they were in fact two, they were allowed to go on. When they were entering the gate, the CM asked for the girls' passes and when my friend told them that the twins were two, the CM gave a sarstic "yeah right", but let them in.

 

[coasterphil]

If the CM asks the parent how old the child is and they respond with anything under 3, then they should be let in and the questioning should stop. Anything other than that and the CM is pretty much doing their own detective work instead of following the normal course of action. You might get a bit of a look from a CM if it looks sketchy, but you shouldn't have to put up a fight.

 

[MichWolv]

If the CM asks the parent how old the child is and they respond with anything under 3, then they should be let in and the questioning should stop. Anything other than that and the CM is pretty much doing their own detective work instead of following the normal course of action. You might get a bit of a look from a CM if it looks sketchy, but you shouldn't have to put up a fight.

I agree. While I don't think guests should violate the policy, I also object to a CM essentially calling a guest a liar with no evidence beyond the fact that a kid looks like he/she might be 3 as opposed to 2.

 

[coasterphil]

I agree. While I don't think guests should violate the policy, I also object to a CM essentially calling a guest a liar with no evidence beyond the fact that a kid looks like he/she might be 3 as opposed to 2.

Which is why CMs are supposed to drop the issue immediately when the parent says that they are under 3. No guest likes to be thought of as a liar; nothing magical about that.