Guests under 3: verification?

[TylerDurden]

Even if the kid was clearly 17, it's beyond the control of the ticket-taker. They are not the ones who sell the tickets, therefore it's not technically their problem. Once when I was about 13 maybe my family was going in ahead of me and took my adult ticket and left me with one of my sisters' child tickets. By the time I had gotten up to the gate, they had already started walking (I had a really caring family hahah) and the ticket taker looked at me and asked how old I was. Knowing I had a kid's ticket I said nine. He just kinda looked funny at me and said "pretty big for a nine year old, huh?" then let me through.

Couple things happening here. First of all, he had no problem letting in one of my sisters get through with an adult ticket. The second is I was clearly not nine years old. And I don't know, maybe because I looked like I was alone he just let me through but what can the guy really do about it? Stop the line and go get someone? Then there's an unmanned turnstile and it's a free for all. I guess he could call somebody and resume his job but what does he do with me, let me just hang out and be in the way? And what would stop me from booking it out of there? There's just too much going on to make it the ticket takers' job to spot 'liars'.

Another thing is that it's simply above their pay-grade. Minimum wage hourly workers shouldn't have to spot out ticket fraud. It's not their job to judge families or call anyone out on being dishonest. They don't even have financial stake in it. In the end, the system is about honesty, and Disney relies on that and their guests being good people, which I think is reasonable. The reason the ticket taker probably questioned the woman was because he could get some kind of reward for spotting fakers but again, there's nothing he can really 'do' about it, besides get her to confess. Disney also relies on people being scared that something will happen and that some ingenius system is in place to nab the liars, forcing them to tell the truth.

In any case, this probably rarely happens and at the insane prices they're charging now, did they really lose that much from this kid?

[calsig31]

Calsig I know that....But how do you get confirmation if they sneaked their kid in or not?

Just by looking you can’t tell. However, I have heard some people brag about sneaking in kids up to age six as a child under 3. To me those people are lowlifes who are telling their children that it is ok to steal.

Minimum wage hourly workers shouldn't have to spot out ticket fraud.

That is part of their job. That is why they are having them do ID and photo checks with multi-day tickets. Otherwise they would just waive through anyone, bogus ticket or not.

at the insane prices they're charging now, did they really lose that much from this kid?

Stealing is stealing no matter what the price of the ticket is or how much the company makes off the sale. Apple is making a fortune from iPad sales. Since they really wouldn’t lose much if I just took one does that mean it is ok to just walk into a store and help myself?

[jbean]

I understand your frustration but, I don't think there is any need to call names especially a word like scum.
There is nothing anyone can do. I look at it this way Do you really want to hear the Parents nagging at the CM? Well you "patiently" await for the situation to be resolved. Then the hold up will cause the line to become longer even if there are other Turnstiles open(this the way of thinking of some guests) then the guests will become impatient whilst waiting. Probably complain it's just a whole Domino Effect. I know it's sounds unlikely and all but I've seen this happen. If Disney were to ask for a Document that proves their age wouldn't that take longer? There would have to be a faster way to do this. How about Honesty?I crack myself up sometimes.
Also jbean don't take this as an attack I am just trying to prevent a situation like the one last year about Pin Traders.

Youre right and I shouldn't call people names but being a mom of a 6, 4 & 1.5 yr old, I see a lot of parents whom I think are "bad" parents. This child could of actually been 3 but I wouldn't be surprised if he really wasn't. There are parents out there setting bad examples all the time and it's very disappointing.

[krpink]

I guess the worst part was that the parent was setting such a bad example for their kids. And I understand that some children are larger, as I work with children aged 18 months to 8 years old. This child could not even fit in the stroller. And it was obvious that the parent was lying but the look on their face and their sense of accomplishment when they were allowed in.

As someone who works in child development, its hard to see parents behaving so poorly. I don't want to judge others, but it was just one example of many things I saw that day, including the child being towed by an ECV.

[DLandFansAZ]

I have an idea. whats the reason behind the under 3 gets in free rule ? because most children that age cant go on the rides because of height right ? why charge someone who really wouldn't be able to do anything anyways.. how about they charge by height ? anyone under what ? 36 inches gets in free.. or even smaller... its an even rule easy to enforce.

You know PozEmerald, that is the best idea I have heard. I thought about that before as my two girls (11 and 13) now and both for the first time at that age, which is adult admission, can ride all the rides. But for a couple of years we had to buy them adult admissions but the youngest couldn't participate in many of the attractions because of height.

However, I think Disney looks at it at another level and that is the maturity of enjoyment. And from that stand point I mean that there are many people who are unable to participate because of physical limitations but they too must pay full admission.

And with every problem there is a loop hole. Disney was supposed to be for the enjoyment of everyone regardless of age (or height.) So maybe another way to look at it is that if you are of the height to participate in most things (whether you can or want to) then maybe there should just be an across the board ticket price. When we had APs a few years ago there was no difference between children and adult prices so maybe the main ticket prices could go the same way.

[techskip]

I have an idea. whats the reason behind the under 3 gets in free rule ? because most children that age cant go on the rides because of height right ? why charge someone who really wouldn't be able to do anything anyways.. how about they charge by height ? anyone under what ? 36 inches gets in free.. or even smaller... its an even rule easy to enforce.

While I like the idea in concept, in reality it penalizes taller kids.

What created this phenomenon was higher ticket prices for kids and a minimal gap between kids and adults. It's the Disney mindset that "you're 3 you're free, you're 4 you're $81, you're over 10 you're $87". I'm sorry... it shouldn't be a $6 difference between "child" and "adult". And unfortunately I know Disney's answer would be to raise the adult instead of lowering the child. People lie for a variety of reasons and $81 is plenty of motivation for some.

[Juni]

Knott's has tried height based pricing at least twice that I know of and each time ended up having to switch back to age requirement. I think complaints are much more frequent when pricing is based on height than on age.

Knott?s Returns to Kids? Pricing Based on Age

Knott's Reverses Children's Height Admission Policy : Recreation: Protests sparked by angry mother causes amusement park to return to discounts based on age. - Los Angeles Times

[CanaDuh]

The most important question (re: the honour system) is whether or not parents are teaching their kids ABOUT honour itself. The honourable thing to do is be honest. Period. Whether or not Disney is being ripped off is Disney's business to deal with. Parents have a responsibility and obligation to ensure that they are bringing honourable people into the world, and raising them to make honest choices in all that they do.

We are thrilled to be coming down to Anaheim in a couple of weeks from Vancouver! Not gonna lie: EXPENSIVE TRIP, PEOPLE! For non-California residents that almost never get to experience Disney, imagine shelling out almost $1000 just to walk through the gates with our young family.

Incidentally, by "young", I mean that one of my kids is not yet three years old. He is turning three next week, and the following week we are going to be celebrating his third birthday at Disneyland. I am well aware of the under 3 honour system. Even though my youngest would be free today, yet will cost $240 bucks in 2 weeks, it has never once crossed my mind to simply omit buying him a ticket. And we are scraping for this trip! Honouring the admission price is NOT for Disney's sake, it is because I made a promise to always do right by my children, and teach them to always make the honourable choice. It makes me sad to know that so many parents fail their children in this way.

[techskip]

Knott's has tried height based pricing at least twice that I know of and each time ended up having to switch back to age requirement. I think complaints are much more frequent when pricing is based on height than on age.

Knott?s Returns to Kids? Pricing Based on Age

Knott's Reverses Children's Height Admission Policy : Recreation: Protests sparked by angry mother causes amusement park to return to discounts based on age. - Los Angeles Times

Again doesn't address the motivation behind the deception. It really boils down to sticker shock. Disney goes from "free" to "$83 please" based on a single year. I'm one who feels the entertainment is severely overpriced but the $7 difference between kid and adult highlights that. And it isn't specific to Disney this is industry wide. It's not like you're going to go to the park on vacation and not take the kids (primary market). Just like airlines know you're not going to Hawaii without a packed suitcase!

[techskip]

Incidentally, by "young", I mean that one of my kids is not yet three years old. He is turning three next week, and the following week we are going to be celebrating his third birthday at Disneyland. I am well aware of the under 3 honor system. Even though my youngest would be free today, yet will cost $240 bucks in 2 weeks, it has never once crossed my mind to simply omit buying him a ticket. And we are scraping for this trip! Honoring the admission price is NOT for Disney's sake, it is because I made a promise to always do right by my children, and teach them to always make the honorable choice. It makes me sad to know that so many parents fail their children in this way.

I agree with you, and that's why I won't take my kids to the park. I refuse to pay $83 for a 3 year old to spend a day at Disneyland...

[krpink]

The most important question (re: the honour system) is whether or not parents are teaching their kids ABOUT honour itself. The honourable thing to do is be honest. Period. Whether or not Disney is being ripped off is Disney's business to deal with. Parents have a responsibility and obligation to ensure that they are bringing honourable people into the world, and raising them to make honest choices in all that they do.

We are thrilled to be coming down to Anaheim in a couple of weeks from Vancouver! Not gonna lie: EXPENSIVE TRIP, PEOPLE! For non-California residents that almost never get to experience Disney, imagine shelling out almost $1000 just to walk through the gates with our young family.

Incidentally, by "young", I mean that one of my kids is not yet three years old. He is turning three next week, and the following week we are going to be celebrating his third birthday at Disneyland. I am well aware of the under 3 honour system. Even though my youngest would be free today, yet will cost $240 bucks in 2 weeks, it has never once crossed my mind to simply omit buying him a ticket. And we are scraping for this trip! Honouring the admission price is NOT for Disney's sake, it is because I made a promise to always do right by my children, and teach them to always make the honourable choice. It makes me sad to know that so many parents fail their children in this way.

i agree completely and I love to hear of parents who take their responsibility of raising children seriously. Have fun on your trip!

[calsig31]

The most important question (re: the honour system) is whether or not parents are teaching their kids ABOUT honour itself. The honourable thing to do is be honest. Period. Whether or not Disney is being ripped off is Disney's business to deal with. Parents have a responsibility and obligation to ensure that they are bringing honourable people into the world, and raising them to make honest choices in all that they do.

We are thrilled to be coming down to Anaheim in a couple of weeks from Vancouver! Not gonna lie: EXPENSIVE TRIP, PEOPLE! For non-California residents that almost never get to experience Disney, imagine shelling out almost $1000 just to walk through the gates with our young family.

Incidentally, by "young", I mean that one of my kids is not yet three years old. He is turning three next week, and the following week we are going to be celebrating his third birthday at Disneyland. I am well aware of the under 3 honour system. Even though my youngest would be free today, yet will cost $240 bucks in 2 weeks, it has never once crossed my mind to simply omit buying him a ticket. And we are scraping for this trip! Honouring the admission price is NOT for Disney's sake, it is because I made a promise to always do right by my children, and teach them to always make the honourable choice. It makes me sad to know that so many parents fail their children in this way.

Excellent post.

[Juni]

Again doesn't address the motivation behind the deception. It really boils down to sticker shock. Disney goes from "free" to "$83 please" based on a single year. I'm one who feels the entertainment is severely overpriced but the $7 difference between kid and adult highlights that. And it isn't specific to Disney this is industry wide. It's not like you're going to go to the park on vacation and not take the kids (primary market). Just like airlines know you're not going to Hawaii without a packed suitcase!

Oh I get that. I was just posting it as a reason why disney may not go with the height based pricing. They probably watch the industry and have seen it fail so have chosen not to go that route.

[lozzypop]

I just wanted to add that I have been on the other end of this debate. My daughter is extremely tall for her age and people regularly get her age wrong by at least a couple of years.

We went to DL year before last with my friend and her daughter. Daughter's friend is 7 months older than my daughter, but much shorter. So we were at Minnie's for a character breakfast and I was paying for two adults and two children (9 and under). The cast member *rolled* her eyes at my daughter when I said she was 9, and was very obvious about her doubts as to my daughter's stated age, but didn't question my friend's daughter. Quite frankly, I resented it because my DD was the youngest one of our party even if she didn't look it. I shouldn't have to carry around her passport to prove her age for the sake of a meal for goodness sake. I actually had her AP at the time, which may have had her birth date associated with it, but I didn't offer it up because I knew I was telling the truth (I would have produced it if asked).

Now that my daughter is 10, I fully intend to pay full price for her because that is the honest and honourable thing to do, but why should I pay an adult price when DD is entitled to the child's price? Just because of her height? Believe me, I am already paying for that as I have to buy adult clothes/shoes for her - which are more expensive than kid's clothes/shoes and attract more sales tax.

So to the OP, I would say - you may be sure in your own mind how old that child was at the turnstile, but maybe you were wrong. Lots of people are wrong about my daughter's age.

[The First Star]

Just a personal anecdote, but I think it illustrates how widespread the problem is.

My witch sister-in-law taught her kid to lie to the CMs by saying he was two when he was really three. And she bragged about it to everyone, like it was something to be proud of. She didn't want to spend the money on an AP for him after his third birthday, so she just lied until her pass expired -- 10 months later. So wrong.

I don't know what's worse -- that she taught her kid to lie and bragged about it, or the fact that she hasn't taken him back to Disneyland since, and that was 6 years ago now.