In less than two weeks, kids and families may have to rethink some of their plans at Walt Disney World when a new admission policy goes into effect.
Guests who are younger than 14 years old will be required to be accompanied by another guest who is at least 14 years old. The new policy goes into effect on March 23, and it applies to all gated attractions at Disney Parks in the United States. That means it affects Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, DisneyQuest, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.
Currently, The Walt Disney Company ticket policy states that only guests younger than 7 years old have to be accompanied by someone 14 or older. This policy clearly is outdated, and a revision makes sense.
My daughter is 8 years old, and I can’t imagine allowing her to roam free at Walt Disney World — and she knows the parks like her own backyard because we’re locals with annual passes. Of course, my main concern is for her safety. Sure, Disney cast members are wonderfully helpful, but they can’t personally supervise everyone in the parks. An 8-year-old traveling solo or with another child is no match for someone who might do them harm.
Another concern is that children this young do not have the ability to make good decisions, and they may misjudge situations that can get them into hot water, such as taking safety risks at the water parks or going to parts of the park at which they are unfamiliar. Plus, 8-year-olds do not know how to handle money well, so keeping track of their spending money and feeding themselves in the parks can be challenging.
At age 8, my daughter does get some freedom in the Disney parks, such as going on an attraction while I wait at the exit. However, there is no way I would split up with her for an extended period in the same park, let alone leave her and go somewhere else. I feel the same way about my 10-year-old, who is very responsible.
I understand that this policy may be more disruptive for parents of kids who are 12 and 13, because they probably can handle the parks on their own, especially if they are familiar with Walt Disney World. Perhaps a better policy change would have been one that allows children 12 and older to enter the Disney Parks on their own.
Still, some may say that, like so many other decisions, this one should be determined by the parents. If parents think their children are mature enough to spend the day at a Disney theme park by themselves at age 8, then they should have that right, some would say. In our litigious society, though, The Walt Disney Company oftentimes will be held liable by those very same parents if something happens to their children.
How do you feel about the admission policy change, and how much freedom do you give your children at Walt Disney World?
My daughter (12) and my son (8) are both very responsible and we let them go on rides alone at the Hollywood Studios the other day. My daughter has a phone so she could let us know what rides they were going on next. They were asked what ages they both were and Disney seemed to be fine with it.
Kristin, could you clarify something for me? Does this policy apply only to park entry or to individual rides?
We have 6 kids ages 3-12. In the past, if a ride vehicle only sat 2 people, I would go with the youngest kid; my husband would go with the next youngest; and our two oldest children would go with the middle kids. (Or if a vehicle sat 3, my husband and I would take the 4 youngest children, leaving the 2 oldest to ride by themselves in the vehicle between ours.) We would never let them be unsupervised in a park!
However, when we went to Universal Studios recently, they wouldn’t let us on the Flight of the Hippogriff all together because our oldest kids weren’t 14. (We had to use the child swap, so I think it took 4 rides for the 8 of us to go on instead of 1.)
Please let me know! Thanks!
KRISTIN: I believe it is mainly park entry, but very young children cannot ride attractions without adults. In our experience, our 10-year-old and 8-year-old have been allowed on rides together when my husband and I did not want to ride. Both kids met all height requirements and other restrictions, of course.
Never even knew there was an age limit. Think my children were at least 16 before I let them go anywhere alone at WDW. And I was in the same park very near by. 7 is way to young.
I do agree with the policy, especially if it would keep groups of young children from roaming without parents. While I’m sure there are plenty of children at age 8 who are responsible, I can’t imagine that an overall average of children that age would show the proper respect of others and respect for safety rules. It would be my guess that for them to make such a change in policy, they I’m sure have had a large number of situations occur that have led to the need for this change and wasn’t made arbitrarily.
I can’t, in my wildest dreams, imagine letting my 9 year old roam free. I would be absolutely panic stricken!! That being said, we are planning to head to the House of Mouse next month, in part because my 9 year old will start being charged an adult admission fee with her next birthday. Hhhhhmmmmm. (I still wouldn’t let her go off on her own, but, if Disney eyes her as a child, then I feel like she should be charged a child’s admission).
I agree that the 7 yr old policy is WAY too young. (I have commented to my husband several times how absurd a policy that seemed.) We have 9 year olds that are very responsible, excellent students, and frequent travelers, but no way would we let them go solo to a Disney park. That said, I also don’t think an 11 year old with a cell phone exploring Tom Sawyer Island solo (while grandma browses a gift shop in the same park) should be categorized as letting Disney babysit either. I didn’t realize until I started seeing these postings that the new policy meant that tweens 10-13 wouldn’t be given some freedom within the parks…seriously, do we all have to go down Summit Plummet?? Disney has done such a wonderful job of understanding children and families and finding ways for them to (happily and safely) vacation together, that I’m finding it hard to believe that they’d be so short sighted when it comes to enforcing this policy. Could the intent simply be that the under 14 set just aren’t allowed to get on a bus or through the admissions gate alone? That would seem very reasonable to me.
We went to WDW back when our oldest son was 11 and a half but could pass for 14 or 15 years old. There was only one time when we let him walk to gift shop a few 10-20 feet away while we waited for the rest of our family to arrive.
I knew he had a good sense of direction, but it still was a gut feeling of ” hope he doesn’t get lost in this crowd.” , as well as the obvious other threats to his safety, his appearance notwithstanding !
There is just an added measure of security for both the park and the parents to enforce the age of 14 as so many kids begin to test their parents/ guardians at the pre-teen stage and how much easier will it be now for well meaning ( aka ” Guilt ridden, whine weary ) parents to be able to point back at the “establishment” and say ” Sorry , Park rules 🙂 !!! “
I believe that the policy means they can’t enter alone. It is permissible for them to be on their own once in ie to go over to Space Mountain while you ride TTA Peoplemover especially if you are in cell phone connection.
Disney needs to protect itself just because it does SEEM so safe…many badies know it is SEEN as safe and could take advantage of young children while they are alone. Disney can only do so much to keep evil people out.
I think it’s a great idea. Unfortunately, it only takes a few irresponsible people to ruin everyone else’s vacation. If Disney thinks an age limit will help curb some of the issues they are experiencing in the parks, I’m all for it.
Times have changed! When I was 12 (this is back in the 90s), and had a same-aged friend with me, my parents would allow us to stroll the same park as them on our own- but we would never be in a different location than them altogether! In these days, you just can’t let young kids wander like you used to. Disney has to protect themselves and parents need to protect their children!
After sitting in the waiting area/gift shop at the end of Space Mountain for literally hours – we finally gave in 2 years ago and let my 2 boys (aged 12 and 9 at the time) ride by themselves over and over. They both have cell phones and now we share FP tickets (ie: we get 4 Fast Passes for Space Mtn.) and let them ride twice while hubby and I head to other areas of the park. We then meet up for things we like to experience together. It has worked well for us as they stick together and have their phones at all times. This past visit we did the same thing – it was their 13th time at the MK and we feel comfortable with them wandering. They are responsible and we stay in constant touch, but we would never leave the park without them.
This was posted in the Allears Newsletter today:SJPEC says:
“The best idea I ever had was on our last visit with our 11- and 7-year-old grandsons. I bought the most inexpensive prepay phone I could find and $10 in minutes. I programmed my cell phone number in for one-button dialing and then programmed that phone’s number into mine. We never lost the boys because we could call and find them if they got separated from us. We even let them do Tom Sawyer Island and similar attractions by themselves. We were able to call and let them know when it was time to return. This gave them a great feeling of independence and gave us a break.”
We need to pass the word this is unacceptable.
I would think 16 would be better. Too many people using Disney as a babysitter. To go to a park like Disney, I think you should be able to drive yourself.
JMHO
This new requirement is directed at problem parents who dump their kids off to be babysat by Disney for the cost of an annual pass. Of course children’s birthdays will need to be printed on passes. Stories underscoring the need for this age requirement would make eye opening reading for those who feel it is unfair.
It seems a reasonable change. My children haven’t been allowed to wander unaccompanied anyway so it won’t affect me but I can understand that some may find it restrictive. There are always debates in these kinds of situation about where to draw the line but the parks belong to Disney and they have the right to set such rules as they feel are reasonable. As has been said, litigation is always a threat for any organisation and Disney need to protect themselves.
Hi Kristin –
I always thought that 14 was the minimum age you could let your teen go to the Park alone – that seems to be the age I keep reading and hearing other parents letting their teens go to the parks – and that’s always with a friend.
Perhaps when WDW opened you could let your 11-12 year old go to the park with a friend, but younger than that makes no sense. Then again, my friend and I convinced our parents to let us go into New York City to explore and ride the subways alone when we were 13-14 in the early 70s, so I know we would have been OK at WDW back then, but again, there’s that magic number, 14.
There’s no way I would have let my 13 year old go to the parks sans adult this past August when we where there – we took a leap of faith letting her go back to our room in Bay Lake from the California Grill by herself.
I think Disney is just putting in writing what most parents probably did already, not letting their teens go alone until at least one was 14. I think it’s a great idea
– Jeff B.
My boys are 9 and 7, I can’t imagine letting them be on their own anywhere at WDW. My wife and i don’t do spinners so we walk them to Mission space and wait in interactive area or we watch them spin away on the tea cups but that is as alone as they will be until atleast 13.