Disney in a Minute: Who is an Adult at Disney World?
“What is an adult?” may seem like an odd question to ask – until it comes to planning a vacation with Disney! For many purposes, Disney considers you to be an adult at age ten! This is true whether you’re at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or on a Disney Cruise Line ship. This means ten-year-olds will be charged full adult prices for tickets, restaurant meals, tours, and more.
There are some exceptions to this rule. Guests must be at least 14 years old to go into the theme parks on their own. For legal purposes, sometimes a Disney adult is what we all consider to be a real-world adult. For instance, you must be at least 18 to be the lead guest on a hotel reservation. And, of course, you have to be at least 21 to buy or drink alcohol.
When choosing the dates for your Disney vacation, you may be able to save quite a bit of money if you visit when your child is nine, instead of waiting until after they turn ten. We were able to save a nice chunk of change when we visited with our grandkids by planning this way.
There is a second meaning to the term “Disney Adult”. The above is about who Disney considers to be an adult. But outside of Disney, “Disney Adult” usually means grownups who routinely vacation at Disney without kids. This usage grows out of the fact that Disney has such a strong reputation as a brand for families.
Disney in a Minute is a series of short posts designed to help you better understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!
Do you have a Disney term that you think needs a bit more explanation? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks to Erin Foster for an earlier version of this article.
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@Mike: in the past, folks from Disney management have explained that the “adult at 10 years” thing was based on attraction height requirements. The thinking was that “child” tickets would be for those who couldn’t experience everything, while “adult” tickets were for those who could. Because the vast majority of 10-year-olds are tall enough to go on every Disney ride, that’s the age at which you are expected to pay full price.
While nearly all 10-year-olds are tall enough to go on every ride, I’m glad they can’t do so without the company of someone a bit older :-).
I’d like to see some consistency on the age discrepancies. If they have to be 14 to enter on their own, then their ticket price should increase at 14, especially since some attractions require an additional rider of a certain age.