Poor attitude from Epcot Ticket CM

[malip]

We are AP holders and took a day trip to the "world" on Friday. While we had the usual great time, we did have an unexpected experience while trying to enter Epcot. Our youngest daughter is 2 and we usually have her in her stroller as we enter. When we got to the front of the line, the CM asked us if we had a ticket for her and we said she was only two. He then made a comment under his breath, rolled his eyes, ripped the gate open, and slammed the turnstile. I was fuming, however, I decided to let it go because my other kids were watching and I didn't feel like it was worth ruining our trip. I don't know if they are trying to crack down on people "sneaking" their 3 year olds in or what, but this was totally uncalled for. Maybe one of our CM's on the site could let us know if this is a point of emphasis now or was this CM just not filled with the magic?

[MMouse6937]

From what it sounds like on the boards here there seems to be more problems with younger children at the gates. Doesn't sound like they're asking for birth certificates yet, but it sounds like they are getting more skeptical of people. I guess there probably has been a increase in people trying to "sneak" older kids in without tickets.

Sorry you had a bad experience, hope the rest of your visit was magical!

[crazypoohbear]

That behavior was really uncalled for especially in front of the children
I don't understand this attitude, it's not like I was trying to pass off my 13 year old as under 3
Maybe the cast member was just having a really bad day and you bore the brunt of it.

[katzctkpt]

I hate to hear the experience you had. Those type should say put me behind the scenes today I'm not in a magical mood.

[DNS]

I have to say first how great it was that as mad as you were, you were able to move past it for your other kids. I don't know if I could have. Good job! Obviously you had better control of your feelings than the CM did his. His behavior was unprofessional to say the least. If they are not going to go all the way and ask for a birth certificate, then they have no right to mumble in disagreement. How rude.

[Piglet822]

If the CM had issues concerning your childs age perhaps he should have called a manager over.
I work for Mears Transportation and we transport children under 3 years of age for no cost. Yes, I have come across some children that were large for their age but if the parent says the child is two, then the child is two. Of course if it's obvious the child is 6 or 7 and anyone can see that then I would refer the situation to my superiors.

[biodtl]

If they are not going to go all the way and ask for a birth certificate, then they have no right to mumble in disagreement. How rude.

Exactly - I would have no problem showing proof of age, but if they aren't asking , then don't need to be commenting or rolling their eyes.

[just2mickey]

I have not had this happen but I have gotten an ugly cast member before. I think that for the most part that people tend to base what a toddler looks like on the norm. I feel bad for people who have very tall toddlers or heavier ones. I mean I have a friend whose son is 7 months younger than my son but he looks like he is double the size. Not large in an overweight fashion, just tall and built like his football player dad. That is horrible for you as a mom and a consumer to have to deal with. Makes me want to make a copy of my son's birth certificate and shrink it in the event that it happens to me. Mean people stink.

[#1donaldfan]

Not a good way to start the day, hopefully it didn't ruin the magic for the day.....

[Gottaluvgoof]

They are few and far between, but when I encounter a rude or unhappy CM, I love to look right at them and say, "Have A Magical Day!"

[kathiep]

Glad you were able to handle this situation appropriately for the sake of your kids. I can only hope I would be able to do the same thing under the same circumstance.

I definately would have had myself or my DH break away from our group to quietly report this to a supervisor.

There's another thread right now about CM's quality going downhill. The only way we can be sure it's addressed, is if we point it out. No one should be allowed to put a damper on your magic.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

If they are not going to go all the way and ask for a birth certificate, then they have no right to mumble in disagreement. How rude.

Well said. I agree. I expect more out of Disney. We're paying increasingly higher amounts; a higher level of service is expected.

[FlaTinkRAMESAM]

I've had the same problem with CMs at Epcot... we went one week before my daughter turned 3... we had already bought her pass, but were waiting until she actually turned 3 to activate it. And it was the most disappointing service I have received from Disney to date. I was so disgusted by how they treated me and my little one. There is absolutely no need for them to treat anyone like that.

[floridamom]

I can understand your frustration and also commend you on keeping your cool in front of the rest of your family. I wonder if it was the same CM we dealt with at Epcot last year when my younger daughter was 2.5 years old. The rest of us have APs and I pointed to my daughter in the stroller and said, "She's under 3." The CM gave me an incredulous look and said, "You'll need to get her a pass for next time." I replied, "Not for another 6 months when she turns 3 in October. Would you like to see her birth certificate?" Because she is older-looking (her sister is 2 years older but they get mistaken for twins on a regular basis), I did make a copy of her birth certificate to take with me--just in case. The CM then looked somewhat (though not overly) embarrassed and said, " No that's OK."

If Disney is having problems with some people cheating the system, they should take steps to address the issue without treating those with borderline-age-looking children rudely. Perhaps guests could provide a birth certificate at their hotel or ticket booth and get an under-3 child a "pass" that would be valid for free admission until the date s/he turned 3. That would remove the responsibility of making age judgment calls (or rude remarks) from the turnstile CMs.

[BelleKP]

If Disney is having problems with some people cheating the system, they should take steps to address the issue without treating those with borderline-age-looking children rudely. Perhaps guests could provide a birth certificate at their hotel or ticket booth and get an under-3 child a "pass" that would be valid for free admission until the date s/he turned 3. That would remove the responsibility of making age judgment calls (or rude remarks) from the turnstile CMs.

I actuall think this is a great idea . . . and what a cute keepsake if it's your child's first visit!
Sorry you had a bad start to your day malip . . . I hope it got better!

[BluewaterBrad]

Not a good way to start the day, hopefully it didn't ruin the magic for the day.....

Well put. I hope the rest of your day was fun!!

[malip]

Thanks for all the replies. The rest of the day was as magical as ever. We took in the flower and garden expo. The kids loved all the playgrounds set up around the world. Very relaxing, but very hot. Unlike the rest of the country, it looks like summer is coming early here in the sunshine state.

[joanna71985]

I'm sorry that happened to you- that was totally inappropriate.

[DestinationWDW]

I can see how this happens, I’ve been there. At the time you make your reservation the CM asks the name and age of each individual in your party. What they don’t ask is what age will you be at the time of arrival.

This happened to us when we made are reservation in January, but weren’t arriving until August. My ds at the time was 2, when we made the reservation, but actually 3 at the time of our trip. Being an honest person and having a guilty conscience I called and asked the question about age limits, my trip cost few hundred dollars more than I expected. When I asked the CM, she stated that I wasn’t lying, and there was no rule on how to determine the actual age. I think it’s more an ethical value and one more question you have to answer for at the pearly gates.

[locodemickey]

Now you've got me thinking. My daughter will be 2 years and 10 months when we go in June and she is very tall for her age. If they make any comments under their breath, etc., I would ask them to speak to their manager immediately so that I can inform him/her what one of their subordinates just did and if they condone that sort of behavior. That should not be tolerated If they don't ask for verification, they should not make people feel as though they are trying to cheat the system. I hope that I will not encounter that situation. My daughter will be in a stroller when we enter but she still looks big.