Are 3 Year Old Kids Free at Disney World?
Theme parks aren’t always the best place to take young children, since they can’t do much while in the parks.
Disney World isn’t like this at all, as its kid-friendly policy means that most of the rides and attractions are perfectly safe for kids of all ages.
Children between the ages of 3 and 9 need to purchase a youth ticket to enter any Disney World park. Children under the age of three don’t need a ticket and can get in for free. There’s no need to bring proof of your child’s age either, as it tends to be done on the honor system.
Ticket Pricing at Disney World
Theme park tickets at Disney World are broken down by age range. Children under 3 years old get into the parks for free.
Children between the ages of 3 and 9 pay for a youth ticket which is cheaper than adult tickets.
Any guest over the age of 9 needs a full-price adult ticket to enter the parks.
Tickets for out-of-state visitors are also slightly more expensive than for Florida residents.
Residents can purchase Florida Resident Tickets that have steeper discounts on multi-day tickets than is available for non-residents.
Does Disney Verify Children’s Ages?
It’s fairly rare for Disney to check if your child’s age is actually what you say it is. There’s no need to bring along birth certificates or anything like that to prove their age.
Typically, the most a Disney employee will do is ask the child how old they are. Most children are brutally honest and will just blurt out their real age.
In that case, parents are asked to pay for the proper ticket for the child.
How Does Disney Check For Florida Residency?
For Florida Resident tickets, adults will need to bring along a Florida ID of some sort. A driver’s license is the most common, but voter registration and a few other options are accepted.
Keep these documents handy when you’re entering the park. Kids don’t have to show any ID to prove their residency.
Adults can buy tickets for any kids that are under the age of 18, they just need to show their own proof of residency when they activate the tickets.
Is Disney Worth it For Young Children?
Not all theme parks are particularly kid-friendly, especially for younger kids.
Disney World is one of the best parks to take young children since one of Disney’s biggest priorities is being kid-friendly.
Outside of a few roller coasters that have steep drops or accelerate quickly, kids of all ages can go on the rides at Disney.
Babies and kids under three may not be able to enjoy some rides, simply because they’re too loud, so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to bring on the youngest ones.
Height requirements for rides at Disney World are rare. The vast majority of rides are perfectly safe for young children.
Outside of rides, Disney is an amazing place to make memories with kids.
Character meet-and-greets are the perfect opportunity to take photos and younger kids can dress up as their favorite characters.
When this happens, the character will give them extra attention, making for a terrific experience.
The fireworks shows, parades, and overall magic of the parks also make it worth visiting with children.
When is the Best Time to Go to Disney World?
There’s seldom a bad time to go to Disney World. Orlando experiences mild winters and generally great weather throughout the year.
For guests that want to visit the parks when they will be less crowded, January and February tend to be the slowest months of the year.
Visiting during the offseason means shorter queues for rides and restaurants, cheaper tickets, and more room to breathe in the parks.
You can always check expected park attendance by using a theme park attendance calculator.
Keep in mind that Disney World tends to be fairly crowded no matter when you go and even a below-average attendance day is still fairly full.
Holiday events are amazing at Disney World and are the perfect time to see the parks in a new way.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween event and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party completely revamp the parks into a holiday extravaganza.
The parks are fully decorated for the holiday and limited event characters pop up in the parks.
In the evenings, special parades, firework shows, dance parties, and events are held for guests in attendance.
For holiday lovers, this is a great time to visit the parks, but it’s also the busiest time of year at Disney World.
This can also be the perfect time to visit to avoid the largest crowds.
You need a special event ticket to stay in the park after 6 PM and attend the events, and these tickets are sold in limited quantities.
This means there are fewer people in the park and since they will generally be centered around events, lines for everything are much shorter.
The Halloween decorations go up starting in the second half of August and the Christmas decorations go up right after Halloween.
If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, try to visit the parks on weekdays as far away from the actual holiday as possible.
The parks are decorated early, but attendance picks up as you get closer to the holiday.
Do Children Under 3 Eat Free at Disney World?
Kids can eat for free at certain restaurants in Disney World. The official policy is that kids can eat off of their parent’s plates, however, they can have their own plate as well.
All of the buffet or family-style restaurants at Disney World don’t charge kids under three for their plates.
At restaurants that feature traditional menus, children under three can eat from their parent’s plates at no charge or order a meal off of the kid’s menu.
There are no additional discounts for children at restaurants.
Conclusion
Three-year-olds are not free at Disney World and will need a youth ticket to enter the parks.
Children under three don’t need a ticket and can enter the parks for free with a paying adult.
Remember to bring an ID for yourself and have it ready for inspection at the entrance.
Children don’t need to bring any proof of age or residency, but adults over the age of 18 will need to have it on them to enter.
