Starting Saturday, the happiest place on earth might be a little less crowded – with preteens, that is. Disneyland has just announced its first-ever age policy; children 13 years and younger will have to be accompanied by an adult in order to enter the Magic Kingdom.
The move ends a tradition for many Southern Californians of unsupervised afternoons at the theme park. It also comes on the heels of another big change – the death of the Disneyland discount for Southern California residents. Disneyland officials claim that they’re getting in line with a policy already in place at Walt Disney World. But according to theme park industry consultant Dennis Speigel, safety consciousness is a trend many parks are moving toward.
Do you think the Disneyland policy is an extreme example of childproofing? Are you a parent who drops off your pre-teens at the Magical Kingdom? Will Disneyland’s new policy deprive you of a childcare option? How much do you trust your kids to go unsupervised?