10-Year-Olds Now Adults at Disneyland

Kids grow up fast, but nowhere faster than at the Magic Kingdom. Starting this week at Disneyland, adulthood begins at 10--at least as far as ticket prices go. Early this year, the park boosted the entrance fee by $2, and children ages 3 through 11 had to pay $31 to get in. But now, 10- and 11-year-olds must pay the $41 adult fare. Company officials justify the change by saying kids in that age bracket typically enjoy the full range of rides, as adults do. Although Disneyland is breaking ground in Southern California with the fare change, it’s nothing new in some other places. Walt Disney Co. has classified those 10 and up as adults for several years in Florida, where it operates four parks near Orlando. “It’s consistent with theme park pricing up and down the East Coast,” Disney World spokeswoman Diane Ledder said. At SeaWorld’s Orlando park, children’s prices have been limited to those 3 through 9 since the mid-1980s, spokesman Nick Gollattscheck said. However, some West Coast parks, like Universal Studios Hollywood, say they plan to continue charging children’s prices for 10- and 11-year-olds. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia charges by height.