Kids Club Age Change

[Dug720]

I fully understand and sympathize with the short notice issue from DCL. I get the disappointment, but I don’t understand the knee-jerk reactions demanding changes to Edge. Unfortunately, there comes a point in life that as parents we have to make decisions whether a situation is right for our child or not, whether we can appropriately prepare our child and trust them to obey our rules; but expecting everyone else to adjust for our (personal, family's) needs isn't the right answer.

THIS!

The ones I'm largely seeing have children with developmental issues - and nothing would have changed when they were the age they would have been required to go. They have never allowed aging down, and it's unlikely that a child with developmental issues who wasn't ready at 11 or 12 would be ready at 13. What would those families have done when that child was 13 - or even 14-17 and therefore in Vibe? Clamor for DCL to force all of those children/teens into secured programming? Not cruise again? I don't know of any cruiseline that allows aging down - even for developmental things.

 

[DCLMP]

True- but that seems to be what some parents want. Kids can check out of the club. Or not. They could install a system.

I personally think most kids are far more capable than they get the opportunity to show. I say this as a parent and teacher. I see this as a wonderful chance for kids to practice spreading their wings. But it’s obvious not everyone thinks this or wants to allow their child to try. So those kids either can attend during open house or if Disney tweaks things, be left behind to play inside games.

My kids say there always a couple of kids who had to be dropped off and picked up by parents. If your kid won’t follow you rules at age 11 you are going real issues down the road.

 

[Marthasor]

THIS!

The ones I'm largely seeing have children with developmental issues - and nothing would have changed when they were the age they would have been required to go. They have never allowed aging down, and it's unlikely that a child with developmental issues who wasn't ready at 11 or 12 would be ready at 13. What would those families have done when that child was 13 - or even 14-17 and therefore in Vibe? Clamor for DCL to force all of those children/teens into secured programming? Not cruise again? I don't know of any cruiseline that allows aging down - even for developmental things.

This just isn't true. My DS has a developmental disability. After years of work, special education, services, and slowly introducing him to situations and environments where he can be more independent, he is absolutely fine going to Vibe and walking around the DCL ships unsupervised. At 11 and 12, there was no way, and an unfamiliar cruise ship, IMHO, would not have been the place for him to practice those skills. For some of these kids, the process may be slower than it is for their neuro typical peers, but there are many, many kids with developmental disabilities who grow up to lead independent lives.

As a parent, I wouldn't have clamored for anything. We always research our vacation options thoroughly to make sure what we chose would work for our family. What I would clamor for is to have the information regarding kids' club policies well before penalty windows kicked in so I could make the right vacation choice for my family. Throwing this at people, literally, a week before the policy is to be implemented is completely unfair.

 

[Debonna]

I’m honestly not understanding all the angst about “elementary school with high schoolers.” Yes, 14-yr-olds may be in high school — but those kids are most likely to move up to Vibe which is geared towards high school programming/activities. Those kids have no desire to hang out with young 11-yr-olds.

Schools come in many sizes and grade splits. Some include 5th as middle school, some include 9th as middle school, some are K-8, etc. 11-yr-olds with middle schoolers is really not that far afield. I suspect even "immature" 11-12 yr olds are capable of finding like-minded 11-12 yr olds onboard to group up with and will not suddenly hang out with 14-yr-old high schoolers (who aren't interested in them anyway).

I fully understand and sympathize with the short notice issue from DCL. I get the disappointment, but I don’t understand the knee-jerk reactions demanding changes to Edge. Unfortunately, there comes a point in life that as parents we have to make decisions whether a situation is right for our child or not, whether we can appropriately prepare our child and trust them to obey our rules; but expecting everyone else to adjust for our (personal, family's) needs isn't the right answer.

Those kids have no desire to hang out with young 11-yr-olds.

Agreed. My DD will be 4 weeks shy of her 14th birthday when we sail. We plan to hopefully waiver her up to Vibe with her 17yo brother.

 

[dreamer17555]

THIS!

The ones I'm largely seeing have children with developmental issues - and nothing would have changed when they were the age they would have been required to go. They have never allowed aging down, and it's unlikely that a child with developmental issues who wasn't ready at 11 or 12 would be ready at 13. What would those families have done when that child was 13 - or even 14-17 and therefore in Vibe? Clamor for DCL to force all of those children/teens into secured programming? Not cruise again? I don't know of any cruiseline that allows aging down - even for developmental things.

Wow- broad strokes. My son is neurodivergent and wasn’t ready for Edge at 11 but was at 13. There are many children who need a bit of extra time to develop skills but they can in time.

 

[dreamer17555]

My kids say there always a couple of kids who had to be dropped off and picked up by parents. If your kid won’t follow you rules at age 11 you are going real issues down the road.

Really? Why? My son wasn’t ready at 11 for the freedom of Edge but at 16 he has a blast at Vibe. It’s not about “following rules” it about what he could or could not handle.

Interestingly enough my oldest liked to push boundaries at ages 11-13 but by 15 was such a rule follower and still is at almost 22. People grow and develop at different times.

 

[meremac]

You keep making statements like “Now in the Edge they allow grade schoolers with high schoolers” They have always had elementary schoolers with high schoolers. You act like this is something new.

Correct. But before parents had the choice to keep their elementary school students in the Club/Lab if that was a better fit. Now they do not. And again, if this is the new policy so be it. But families who are within the cancelation penalty phase should be allowed to cancel for a full refund if they want to. Then moving forward there can be a hard line for new bookings. I don't understand why anyone would think this was an unreasonable concession on DCL's part considering the circumstances

 

[DCLMP]

Correct. But before parents had the choice to keep their elementary school students in the Club/Lab if that was a better fit. Now they do not. And again, if this is the new policy so be it. But families who are within the cancelation penalty phase should be allowed to cancel for a full refund if they want to. Then moving forward there can be a hard line for new bookings.

I agree Disney should let you cancel.

You have to find the cruise line that works for you. Going forward it looks like DCL is not going to be it.
Hopefully, you can get your money back and you can find something you like for your family. I would suggest RCCl as an alternative.

Most 11-12 year olds are in middle school. I think you're making a big deal out of a 3 year age difference for nothing. Kids gravitate towards kids their age anyway.

 

[meremac]

I agree Disney should let you cancel.

You have to find the cruise line that works for you. Going forward it looks like DCL is not going to be it.
Hopefully, you can get your money back and you can find something you like for your family. I would suggest RCCl as an alternative.

My kids are adults and teenagers now, but I have lots of unhappy clients and the policy for cancellation is still unclear at best. Hopefully by Monday we will have more clarity.

 

[AZMermaid]

Correct. But before parents had the choice to keep their elementary school students in the Club/Lab if that was a better fit. Now they do not. And again, if this is the new policy so be it. But families who are within the cancelation penalty phase should be allowed to cancel for a full refund if they want to. Then moving forward there can be a hard line for new bookings. I don't understand why anyone would think this was an unreasonable concession on DCL's part considering the circumstances

People are reporting on social media they can now cancel for a refund. Some are understandably frustrated because of incurred travel costs. But also unwilling to pivot into another Florida adventure instead. Which, right, maybe not ideal either but to be upset that there are not options when there are actually options isn’t right.

I do sympathize for people traveling in the next few weeks. But if it’s a deal breaker, cancel and get a refund.

 

[meremac]

My kids say there always a couple of kids who had to be dropped off and picked up by parents. If your kid won’t follow you rules at age 11 you are going real issues down the road.

Some 11 year olds are mature and ready for that freedom. Some are not. We are talking about elementary schoolers here. Every kid is different and that's ok.

 

[meremac]

People are reporting on social media they can now cancel for a refund. Some are understandably frustrated because of incurred travel costs. But also unwilling to pivot into another Florida adventure instead. Which, right, maybe not ideal either but to be upset that there are not options when there are actually options isn’t right.

I do sympathize for people traveling in the next few weeks. But if it’s a deal breaker, cancel and get a refund.

I hope that's the case. TAs have not received that official communication yet and info has varied by CM. I'm sure we will have more info in the coming days but for now, it's all over the place.

 

[DCLMP]

Some 11 year olds are mature and ready for that freedom. Some are not. We are talking about elementary schoolers here. Every kid is different and that's ok.

In my state, an 11-year-old would be middle school.

 

[meremac]

In my state, an 11-year-old would be middle school.

That's also possible. But in many states, 11 year olds are.still in 5th grade. Like I said, there's a wide variety of maturity levels and experiences for 11-year-olds, and that's ok . And once again, DCL can decide to change policies as they see fit. But they should allow families to cancel for a full refund if that's what works best for them. I understand the rumor is that they are now allowing that, but this has not been communicated to TAs and every time I call, the info I receive is different. We will see what happens in the coming days.

 

[DCLMP]

People are reporting on social media they can now cancel for a refund. Some are understandably frustrated because of incurred travel costs. But also unwilling to pivot into another Florida adventure instead. Which, right, maybe not ideal either but to be upset that there are not options when there are actually options isn’t right.

I do sympathize for people traveling in the next few weeks. But if it’s a deal breaker, cancel and get a refund.

Maybe there'll be more discounts in the future if people are that riled up to cancel. I'm guessing it will blow over like most things. I'd love a good discount this Summer.

 

[dreamer17555]

In my state, an 11-year-old would be middle school.

Like has been discussed here multiple times- Kids & schools are different. 11yos are in Elementary where I am as well. I’m sure it varies everywhere .

I am genuinely happy that your kids loved and were ready for Edge early! That’s awesome! But that is not true for all kids for many reasons. People are allowed to be upset that they booked with an understanding of how the clubs worked and then it changed.

Rebooking/cancelling is not a simple thing for many people. Some families save for years and have had to fight for time off work to be able to cruise and have sunk costs that are not easily replaceable. Disney rolling this out like they did is going to negatively impact some- just like I’m sure the change might be enjoyed by those with younger kids.

It is okay for both things to be true. That some people are being harmed by this change and some are being helped. It’s natural for those being harmed to be upset.

 

[DMMarla07860]

That's also possible. But in many states, 11 year olds are.still in 5th grade. Like I said, there's a wide variety of maturity levels and experiences for 11-year-olds, and that's ok . And once again, DCL can decide to change policies as they see fit. But they should allow families to cancel for a full refund if that's what works best for them. I understand the rumor is that they are now allowing that, but this has not been communicated to TAs and every time I call, the info I receive is different. We will see what happens in the coming days.

I know if my area and town I was in Middle School, in 5th and 11 years old. I can't tell you maturity ages for everyone, but I know there were all kinds. Middle school drama

 

[_auroraborealis_]

People can be upset that things have changed. But it's also not realistic to expect the kids clubs to cater to all needs and levels coherently, particularly with the staff they have. Which is not to speak ill of the staff, but for kids with developmental disabilities especially, the degree of supervision required may not be appropriate in a group youth environment outside of education.

 

[o&smom]

My almost 11 year old is devastated , we had planned a cruise next year so she could have one last good run since I know by 12 its more dicey if they like it or not .

It may work out better than you expect. DD had her last cruise in the club/lab in February, and we had two others when she could only be in the Edge. The plan was for her to really spend as much time in the clubs doing all of the things that she loved about them. The reality of that cruise was very different than any other cruise we had ever been on..it was packed with preschoolers! DD loves younger kids and volunteers at church with the same age group. By dinner, she was begging to go to the Edge, because there was no one else her age to play with. We got her registered and she never looked back. She enjoyed all 3 cruises in the Edge. She can‘t wait to go again!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I mean I get the disappointment and you totally should be able to cancel but I’m just assuming my son isn’t “ready” for the kids club as the most he’ll stay is an hour and a half but I get notifications on my phone.