Last week, my 9-year-old son and I were at Disneyland. Specifically, we were at Tomorrowland. While there, we experienced something that I had long dreamed of – a family ride on the Tomorrowland Speedway. My son is a big fan of NASCAR and loved the idea of a stock car race. So, when we got to the racetrack, he was in heaven. The problem is that my son is a kid and kids don’t always know what age restrictions there are at amusement parks. Especially when an adult asks them to be responsible and watch what they eat because it’s hot outside or when they’re thirsty because it’s cold outside.
I looked at the sign above the entrance to the racetrack and noticed that it said something about ages 12 and under being restricted. At that moment, I felt a pang of guilt because I knew that my son would be perfectly capable of enjoying himself while still being a kid. But, at the same time, I didn’t want to ruin the surprise of seeing the racetrack without a kid in sight. He has ADHD and always needs something to focus on. So, I decided to let him have some fun and didn’t say anything to him about the sign. We got in line and waited for our number to be called. When it was my turn, the person at the window simply said, “Thanks,” and I didn’t hear anything more from them. When my son asked what happened, I told him that we had to wait for another family. The whole process took less than 10 minutes, but it was enough for my son to discover that he couldn’t be there because he was underage.
I’m not going to lie. When that happened, it completely shut me down. Not only did it ruin the surprise of the experience, but it also took me out of the moment. So much so that when I got home, I couldn’t really relax because I felt that my kid would be in trouble if he was bad.
I don’t know how old the sign was when I first walked through the gates of Tomorrowland. But, since then, it’s always said something about ages 12 and under being restricted. Still, whenever I see it, I catch myself thinking that it’s not fair. There’s no way of knowing whether or not my son would have been happy to find out that there was an age limit for the racetrack. But, as much as I would like to think that the security guard at Disneyland would have let my son in if he asked, I know that’s not the case. There’s a reason that the sign is always there. And that’s a shame.
While I don’t agree with the policy, I understand it. Maybe the people who work there feel that kids aren’t mature enough to understand the rules and what happens if they break them. In that case, maybe it’s better if they don’t know. But, either way, it’s something that isn’t fair.
In my opinion, there should not be an age limit for anything fun and exciting at Disneyland. And, even if there was, my son should not have found out that he was too young to enjoy himself there. It’s a tragedy that something like that can happen just because of an arbitrary rule. It’s a rule that should never have been there in the first place because anyone who can drive can be a part of the action. But, at the same time, it’s one that can’t be taken away because it’s enforced by management. And, in the end, it creates a lot more problems than it solves. I know that my son will grow up thinking that some things are more important than his age. Like, for example, being able to decide for himself what’s important and what isn’t.