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As of December 23, the way that kids are admitted into one Disney park will undergo an update.
It’s no secret that Disney park tickets have soared in price in recent years. As of 2025, a one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort could cost as much as $199, marking an all-time high. It doesn’t help that the small things that make a vacation easier, such as Lightning Lanes, are now a pricy add-on rather than a free perk, as was the case pre-COVID.
Credit: Disney
One constant through all the price changes, however, is that kids get in for free—extremely young kids, at least. At most Disney parks, the rule is that kids under the age of three can enter for free.
This accounts for the fact that young kids won’t get quite as much value out of the parks, with their height blocking them from the most popular attractions, such as Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and so on.
Credit: Shanghai Disneyland
Children’s Admission at Shanghai Disneyland
At Shanghai Disneyland, things work a little bit differently. Disney’s newest theme park – built off the premise of being “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese” – bases entry on both age and height. Children under three—or measuring less than one meter tall—enjoy free park admission on the day of their visit. For kids aged three to 11 or standing between one and 1.4 meters tall, tickets come at a discounted rate of 25% off the standard price.
But that’s all changing. Starting December 23, 2024, Shanghai Disneyland will align with its counterparts in Florida, Anaheim, and Paris by basing free admission eligibility for children entirely on age.
Children under three will still enjoy free access, while those aged three to eleven—regardless of height—will now qualify for child tickets, which are priced lower than adult tickets.
Credit: Disney
This rule is admittedly easier to enforce than measuring each child to double-check at the park entrance. However, the previous system had its advantages. It took into account the value for children who were too short to enjoy all of the park’s major attractions, ensuring they weren’t charged the same as kids tall enough to experience rides like Soaring Over the Horizon (102 cm), Roaring Rapids (107 cm), or Jet Packs (112 cm).
Shanghai Disneyland Cracks Down on ID
December 23 brings a second major change to Shanghai Disneyland: new ID rules. All guests will be required to present a government-issued ID when purchasing and using their tickets. Annual Passholders can only buy one-day tickets on blackout days when their passes aren’t valid.
The move comes as a response to ongoing scalping issues, both with tickets and merchandise. The new policy makes it harder for scalpers to inflate prices, as the same ID must be shown at both purchase and entry. Anyone whose details don’t match will be turned away at the gate.
What do you think of Shanghai Disneyland’s new entry rule?
Children under the age of eleven get a whopping $5 (yes five) off of the ticket price. Get real Disney!