Woman takes 2-year-old son to Disneyland. She was shocked when security got called on her over his size: ‘I also have a large toddler’
Disneyland does not play about rules at its theme parks.
From the bag you’re carrying to your conduct in the room you rent, Disney has a long and exacting list of do’s and don’ts all guests are expected to abide by. One of these rules governs the price points for guests under 18.
According to Walt Disney World’s travel advice, “children under 3 years do not require a Theme Park Ticket and are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.”
As you can imagine, parents often bend over backwards to try and capitalize on this opportunity for their kid’s free entry… even and especially if said kid is, in fact, over the age of three. As a result, Disney can be quick to double-check the age of any child being presented by their parents as two or younger. Unfortunately, this means parents who really do have qualifying young ones can be put in stressful situations.
This happened to one mother, who took to TikTok to share her experience—and went viral for it. So what actually happened?
‘Worst trip I’ve ever had’
On Jan. 3, this mother posted a picture of her young son—round, rosy cheeks and all—in a stroller to TikTok. The mother, who goes by @Imthat[expletive]1989 on TikTok, told her story quickly and efficiently by overlaying a caption onto the picture.
“Disney does in fact interogate about your child’s age,” the mother wrote. “My child is 2.5 (UNDER 3) and they called security on me.”
In the caption of her photo post, the mother continued, “Worst trip I’ve ever had.” Her photo has since gotten over 1.8 million views.
Now, the mother has yet to elaborate on this experience on her TikTok account. However, there is some precedent for this. Multiple posts on social media report firsthand accounts of Disney park guests witnessing parents getting caught or chewed out for the age cutoff, and one Inside The Magic article says if you try and get an older-looking child in for free without proof of age, Disney security personnel can get you “escorted out of the theme park and most likely banned from visiting in the future.”
In any case, this one photo post sparked endless discourse in the comments section, with people debating the necessity of Disney’s age policy as a whole. Moreover, some people in the mother’s comments section seemed to inadvertently prove why Disney cracks down: Many, many parents find Disney’s prices distasteful, and some are trying to scam their way into a free ticket.
Pulling one over on Disneyland
Disney’s prices are notoriously steep, and they’re only continuing to rise. According to Business Insider, 2025 marked “the fourth straight year that Disney has hiked prices for single-day or annual passes across its parks in Anaheim and Orlando.” While prices also, of course, depend on the time of year guests show up, with periods like summer break peaking, it’s still notable that Disney’s most recent price hike had them break “the $200 barrier without much reluctance.”
With that in mind, perhaps it’s no surprise that many Disney fans try to find workarounds.
In the TikTok comments section of the mother’s photo post, many viewers commented their dismay at Disney’s price-related policies. One person even said, “Disney is getting out of hand.”
“I think children should have free admission,” one commenter wrote. Other commenters agreed.
“It’s that way at Legoland lol,” another commenter wrote in response. “Disney is GREEDY. They are a monopoly when will yall learn? The rule should be 4 and up free. Most kids will not even remember before that.”
Others are just trying to get tips on how to cheat the system
“How did you prove his age?” one commenter asked. “Asking bc I need my daughter to stay 2 for as long as possible.”
Meanwhile, other parents whose children fit the age requirement but look older shared their solidarity with the TikToker.
“I also have a large toddler,” sympathized one commenter, whose comment was “liked” by the mother. “I had to tell the other kids at the park today – he doesn’t know how to play tag, he’s only two. They were shocked.”
“Literally carried my child’s birth certificate with us when they were 2,” commiserated one Disneygoer. “Because we got stopped every time.”
“Giant child club,” agreed another. “They’ve been hounding us since my daughter turned 2 (she’s 3 now) but she was just always so huge.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to @imthatbitch1989 via TikTok comment and Disney via email to request additional comment.
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