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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to buy DS an under 3 admission ticket for the zoo on his 3rd birthday

143 replies

ChazDingle · 10/05/2013 22:16

Going twycross for DS 3rd birthday next week.

under 3's are £1
3-16 is £10.45 so its a big jump

don't suppose he could then wear a badge saying 'i am 3'

OP posts:
mrsjay · 12/05/2013 09:30

the op is paying 60 quid and probably be buying stuff in the zoo she isn't doing the zoo out of anything twycross is a huge zoo £9 means nothing to them dont play they are a poor/disadvantaged conservation project they are not, maybe if twycross or any other zoo had reasonable prices and not such a unreasonable leap from 2 to 3 then people wouldn't feel they were being ripped off.

IneedAsockamnesty · 12/05/2013 09:35

Llan,

If we are being precise about it the ops son will not turn 3 until after she has actually left the zoo.

Llanbobl · 12/05/2013 10:16

So all of you who use the "he won't be three until they've left" argument - does that mean no cards, gifts or cakes until the actual time of birth or later - think if all those birthday parties at 9:54pm - all those tired kids out of a routine Wink

IMO the OP wants to fell justified in teaching her son that lying is acceptable if it saves money. If they (or anyone else) don't want to pay the admission -then don't go or find somewhere cheaper.

Delayingtactic · 12/05/2013 10:49

Bloody hell I've just checked for Chester zoo and it leaps from free to £15. That's incredibly steep. Surely it's better to have more staged tickets as people would be more inclined to go.

Hmm DS is already in 3-4 clothes but is actually only 2. I might have to take birth certificate!

Sallystyle · 12/05/2013 10:53

YANBU

My children are very small for their ages, it means I can often pretend they are younger and get money off.

I haven't robbed a bank or any little old ladies yet!!

HoneyDragon · 12/05/2013 10:54

It starts of with stealing entry. Before you know it you're lifting the the penguins and selling them out the boot in dark alleyways.

You are heading for a life of Zoolilogical criminality Sad

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 10:54

they all do it Edinburgh zoo is free to £11.50

GretaGarbage · 12/05/2013 10:57

We took DS to Alton Towers when he was four, and stayed in a hotel which gave free tickets to under four.

DS- I am four today Grin

Manager - how lovely, free ticket it is Grin

Ds - but I am not three, am I mum?

Me and manager as one - for today you are!

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 10:58

*Ds - but I am not three, am I mum?

Me and manager as one - for today you are!*

Grin
McNewPants2013 · 12/05/2013 11:18

Twycross zoo is a good day out, out of all the animals my dc where more intrested in the dinosaurs.

I would do it

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 11:20

how big is the t rex enclosure Wink

Loupee · 12/05/2013 11:24

We are going on holiday 2 weeks after DS turns 1. We have been looking at a glass bottomed boat trip while we are there. Under one's are free, 1-12 are £12 and 13 up are £15.
If anyone asks DS will be under one, and there will be 5 paying adults. I will not feel guilty.

NonnyMuss · 12/05/2013 11:25

Guy on the ticket desk at Stirling Castle refused to take payment for our twins, kept saying 'they're definitely under 5, aren't they? Wink '

They were 7 at the time and I tried and tried to pay, I really did.

We had to go and spend a fortune at the cafe to compensate for our thieving, or the guilt would have eaten away at me. The cakes were seriously nice.

Sirzy · 12/05/2013 11:27

I wish places had more staged approaches to admission for children, to jump from free to £20 or whatever is madness.

I think a "pay your age" approach would be ideal up to about 10 or until you reached the normal full price.

IrritatingInfinity · 12/05/2013 11:30

I think I fancy buying a new fancy handbag today. It's not on sale and I know they mark the bags up several hundred percent over what it cost them to make. That is a complete rip off if you ask me. So I am going to pay for half of the bag with genuine bank notes and the other half with fake notes. That seems fair doesn't it. They will still be making a profit on the handbag and I wouldn't have bought anything if I had had to pay full price. I see it as a win-win situation.

The shop is always busy and they have to open it anyway so I am not creating any extra costs for them.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me Hmm

waikikamookau · 12/05/2013 11:30

our local zoo had a deal once when children were free under a metre.

that daft idea didn't last long.
obviously had complaints from parents of taller children. Grin

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 11:30

there isn't much difference int he level of enjoyment from a 2 year old and a 4year old is there they are going to look at stuff be a bit bored look at more stuff wander off want the toilet , say they are hungry and then back to looking at stuff Grin

McNewPants2013 · 12/05/2013 11:31

Thankfully not that big as an adult but to my small DC it was huge lol

waikikamookau · 12/05/2013 11:31

you would be mad to pay the full price on his actual birthday op imo.

Graceparkhill · 12/05/2013 11:32

Years and years ago I was 11 and my dad took me to the pictures( an unheard of treat for my birthday). This was the one and only time- things were fairly frugal when I was growing up.

The cut off point for a child's ticket was under 11 and the cashier tried to sell my dad one but he insisted on paying full price and telling the cashier that it was my 11 th birthday.

Haven't thought of this for years. I am 54 now and dad has been dead for nearly 20 years but I fondly remember his pride in me and how pleased I was to be considered "grown up".

Sirzy · 12/05/2013 11:34

I don't mind the pay by height, DS is 3.5 and won't be over 1m for ages. My nephew on the other hand was over a meter by the time he was 2 so such systems really annoy my sister (and understandably)

The only time pay by height is fair is if they have a lot of rides which children under that height wont be able to use

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 11:37

Thankfully not that big as an adult but to my small DC it was huge lol

Grin

oh and the handbag senario not many 3 year olds like a handbag do they, it isn't the same thing ,

mrsjay · 12/05/2013 11:37

Alton towers used to do it by height for the rides (I think)

K8Middleton · 12/05/2013 11:38

Yanbu. It is a ridiculous mark up. Take him for a pound with impunity Grin

McNewPants2013 · 12/05/2013 11:50

Isn't it better they are going.

I mean if its the difference of not going, then the zoo will lose out on £60+