Trans check in and park admittance

Christopher Maley

Earning My Ears
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
I've recently have been coming out as trans mtf and I have been wondering what should be done if anything regarding reservations and going to the parks. I have not had a name change. I will have to fly in male mode to make things easier.

What circumstances would making a change to my name and gender on the reservation help or make things more difficult, since I will present as female for much of the trip? We are staying at Pop Century in September. Are pictures used for identity with the magic bands? Will I need to show my ID for alcohol or will the magic band suffice for age verification?

Thanks!
 
I don't know specifics but I would plan that you would need to show a picture id in order to purchase alcohol. That is fairly strict unless you look over a certain age. Myself in my mid 40's I am past the age of being carded because they figure I am old enough just by looking at me and not some 19-20 year old who is using a little makeup and creative dressing to make myself appear over 21. There are shortened forms of your name based on your DisBoards Name that if I heard it I personally wouldn't think anything other than damn she is so lucky to not have to worry about being so big in the chest area she has to shop at a specialty store (I won't say how large I am just that walmart and target don't carry that large and it's a pain some days). I actually know people who have names that could go either way although usually they have a slight variation in the spelling typically a vowel difference a instead of O i instead of e types to lean towards male or female.
 
Agree with @sweetpeama above that you will need photo id when purchasing alcohol unless you appear to be significantly older than 21. Also, if you are checkin in at the resort in person, you will be asked for a photo ID then.

Of course, even if you are presenting as female but your ID looks male that will still work as long as the person can still see that its really you. Good luck!
 
The official policy is that they check for ID when purchasing alcohol for anyone who looks 45 or younger. However, I found that this varies widely. On my recent June trip, the ONLY place we were carded was at the main pool bar in Fort Wilderness (I assume b/c that place is more likely to have teens off on their own?). My boyfriend forgot his ID at our cabin and they wouldn't let him order (despite him clearly being in his 30s). I had my ID and could order for the both of us...still with him standing next to me and taking the cup of alcohol, so silly.

Anyway, all that's to say that in many locations the ID situation may not be much of a hassle for you. None of the sit down dining locations ever bothered to ask.

The only other time you would need an ID is upon hotel check in (if your name is on the reservation). You don't present it when checking into the parks, Just tap your magic band.
 


If you are staying at the hotel with another guest, you could have that other guest as primary, then you would not need your ID. No ID for MB, just your fingerprint or pin #.
 
I've recently have been coming out as trans mtf and I have been wondering what should be done if anything regarding reservations and going to the parks. I have not had a name change. I will have to fly in male mode to make things easier.

What circumstances would making a change to my name and gender on the reservation help or make things more difficult, since I will present as female for much of the trip? We are staying at Pop Century in September. Are pictures used for identity with the magic bands? Will I need to show my ID for alcohol or will the magic band suffice for age verification?

Thanks!

Currently having a similar issue with my FTM trans child (well, 26 year old lol). No official name change yet (he's jumping through hoops with paperwork necessary). We don't live in the same province (Canadians) and I want us to meet at DL in May. I wasn't sure what name to put on the airline reservation (as I have no idea how long the name change will take to process). The passport will need to be changed to enter the US, etc. I went ahead and bought tickets under both names and will just cancel whichever one isn't needed at the time. It will cost me some, but I feel safer having both.

My other worry is that if the name change/new ID hasn't been completed by then - will the changes from hormone treatments mean they don't think it is the same person? Will they accept the passport under the old identity? By May it will be 17 months on the hormones.
 
My ID is 10 years old and I look so different, my hair is now short and grey and I look older, I think I look nothing like I did in 2009, but, there are features that don't change and if they can't tell its you even if your hair is longer and your overall look is more feminine then thats their problem.
I wouldn't worry, they probably have trans people who are now living as the opposite gender more often than you think. Try not to worry about it.
 


Currently having a similar issue with my FTM trans child (well, 26 year old lol). No official name change yet (he's jumping through hoops with paperwork necessary). We don't live in the same province (Canadians) and I want us to meet at DL in May. I wasn't sure what name to put on the airline reservation (as I have no idea how long the name change will take to process). The passport will need to be changed to enter the US, etc. I went ahead and bought tickets under both names and will just cancel whichever one isn't needed at the time. It will cost me some, but I feel safer having both.

My other worry is that if the name change/new ID hasn't been completed by then - will the changes from hormone treatments mean they don't think it is the same person? Will they accept the passport under the old identity? By May it will be 17 months on the hormones.
It will have to be the same name as their ID, that's a legal issue. Once he's changed all his legal documentation then reservations can be in the name he has now.
 
Does anyone know how this would apply to FL resident tickets? Since you need FL id to buy tickets-should I change the name on MDE to be my legal name or preferred name? Can I change the name on the MDE account after I buy FL tickets??
 
Currently having a similar issue with my FTM trans child (well, 26 year old lol). No official name change yet (he's jumping through hoops with paperwork necessary). We don't live in the same province (Canadians) and I want us to meet at DL in May. I wasn't sure what name to put on the airline reservation (as I have no idea how long the name change will take to process). The passport will need to be changed to enter the US, etc. I went ahead and bought tickets under both names and will just cancel whichever one isn't needed at the time. It will cost me some, but I feel safer having both.

My other worry is that if the name change/new ID hasn't been completed by then - will the changes from hormone treatments mean they don't think it is the same person? Will they accept the passport under the old identity? By May it will be 17 months on the hormones.

The changes from hormones don't usually change quite that quickly, though if he looked "obviously girly" in the old pic the juxtaposition might be a bit surprising. I know mine was, as it took about 1-2 years from the time I cut off my hair and stopped wearing jewelry until I got my new license. Of course, my mom had the same issue with her photo IDs for awhile because she'd had very short dark hair when the picture was taken and long, light hair for awhile before she got a new one. At this point, my passport is 10 years old - after I came out and everything but still I look very little like I did then. I weigh more, especially in my face, and more people have commented on it than should quite frankly. But that's not gender-specific, it's more a function of age. If the only ID he has is still in his old name, it won't be fun for him insofar as he'll be called what he doesn't want to be called anymore, but he shouldn't have any problem using the ID to board a plane, enter the country, or check into a hotel based on the name and his appearance. If anything, he'll probably have people falling over themselves to correct themselves for having called him "sir" in a way he'll find infuriating, but that will be about it.

As for the name change and the new ID: if he's not the lead one on the reservation, then his ID shouldn't need to match anything except his plane ticket, should it?

And obviously his magicband can be in his chosen name, etc.
 
My sister is trans, and she had the most issues with RunDisney because her bib name had to be in her legal name which didn't yet match her gender expression and she had to show her ID at the race to check in, so she brought her make-up along to the check-in and applied it in the bathroom immediately following the check-in process.

If you're staying on property and do Advance check-in, you go straight to your room with your Magic Band and don't have to show an ID to check into the hotel. I don't believe she was ever carded (mid-30s) for alcohol. She was able to change her name in MDE before her legal name was changed, and we never had any issues with CMs, who always referred to us as ladies, even when we got some transphobic comments from random guests.

She's now had her name/gender legally changed, so it's no longer an issue, but Disney was a very safe space when she was just beginning the process of transition.
 
I can tell you if it wasn't for my obvious boobs, you wouldn't know I was female. I don't think that matters as much. As long as you prevent the id' I don't think they will really question it, and if they do you just politely explain the situation and I'm sure they will smile and hand your id back.

Disney is pretty accepting. I'm sure it will not be a problem.
 

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