Problem With Disney's Website Means Not Everyone Can Request Free Ticket

Eyewitness News discovered a problem with Disney World's new promotion offering people a free ticket on their birthday. One boy who tried to sign up found out he couldn't.

Disney just announced the new promotion Thursday, but it turns out a problem on Disney's web site won't let everybody request a ticket. A family told Eyewitness News the site wouldn't let them request a ticket, because of where their son was born.

It's been 9 years since Zachary Dunkerton last visited Disney. Now the teen's family says it feels like a roadblock to what's supposed to be a special celebration.

Like all kids, 13-year-old Zachary loves everything Disney.

"Epcot, amazing fireworks, a whole bunch of different things," he said.

For his birthday in June 2009, his mom plans on taking Zachary to a theme park he describes as a favorite.

"Amazing, fantastic, unbelievable," he said.

His mom was quick to get online and sign up for Disney's new free day for guests celebrating birthdays, but ran into trouble when the program asked for Zachary's birth city and state. He is an American citizen, but the Dunkerton's adopted Zachary as a baby from South Korea.

Janice Dunkerton stops short of calling it discrimination.

"It would automatically make you feel like that, that you have to be born in the U.S. or Canada to be able to get in free," she said.

Janice was able to sign up her husband and herself, but because Zachary is under 18, his mom had to fill in the online form on his behalf. Janice calls the birth city question unnecessary and fears she's not alone.

A Disney spokesman told Eyewitness News they're working on the problem. Guests can still get in free on their birthdays by showing up day-of with proper ID. The Dunkerton's said they were hoping to avoid the ticket lines.