How strict are CMs with height restrictions

[mattsdragon]

Please don't post ways to get around Disney's rules. It is a violation of the terms of use of the board, and gets people in trouble and entertaining threads locked.

 

[Ava]

You may have heard this tip before, but try the height-restricted rides first thing in the morning. We all "shrink" a little throughout the day due to gravity. And definitely have her practice at home, standing up tall. Place a clipboard or something at 42" and tell her the goal is to touch it with her head. A lot of kids shy away from the measuring bar, or try to duck their heads under it.

 

[nuge67]

Please don't post ways to get around Disney's rules. It is a violation of the terms of use of the board, and gets people in trouble and entertaining threads locked.

Not saying I did that myself per say, but in the previous posts, others were mentioning and hinting at ways..

 

[kkelder24]

I remember the first time we went, I was 5 and in kindergarten. I was denied to go on Splash Mountain and I was crying and crying and my mom brought me to the bathroom to wipe my eyes off and there was a mom in there crushing the toilet paper roles and wrapping them with TP and sticking them in her kid's shoes because she was just a little too short. My mom wouldn't let me do the same thing as that child and I was upset. (This was the only time I've ever had a meltdown btw.)

Needless to say, we went back another day, and instead of the sandals my mom put me in, I was in sneakers and allowed on - without the toilet paper. It added a good inch to my height.

 

[jentifred]

I finally found this: http://blog.touringplans.com/2011/0...-of-height-requirements-at-walt-disney-world/

Looks like the measuring sticks are a true 44 inches. Which means that in shoes my son would probably be fine now, but if I can get him to grow that last half inch (I measure barefoot), he'll be good to go.

 

[lan3]

We went last February and they were not strict at all. My kids are triplets. We went on test track and splash mountain several times and nobody measured my kids. At Splash, they measured my daughter as she was boarding the boat and the cm said he was a bit too short. We joked that we should show him the pictures of her on it earlier that day and he let us ride. We did get stopped at Soaring and we left. I guess she was just under 40 " in shoes. I hadn't measured her before we left. I knew she was approximately 40" but none of my kids were measured most of the time.

 

[Kristallc]

remember, height restrictions are for safety. If a person is too small, they could possibly be injured on a ride because they are not big enough. definately NOT worth the risk

 

[SiennaMadchen]

I guess that we won't know until we actually get there. DS is well over 44 inches at 6 1/2 years old and can go on some rides with his daddy that DD can not go on, but she is at or just over 40 inches at 3 years old (will be 4 in 3 months). We around going to DW in 4 weeks and I know that she is will be a question on every ride depending the the CM.

She was a hair under when we were in DL this past June for Star Tours and she was able to go on the first time, but not the second time. However, I know that she is 40 inches for sure now and it will be upsetting if they turn her away this time. And I am all for safety. Personally, I do not feel comfortable with her going on the Tower of Terror or as she calls it "Towa of Ewa." I told my husband that I think that you should be able to say it correctly to ride it. But I think all of the other 40 inch rides will be fine for her height wise and personality.

We just hate that it is going to be up to however the CM feels at that moment and that we could get turned away after waiting. I will be bringing my own tape measure to see how accurate they are anyway. I will also be checking in front of each ride to see if there is any question.

I guess my question is..Do the CM's just sometimes say "no" even if a child's head hit the top of the bar? What is their main criteria? Does their head have to hit the top? Do they have to pass the bar? Does it just truly depend on the CM?

 

[maxiesmom]

We just hate that it is going to be up to however the CM feels at that moment and that we could get turned away after waiting. I will be bringing my own tape measure to see how accurate they are anyway. I will also be checking in front of each ride to see if there is any question.

I guess my question is..Do the CM's just sometimes say "no" even if a child's head hit the top of the bar? What is their main criteria? Does their head have to hit the top? Do they have to pass the bar? Does it just truly depend on the CM?

Your child's head just needs to hit the bar. That is it. However, even if a piece of paper can fit between your child's head and the bar (note it is their head, and not their hair!) they will turn you away.

As far as bringing in your tape measure goes, there is no point in it. Disney's stick is the only measure that matters. It won't matter one whit if your tape measure says a stick is 45' when it should be 44'. The only thing you will do is cause a ruckus that will not result in anything positive for you. Leave your tape measure at home.

 

[SiennaMadchen]

Your child's head just needs to hit the bar. That is it. However, even if a piece of paper can fit between your child's head and the bar (note it is their head, and not their hair!) they will turn you away.

As far as bringing in your tape measure goes, there is no point in it. Disney's stick is the only measure that matters. It won't matter one whit if your tape measure says a stick is 45' when it should be 44'. The only thing you will do is cause a ruckus that will not result in anything positive for you. Leave your tape measure at home.

I'm only doing it out of curiosity to see how accurate they are on the measuring sticks outside the ride. I do not plan to create an issue with it at all.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm only doing it out of curiosity to see how accurate they are on the measuring sticks outside the ride. I do not plan to create an issue with it at all.

Ok. I just don't see a point in it. If your tape measure says that the official one is off, what good does it do you? I would think it would just be upsetting and cause more stress.

 

[Keegansmommy]

Extremely strict in my experience. Last trip my DS was literally a fraction of an inch too short for Everest and they wouldn't let him on. Like mabye 1/16th of an inch. He LOVED it this time though!

 

[rgf207]

I will be bringing my own tape measure to see how accurate they are anyway.

Who's to say your tape measure is accurate?

 

[pooh4evr]

They are strict, and will ( I have seen it) ask kids to take off shoes (don't stuff them) or thick soled sandals, flatten poofy hair and try to stick a paper between the head and bar. Don't fight the CM's about it, why ruin your day and theirs.

 

[Unca_Scrooge]

All you parents trying to sneak by the height requirement, that can be construed as criminal child endangerment and you could be arrested if the child gets injured because of it.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

My daughter is just slightly under 42 inches. Are they flexible at all, or should I prepare her in advance for not being able to ride things that have 42 inch restriction?

~It's worth repeating that Disney is very strict about height requirements. With that said, at 42 inches your DD will be tall enough for the majority of rides at WDW.

~The height requirement for Space Mountain, Expedition Everest & Mission Space is 44 inches & 48 inches for Primeval Whirl & Rock n Roller Coaster. Your DD can ride pretty much everything else in the parks. Have fun!

 

[vikkil70]

Your child's head just needs to hit the bar. That is it. However, even if a piece of paper can fit between your child's head and the bar (note it is their head, and not their hair!) they will turn you away.


This is the experience we had with our DS 6. In the fall he was measured at 48 inches at Kings Dominion but I thought the person was being a bit generous. On our trip this past December he was measured at RnRC and the Cast Member must have measured him at least 3-4 times and it was barely a papers width between his head and the bar but she turned him away. She was flattening out his hair (which is not very poofy to begin with), having him stand up as straight as he could, etc. She felt really bad about it but we told her it was ok. We noticed he was in his sandals and when we went back that night he had changed into his sneakers and we tried one more time and he got measured again and this time was told he was good to go.

On a funnier note, we went to AK the next day and DS wanted to try Primeval Whirl, so we went and he got measured. Again he was just barely let through, and told he may get measured again at the ride itself. When the CM was deciding whether or not to let him through, my DS 8 asked me why his brother was getting checked again when he was let onto RnRC the night before. The CM looked at me and told me RnRC was not a 48 inch ride. I just smiled becuase she had not okayed my little one to go on yet, but I thought it was funny. My older son wanted to tell her that it was 48inches to get onto RnRC but I just shushed him.

 

[Tormania]

Sad to read all the stories of parents trying to cheat the system. I guess they figure that they paid money to do to WDW and they should be allowed to do whatever they want, sad society we have.

My son turns 3 next month and we will be going to WDW in 11 months. He's been measured at the Dr's office between 37.5 and 39 inches tall in the last month. I figure that he should get over 40 inches within the next 11 months and thus be able to ride all but the 44"+ big rides. But I can't even fathom trying to scam his way onto a ride. Luckily our trip should fall where he should be comfortably past the 40" mark even with several height checks.

 

[alecshawn]

All you parents trying to sneak by the height requirement, that can be construed as criminal child endangerment and you could be arrested if the child gets injured because of it.

If thats the case...Orlando area courts would be full....NOT gonna happen.
It is an age old tradition the world over to get kids not tall enough on certain rides. Besides...even back in 1976 my dad was trying to figure out a away to get me on Space Mountain....So, its nothing new, No big deal.

 

[Jasonkat]

My girls will be 6 in April. One of them is almost 40 inches (no shoes) and the other 2 are just over 40 inches.

My daughter is 39 inches tall. She just turned 3 on Dec 27. I'm amazed she's almost as tall as your 5 year olds.

We're going next month and even if she hits 40 inches, which she just might, I'm not going to let her ride anything big because she's probably too young at 37 months old. I figure we can wait for awhile before she goes on anything bigger than the Great Goofini.