Questions about height requirements

[Sienna]

My husband was going through a guide book and talking with the kids about some of the attractions. Knowing that there's height requirements, he did a quick measure of our youngest (age 4), and proundly announced that she is 40 inches. They were talking about some of the attractions that she qualifies for (Splash Mountain, etc), and of course she got really excited. I did a more accurate measurement, barefoot, back against the wall, stand up straight, used a level to mark the right spot...and she's 39.75 inches. We've still got a couple of months before the trip, so I'm hoping she grows a teeny bit between now and then. And she wasn't wearing shoes.

Even if she grows a little bit, it's going to be close, and I know she'll get measured every time for a 40" ride. How precise are they when they measure? Do they take 'shoes' into consideration when measuring? Have you had a child who qualifies at home, but Disney measured differently, so they were turned away?

[Cinderella94]

Originally Posted by Sienna

My husband was going through a guide book and talking with the kids about some of the attractions. Knowing that there's height requirements, he did a quick measure of our youngest (age 4), and proundly announced that she is 40 inches. They were talking about some of the attractions that she qualifies for (Splash Mountain, etc), and of course she got really excited. I did a more accurate measurement, barefoot, back against the wall, stand up straight, used a level to mark the right spot...and she's 39.75 inches. We've still got a couple of months before the trip, so I'm hoping she grows a teeny bit between now and then. And she wasn't wearing shoes.

Even if she grows a little bit, it's going to be close, and I know she'll get measured every time for a 40" ride. How precise are they when they measure? Do they take 'shoes' into consideration when measuring? Have you had a child who qualifies at home, but Disney measured differently, so they were turned away?

Warning: this thread can & probably will become hot-button rather quickly.

They are very precise/strict/whatever you want to call it about height. If a child is wearing shoes that are blatantly trying to make them tall enough, I believe they can make your child remove them to be measured. I have not experienced this myself, because no one in my family is this short anymore, but many people on here have stories about being tall enough at home but not in Disney. Or tall enough one day in Disney but not the next. Or tall enough to ride Space Mountain once, but not 45 minutes later. You get the idea.

[TillyMarigold]

Teach her to stand up straight and not shrink away from the measuring stick. That's about all you can do. If she is wearing regular shoes and those put her over the limit, that should be OK ... but if they are really thick-soled, she will have to remove them (the same goes for an "up" hairstyle).

You may have better luck riding the rides with height requirements first thing in the morning, which is when people are tallest.

[g-dad66]

She will be measured with her shoes on, so you will probably be OK.

But, nonetheless, I would warn her that she might not be tall enough for some of the attractions.

[Sienna]

I know this topic can get heated very quickly. Please don't misunderstand my questions - I am not trying to get around the system. I understand the height requirements are there for a reason.

My husband (I'll blame him! ) made the mistake of telling her that she could ride this and that, and of course got her all excited. I was the bearer of bad news, that she may not be able to ride them, but I've been pointing out plenty of other neat things that she'll be able to do.

I guess I just wanted input from people who were *at* the requirement, but just barely, what their experience has been with the measuring and how accurate & consistent the measuring devices are.

[Cinderella94]

Originally Posted by Sienna

I know this topic can get heated very quickly. Please don't misunderstand my questions - I am not trying to get around the system. I understand the height requirements are there for a reason.

My husband (I'll blame him! ) made the mistake of telling her that she could ride this and that, and of course got her all excited. I was the bearer of bad news, that she may not be able to ride them, but I've been pointing out plenty of other neat things that she'll be able to do.

I guess I just wanted input from people who were *at* the requirement, but just barely, what their experience has been with the measuring and how accurate & consistent the measuring devices are.

I know you weren't looking for a way to cheat the system! I hope my first post wasn't misunderstood . And, unfortunately, the devices aren't very consistent .

[RMulieri]

They are very strict about it and they automatically look at shoes and if it is a girl..Squish down any ponytails or buns on the head..My daughter measured about 39 1/4 " without shoes at home last Sept.She was nowhere NEAR the height requirement sticks that the Cms use. She was disappointed but got over it quickly. My advice...Pray for an increase in height,Practice standing super tall, hit the rides early in the morning when you are at your tallest, and prepare her for the fact she may not be getting on ( if you get close to the trip and she is still small).I feel your pain. We leave in 17 days and my daughter is barely over the 40" mark..Not much growth in a year for her .But both DH and I are very short people.

[kwitcherkicken99]

She is a 1/4 inch away. She should be okay by the time you leave. Remind her that those rules are in place to make sure she stays safe and has the best experience she can on the ride. If a CM tells her no, it's only because they care about her. (Or tell her that Mickey told his friends to make sure she doesn't get hurt - whatever works)

Regular tennis shoes have soles that are about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. You should have nothing to worry about.

[tzolkin]

I would not tell her that she is tall enough for any of the rides, that way she won't be disappointed when you get there. Each time you approach a ride with a height restriction, you'll have to say "Let's see if you're tall enough today".

We had some issues with the height requirements this spring. My DS was told he was tall enough outside Test Track and the CMs were giving him high-fives and getting him all excited. When we got to the boarding area they couldn't decide if he was tall enough or not. Multiple CMs came over and they were debating, grabbing his chin, trying to shove their hand between his head and the bar. After several minutes he was turned away.

We were there for two weeks and he was able to ride the other 40" attractions, so we decided to give TT another try. Again he made it past the outside measuring stick, but after much debate they wouldn't let him ride. He was also turned away from Soarin after riding it the previous day.

We didn't argue with the CMs and understand that the height requirements are there for safety, but the inconsistencies were irritating. I would go expecting that the child can't ride, and then anything s/he makes it on will be a bonus.