38 1/2 Inches - Help Get My GD on the E-Ticket Rides

[Bill From PA]

Looking ahead to our March trip, I checked on the rides my oldest grand daughter might be able to ride and found a bunch of the great ones have a 40 in. cut-off. My daughter put a yardstick to Sophia in stocking feet and she's 38 1/2. I figure by March 5 she'll pick up a few fractions but will still be about an inch short without shoes. Anyone ever make up an inch with thick soled sneakers or by any other means? I've read that the CMs don't cut any slack on close calls, but if she hits 40" exactly and the shoes aren't 70s Disco Platforms will they re-measure in bare feet? Any successful strategies offered will be appreciated.

Bill From PA

 

[cleo]

Let her grow an inch so she's safe on the attraction rather than pushing it an putting her at risk. It will still be there next year.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I have never seen a CM ask a child to remove their shoes in order to measure them. If she is measuring 40 inches with her shoes on, they will probably let her ride. However, I would just use her regular sneakers and not try to push it with especially thick soled shoes.

HTH

 

[TiggerStac]

I haven't seen a CM asking someone to take off shoes. But I do remember reading on here, that one child was at the 40inches and had on platform shoes and the CM wouldn't allow them on splash mountain.

 

[rfortune]

When we went a few years ago, we were in a similar situation EXCEPT my son was EXACTLY the right height (we measured before we left).

Unfortunately, the CM at the RRRC "tipped" the measuring stick back and felt my son was too short. The CM would not listen (or even re-measure), so I was stuck with a VERY unhappy child.

 

[cleo]

I have seen CM's ask a child to take their shoes off (on more than one occasion) and I have seen them ask children to remove hats, too. Some (one would hope ALL) CM's stick very closely to the guidelines, so you may want to prepare your GD for not getting on the rides she doesn't make height for rather than having her believe you'll 'get her on'.

 

[Now Mom of 3]

If your granddaughter will be at just about 40" with shoes on here are a few tips that might help. Have her practice standing up tall. At that close slouching just a bit might make her not make the requirement. I have also heard that it might help to try the ride first thing in the morning since the spine actually compresses while standing all day. Don't know if it is true or not, but it can't hurt to try first thing in the morning in case it is. And don't forget to prepare her before the trip for the very real possilbity that she may not be able to ride these rides. Than if she ends up being all enough it will be the icing on the cake instead of the only a terrible disapointment. Hope this helps.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I'd prepare her for not being allowed on the E-rides, this way she won't be disappointed if she doesn't make it.

 

[GMS]

Thick soled/platform shoes with long pants that are belled on bottom and almost touch the ground would work. We've added T-paper inside shoes for an added boost too. Good luck! So much nicer when all in your party can ride. Prepare her for the worst, and if it happens, maybe you could do something else extra special for her.

 

[TheBeast]

I see you say "next trip", not first trip or only trip. I tend to stickler to rules and have brought my kids up that way too. So they knew before we went that if they weren't tall enough, they couldn't go on. Never really had an issue besides occasional minor disappointment.

Lot's of times, I think the kids don't care as much as the parents care (or think the kids will care).

Some of the height restrictions may seem silly but they are there for saftey reasons (though there are obviously other factors besides just height that aren't accounted for).

 

[Bill From PA]

Thanks for the ideas, guys and gals. My daughter tells me Soph picked up 1/2 inch since July so there's hope that she'll be 'legal' by March. We won't build up her expectations, we'll just take what comes. I'm sure that over 7 days we'll get her on some of the better rides. As a consolation, we start next week calling for Cinderella's Table or whatever the breakfast in the Castle is called.

Bill From PA

 

[kaydoggy]

When we went in October, my three year old twins measured 40 1/2 with a tape measure at home with shoes. At the par they BARELY hit their heads on the measuring things at Test track, Splash and Big Thunder. In fact the second time through they didn't let my son go, even though we had just gone a 1/2 hour ago. This was with normal looking sandals that I suspect have about a 1 inch sole. I will say that after doing it, test track and splash were fine, but I think that 40 inches is a little short for Big thunder. I had a death grip on my son the entire ride. Even though he did love it.

 

[WDWNicole]

When we were ay MK last December, the kid in front of us on Splash Mtn. had on cowboy boots with 2 inch heels. The CM laughed and let him on.

 

[afr117]

Bill, I noticed you said you will try to make Castle breakfast reservations starting next week. Didn't they switch all the restaurants to 180 days out for ADRs?

 

[HappyMommy2]

I think it's very possible she may be tall enough by March if she grows another 1/2-3/4 inch. My 3-year-old is right at 39" in stocking feet but with his shoes (normal athletic shoes, not platforms or anything) he just barely hit the bottom of the measuring stick for all the rides. We had not even hinted to him that he would be able to ride the 40" restricted rides, since we knew it was going to be so close, and we were a little surprised that he did meet the mark. On a few rides he was measured multiple times--I would agree that the CMs do not "cut any slack" for kids who aren't quite tall enough; they were extremely careful to be sure that DS really was tall enough to be safe on the ride, for which I am grateful.

 

[robinb]

I think there is a good chance she'll be "legal" by March. If she's not, Skeechers make a good solid shoe for walking around WDW .

 

[Bill From PA]

Am I ever gald I posted this here. I DIDN'T know that Cindy's Table ressies were changed to 180 days but afr117 and an anonymous DISer who PMed me mentioned it and I got the last 10 am seating (the time we wanted) for 6 that was left for the whole week the kids will be there! What luck, and what a great bunch of folks here on the boards. We didn't promise Sophia Splash Mtn. or Dinosaur but we did say she'd be eating with Cinderella and I almost blew it.

Bill From PA

 

[DizBelle]

This looks like a good way to make sure she eats her green vegetables.

 

[homeschooler]

I always figured that the 'limit' was for safety and never really wanted to get around it much but that being said, I have had two that were working on heights at different occasions and they always knew that if they were too short, I wasn't going to argue or try tactics to get them on. We all simply accepted it and went on with the day. I did work on 'decent' shoes, not small soled shoes and standing up straight. Also, if the child acts mature about it, the CM are more likely to hedge the measure a little in their favor. If the cry, throw a temper tantrum or in other ways act infantile while being measured or standing in line prior to being measured, they will be considered too small. Also, if they show a fear of the ride, the CM will more likely judge them a little shorter.

Just a side, the hardest year we had was when my youngest was 41". He just seemed to take it as an affront that they needed to measure him. I mean, couldn't they see he was taller than 40"?

 

[DVCLiz]

Good job on the reservation!!!! I called and got an 8:55am reservation for our trip in March - the CM had two left, and said she thought many people hadn't heard about the change yet, so they were able to book some people without the crack of dawn calling. Lucky us, don't you think????