40 inches not enough?!

[MagicalMomAZ]

Just read a thread where that was said....freaking out here. I'm a poet.

DS was 3 in July, in Aug he measured at 40 inches.....I was going to measure him before we left but I want to know RIGHT now! LOL - Do you think he'd think it was odd if he awoke to mom standing over him measuring him??

He has some old Buzz Lightyear sneakers, Children Place sneakers & Crocs.....I must measure them all to see which one is tallest.....

This realization is such a bummer....

 

[lisadoll93]

 

[DLR29]

It's just that sometime people measure at home and are disappointed when they get to DL or WDW and their just 40" kid doesn't meet the line.

Also another complaint is that the lines aren't consistent between attractions. My bet is that if he was 40" in August, he'll be fine for the 40" attractions.

 

[flyinshirer]

We just took my neice and she was 40 at home and was fine when we got to DL. You'll be fine!
No worries!

BTW - I think that it's funny that you thought to measure him sleeping! Silly girl!

 

[bumbershoot]

(warning...I'm posting "on" Nyquil, so forgive if I don't make sense...I don't normally take such things and it's hitting me hard, but I'm too bored to just sleep, LOL)



I know it was my post, along with others possibly, that got you worrying.

Something I think helped DS get on Star Tours in December was that it was the FIRST ride. I'm a retired chiropractor, and the physics of the spinal column and the discs means that we ARE taller after we sleep all night, and we ARE shorter after running around all day, especially if we go on rides that shake us up a bit. So I took DS on very first ride of our trip, and he was taller that time than he was again in the trip (I measured him against things a couple times), to the point where he might not have gotten on Star Tours towards the end of our trip, b/c he measured just short enough that a picky CM would have said "no". He didn't WANT to go again, but if he had, he might not have gotten on.

After all, in Sept he was barely shorter, but a CM literally put a piece of paper between his head and the top of the stick thing at Star Tours, and b/c the paper slid through, he was denied. (while a smaller, younger, girl in high-heeled boots walked on with her family b/c the CM was so involved in sliding a piece of paper in there) By December, first day first ride, he was fine.



OH, and adding to the September story: he was OK'd at the FRONT of the line. He was re-measured well into the queue, at the last moment. That's when the paper-slider got all tweaky about it.


I learned to say "let's see if you're tall enough right now to ride it", never taking it for granted, never telling him that he 100% would be allowed on.

 

[Luvmy2Js]

I have had personal experience with this happening and it sucks awful. We took my daughter to her three year well baby check the day before we left for Disney. When the nurse told us she was 40.6, Jaedyn and I did a little dance right there in the office. We had been telling her for a while that she needed to eat all her food so she was tall enough to ride the big rides. We were both so stinkin excited. When we got to Disney though she wasn't tall enough for all the rides. And the worst was when she was tall enough at the post at the entrance to the long line at Splash but then not tall enough at the measuring post right before you enter the caves. I was so mad because she started to cry and was so sad. That night we went and bought different shoes so that we didn't deal with it anymore.

 

[silence]

My DS is very short for his age, I mean, really short.

On one of our trips when he was 4 or 5, we went to Soarin' with my nephew and all the kids got on the ride no problem. The boys LOVED it, we did it 3 times that day. Two days later, when we went back, they told him he was too short. He was so heartbroken, because he had been on the ride several times already.

When he first got tall enough to ride Indy, they measured him 3-4 times after we got in line, every CM we passed I think. I don't think any of them believed he was going to be tall enough!

DD just hit 42 inches and finally was able to ride Grizzly on our last trip. Strangly, they only measured her once the whole line.

Anyways, I miss that pilot program they did where they measured the kids and gave them a wristband so they knew exactly what rides they could get on, because, it is left up to interpretation and the measuring sticks are not all the same.

 

[CupidsKiss]

My DD was on the cusp last trip so I had her in shoes with a heel and a high ponytail. All for naught because she measured up in sneaks anyways.

I agree in the discepancies with SM measurements too. That one was close

 

[mlggator]

I have a friend who takes a small pair of socks with them and balls them up in the heel of the shoe before they get in line at certain rides. It gives that extra 1/2" needed to get them on some of the rides.

Michele

 

[RuthieT]

our daughter is right at 40 inches and she did fine at all DL and Legoland. But at DCA they said she was under 40 inch mark and wasnt really able to go on much there. She was really upset about it.

 

[dizzyami]

I know many people are telling you not to worry - but honestly I would and be prepared. Find the thickest socks you can find - and bring 2 pair to wear per day. When we were there in June we were so excited because DS was well over 40 inches by our measurements at home. The first ride we tried was Jumping Jellyfish...because it was so close they put a single sheet of paper between his head and the bar, and since it would slide through (BARELY), he couldn't ride. We then took him over to the bench, made DD take off her socks , doubled up his socks, and marched him back over. With a lot of stretching, he finally made it. Even then though the excitement was not over, as he was again measured at the line, and we had to fight again with him to stretch and hit the bar (he had trouble grasping this). I honestly (and I promise I don't want to freak you out, rather prepare you) had a very frustrating (not to kill the disney magic, I got over it and it became a game) experience the rest of the trip. One morning we rode BTMRR (his fav) three times in a row. Each time the same CM measured him at the entrance, and then pulled him out of line to measure him at the top (THE SAME CM EACH TIME). The 3rd time they tried to deny him boarding - we threw a fit and forced him to stand up and hit his head. This happened every ride, every time. I hope your DS is taller then that and it won't be an issue - but be prepared.

Teach your DS that the goal is to "hit his head" on the bar. That is the key. Double up your socks, and hit your head and you are good to go!!!

(Too bad DS learned this too much in Oct and I thought he was going to end up with a concussion. 4 months later and an 1inch 1/2 taller he still got stopped for every ride, but knew the trick and banged his head on the bar as hard as he could!!! )

 

[mystic_path]

I dont know about height restrictions as I have never gone to a Disney park with children, but I had to thank you for the morning giggle about measuring your son while sleeping. It just shows how excited you are about going, nothing wrong with that. It just sounds funny when you put it that way I would probably be anxious enough to do that with my nephew too

 

[Laurabearz]

So are all of you saying your child measured 40 inches without shoes and still had issues on some rides??

Or are your kids measuring at home 40 inches with shoes?

 

[dizzyami]

So are all of you saying your child measured 40 inches without shoes and still had issues on some rides??

Or are you kids measureing at home 40 inches with shoes people?

My DS was over the 40 inch mark at home barefoot (I put a tape measure up and marked the wall) and we had major issues.

On a previous visit my DD measured over 42 inches (barefoot) at the doctors - and it took 2 inch heels to get her on grizzly (sorry bumbershoot) (and for any other negative votes here - she put the shoes on only to ride the one ride, and then changed back to tennis shoes)

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

4 months later and an 1inch 1/2 taller he still got stopped for every ride, but knew the trick and banged his head on the bar as hard as he could!!! )

OMG - I've never laughed so hard! Poor kid....

Well...he can collect $200 & pass go bc the kid has grown 3 inches in 4 MONTHS!!! DS is 43 inches! Doo-dah, Doo-dah!! Woo-HOO!!!
DD is 9 & forced me to measure her too, she's 5'1"....I think I need to stop feeding my children! In just 4 inches she'll pass me up, that won't do. How do you be assertive to a child looking down at you??

 

[Laurabearz]

Thanks great news!!

I sure hope my boy sprouts up 2-3 inches in the next 5 months you give me hope!!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Oh, and Laurabearz, that was in his sneakers.

 

[bumbershoot]

How do you be assertive to a child looking down at you??

My mom was only 5'1"...she had to learn that trick early! Of course, HER mom was only 4'11", so maybe it was easier for my mom.