Accuracy of "measuring sticks"

[Katie In Wonderland]

When I was little at Disney, I got measured for splash mountain. I was a couple of centimeters off and the cast member said "Lift your chin up.". Sure enough, I bashed the top of my head off the sign and has a nice little bump on my head but I road splash mountain and I was terrified. Not the best idea (but I was sandwiched between my mom and uncle (her older brother) so I was perfectly safe and they held on to me. I don't know if I "cheated the system" but that happened. I remember my mom said I measured 40" on the dot at the doctors but at Disney I was centimeters off. Maybe they changed that (because this was in 1994-1995) but it happened and I still remember the pain of hitting my head off that thing.

 

[julluvsdisney]

This makes me pretty nervous because I'm banking on Jelly being 40" when we go next year. 4 inches over 14 months is doable, right

Totally! My almost 4 year old grew 4 inches in the last 6 months ! Finally hitting 40" a few weeks ago! We have 2 1/2 weeks left would love a mini growth spurt to put him at 40 1/2" !

 

[TandLMommy28]

I think they are pretty accurate, although on our last trip, my oldest was 42 inches without shoes ~ so we told her we would let her try for SM and all the other 44 inch rides, but not to get her hopes up. We were very surprised when she was able to ride all the 44 inch rides with no second glances (b/c she was touching the bar no problem). I guess I should have prepared myself a little more for EE

Interesting. My 4yo is 43.75" without shoes on. He really wants to ride EE. Maybe with shoes he will be tall enough that they wont make him take them off. I told him he probably won't be tall enough just in case! In 2010, he was 38" and couldn't ride anything but he's grown a lot in two years!!!

 

[chartle]

I agree with the pp that said sticks in doctor's offices are never measured the same -- so I would say the smae about the ones at parks. However, the diferences are never substantial (an inch here or there).

Think about it, at the Dr's office the kid gets measured and then gets a shot.

At WDW the kid gets measured and get to ride an amazing attraction.

Which do you think the kid is going to be more jazzed about?

 

[ErinsMommy]

Last checked my DD was exactly at the 40" mark (first time since birth that all her doctors gave her the same measurement) - so I'm hoping she'll hit another growth spurt between now and our trip in February.

 

[LazyDaisy]

Soaring I think is set taller than the rest of them. Just a smidge.

Also, nine months after DD qualified for even the Soaring ride (so I think she was already over 40" at that point months ago) - she measured in at 39" at the doc's. Yeah, right. Their measurments were off, I'm sure of it.

I also regularly weigh about 5 lbs more in one doctor's office than I do in another's - in the same clothes, even.

 

[BrerNashville]

One afternoon, my 4.5YO passed the first bar at Space Mountain (44"), didn't get measured at the second bar, then passed the third bar and got to ride SM for the first time on our last trip. Later that evening, he passed the first bar, didn't pass the second, and they wouldn't let him go on and try the third. He passed EE at AK no problem the previous day. So if you are close, be prepared to bite your nails.

 

[hakepb]

Interesting. My 4yo is 43.75" without shoes on. He really wants to ride EE. Maybe with shoes he will be tall enough that they wont make him take them off. I told him he probably won't be tall enough just in case! In 2010, he was 38" and couldn't ride anything but he's grown a lot in two years!!!

DS was never asked to take off shoes to verify a measurement. Your DS should be fine (and hopefully be like my DS and love EE so much he has a new favorite ride!)

 

[fairestoneofall]

when DS was just barely 40", we prepared him that he still might not be able to ride anything. many rides didn't measure him (Test Track, which surprised me), and he passed those that did. thankfully, he didn't have to be disappointed, but we wanted him prepared for it.

 

[gator girl]

It doesn't matter how accurate it is. It can be wrong alllll day long.

The only thing that matters is that the kid's head touches it. Wherever it happens to be.... 39", 39.999994", 40", 40.3333333333333", etc.

 

[chartle]

DS was never asked to take off shoes to verify a measurement. Your DS should be fine (and hopefully be like my DS and love EE so much he has a new favorite ride!)

But others have seen kids being asked to take off their shoes if it appears that the heals are too thick. But yes .25" is easily made up with shoes.

 

[LCoulter]

Our DD4.5 measured 44 inches at home with normal sneakers which were the sneakers we were taking with us to WDW. First we had her measured at Space Mountain on the first day of our trip and there was no question that she was a hair too short to ride. Then a day or two later we measured her for Mission Space and she again was a little too short.

On our last day of our trip, she insisted on being measured for Expedition Everest. There was a measuring stick off to the side so you could check the measurement yourself and she bumped her head on it and was so excited but DH told her not to get her hopes up because we needed to get an official ok from a CM. She measured tall enough by the CM at the end of the line and again just before boarding, bumping her head on all three measurements. The height requirement on all three rides is 44inches and she had on the same pair of sneakers.

 

[acebatonfan]

My question is why can't they measure the child once and slap a color coded bracelet (for height) on him/her and they're good for the day instead of constantly measuring for each ride. That's what they do at the amusement park near where we live.

This can be easily abused by families. Two kids get measured, and one does not make the 40 inch mark. The smaller one wants to ride a 40 inch ride, so the larger kid just switches bracelets with the smaller kid, and the bigger kid sits out for the ride. The smaller kid gets onto the ride, and, heaven forbid, the kid is injured because he was too small for the ride. The family sues Disney for big bucks, and in today's judicial system, the family wins.

DS was never asked to take off shoes to verify a measurement. Your DS should be fine (and hopefully be like my DS and love EE so much he has a new favorite ride!)

They will tell you to take off your shoes if your obviously wearing shoes with a large heel. They will also pat down your hair if your kid tries to add a few extra inches by spiking their hair, making it an afro or other voluminous style, or putting it into a very high ponytail.

 

[PeanutButterMom]

Is Disney as strict the other way too? I'm thinking about Typhoon Lagoon and Ketchkiddee Creek - PB is 45" now (again, 14 months before we go). She had a big growth spurt back in December, but I think it's feasible that she'll be over the 48" limit next October. She LOVES water, but it's a big water slide person. Will she be allowed to play in there (Jelly will obviously be under the limit, so it's not like she'll be smallest kid in our family going in).

 

[ErinsMommy]

Think about it, at the Dr's office the kid gets measured and then gets a shot.

At WDW the kid gets measured and get to ride an amazing attraction.

Which do you think the kid is going to be more jazzed about?

LOL...this is true -- although there have been times where my DD would get measured/weighed at doctor #1 office (and for example) the got her at 35", 30 lbs. 3 hours later we were at doctor #2, and they got her at 33-1/2", 30 lbs. Never figured that out, but I always was more worried about her weigh-ins than her height.

 

[chartle]

This can be easily abused by families. Two kids get measured, and one does not make the 40 inch mark. The smaller one wants to ride a 40 inch ride, so the larger kid just switches bracelets with the smaller kid, and the bigger kid sits out for the ride. The smaller kid gets onto the ride, and, heaven forbid, the kid is injured because he was too small for the ride. The family sues Disney for big bucks, and in today's judicial system, the family wins.

Actually its easier than that, the taller kid just gets measured again and gets a new wristband. Everybody then gets to ride.

 

[auprincess]

I really think it has a lot to do with the cast member. Like my previous post said, we were very close, so I expected her to be measured very carefully ~ some rides (like a pp) said, she was waved in without a second glance (yes she was touching the bar, a little higher actually).

And the shoes ~ my daughter did have on wedge flip flops ~ not extremely high, about an inch or so and no one ever said anything about it. I know some might think it was to cheat the system, but it was not. She is very tiny for her age (7 years old and was 42 inches) and starting to have some insecurities about it at school. She is a good 3-4 inches shorter than the next to shortest person in her class. After watching her stand on her tiptoes for her entire school play so she would be "tall", I caved and bought her a pair of wedge flip flops that she had been begging for ~ so she had them long before our Disney trip.

 

[zeferjen]

The whole time reading through this thread, I have "if this stick doesn't fit, you must acquit" stuck in my head. 4yo DS is finally 40" without shoes on. I hope on our trip to DL this month he can ride the new Cars ride without problems!

 

[DisneyFive]

My DD8 is right at the 48" mark with shoes, maybe a little under without shoes. I'm hoping that she is at or above the mark by our late Sept trip!

She is a thrill ride junkie, and REALLY wants to ride Rockin Roller Coaster this year after having to miss it the last two. So here's hoping!!

Dan

 

[TheAceOfAces]

And the shoes ~ my daughter did have on wedge flip flops ~ not extremely high, about an inch or so and no one ever said anything about it. I know some might think it was to cheat the system, but it was not. She is very tiny for her age (7 years old and was 42 inches) and starting to have some insecurities about it at school. She is a good 3-4 inches shorter than the next to shortest person in her class. After watching her stand on her tiptoes for her entire school play so she would be "tall", I caved and bought her a pair of wedge flip flops that she had been begging for ~ so she had them long before our Disney trip.

Aww, you sound like a great parent! (Not sarcastic; I genuinely love that you did this.) I was in exactly the same position as your daughter, and I always wished my parents would let me wear taller shoes, not to beat height requirements, but just to help with the bullying. (Alas, I went to a Catholic school whose uniform requirements didn't allow "excessive shoe height.") I'm an adult now and never did catch up with my peers height-wise, but hopefully your daughter will have better luck than me in that department.

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