Anyone know why height requirements are different?

ktlm

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Jun 20, 2008
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I'm curious about something and thought maybe someone on here would know the answer. Dinosaur (AK) and Indiana Jones (DL) are basically the same ride just with different themeing but at WDW the height requirement is 40 inches and at DL it is 46 inches. Same type deal with Kali River Rapids at AK which is 38 inches and Grizzly River Run at CA which is 42 inches. DD(4) would be able to ride both these at WDW, but when we go to DL this year, she won't be able to ride Indiana Jones and Grizzly River is questionable. Won't make that much difference to her as it was too cool to ride Kali on our WDW trip when she was tall enough, and I didn't let her ride Dinosaur which she wouldn't know is similar to Indiana Jones anyway, but I'd like to know. Is there something different about these rides that leads to the different height requirements? If so, what?
 
I would guess that either the ride vehicle and harness are different or there are different safety laws in California when it comes to amusement park rides.
 
I'd go with state laws.

If you notice, the carseat laws are vastly different between CA and FL. And even the hotel pool slide rules are different; at the CA disney resorts kids have to be a certain height/age, can't wear life vests, and have to be strong enough swimmers to immediately get themselves out of the pool areas on their own. It's different at the WDW resorts.

To me it's telling that all of those rides are lapbelt rides (unless Dinosaur and Kali are completely different in that respect), which then makes me think about the carseat laws again...
 
Does Grizzly have the pull-down bars for the shorter guests? KRR has one or two bars per raft that allow the 38-42" guests to hold on to since they generally couldn't reach the central bar. If there are too many children in the group that are smaller than 42", they need to be split up.
 

I was wondering about this also because SM in DL has a height requirement of 40", while at WDW it is 44". I found that very strange. It is the same ride!
 
I thought both of the DL rides had slightly larger drops than the WDW rides too. I don't know if angle or speed comes into it at all.
 
I was wondering about this also because SM in DL has a height requirement of 40", while at WDW it is 44". I found that very strange. It is the same ride!

Not sure if you are talking about Space Mountain or Splash Mountain, but neither is 100% identical to their DL counterparts. Although I think Splash has the same height requirement of 40".

Space Mountain has very different vehicles...
 
/
California has a lot more lawyers.
 
Most height requirements are decided by insurance companies. They tend to be very conservative, because of all the lawyers that want a piece.
 
Thanks to everyone who responded so far! I love all the opinions and speculation! Based on the way the answers are going, I have some insight because I'm a lawyer, and I have actually done some defense work for amusement parks- not Disney related. Generally, the insurance companies only require that you go in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations and ATSM Amusement Ride Safety Standards, which are utilized throughout the industry. I haven't seen an insurer actually impose a height requirement on their own. My 1st thought was some strange California law too, but unless it has changed, California law only provides:

"The operational limits of the ride and the specifications used to evaluate testing results shall be established by the owner or operator using all manufacturer-originated information that is reasonably available and relevant as well as whatever additional information is necessary to ensure that the operation of the ride is within the design limitations of the ride."

This would mean that it would be Disney in accordance with the manufacturer which would determine the height requirements. If the ride base is the same, generally you would think you would see the same height requirements at both parks.

That means for some reason, Disney has selected the different height requirements. I think Doconeill may be onto something. If KRR has pull down bars, and GRR does not, that may be the explanation for the difference in height requirement on that one. Does anyone know whether GRR has the pull down bars? If not, I bet we have the answer to that one! If they do, maybe Princess Sleepy is right that there may be a different angle or speed that comes into play?

I thought I read the ride vehicles and tracks themselves were the same for Dinosaur and Indiana Jones, but I could be wrong about that. Anyone know if there is a difference? I still have no clue why there is such a difference in height requirement on that one.

Space Mountain, I am almost positive the difference in height requirement is due to the ride cars themselves. That is just my guess, but I would bet money on it. DL has completely different ride vehicles than WDW. Two riders sit side side by side in the DL cars so you can sit beside your child, where at WDW, they are single file, so you would be in front or back of your child. Because the ride car structure is completely different, that could easily lead to different manufacturer height requirements.
 
I thought I read the ride vehicles and tracks themselves were the same for Dinosaur and Indiana Jones, but I could be wrong about that. Anyone know if there is a difference? I still have no clue why there is such a difference in height requirement on that one.

The ride vehicles are the same (other than trim), but I believe their movements are programmed differently. Have ridden both Dinosaur and Indy many times, I dont think the track layout is at all the same either.
 
Thank CA lawyers for this one!!

Yep, and for the "noise reduction" face masks on Maliboomer, too.

The Indy ride does seem a bit more "jostlier" to me. Although same vehicle, different computer programming.
 
I know some rides have a height limit for the "scary" factor, otherwise why would Stitch have a height limit? But I find Dinosaur much scarier than Indiana Jones, so that blows my theory on the scariness aspect. I have two kids who are too short for IJ, both of whom could handle the ride if allowed on it.

I'm sure the rides we're comparing are different enough that they set different height limits, even if we'd put them in the same "category." I know Grizzly River Rapids has the biggest raft drop, so it's likely to be rated higher.

PHXscuba
 
I know some rides have a height limit for the "scary" factor, otherwise why would Stitch have a height limit?


I think that might have to do with the kid needing to fit safely under the over-the-shoulder restraints.
 














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