Cheating on Rides

[I'mNoPrince]

I would just buy him some Heely's

they give you an extra inch or so and are great for getting around in the parks.

 

[auntpolly]

I would just buy him some Heely's

they give you an extra inch or so and are great for getting around in the parks.

I wish there was a "snort" smiley, because that's what your post made me do!

 

[taximomfor4]

I am sure some do it. Our family has not. It is especially hard to take my 6yo ds on some of these rides, while my 8yo dd is too short (barely). Too short is too short. She will get taller in the coming years.

Beth

 

[Allison]

I'm sure they obey every traffic law too - they would never go over the speed limit and risk putting their child in danger.

Why is it when people are asked their opinion and give it, these completely unproductive posts come along? Noone has done anything but state their opinion.

 

[Silverbelle990]

I understand that this subject is very sesative. (FYI i can't spell at all.. ) When i was younger my father tought us to stand straight and how to ride a ride if you were a little too short. I was brought up this way and i don't recall it doing any damage to me or my sisters. My son wants to ride RNRC most of all and has been eating all his vegtables just to be able to. I feel really bad that he didn't get to be tall enough. How do you tell your child that he ate all those veggies for one and a half incese away?????

 

[disneymomof6]

BUT my guess is that when they are making these height restrictions they are not putting it right at the dead mark.... Meaning.. when they test it they arent saying... if someone even an inch shorter then 48 inches rides this ride they are going to be injured.. Im sure they allow a margin and save their rumps by jacking it up alittle bit.

I havent had an issue at disney where I had a child that wanted to do something real bad get let down BUT when I was at universal studios my son was not allowed to go on Men in black because he was less then an inch too short... He was 6 years old and small for his age... He was devestated (after being on the ride several times before myself I was confused at what was so risky with it) and although I tried not to make a big deal out of it so he didnt feel worse we just said.... next time we go you will be fine... and one of us stayed off with him BUT when we asked someone working at universal about it they said it was for FEAR FACTOR... which in that instance I thought it was kind of unfair to make those judgements without knowing people personally. What about those with dwarfism? (sorry if this is the wrong term)

 

[mdfdisney]

Ride height requirements are "safety guidelines" that have been set to insure that almost nothing can happen to any rider who meets or exceeds that limit. Given the legal environment in the US, I'm sure the limit is set well above the actual point at which someone would be at risk of falling out of a ride.

It's not some magic threshold -- at 47.9 inches you plummet to your death, but at 48.0 inches you are safe and secure There should be several inches of "safety margin" around these height requirements.

I think most rides give only an illusion of risk. Most of the true risk has been engineered out or minimized (except for people with unknown physical abnormalities). It is probably safer on thrill rides at high quality amusement parks than walking across the streets or the busy parking lots a DW. JMHO.

By no means do I want to try and talking someone else into putting their child on a ride if they are uncomfortable with it. As with most things, parents should make up their own minds based on their own evaluation of the situation, level of risk aversion, the child, etc... and also remember to be polite to CMs if they prohibit your child from riding since the CM is just doing his/her job.

My DS13 is very petite (51" tall - 60 lbs), but a thrill seeker. Until recently, she did not even qualify for the 48" rides, not to mention the best rides at Universal Studios and our local Six Flags. I try to get her on any ride she is willing to try and have done so for the last 3 years. Platform shoes are good for 1/2" to 1". Pony tails and hats and standing extra tall can squeeze out another 1/2". I always ride right next to her to keep an eye on her.

 

[laura001]

I would just buy him some Heely's

they give you an extra inch or so and are great for getting around in the parks.

 

[bzzymom]

I wouldn't alter my child's height to ride a ride unless it was minimal, like sandals not quite there, and the tennis shoes make them tall enough. Definately no platform or anything like that.

 

[punkin413]

OK, I know i will get flamed on this but my son is 46.9 inches tall with his shoes on. Has anyone every cheated and bought heel lifts or stuffed thier kids shoes to gain that one and half inch? This is just a question please not to many flames!!!

no flames here. not that i agree with "cheating," but i really don't care one way or the other. my parents "cheated" when my sister was a little and we went to opryland one year (we're from nashville). she was shorter than the average 8-year-old and wanted to go on every ride. so they put paper towels in the heels of her jelly shoes (remember those?) and put her hair up in a bun on top of her head. i think it worked if i remember right.

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

Hmmmm, to each there own, but in all honesty, though my youngest DS is tall enough to get on more stuff this year, I may still think twice until I can see he'll be secure, he's my little man and I don't want him to get hurt!!

 

[stargrazer]

You have to decide what is right for your family and what risks you are willing for your child to take. I would not do it personally, but I have actually read a guide book that gives advice to do this.

I think there is another question here that hasn't been addressed...while my child that is an inch too short might not plummet to their death, is this really the example I want to set for my kid? If you can't meet the requirements, just break the rules? Call me a snob or elitist or whatever comment that was made earlier, but we are pretty much rule followers around here.

IMO, the comments about swimming pools don't apply in this case, as you have control over what your child does in a pool...you do not have control over a ride (or a ride malfunction). Ditto with a car (speeding). Although I don't have control over other people (cars) or water (pool), my actions can certainly impact the result of what happens in both those situations. The only control I have over rides is whether or not I get on it. If my child is in danger in a pool, then I can save them. If I see a problem on the road, I can employ defensive driving manuvers. What can you do on a ride? NOTHING.

And anyone that flames a person for asking a question should be doused with vinegar. Ditto people who have nasty comments to other people for simply expressing (an asked for) opinion!

And the heely comment.... I love you.
~~~
Diana

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

hope I didn't come across as flaming.....

 

[stargrazer]

hope I didn't come across as flaming.....

Not to me, didn't look anything remotely like fire..

 

[cabanafrau]

Well, I wouldn't do it for many reasons, but to each his own & God bless. I just hope everyone comes out safe & happy, because it is lots of fun to visit such a wonderful place w/ loads of people having the time of their lives.

 

[MushyMushy]

If the idea has "cheat" or "lie" in it, why wouldn't the answer be self evident?

 

[taximomfor4]

If the idea has "cheat" or "lie" in it, why wouldn't the answer be self evident?

I agree. I am ever watchful about what I am teaching my children. I do slip up and do/say things I shouldn't, but I certainly don't PLAN to!

Also, to me, cheating that extra inch or two on rides is pretty much like cheating on that inch/pound or two with carseats/booster seats in the car. I would imagine some wiggle room was built into those safety recommendations/carseat laws as well. We follow the recommendations exactly, though, just in case.

Oh, and while I do have some bad habits, speeding is not one of them. I DO follow posted speed limit signs. (just because that usually gets tossed into threads like this a time or 2).

Beth

 

[mmcguire]

Preface: This is completely not meant to sound judgemental.

When I was a kid, I wouldn't have thought twice about cheating height measurements to ride something. Now, knowing that accidents can and do happen on rides (albeit rarely), I couldn't, in good concience, let my own children do it. As others mentioned, restrictions are put there for a reason, and I could never live with myself if one of my kids got injured (or worse) because they slipped through a safety bar or harness.

Just this past summer at our local amusement park, we were all dying to ride something similar to Kali. We measured my 4 yo DD before we got to the ride itself, and didn't say why. Turned out she was a good 1/2" too short. We didn't make a big deal of it, and my DH and DS rode while she and I got a drink, and she never knew she missed a thing. I just try to think of it not as something she didn't get to do, but something she can save for later.

 

[dopeyfanatic]

Here's my opinion..... the harness on the child affects how tall the TORSO is, not the legs. Once the kid sits down, it's the top half that matters. Adding height to the kids shoes so they meet the height does not necessarily affect where the harness falls. And what if you have two kids that are 48", but one has longer legs and a shorter torso so the harness hits different than the other kid who has shorter legs and a taller torso? Should the first not get to ride?

 

[JMCDAD]

unrelated but related comment
At a local park last year, not Disney, I was pretty annoyed that my son who barely made the requirment to pay full price rather than child, the cashier measured him and said full price, but when we got to one of those little cars that they drive around on tracks, the attendant said he was not tall enough (same height requirement).