Cheating on Rides

[Nienor]

Darn, I thought this thread was gonna be about cheating on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Me too. I was hoping for some tips.

The only two rides that are 48 inches and RNRC and Primeval Whirl. IMO those are a little rough and you might want to avoid them anyways. RocknRoller Coaster goes upside down and has linear induction. That might be a bit of a shock to most small kids. Primeval Whirl is just rough and throws even adults around badly. (where's the puking smilie when you want it.)

 

[nyfinfan]

Obviously CM's are trained to abide by the height policy but for whatever reason, this CM decided to try and tell this family how to get around it; I doubt Disney recommends CM's to do this, as, among other things, it is teaching a child that posted rules do not have to be enforced...from what I've read about the Disney family, something Walt himself would not appreciate, I would think anyway.



~~~~
Diana

I didn't take it as a flame, just an interesting discussion. I only brought up the point because "Tripplanner" and "Quiltymom" both stated that CM's told them to get bigger soled shoes.

In my opinion, if WDW wanted to get an exact measurement of guests for safety reasons than they would have all guests who are close to the cut-off remove their shoe's. That is not the case. In fact, its the opposite. I hear more instance's of CM's telling people to "get better shoes", than telling them to "remove their shoes for measurement". Plus, no one addressed the fact that someone can measure the "correct height" while standing but may have longer legs and in that case would not fit the overhead safety restraints properly.


You could just chalk it up to improperly trained CM's. As we know they have a hard time enforcing the "no-heely" rule too.

By the way, the OP never asked our opinion's on cheating at the measuring stick....just if we had ever done it intentionally.

 

[Mcqueen Fans]

Well here is what happened to us in December. My youngest is right at 40in, and had went on test track with no problems. Then we went back with our fp and they measured him and would not let him ride. He cried and cried, he did not understand because we had just gotten off. So later we went back and I put a some paper towels in his shoes and that time they did not even measure him. He he would have been over an inch to short I would have never let him ride but since he was so close I thought it was ok. He rode everything else that you had to be 40in all week long with no problems. It was just one person that measured him to short. I am not sure why you have to be 40in for soarin but he rode it with no problem. The whole week he was never measured again.

 

[MyZoeJane]

It's a wonder Disney hasn't adopted something like Six Flags Great America hs here in Chicago... They measure kids at guest services there and give them a wristband which precludes them from having to stand up next to the measuring stick at every ride... Also makes it easy to rule out an inconsistency.

 

[tjmw2727]

Never done it and I do know how you feel as we have had one trip with each of our dd just at that 40 or 44" mark.

Honestly, IMHO (not a flame) the great thing about WDW is that compared to other parks 99% of attractions do not have a height requirement. Even among the ones that do most are only 40" with two at 44' and two at 48".

I will say that on two recent trips, October and December 06 the CM's were very strict with measuring. My nephew was about 42" and on all the 40" rides he was measured at least once and often 2-3 times prior to boarding. We also saw several children who were asked to remove shoes - girls and boys with heeleys and girls with sketchers and one girl with platform flip flops. The CM's were measuring to the head, not the pony tail and the hats hat to be removed.

TJ

 

[tjmw2727]

It's a wonder Disney hasn't adopted something like Six Flags Great America hs here in Chicago... They measure kids at guest services there and give them a wristband which precludes them from having to stand up next to the measuring stick at every ride... Also makes it easy to rule out an inconsistency.

Yes, one trip with my youngest she was tall enough for Space Mnt in the AM and not later that afternoon. Like an above poster, she was fine again all that week except one ride - same shoes same kid.

Recently with my nephew the measuring was constant, he was just above the 40 - about 42. He would be measured at the entrance, occasionally again in the line and always again at boarding. My sil and I spun it into show the CM what a big boy you are but honestly it was getting annoying.

We recently visited two minor theme parks in NE as well as Busch Gardens Williamsburg that measured at one central point and gave out wristbands. That was sooooo much better.

TJ

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

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.

Ok, I'm going to confess. When The Indiana Jones Ride opened in Disneyland, my nephew was about 1 inch too short. So.... I grabbed a stack of napkins and folded them in half, inserted them into his shoes and tah-dah, instantly lift. Yeah, I know... bad auntie! No soup for you! What can I say, I was a dumb teenager!
Many moons later, I am now a mommy and probably wouldn't do it again. Not that I have anything to worry about, as DD is big 'ol chicken and won't even ride Goofy's Barnstormer at WDW or Gadgets Go Coaster in DLand.
Sounds like karma, no?

 

[theblondebee]

Our first trip to Disney World in 91 my DD was 4 and some rides the CM would count her ponytail and tell her to stand up straight. She otherwise would not have been tall enough.

 

[d4est]

OT a little bit...

How much can you expect your child to grow in 10 months? Is an inch too much to hope for?

 

[excitedtraveler]

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.

Diana

I was going to bring up this point also. I don't like the idea of teching my child that it is ok to cheat and that the rules that apply to other children don't necessarily apply to him/her.

 

[d4est]

 

[meandtheguys2]

OT a little bit...

How much can you expect your child to grow in 10 months? Is an inch too much to hope for?

My boys have shot up from 1 to 3 inches in the last 10 months...I think your prospects are good!

 

[cabanafrau]

OT a little bit...

How much can you expect your child to grow in 10 months? Is an inch too much to hope for?

Buy him all new pants. Works like a charm everytime!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Buy him all new pants. Works like a charm everytime!

Bingo...and not the cheap ones, either...

 

[BarbWB]

I don't think "trying hard" to be tall is bad for rides like Splash or ToT or even Primeval Whirl (which is worse for adults with stiff necks than it is for kids!!).

But, I would not try to fudge it at all for RnR or Space Mountain. I'm shocked that the height req't is so low at Space. I felt very uncomfortable with my dd riding when she was 5 and legitimately met the height req't. On RnR, it goes upside down. I don't mess with upside-down rides. I can't really think of anything else at Disney that would scare me for a kid with platform shoes squeaking past the requirements.

At other amusement parks, I do worry about the height req't. My dd 8 squeaked by (legitimately) a 52 inch requirement for a crazy coaster on the Wildwood, NJ boardwalk. She is quite thin. I rode with her, but I was so scared that she was going to fly out of the restraints that I didn't really enjoy the ride myself!!

Use your judgment and know the ride.

 

[sandym718]

Interesting thread!! LOL over the above posts about the pants - so true!!

I don't think I would ever do anything more than perhaps have a child wear tennis shoes vs. very flat sandals if they were that close - very close. No extremes. I do however agree how it's very interesting that it seems torso length (and perhaps even girth - not too skinny (like my son) I mean) should be much more important when it comes to harnesses! Leg length can make a big difference. I am only 5'4", my DH is 5'10" - when we sit, he's only about an inch taller cause I'm all legs. Seems like that would matter for safety! But, no amusement parks measure this way, so they must know what they're doing. plus, their park, their rules!

But, on that note, I have a BIG problem with parks that charge based on age vs. height. My son is very small for his age, my daughter is also on the short side. They are only 4 and 2 at this point, so it hasn't been a problem yet, and won't be for our Disney trip in April, but will be shortly. I refuse to pay full "adult" price for my child if they are not able to ride anything more than the kiddie rides and a few others!! What is the point (other than $$$$, of course) to charging based on age when ride requirements are based on height????

We have 2 major amusement parks near to us, we've been to both. Until this upcoming season, one had a height-based pricing structure, the other was based on age. Since DS will be 5 in May, we would've had to pay the higher rate, even though many of DD's 2 year old friends are taller than him (really). luckily they changed it this year, but otherwise guess which park we would NOT have gone to?? This was also true of the annual indoor amusement park that comes here in the spring, last year DS was 3 and was fine, I doubt we'll go this year, cause he'll be full price unless they changed it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I guess you could see it as reverse descrimination if you charged based on height instead of age. I know I would be angry if my sister, who is shorter than I am, got to pay a cheaper price to go to Disney than I did!

Seriously, Disney does not have a huge number of thrill rides, which is why some parks charge you for how tall you are. Taller the person, more thrill rides, more money needed. There is still a huge amount of things you can do at Disney even if you are too short for all of the headliners. To me Disney is about being there as much as it is going on the rides.

 

[sandym718]

Hmm... well, to me it is kind of discrimination to charge more for a person SOLEY based on age - regardless of the fact that they will not get to use/participate in/enjoy more because of that age. It would anger you for your sister to pay less if she was shorter AND not able to utilize nearly as many rides as you? That wouldn't bother me a bit. It would bother me to pay more for my 5 year old son(more than the price for 3/4 yr. olds) and have him unable to go on several rides that a FREE 2 year old could go on. If my daughter was of more average height, that could have happened within my own family, and had the park near us not changed their policy this year, Would have happened when/if we visited with our playgroup this year (which we wouldn't have done)! My friends' 2 year olds will be able to go on more rides than my 5 year old, yet they would be free and we would be paying not just Junior price, but FULL "adult" price! Luckily they changed the policy!

I agree with you that the number of rides with height requirments is small at Disney compared to all those available. (That is not the case at the above-mentioned park - it is known for Thrill Rides!) There is a ton we will be able to do!! And, like I said, with their current ages, the pricing thing doesn't affect us at all. However, it may affect our decisions about future trips, just depending how we fall on the age/height lines. There is soooo much to do at Disney, but that doesn't negate the fact that there are MORE things to do for those above the height requirements, and in all fairness, the prices should reflect that - just my opinion.

However, I also understand that the argument should be that then pregnant women should pay less, those with verified medical conditions, etc. and that's not the case. Parks would lose too much $$$!! However, it seems the trend in parks other than Disney IS to accomodate for height - 2 and under being free, a Junior rate up to 48" (regardless of age - so for the poster who mentioned dwarfism, seems to me it would apply) and then full price, plus a senior discount.

 

[tjmw2727]

Interesting thread!!
snip
But, on that note, I have a BIG problem with parks that charge based on age vs. height. My son is very small for his age, my daughter is also on the short side. They are only 4 and 2 at this point, so it hasn't been a problem yet, and won't be for our Disney trip in April, but will be shortly. I refuse to pay full "adult" price for my child if they are not able to ride anything more than the kiddie rides and a few others!! What is the point (other than $$$$, of course) to charging based on age when ride requirements are based on height???? snip

Having already weighed in on the height issue I wanted to respond to this post.

IMHO by the time the child discount no longer applies most kids are 48" - the maximum for any WDW major theme park ride. My dd is only in the 50th percential for height and she was 48" at 9. In fact there are only 2 rides with a 48" restriction, so actually, to qualify to ride all but 2 of WDW theme park rides a child must only be 44". Definatly acheived by most TD kids at 10 years old.

Also - if the admission was based on height then adults who were pregnant would also be "overcharged" as would those who could not enjoy the rides that require transfer from a WC who can't and those who suffer from back problems.

IMHO since 99.9 % of WDW major theme park rides can be enjoyed by everyone - I feel the current pricing is fair. YMMV-

TJ

eta - my 3yo neice was only about 37" last trip - barely made it on the Barnstormer so I do feel empathy. My sil purchsed the 3-9 ticket price for her even though there were 2yos riding BTMR when she could not. We had such a good time and my neice had the time of her life - was it worth admission - you bet. In fact when they got a group of under 40" children together at Star Tours to do a ride without motion that was the highlight of her trip a "tall kid ride". Thanks forever to that CM (Yes we filled out a card!).

 

[writersblock42]

Confession time....I bought my son a pair of these really thick sandals (they were really girly ooking too) and packed them in the backpack. When it was a ride with a height restriction we slipped them on. I also made judgement calls as well. For instance, at the time he could not get on Splash Mountain..he was like half an inch too short. Splash Mountain is perfectly safe because as a previous poster said it has not restraints to fit. And then the other ones were one or two theater shows. As squirmy as my child is his chair at the dinner table moves around more than those theater chairs. And in addition, like a previous poster put they do not check to see if you are pregnant, have back problems things like that. But like for mission space, (a different year), my son met the requirements and we did check it out before hand and thought it was probably fine but that put too much pressure on him. So it needs to be a judgment call. Some common sense is taken for granted but a heavy dose of common sense does a wise man make.