Concerned about Height Requirements

[Chris Kringle]

We leave on Friday for a week at Disney. We'll be celebrating my son's fourth birthday while we are there. I just measured him and with his shoes on he's about 39 5/8 inches. If it were up to me, I'd say he's close enough. But what about the staff? Will he be able to ride those with 40 inch height requirements? My two older children keep talking about Splash Mountain and Star Tours and I know he will be crushed if he can't go on them. Any experience??? Insider tips?

 

[MyZoeJane]

Sorry, no experience with that, as DD is only 2 and is 36 inches and I harbor no hope for her being able to ride the "big" rides by October. (I wouldn't want her to.)

But if I were you, and you feel your son is old enough to handle the bigger rides, then I'd be out searching for the tallest shoes I could find! LOL

Pick up some thick soled gym shoes and throw some inserts in those puppies!!!

 

[mom2of2]

due to safety reasons the CM's have to be strict with the heights. On SpMt they measure at least twice. Sp Mt and ST will be there when he's tall enough to enjoy them safely.
Sorry if that's not what you want to hear but god forbid something happened to him because "he's close enough"

 

[Deb & Bill]

And they may make him remove his thick soled shoes or ball cap if they think these items will artificially make him tall enough. They are not out to ruin a kid's vacation. They are only trying to make it safe for the children and their families.

 

[Windy City Heather]

I have been turned away from Soarin when my dd3 was 39 1/2 inches.

 

[Allison]

Sorry but as others have said they are very strict about height requirements.

 

[Mermaid4me]

I was worried about this too. My son just measured 40" in his bare feet at the doctor last month. I am hoping with shoes that he is OKAY. Oh well we will just have to see.

Mermaid4me

Poly Apr 06
CR 05
ASMO 01
Offsite 86
CR 79

 

[JFrey4240]

My DD just made the 48" requirement last week. She had to go under their stick with her head touching the top and she just made it. The cast members told her if she got measured again to put her feet together and take a deep breath--apparently this makes you taller--LOL. It was cool that the cast members kept giving her high fives for making the height requirement.

 

[Aneille]

They check. My DD was 3.5 last time we were at WDW and her headed had to touch the 40" marker which it did. But she was checked at every ride sometimes twice.

Also my neice just came back and she was just shy of 48". If I measured I would say she was 48". But her head didn't hit the stick at RNR. They actually passed a paper beneath the stick and her head to decide if she was tall enough, thats how close it was. I guess if she did the "take a breath" thing she probably would have been tall enough.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My DD just made the 48" requirement last week. She had to go under their stick with her head touching the top and she just made it. The cast members told her if she got measured again to put her feet together and take a deep breath--apparently this makes you taller--LOL. It was cool that the cast members kept giving her high fives for making the height requirement.

Thanks for the tip! I will tell my 6yo--he doesn't know it yet, but we are going to WDW week after next and he really wants to ride RnR. He measured over 48" at Kings Dominion in VA, but their system is less than precise (actually, I think he'll have an easier time at WDW). AT KD they put something on his head that they can angle down if they want to, which is not a very good way to do it.

I measure my son at 47 1/2 without his shoes on (my non-precise measuring ), so I think he'll be ok, but I will tell him the feet together, take a breath tip.

Chris Kringle, what kind of shoes was your son wearing? If they were real flat shoes I would consider buying him some higher shoes. My son's sneakers (regular Nike sneakers) add I would guess close to an inch to his height.

 

[Aneille]

Regular sneakers for my girls adds about 1 inch too. My oldest on her first trip to WDW had a pair of Minnie Mouse light up sneakers that were so cute. She had multiple people ask her about them while we were there, even better they added over an inch to her height.

Not a big deal since she was so young, but it did allow her to get on Kali that trip.

Edit: grammar mistake

 

[FlowersChild]

You know what I don't get it why they never check to see if I am tall enough to go on Space Mountain

Here is a photo of me

Okay so does anyone have any ideas as to why they never check to see if I am tall enough to go on Space Mountain

 

[mojophone]

something that I know Cedar Point does which is a customer service place we can take our kids to that will measure them and give them some sort of identification of height? ie braclet, pin, lanyard tag etc etc?

They do this so that the people running the lines can keep the flow of people moving along in a more timely fashion. It also helps us parents know which rides we can all ride together and which ones we need to take turns with.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

You know what I don't get it why they never check to see if I am tall enough to go on Space Mountain

Here is a photo of me

Okay so does anyone have any ideas as to why they never check to see if I am tall enough to go on Space Mountain

Are you on the left or on the right?

 

[Aisling]

Maybe I'm overprotective, but I would be a little nervous about putting my child on a ride when he was shorter than the required height. I always thought they made limits for safety issues, and who know, maybe even a half inch can make a difference. When I hear about people putting their daughter's pony tails high on their heads of putting high sneakers on, it gives me goosebumps. I'd be too scared to take chances like that.

But then again, I'm sure people do it all the time, and I haven't heard about any accidents from it. But please be careful!

 

[FlowersChild]

Maybe I'm overprotective, but I would be a little nervous about putting my child on a ride when he was shorter than the required height. I always thought they made limits for safety issues, and who know, maybe even a half inch can make a difference. When I hear about people putting their daughter's pony tails high on their heads of putting high sneakers on, it gives me goosebumps. I'd be too scared to take chances like that.

But then again, I'm sure people do it all the time, and I haven't heard about any accidents from it. But please be careful!

Very good point.

 

[DISUNC]

It all depends on the CM. For a 1/8 of a inch or so, most will let the kid on! However, you do get some CM's who wont let them on. Had this same problem at one time or another.
For the times the CM say NO, remember they go on breaks....so go back later!
We had kids who were turned down for RnR in the am, and were 'magically' tall enough in the pm!

 

[mdoc]

I have found the CMs to be extremely strict on the height requirements. To the point that the CM at Primeval Whirl pushed my DD's head down a little and stuck her finger in between DDs head and the height measurement bar to demonstrate that she missed by a fraction of an inch. If you want him to get on the ride, make sure he's wearing thick soled shoes that will get him slightly above the required height. In my experience (based on various experiences over the years with different children), almost is never good enough for WDW height requirements, even if it's very close.

 

[zurgswife]

something that I know Cedar Point does which is a customer service place we can take our kids to that will measure them and give them some sort of identification of height? ie braclet, pin, lanyard tag etc etc?

They do this so that the people running the lines can keep the flow of people moving along in a more timely fashion. It also helps us parents know which rides we can all ride together and which ones we need to take turns with.

Disney doesn't do this because your height will change over the course of a day while walking and your spine compresses. A child that barely makes it in the am will most likely not make it in the PM.

 

[mojophone]

Disney doesn't do this because your height will change over the course of a day while walking and your spine compresses. A child that barely makes it in the am will most likely not make it in the PM.

um ok call me stupid or gullible but you gotta be kidding me right? I mean people don't really lose height each day, do they? Got a link to tell me more ofthis phenomena