Dear Disney: can you please do something about the height requirement inconsistencies?

It shouldn’t be the nature of the beast though. The height bars should be accurate. And I’m betting there are a LOT of parents out there who don’t realize that the height bars aren’t always set correctly and don’t know to prepare their kids.

Interestingly, on our last trip, my son was barely over 38 inches. He cleared the height bars at the beginning of both SDD and 7DMT. He was not measured again at the end of the line. I was surprised. I wonder how they decide who gets measured a second time.
Not to mention why clog up with line with ppl who will be turned away?? That’s just inefficient. I’m sorry but this just speaks to the overall decline in wdw quality that we have seen in recent years.
 
Did they do any attempt at guest recovery for this? It's one thing if you had a fastness for TT, but to wait an hour or longer and then be denied boarding when your child was waived through at the first checkpoint is really outrageous. They should have given you a FP for another ride to make up for your lost time. In my opinion, there is no reason that kids should be checked twice at all. If they are tall enough at the start of the line, they're not going to magically shrink in the time it takes them to get to the end. And it is much easier for parents to manage the disappointment before the anticipation of riding has been built up.

They offered to let us do a child swap
 
My daughter had this happen on the Barnstormer..... knocked her head on the first measuring stick, but the second one was brushing the top of her head and they wouldn’t let her on. They said the 2nd one was “more accurate”..... in that case they should have the “more accurate” one be the 1st measurement. I like the wristband idea, there are plenty of wristbands that are pretty much impossible to “just slip off” and switch if applied correctly. Not even saying make wristbands an automatic thing.... you could have the option of the one time measuring but if you didn’t want to then you get measured like normal at the rides.
 
“More accurate”? Lol. It’s a standardized unit of measure! It’s either accurate or incorrect. And if it’s incorrect it shouldn’t be there.

(FTR I just measured my son laying down without shoes on and he is absolutely, 100% 40 1/2 inches. With the Nike flex runners he is easily 41 inches)
 
I'm not a parent, but if my kid's height was questionable at measurement #2 after being good to go at the first stop, I'd be telling him to stand super straight at attention.....either that, or bring my own tape measure.
I'd be telling him that number one was for practice and the one at the end of the line will be the one that decides. That I hope he gets to ride but we have to wait and see.

OP a few tips:

1) Kids tend to be taller earlier in the day. Try to do the rides with height issues as early in the day as possible.
2) Kids tend to try to avoid "hitting" their head. Explain that in this case the goal is to actually hit it.
3) If he doesn't make it this time, get a rider swap pass for now and try again later.
 
I'd be telling him that number one was for practice and the one at the end of the line will be the one that decides. That I hope he gets to ride but we have to wait and see.
I get it, you're just trying to help with the way it is. But the way it is isn't OK. The lines are bad enough these days. Having to factor in "will they or won't they" let my kid ride....after the wait?! It's just a dumb, family unfriendly, policy.
 


I get it, you're just trying to help with the way it is. But the way it is isn't OK. The lines are bad enough these days. Having to factor in "will they or won't they" let my kid ride....after the wait?! It's just a dumb, family unfriendly, policy.
Now that I go to wdw with a child, I realize how NOT family-friendly so many things are there especially with little kids. We traveled there quite often as an adult-only family &, on the surface, things appeared more family-friendly than they actually are. I didn’t realize it til I actually brought a little kid.
 
I get it, you're just trying to help with the way it is. But the way it is isn't OK. The lines are bad enough these days. Having to factor in "will they or won't they" let my kid ride....after the wait?! It's just a dumb, family unfriendly, policy.
I get that. I'm sorry it was unnecessarily upsetting for your family. :grouphug:

Unfortunately you're paying the price for all the others ahead of you who tried to cheat the system. The reason there's a second check is because so many people try to sneak a child through the first check point when the first is answering a question or briefly turned away. But it sure sounds like wristband technology has improved and it's unfortunate Disney hasn't chosen to update.

May your next visit be full of many happy thrill rides! :tink:
 
I get that. I'm sorry it was unnecessarily upsetting for your family. :grouphug:

Unfortunately you're paying the price for all the others ahead of you who tried to cheat the system. The reason there's a second check is because so many people try to sneak a child through the first check point when the first is answering a question or briefly turned away. But it sure sounds like wristband technology has improved and it's unfortunate Disney hasn't chosen to update.

May your next visit be full of many happy thrill rides! :tink:
But other ppl have nothing to do with WDW’s inaccurate measuring procedures. That’s OPs complaint. It would be no big deal to be measured twice if the results were the same. The fact that they’re not is unacceptable.
 
But other ppl have nothing to do with WDW’s inaccurate measuring procedures. That’s OPs complaint. It would be no big deal to be measured twice if the results were the same. The fact that they’re not is unacceptable.
We don't know for sure if it's inaccurate until someone brings a tape measure and measures. Kids that age sometime stand straighter at different times. It's really best to go into it knowing the final answer comes at the loading platform.
 
We don't know for sure if it's inaccurate until someone brings a tape measure and measures. Kids that age sometime stand straighter at different times. It's really best to go into it knowing the final answer comes at the loading platform.
I think the CMs should be trained to know that & get the most accurate measurement possible BOTH times. I suspect the first one is just eyeing it up less carefully than the 2nd & that’s the problem. OP reported that her child has consistently had the same measure at the dr, at home, & in the beginning of the line, but then slumped down or shrunk 2 inches at the loading platform? I just doubt it.
 
I think some of the issues lie with what a CM deems acceptable. We took our youngest on primeval whirl a few trips ago on a whim. For reference, I wasn't sure exactly how tall she was, but it was going to be close. First CM measures her, waves her through no issue. Get to the loading platform, measure again. She really didn't look tall enough when measuring with her actual head hitting the bar, even to me. The CM looked so torn about what to do, she did let her ride, but could have sent us away too, I very well might have in her shoes too. Her hair is thick and curly and the way it was done that day helped a lot. The sticks really are not all the same and some CM's really have to make a judgement call. I don't envy them at all.
 
I think some of the issues lie with what a CM deems acceptable. We took our youngest on primeval whirl a few trips ago on a whim. For reference, I wasn't sure exactly how tall she was, but it was going to be close. First CM measures her, waves her through no issue. Get to the loading platform, measure again. She really didn't look tall enough when measuring with her actual head hitting the bar, even to me. The CM looked so torn about what to do, she did let her ride, but could have sent us away too, I very well might have in her shoes too. Her hair is thick and curly and the way it was done that day helped a lot. The sticks really are not all the same and some CM's really have to make a judgement call. I don't envy them at all.
Yep, I don’t envy them either. That’s why the burden should be taken off them and have a formal measuring / wristband process.
 
This summer at Universal, we had this experience at Rip Ride Rockit, except there are THREE measuring points, plus a metal detector. Our oldest son was measuring just a bit below 51" in socks and solidly 51.5 in shoes. But he was so excited to ride Rip Ride Rockit, we went there at rope drop because he would be tallest at that point. He measured fine at the first two points, so we thought we were good. Then we went through the metal detectors, then we went up to the platform. Right before boarding, they brought out a stick. He stood ram-rod straight and his head, not just his hair, was hitting the stick. It was close, but there was contact. But the CM said he couldn't ride. I questioned it, and the CM just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry."

I really didn't want this to ruin the trip, but it was hard to keep him positive when he was pretty upset, and we had wasted the rope drop..... To make it worse, his mom had taken the two siblings to ET, but we didn't realize that didn't open until an hour after park open, so they went up to the spinning ride in the Simpsons area. She had my phone because RRR has the metal detectors, so we had no way to contact her, and we didn't all find each other until almost 10 am. Our oldest son wouldn't have minded the mix-up if he had actually ridden RRR, but under the circumstances, when he finally saw his mom, he just lost it crying, and hugged her for like a minute. Not a great start to the day.

If only they had bracelets to confirm kids' heights, there would be no issues. You could measure the kids once, when you enter the park, and be all set. I don't get it.
 
This summer at Universal, we had this experience at Rip Ride Rockit, except there are THREE measuring points, plus a metal detector. Our oldest son was measuring just a bit below 51" in socks and solidly 51.5 in shoes. But he was so excited to ride Rip Ride Rockit, we went there at rope drop because he would be tallest at that point. He measured fine at the first two points, so we thought we were good. Then we went through the metal detectors, then we went up to the platform. Right before boarding, they brought out a stick. He stood ram-rod straight and his head, not just his hair, was hitting the stick. It was close, but there was contact. But the CM said he couldn't ride. I questioned it, and the CM just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry."

I really didn't want this to ruin the trip, but it was hard to keep him positive when he was pretty upset, and we had wasted the rope drop..... To make it worse, his mom had taken the two siblings to ET, but we didn't realize that didn't open until an hour after park open, so they went up to the spinning ride in the Simpsons area. She had my phone because RRR has the metal detectors, so we had no way to contact her, and we didn't all find each other until almost 10 am. Our oldest son wouldn't have minded the mix-up if he had actually ridden RRR, but under the circumstances, when he finally saw his mom, he just lost it crying, and hugged her for like a minute. Not a great start to the day.

If only they had bracelets to confirm kids' heights, there would be no issues. You could measure the kids once, when you enter the park, and be all set. I don't get it.
This situation is completely avoidable. Three checkpoints is ridiculous. Under no circumstances should a kid who passed the height bar at the beginning of the line be denied at the end.

In addition to your son's disappointment, you ended up wasting so much time. Time you paid for!
 
This situation is completely avoidable. Three checkpoints is ridiculous. Under no circumstances should a kid who passed the height bar at the beginning of the line be denied at the end.

In addition to your son's disappointment, you ended up wasting so much time. Time you paid for!
what about parents who add things to shoes to make child taller by time they reach second sticks added height disappears and yes I have seen parents do this. so if child had been correct height at first stick would have failed there too. from what OP said child should have passed if he hit head that is when I would have asked for manager.
 
The point OP was making is that the measuring is inconsistent / arbitrary and left up to CM's to decide. It's not fair to kids who are borderline above the height restrictions. If Disney had a standardized way of measuring, I wouldn't care if they wanted to check 10 times. As long as each of those 10 times was exactly the same! Since that isn't possible, they should move to centralized measuring w/ a wristband.

You will never combat the issue of parents putting stuff in kids shoes. That can be used to get around measuring check points and a centralized system. But the kids who are legitimately taller (but just barely), shouldn't have to suffer because of this. If the kid has been measured by a medical professional to be above 40 inches, it should be reflected the same at Disney (especially since they will have shoes on at Disney). It's not like most people will be back a few months later after the child has grown more. The next time the kid returns, he might be 60 inches!

Disney has a great product, but there are many flaws in their "systems". There is room to improve and make the experience better.
 
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The measuring of children more then once on any ride is beyond ridiculous. Come on, can 1/8th or 1/4 of an inch really make a difference? If it can, they should just make the restriction 1 inch higher instead of turning kids away after 1 or 2 measurings. What a dumb policy.

I mean, think about it. A child could possibly fly out of their seat because they are 1/4 of an inch shorter then the requirement??? You know how small 1/4 of and inch is??? Doesn't even make sense. I bet weight could be a factor too and they have that as a requirement.
 
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The measuring of children more then once on any ride is beyond ridiculous. Come on, can 1/8th or 1/4 of an inch really make a difference? If it can, they should just make the restriction 1 inch higher instead of turning kids away after 1 or 2 measurings. What a dumb policy.

I mean, think about it. A child could possibly fly out of their seat because they are 1/4 of an inch shorter then the requirement??? You know how small 1/4 of and inch is??? Doesn't even make sense. I bet weight could be a factor too and they have that as a requirement.
It’s not about the close calls after measuring once. It’s about the parents who slip their too small child through when the cast member at the front of the line is distracted with a question from another guest.
 

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