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

[rongarbutt]

We dealt with this at a local theme park when one day they would let me 36" daughter on a ride, and then not the next ride or the same ride the next day. We got measured at guest relations and were told that if there was an issue have the ride attendance contact the front. This wouldn't be possible at Disney, but something has to be done. We do spend too much time and money to wait in a line, only to be told our kids aren't the same height they were when they checked at the front of the line. Check the kid at the front of the line and stamp their hand or something. It just can't wait until you are on the ride platform. My daughter is now over 38" tall, 2.5 years old. We can't get her to smile on main street, what makes you think we can get her to stand tall enough to uncomfortably smash her head against the height bar?! She literally stood under it with a tilted head so she wouldn't touch it and the CM demanded she put her head up straight. I know, I know, if my kid can't follow directions, then she shouldn't be allowed on the ride. We even tried practicing with the hands raised up over the head. Worked great at home, though!

 

[maxiesmom]

Hand stamps are something else Disney used to do, and went away from.

 

[rongarbutt]

It would be nice if they had a central location where kids could get measured and get a wristband or something, but I guess this just doesn't matter to the majority of people going to Disney World. It's really only an issue for parents with kids 3-7 years old. Even if they just did a 40" wristband and measured for rides with 38" and 44" requirements. Or just check at the front of the queue. Those would be my options.

 

[jmkjr72]

It happens with the ones at the front of the line they are just a rough guideline. Kids will walk through them and walk tall to make sure they get on. It's when you get to the swivel sticks that kids tend to scrunch down a little bit. Not necessarily disney inconsistency

 

[Shellyred8]

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.

IKR!!! The exit lines are so much longer when you are carrying a 20lb toddler!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

It would be nice if they had a central location where kids could get measured and get a wristband or something, but I guess this just doesn't matter to the majority of people going to Disney World. It's really only an issue for parents with kids 3-7 years old. Even if they just did a 40" wristband and measured for rides with 38" and 44" requirements. Or just check at the front of the queue. Those would be my options.

It isn't that it doesn't matter, but that a wrist band system is too easy to beat. Sure, Disney uses them for after hours where every body has to have one, so you can't take one off of Suzie and put it on Sam. Then, after the park is shut to all but those specific guests, they stop checking wrist bands. A safety thing, they can't be so cavalier about.

 

[LSUmiss]

IKR!!! The exit lines are so much longer when you are carrying a 20lb toddler!!!

29lb to be exact lol!

 

[dk413]

Can they link it to magic bands somehow? They had so much information stored on their computers when we checked in at the turnstiles (including an up to date picture) could they not use that same technology? You tap in your magic bands at certain checkpoints for a ride and all your info pops up on a tablet, just like it does at the turnstiles at the main gate. Including a picture with your official pre-measured height

 

[maxiesmom]

Can they link it to magic bands somehow? They had so much information stored on their computers when we checked in at the turnstiles (including an up to date picture) could they not use that same technology? You tap in your magic bands at certain checkpoints for a ride and all your info pops up on a tablet, just like it does at the turnstiles at the main gate. Including a picture with your official pre-measured height

Really young kids don't get magic bands. And they are not allowed into lines when they cannot ride the ride.

And then instead of asking CMs to measure you are asking them to stop every child, look up a pic, and verify it is them.

 

[tjmw2727]

The CM's at boarding will always have the final responsibility for measuring as they are the ones allowing the guest to ride. Again that CM has no idea if this child has been measured before entering the line so if they look borderline its their job to double check before boarding the guest.

I think the signage/communication at the first measure could better explain that this is just a courtesy measure and a final measure may be done prior to boarding.

 

[dk413]

Really young kids don't get magic bands. And they are not allowed into lines when they cannot ride the ride.

And then instead of asking CMs to measure you are asking them to stop every child, look up a pic, and verify it is them.

Not stop every child. What I mean is instead of pulling the iffy ones off to the side that they’re going to spend 5 minutes measuring (twice) anyway, just tap their magic bands (40 inches = an average 3 year old and a lot of 3 year olds will have magic bands), look at the tablet in front of them see the child’s info and have the ability to make an instant decision.

I’m just thinking out loud here. I’m sure Disney has a team of consultants who tell them exactly why that wouldn’t work.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Not stop every child. What I mean is instead of pulling the iffy ones off to the side that they’re going to spend 5 minutes measuring (twice) anyway, just tap their magic bands (40 inches = an average 3 year old and a lot of 3 year olds will have magic bands), look at the tablet in front of them see the child’s info and have the ability to make an instant decision.

I’m just thinking out loud here. I’m sure Disney has a team of consultants who tell them exactly why that wouldn’t work.

Disney has several rides with height requirements under 40" that several kids under 3 and without a magic band can be tall enough for. Also, it would be too easy to switch magic bands and give one to a too short child from a tall enough sibling that looks like them. Especially with twins, one is often taller than the other and if Disney were to only use the picture attached to the magic band, it would be very easy to cheat the system.

Not to mention, that kind of system would require additional cast members at the front of each park measuring kids and adding that info, additional time (and likely long lines and frustrated parents and kids) waiting to get that measurement added before they can start enjoying the park (which would definitely put a damper on families trying to take advantage of rope drop), as well as additional time and scrutiny by ride CMs having to pull up the info on magic bands of any riders they suspect to be close to the height, and trying to confirm that the pic actually matches the child (which is certainly likely to make the lines take longer and cause backups).

 

[maxiesmom]

In addition, some get mad that Disney has measuring points of your fingers stored on file. I can't imagine what they would think of Disney storing children's pics, ages, and other personal information.

 

[dk413]

In addition, some get mad that Disney has measuring points of your fingers stored on file. I can't imagine what they would think of Disney storing children's pics, ages, and other personal information.

But they already do. Pics are stored for children whose finger scan doesn’t work at the main gate. Pretty sure his age was listed on there as well when I glanced at the tablet. It looked like his whole life history was on that screen.

 

[Skywalker]

NO ONE but Disney and sloppy management is to blame here. Parents shouldn't be forced to have to tell young children that they cant do something after they were told it was okay and they could. Kids around this height have not fully developed the mental capacity to understand what has changed and why they are now being told no after the parents they trust told them yes. This is not a life lesson. It's just confusion to children of that age. Very sloppy on Disneys part and very disappointing.

That being said our daughter just barely cleared the first Splash Mountain height sign last year and made it on the ride just fine. So even more inconsistencies I guess.

Then, the parents they trust should not tell them "yes", when it is beyond the parents power to tell them yes. Disney is erring on the side of caution for your safety. You and I both know, if a kid was injured on a ride they were even marginally too short for, the lawsuit would be instantaneous. Just prepare your kids for reality. It is not the end of the world if they can't get on a ride. First world problems.

 

[dk413]

Then, the parents they trust should not tell them "yes", when it is beyond the parents power to tell them yes. Disney is erring on the side of caution for your safety. You and I both know, if a kid was injured on a ride they were even marginally too short for, the lawsuit would be instantaneous. Just prepare your kids for reality. It is not the end of the world if they can't get on a ride. First world problems.

But it's not the parents who are telling them yes. It was the CM at the entrance to the ride who told my son yes and got his hopes up. This is the entire point of my post. I rarely go to Disney. I had no idea there were two checkpoints. I can't see through walls. I had no idea the CM at the second checkpoint was the ride tsar and ultimate decider of my son's ride fate. If this is how it's going to be then at least explain this, clearly, to parents at the beginning of the line so we don't waste our time waiting in line for a ride we can't ride. Or don't even measure them at the entrance because it's apparently pointless. If this was a $150 day out at 6 flags, whatever, I'd suck it up. But when I'm paying over $2,000 on tickets for a family of 4...don't waste my time.

 

[LSUmiss]

Then, the parents they trust should not tell them "yes", when it is beyond the parents power to tell them yes. Disney is erring on the side of caution for your safety. You and I both know, if a kid was injured on a ride they were even marginally too short for, the lawsuit would be instantaneous. Just prepare your kids for reality. It is not the end of the world if they can't get on a ride. First world problems.

B/c most of the time the parents don’t know that the 2nd measurement might result in not being able to ride. It would be reasonable to assume that yes is yes unless you have read this thread or have your own personal experience. As a pp pointed it
out, I seriously doubt the height requirements are cutting it that close b/c WDW would not put that kind of liability in the hands of a 19 y/o with a yard stick. And what a lovely parenting tip for a 3 yr old...”it’s not the end of the world if you can’t ride a ride, kid. Those are first world problems. Personally, I don’t speak to my young child that way. And, ftr, as the pp pointed out, young kids don’t have the capacity to understand all that so it’s not effective either.

 

[dk413]

Also, let me just add: for test track you are asking a 3 year old to wait in line, build his dream race car, and then telling him right at the very last minute that he cannot drive it. That's just mean. I don't care what world you live in.

 

[jo-jo]

We just got back. Almost 4 year DGS, rode several 40 inch rides. Went to TOT and was turned away. Tears and all that. DS went to GS and said check the photo pass shots, you'll see him on other rides. No deal.... Two days later, he must have had a huge growth spurt. They tried TOT again. No one even looked at him. No measuring at either spot.

 

[Turn the Page]

I know Disney IT leaves a bit to be desired but back in the day, when they had paper tickets and before the fingerprint scanners, Disney would print your picture on your multi day ticket. The simple way to combat this problem is to have the family go to Guest Services or post CM's at the tapstiles or wherever, have someone officially measure the child and link their picture and height to their magic band. That way when the magic band is scanned it would pull up a picture of the child so a CM can easily see if the parents switch the magic band to another child. This couldn't be that hard to implement.