Does DL strictly enforce height restrictions?

[Minuet888]

All I asked for was consistency, not arguing with a CM hopefully it sets an example to my kids to stick up for what is right He was cleared to go on the ride and that should have been the end of it. Plus the measuring sticks in the ground are NOT on level ground so it is impossible to do it correctly.
Disney needs to do the right thing too ya know. I ended up having to "respect" the CM lead's decision but I had a massive waste of time and an upset kid for what? Beacuse someone doesn't know how to measure a kid correctly?
I'm sorry but this is not all on me, I truly feel Disney needs to take some of the fall on this one.

 

[01spirit750]

We have found the measuring poles to be very accurate. We measured my daughter before her big trip once she measure 42". We knew she was exactly 42" without shoes. We talked to her about standing straight and tall (but do not stand up on your toes).

I then took a ruler out and used it like the height gauge (just like at the parks) and had her practice standing under it. What I found was that if she walked straight up to it she would duck down a little to avoid hitting her head. This made her appear to be shorter.

I found the solution was to have her walk up to the side of the height stick, turn around facing away from the pole and then scoot over. It then would be obvious that her head was touching the height stick and this prevented her from standing directl under it. We had no problems and she rode all the 42" rides. I did note that all the height sticks appeared to be faily accurate.

Pretty soon she was requesting to be measured for all the rides (including the matterhorn which has a 35" requirement).

I would suggest the problem is with kids ducking down and not wanting to hit their heads.

 

[01spirit750]

All I asked for was consistency, not arguing with a CM hopefully it sets an example to my kids to stick up for what is right He was cleared to go on the ride and that should have been the end of it. Plus the measuring sticks in the ground are NOT on level ground so it is impossible to do it correctly.
Disney needs to do the right thing too ya know. I ended up having to "respect" the CM lead's decision but I had a massive waste of time and an upset kid for what? Beacuse someone doesn't know how to measure a kid correctly?
I'm sorry but this is not all on me, I truly feel Disney needs to take some of the fall on this one.

Actually this could happen due to how diligently the CM applies the rule. We had one CM let my daughter do the tire swing at the Redwood creek challenge. When she went back to reride it (3 minutes later), the CM's had changed and the new CM would not let her ride. He carefully measured her (at the same exact height gauge) and it was clear that she was just a tad too short. I couldn't fault the 2nd CM for being more diligent. I did not try the "but she just rode this and you saw here ride it" excuse. We just decided to go ride something else.

I can understand being upset about the situation. The height gauge at the load station (for any ride) is the final decision. I am guessing that the CM at the ride entrance could have checked the height a little better, but have you ever seen the entrance to IDJ? It is a mad house of people.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I could be misinformed, but they seemed like reliable sources about reason behind the height requirement change.
http://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/stitchs-great-escape
http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide/28...gic-Kingdom/Tomorrowland/Stitchs-Great-Escape

Regardless, the height requirement is not due to a safety issue.

I read the same article and what I got from it was that "it is for safety" due to the type of restraint systems on the rides. Secondly these are peoples opinions nothing more than that????
To calm peoples nerves many people have opinions about what is right and what is wrong. For every yeh there is a nay. I have ridden every ride in the parks and have an opinion about each. I have never set my family/ children up for failure based on CM's interpretations of the rules. I do respect others opinions, but is what they are opinions nothing more nothing less and trust me no one has to agree or disagree with mine.
Become a Disney share holder and vote your stock and express your thoughts.

Jack

 

[lwilkison]

My youngest daughter is just a shade over 39" in bare feet. In tennis shoes she just barely scrapes the 40" requirement for many of the rides she's looking forward to (Splash, Space, Big Thunder, etc.)

Does anyone know how strict DLR employees are in enforcing the height requirements? Are the "you must be this tall" signs set right at 40", or do they go a little higher to account for shoes & hair?

I'll have one heartbroken little girl on my hands if she has to stay behind while her sisters ride the big kid rides.

The height requirements are ENFORCED...please please please don't try and scrape by them, they are safety requirements to keep our little ones safe...just plan another trip later when your dear ones are tall enough...plus there is toon town and loads of other rides that kids can ride so they may not be tall enough for all the big rides but there are loads of others they cansafely ride on.

I hope you have a magical trip

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We had a situation on Mulholland Madness. DD was measured at the line entrance and she barely squeaked by. The CM warned us they'd measure her again before getting on and she needed to stand up tall. We got to the loading area and they did measure her again.....she was well above the 42" mark. The 2 sticks were obviously not measuring at the same height. I didn't notice if the bottom stick was on uneven ground, while the one at loading was on a level cement platform.

 

[Bungle]

They are pretty strict about height. I would never compromise my childs safety so they could ride a ride. It just gives you a reason to come back next year.

 

[starshine514]

...

 

[Janneen]

The Sketchers Pretty Tall shoes work great!

I bought them just for this purpose because my 3 1/2 year old DD was just shy of 44" (yes she's tall, but an adrenaline roller coaster junkie!). We were going to Disney World last month and all she could talk about was riding the "Monkey Train" aka Expedition Everest and she was 43 1/2 inches at the time. We packed her Sketcher Pretty Tall shoes in our backpack since they were new and not broken in and only put them on her before the ride. They measured her several times for the 44" rides and she was easily 45" plus!

She too would have been heartbroken if she couldn't go on that particular ride. For me, the deciding safety factor is whether or not I can sit next to her and hold onto her if the ride gets a little too fast or jerky. I don't let her go on Splash Mountain at Disneyland because she is separated from me in a tandem configuration and I'm not next to her to reassure her, same with Space Mountain at Disney World.

In my opinion, Matterhorn is the worst when it comes to whiplash and getting jerked around, I come off that thing bruised up, yet the height limit on that is 35"!! what the heck?

I think you'd be more than fine height wise with the Sketchers, they are a bit taller than regular tennis shoes and it isn't obvious, plus they got the "bling" thing going for them!!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't let her go on Splash Mountain at Disneyland because she is separated from me in a tandem configuration

If you sit in the very back seat you are side-by-side.



This isn't at those who use them, but at Skechers...why did they decide that girls need extra help in shortening those achilles tendons even earlier? Who thought "a wedge heel is PERFECT for little girls"? AUGH.


Not to mention how intensely frustrating it was for my tall-enough (if not for the CM pushing down on his shoulder) boy to not get to ride Star Tours, while the CM didn't notice the family with the very small girl wearing heeled cowboy boots walking past and getting on the ride when there was NO way she would be tall enough in bare feet...meanwhile, he's getting his shoulder pushed down and a slip of paper put above his head... Frustrating!

 

[Minuet888]

We have found the measuring poles to be very accurate. We measured my daughter before her big trip once she measure 42". We knew she was exactly 42" without shoes. We talked to her about standing straight and tall (but do not stand up on your toes).

I then took a ruler out and used it like the height gauge (just like at the parks) and had her practice standing under it. What I found was that if she walked straight up to it she would duck down a little to avoid hitting her head. This made her appear to be shorter.

I found the solution was to have her walk up to the side of the height stick, turn around facing away from the pole and then scoot over. It then would be obvious that her head was touching the height stick and this prevented her from standing directl under it. We had no problems and she rode all the 42" rides. I did note that all the height sticks appeared to be faily accurate.

Pretty soon she was requesting to be measured for all the rides (including the matterhorn which has a 35" requirement).

I would suggest the problem is with kids ducking down and not wanting to hit their heads.

The measuring poles are NOT accurate especially when on uneven ground. A week before we went to DL my son was measured at his pediatrician's office without shoes and was 46 1/2" then a week later at DL with shoes on he is too short to ride IJ??? yah....right....really accurate. I'm going with the pediatrician, the one with an advanced degree, not the CM who watched a 30 second video on how to measure a kid

 

[skiingfast]

The measuring poles are NOT accurate especially when on uneven ground. A week before we went to DL my son was measured at his pediatrician's office without shoes and was 46 1/2" then a week later at DL with shoes on he is too short to ride IJ??? yah....right....really accurate. I'm going with the pediatrician, the one with an advanced degree, not the CM who watched a 30 second video on how to measure a kid

You had a MD measure your kid? Crazy never has happened at any of the pediatrician offices' near me. They always have an assitant take the measurments.

Besides I'd bet someone who has spent more time measuring things designed the height checks in DL.

Anyone ever notice that some of them are mobile?

 

[Minuet888]

the medical assistant didn't do it since the reason we were at the office wasn't for a physical. The doctor when trying to figure out how much medication to perscribe to our son wanted his height so he took it. There that satisfy the implication I was lying?

 

[Mama Who]

You had a MD measure your kid? Crazy never has happened at any of the pediatrician offices' near me. They always have an assitant take the measurments.

:shrug My son's Ped has done some measurements in the past. If it isn't routine, they don't always go track down an assistant to take a quick measurement.

 

[01spirit750]

The measuring poles are NOT accurate especially when on uneven ground. A week before we went to DL my son was measured at his pediatrician's office without shoes and was 46 1/2" then a week later at DL with shoes on he is too short to ride IJ??? yah....right....really accurate. I'm going with the pediatrician, the one with an advanced degree, not the CM who watched a 30 second video on how to measure a kid

Yeah, I cannot really comment on the IJA since we only used the height checks at the rides requiring 42". We found those (42" height gauges) to be fairly accurate (Since my daughter had just reached the 42").

Maybe a CM can comment but I have been told in the past the the height gauge at the load station is the final say.

It does sound like you had a very negative experience (I have had a similiar experience in the past when my daughter could not ride space mountain) but sometimes you need to move on and try to enjoy the rest of your vacation.

I guess you can decide whether or not you choose to visit Disney again.

 

[starshine514]

The measuring poles are NOT accurate especially when on uneven ground. A week before we went to DL my son was measured at his pediatrician's office without shoes and was 46 1/2" then a week later at DL with shoes on he is too short to ride IJ??? yah....right....really accurate. I'm going with the pediatrician, the one with an advanced degree, not the CM who watched a 30 second video on how to measure a kid

Well, you've made up my mind about whether my 45.5" child would be allowed to ride Indy. It sounds like this one is a definitive 'no' until she's an inch above the HR!

 

[Minuet888]

Yeah, I cannot really comment on the IJA since we only used the height checks at the rides requiring 42". We found those (42" height gauges) to be fairly accurate (Since my daughter had just reached the 42").

Maybe a CM can comment but I have been told in the past the the height gauge at the load station is the final say.

It does sound like you had a very negative experience (I have had a similiar experience in the past when my daughter could not ride space mountain) but sometimes you need to move on and try to enjoy the rest of your vacation.

I guess you can decide whether or not you choose to visit Disney again.

While it was a negative experience we did move on. It took about 2 hours and a trip back to the hotel. As I've mentioned before my son is autistic so it is harder for him to move on than it is for us.
This wouldn't keep us away from Disneyland. It is a minor thing and I know it sounds like I am maing it a major thing but I just want Disney to recogize there are flaws in the system, (and have other people here know it) and that is the only thing that irks me.
It was a difficult day but only one amongst several wonderful days at Disneyland. The only reason we're not going this summer is because I'm one of the 20,000 teachers in CA that got a pink slip so we need to save money for our uncertain future.
Tomorrow we'll pass by Disneyland on the way to SanDiego, my high school choir I conduct (and they are cutting) qualified for a state finals competition, so Thursday - Sunday they will be in San Diego competing and getting to go to Sea World in the process. (Son gets to stay with grandpa those days, we've been preparing him for this "change" for a month now)

 

[Hunter182]

I'd hate to get too off topic, but I figured this would be the best place to do it.

Are there any rides tall people consider a little uncomfortable? (I'm 6'3".)

 

[blackjackdelta]

I'd hate to get too off topic, but I figured this would be the best place to do it.

Are there any rides tall people consider a little uncomfortable? (I'm 6'3".)

I am 6'4" and do not care for the pooh ride, matterhorn(I still ride it.) and unless it has changed for the better, the upcoming Goofy's Sky School. The rest are doable.

Jack

 

[Dizneydaz]

Haven't read through all the comments but I was told several years ago that the measurement sticks at DLR are adjusted for shoes. So if you child is almost at a mark or just there but wears fairly flat shoes they probably won't make the mark. If you are concerned that your child (who does meet the mark in stocking feet) may not reach the height on the stick make sure they are wearing a show with some height to it. It will make a difference.

Yes they are strict, some rides more than others (Jumping Jellies comes to mind). Don't think that having them wear a hat or puffing up their hair will do it. They have to hit the measurement without anything (light or a piece of paper) being able to fit in between their head and the stick.

My DD11 is petite and short for her age. It was only about 1-1/2 years ago that she was tall enough to ride Maliboomer (now gone). For the next 6 months or so, every time we rode it they would recheck her. We made sure when she finally reached the height limit that she wore a shoe with some height to it. Sandals would not have made it.