DS 40" w/ thick socks & shoes

[WendyinNC]

DS measures 38 1/2" barefoot. I measured him today with thick socks and his shoes and I think he's 40". Do you think we will have any problems riding the rides with 40" requirement.

I sure hope not. His sisters are threating to stretch him.

 

[LisaZoe]

My DD is about the same height as your DS. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she'll grow another inch or more in the next 5+ weeks. I'm also going to bring shoes with thick soles and "fluff" her hair up a bit. I've read posts that indicate this kind of thing has worked for other kids. I think as long as the soles aren't obviously thicker than usual, you're OK. Some people have even posted that they used some kind of shoe insert that acted as "lifts".

I was watching a Travel Channel program the other day about roller coasters (not at a Disney park, though). They showed a young girl who wanted to ride a coaster but she was shorter than the minimum height. The girl then explained how she wore her hair in a pony on the top of her head and wore thick soled shoes to be able to pass the height check. It worked but I had to wonder if the coaster workers let her pass because of the film crew.

I've read that we all "shrink" in height during the day. I guess the connective tissue between the bones relaxes while we sleep but "compacts" during the day due to weight and gravity (I'm not in a medical profession, as you may have guessed, so this is just my interpretation of what I remember ). This doesn't make one a lot shorter, but it might be enough to bring your DS under the height limit in the afternoon or evening. You might want to do a height check at different times of the day just to be sure you won't get unexpectedly turned away from a ride.

 

[detroitdad]

Maybe you'll be fine, maybe you won't. Our last trip, our son was barely 40" and another son one was barely 48". They got measured every time and were told to stand up straight and they got on to those rides without a problem. However we didn't promise them anything since we just didn't know how they would measure. If they weren't tall enough, they would just have to understand. I know you didn't mention anything about this in your original post, but please keep in mind that the height requirements are there for safety reasons, so please don't try to creatively make your child taller. The boys had on standard tennis shoes...no thick soles, no lifts, no puffy hair. It just really bothers me the extent that parents will go to just to get their child on a ride. Is it really worth risking their safety? "Oh little (fill-in-the-blank) will just be devastated if (s)he can't ride (fill-in-the-blank)". The only one who is trully disappointed in this situation is the parent. If the child gets disappointed it's usually because the parent has made a big deal over it. So I'll get off my soapbox now and I'll put on my flame retardant suit.

 

[tci1212]

detroitdad I totally agree with you, I always shake my head when I see a parent trying to get their child on a ride when they are too small. I have been to Disney and actually watched parents argue with the CM because they would not let the child on the ride.

 

[LisaZoe]

No flames from this direction. While I may joke about platform shoes and big hair for my DD, it is just that, a joke. I know some people do take extreme measures to get past the height minimums but I wouldn't do so with my DD.

I will take her to be measured if I think she is at the minimum height for a ride (assuming I think she'd even want to go on the ride, of course) but will walk away with no arguments if a CM says she isn't tall enough (we did just that at the Matterhorn on our last trip to DLR). She'll have many other opportunities to go on those rides when she is older and there are plenty of other rides we'll be able to enjoy now.

 

[jel0511]

I really don't know. When DD was that size, she was always turned away, even if she was 40 inches with shoes. They want the child to be 40 inches WITHOUT shoes, so they do adjust the height sticks for shoes. I'd be prepared to be turned away. DS is just about 38 inches without shoes, and was allowed to ride Kali River rapids one day, and the next day, turned away for being too short. He was VERY close to being to the top of the stick, and it is the CM's decision of the day. You also might be allowed to ride one day, and not allowed the next day or ride. It definately was a VERY bad day the day he wasn't allowed to ride. So, be prepared and have your DS prepared.

 

[Disney_1derland]

and prepare him that he may not be able to ride. Recent reports of them starting the measuring stick at the actual foot part of the shoe versus starting it on the ground in order to take out the rise factor of the shoe have me believing that they are being very careful about this.

But, remember, it is for safety reasons and goodness knows none of us want to put our children in danger.

Good luck, here's hoping he can pass the test!

 

[JaxCon]

I will have my fingers crossed for you! We too have done the platform tennis shoes and the pony tail on the top off DD's head!

Margaret
Raleigh, NC

 

[cboudre1]

We were at Blizzard Beach when it first opened. My son who was very thin at the time for a 6 year old was tall enough for a tube ride. I went down first and then waited for him. A tube came down but no DS. A few seconds later he came down in a lifeguard's lap. The water flipped him and the tube over. (He was fine and thought it was great he flipped) The lifeguard took him over and remeasured him. She thought he wasn't tall enough. He was at least an 1 1/2 taller than he needed to be. They wrote down how tall he was, age, and weight. I think he didn't weight enough to be on the ride.

 

[Snoopymom]

I'm probably the only one who is thankful for Disney's strict height restrictions. I thought ds would love the dinosaur ride at AK and was so disappointed when he wasn't tall enough, but after riding it and hiding my eyes the whole time, LOL, I was very grateful! It probably would have ruined the whole day for him even though he's a tough kid. I felt like running back to tell the CM's thank you as I'm sure they catch a lot of grief for this. His uncle bought him a HUGE rubber dinosaur instead so he was happy! Plus we have another reason to go back now! I don't know about the other rides, but I wouldn't push for that one!

 

[tjmw2727]

They are very strict about the height and will measure the child at the entrance to the line and often again before boarding if the child looks "borderline". I have seen a few parents "sneak" kids past the original CM and think they are riding only to have the CM at boarding measure and deny boarding.

The height sticks are an upside down L and are a bit higher than the 40", 44" or 48" marks to allow for shoes. They will make the child take off hats and the head, not the hair, must bump the stick. If the soles of the shoes are noticeably high they may take that into consideration or make the child measure without them. (I have seen this only once).

My dd was about 47 1/2" inches in April when we went and she did not make the 48" measurement for Primevial Whirl at AK (not interested in RnRc yet!). We were not sure how she would measure up so she was prepared ahead of time. She was wearing the sketcher sneakers that she wears to school and they do have a bit of a sole on them, btw.

TJ

 

[disneyag]

It seems like all the height sticks measure a little differently, which is frustrating if your little one is just barely 40". Last summer, my DD was 48" measured at home with a tape measure, but she didn't qualify to ride RNRC. Many tears, because I told her she would be tall enough. Try preparing your child in the even that he's not tall enough.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Originally posted by detroitdad
The only one who is trully disappointed in this situation is the parent. If the child gets disappointed it's usually because the parent has made a big deal over it. So I'll get off my soapbox now and I'll put on my flame retardant suit.

No flames!

The child does get disappointed when the older sibling gets to ride but they don't.

Also my DD was very upset when she was not able to ride Splash Mountain after riding it on a prior date (no CM checking heights).

I do agree about parents living vicariously through their children and pushing them to go on certain rides.