Getting a child measured

[Steelersfan]

we are going to WDW in July and have a few questions in terms of my daughter's height.

She is a bit short of our 40 inch goal right now but we are hoping she will grow a little.

First, is there any central location where we can get her measured so we don't have to wait in line only to find out she's too short? For instance, at Idlewild Park (near our home in western PA), we take her and get her measured at guest services. She gets a wristband that allows her on all the rides where she is tall enough. This eliminate disappointment in the line and saves time. Does Disney offer this in any way?

Also, if she is a touch under 40, can her shoes help boost her a little or are they picky about this. I'm not talking about wearing high heels, but maybe gaining that half an inch if needed.

Thanks!

 

[egoldber]

At the entrance of every ride with a height restriction there is a measuring device. The CM will measure her and wave her on or not. The height is with shoes on, not barefoot.

 

[Steelersfan]

Thanks. We have been there 3 times but never paid attention to the height restrictions because we are adults. We have more to worry about this time.

 

[gonemousin']

Just a heads up - the CM's we've encountered have always been very strict about the height requirements (as they should be). My DD was JUST at the 44" mark on one of our trips. The Space Mountain CM measured her at the queue entrance, and then she was remeasured by a different CM at the ride loading area. And as luck would have it...their sticks were of varying heights. That CM pushed down on her hair (to get an accurate height reading - in case we were trying to fluff her height with her hair do, which we weren't), glanced at her shoes, but finally decided she was EXACTLY at the mark (she'd measured a hair over the other CM's stick) so we were allowed to ride. My point is - if your DD is right at the mark, just prepare her for possible disappointment. The CM's are just doing their jobs, and I totally respected that. We had a similar challenge at RnRc on our last trip - same DD was measuring 47.75" bare foot at home, about 48.25" with sneakers, but she was turned away by the measuring CM. No biggie...we'll catch it next time.

 

[kribit]

My twins just met the 40 inch requirement our last trip and only once during our trip were they asked to be measured (and they only measured my son once).

We did measure them ourselves before every ride, so this may be why we weren't questioned. With all the talk of the strictness, we were surprised, but we wouldn't have put our children on the ride if they weren't talll enough.

There are 2 places to be measured on all the bigger rides and the one time my son was measured was Test Track in the building (good thing the ride was a walk on), because we would have been a little irritated if we waited in that line and he was refused.

 

[all4fun]

Disney tested an ultrasonic measuring system named "Goofy's Magic Measure" for 12 months back in 2000-2001 at Disneyland and DCA, but the idea was officially canned by '03 as it apparently caused more problems than it solved. Too bad because it would be nice to just get measured at one place and then not have to worry about it for the rest of the day. There are articles on Mouseplanet.com about it.

Now, the measuring sticks they use look like an upside down L so if your dc's head touches it, even a just little bit, they should be good to go.

Trip before last, ds was just barely above 40" and got measured everywhere, sometimes up to 3x before the actual ride. On our last trip, it was hit or miss. Some cm's just eyeballed him and let us go on so it really depends on the cm how strict they are. That is fine for us, because we wouldn't even try to take him on a ride he doesn't meet the minimum height requirement for but it did make me wonder...

 

[boysmom5150]

My DS4 was measured quite often and sometimes more than once. He didnt make it on mission space and that was a good thing I think. Good luck!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

My 3 year got measured on Soarin and Test Track. Poor kid was about an inch too short for both. We just took her on something else but she was a bit sad. I figure the requirements are there for a reason so we didn't sweat it. There's always next trip!

 

[nuzmom]

First of all - Go Steelers!!!

Like previous posters mentioned, there is no central measurement location.

When our DS was barely tall enough, we practiced getting measured. IMHO, this is crucial!!!!! Get a yard stick and large wood paint stirrer and duct tape them together just a touch higher than your daughter (with shoes on). Have her practice standing up straight and touching the "bar" with her head. Make sure she doesn't go up on her tippy toes. What I have seen several times at WDW is that the child is somewhat afraid of the STRANGER doing the measuring and "shrinks" away from the bar (or stares at the ground, which lowers the head). Always stay really close to her and say "stand up straight and look at mommy's belly button (or daddy's belt)".

Also, TEST THE SHOES at home. I'm not saying pick those crazy huge healed shoes, I'm just saying that if the COMFORTABLE, normal scooby doo shoes are slightly higher than the Dora shoes, go with scooby doo.

Oh, you'd be shocked at how many parents actually get mad at their CHILD (or the CM) when they're not tall enough. Repeat after me "it is NEVER, EVER your child's fault if she doesn't stand up straight and touch the bar".

Final comment - we didn't let our DSs know that we were measuring them for a ride. We just walked over to the stationary bar at the entrance and said "hey, let's see how tall you've gotten. Wow, you've really grown. And then we walked away." If he was tall enough, we walked past the ride and said "hey, do you want to see if WE can go on this?". If so, we got in line and I said "let's just check it out, I'm still not sure about it". The CM's do a great job at telling the parents yes or no to the height. If it's a no, just say you'd rather go get a mickey bar and maybe ride later.

It's really easier than you think, the ride entrances many times are hard to find and aren't obviously for a ride. Also, most kids have that WDW glaze and never catch on to our tricky ways.

Ok, this is really the final comment - if you know your daughter isn't tall enough to ride a certain ride (the ones over 40"), you can AVOID the AREA all together. It's amazing how many paths there are, just don't go past the ride. If you want to ride, split up before you get near it. For instance, my youngest DS still doesn't know that there is RnR coaster at MGM. He thinks Tower of Terror is the last thing down that path. He always gets a mickey bar while his older DS and I go for a quick walk (and ride RnR). He's also watched beauty and the beast while we "take a bathroom break".

Splash Mountain and BTMRR are also together and easy to avoid. Space Mountain can easily just be a gift shop that we don't visit. I think you get the idea.

Enjoy your trip!!!!

 

[glass slipper girl]

Just one other warning on height requirements for those who are literally *right there* at the height. We are just back from a trip and my 4 year old DS is right at 48" tall with his Crocs on. On our AK day my DH was taking our 6 year old on Primeval Whirl and the 4 yo wanted to try to go too. We had him measured and he was JUST at the bar. They tried sliding a credit card thing between his head and the bar and couldn't. He just hit it. So they rode. We got a babyswap pass and I rode it with them about maybe 45 minutes later. When I rode it with him there was a new CM at the fastpass entrance so she measured him again...same thing, right there. When we went to get on they measured him again...same thing, just at the bar so we rode. We grabbed another set of fast passes and came back to it later in the day. These first 2 rides were at like 10:00 and 10:45 am. We came back at like 4:30 PM and they wouldn't let him ride...said he was too short. I was feeding the baby when DH tried to get him in and they turned him away. HUGE drama, tons of tears. I walked with him to see if I could have him measured and do it without the CM hovering. Sure enough, I could put my index finger between the top of his head and the bar! The same exact bar standing in the same exact spot as his head bumped the bar 6 hours earlier. The CM had us try having him back into the measuring spot (the place where the bar goes into the ground has to be on the side of their foot, not at the toe) and having him walk straight under it but he was still just a hair too short. He started crying again and I hugged him saying to her "he rode it twice this morning and loved it" not in the "you better let him go" way but just in the this is why he's so upset way. She got very snippy saying "well whoever let him ride was wrong, wrong, wrong and could be fired so I can't let him go. He is too little" in an incredibly rude tone. I got a bit snippy back saying "I wasn't suggesting that you should let him go, just explaining why this is so upsetting!" The thing is that your spine does compress over the course of the day walking around so he was a fraction of an inch taller in the morning than he was that early evening. The first CMs (three different one) weren't "wrong wrong wrong" as he DID hit the bar at 10 am....he just didn't at 4:30.

Just thought I would share our experience in case this happens to anyone else. DS was understandably very upset, especially at her suggestion that he was...GASP...little. Call him anything but little...he is BIG and will be sure to let you know that.

 

[GraysMom]

We came back at like 4:30 PM and they wouldn't let him ride...said he was too short. I was feeding the baby when DH tried to get him in and they turned him away. HUGE drama, tons of tears. I walked with him to see if I could have him measured and do it without the CM hovering. Sure enough, I could put my index finger between the top of his head and the bar! The same exact bar standing in the same exact spot as his head bumped the bar 6 hours earlier. The CM had us try having him back into the measuring spot (the place where the bar goes into the ground has to be on the side of their foot, not at the toe) and having him walk straight under it but he was still just a hair too short.

I guess if your child is close to the height cutoff, you might want to plan on doing the most important height restricted rides in the morning, just to be sure?

 

[kc4601]

Last fall my DS was 48" exact. We were turned away from some rides but made it through 3 checks at Aerosmith's RR. There should be a central measuring location to avoid the drama at the individual rides. We could have been ejected from the line at the third measurement after waiting 45 min. It would seem safer and more controled if a central location with trained staff could make 1 good measurement as opposed to the random measuring by random CM's in the parks.

I'm thinking of making this a major suggestion even though we are no longer in this situation ourselves. It is just wrong to make the kids cry at the rides. The parents should have the matter settled once at the begining of the trip to avoid the stress.

 

[Steelersfan]

I agree. This is why I asked the question. I totally understand if my daughter is too small but I'm going to be ticked if we stand in line only to be told she's too small!

A central locartion that measures a child for the whole trip is not too much to ask.

My wife just sent a letter to Disney suggesting this. Maybe others should also.

It only seems fair!

 

[all4fun]

I agree. This is why I asked the question. I totally understand if my daughter is too small but I'm going to be ticked if we stand in line only to be told she's too small!

A central locartion that measures a child for the whole trip is not too much to ask.

My wife just sent a letter to Disney suggesting this. Maybe others should also.

It only seems fair!

They tested a centralized measurement system at DL for 12 mos and it failed. They wouldn't have gone through all that and given up on it if they didn't have good reason to. Maybe part of it was liability concerns, ie they were afraid an older child would get a wristband and then give it to a younger sibling who was too small. I don't know... Unfortunately, it didn't work out.

we didn't let our DSs know that we were measuring them for a ride. We just walked over to the stationary bar at the entrance and said "hey, let's see how tall you've gotten. Wow, you've really grown. And then we walked away." If he was tall enough, we walked past the ride and said "hey, do you want to see if WE can go on this?". If so, we got in line and I said "let's just check it out, I'm still not sure about it". The CM's do a great job at telling the parents yes or no to the height. If it's a no, just say you'd rather go get a mickey bar and maybe ride later.

We did this several times too, and it worked great. Of course, ds was three at the time, so not able to read and was just happy to be at Disneyworld. He had never been on those rides before so honestly didn't know what he was missing. I hope your dd is understanding and has a great time even if she doesn't get to do all the 40" rides. Who knows, she might have a little growth spurt by then and all the worry will have been for nothing!