Height measuring posts on rides

[ChrisSD]

Had 2 bad experiences in a row recently.

Bad Exp 1:

Gadgets Go Coaster: DS 2, we measure him at the post at the start of the line - good to go. He rides it once, loves it. We go right back in line, the cast member looks at him from 10' away and says "he's too short". We measure him at the post AT the loading area, yep - too short. Disparity in the stupid post.

Bad Exp 2 just 10 minutes later:

Star Tours: DD 3. It's a 30 minute line so I don't measure her myself at the post - I have a CM do it. She says " Yep, she's fine! ". She was at least half a centimeter taller than needed at this post. I push her feet down when she is measured to make sure she isn't "tippy toeing". 30 minutes later we make it to the loading area, the CM there says he has to check her, OK no problem! But wait - she's too short ( by I'd guess a micron )! I tell him she was measured below - he gets pissy and says " I am the authority ". I tell him "yes I know, I am not trying to argue her way on the ride, I'd just like you to fix your measuring posts". He doesn't care. Luckily the CM's at the bottom gave us universal FP's after I told them what happened. DD was in tears. "Why won't they let me see the show daddy?" At home I measured her myself - she is 40" and maybe another 1/4" with NO SHOES ON. She had shoes on at the park.

Seriously - for $2,000+ per year for our APs can Disney construct accurate, consistent measuring posts?

 

[bumbershoot]

With a coaster, since your little one had just been on it, it's likely that he WAS indeed shorter the second time in line. The forces that coasters put on our spines are incredible!

Star Tours... That ride ended up being a very good lesson in "never EXPECT to get on a ride" for DS. He was 3 when the first CM said he was fine and the second CM said "NO" (while pushing down on DS's shoulder) and slipped a piece of paper between head and stick (DS was scrunching down b/c he thought the CM wanted him to). While DS and DH didn't get a universal FP, they got a "come back when you're tall enough" pass that worked as a FP (and this was before ST had FPs), from the CM at the entrance.

It has worked out beautifully, though it was tremendously frustrating at the time. DS is 8 now and above my shoulder (I'm 5'3", so I'm short, but still...omg) and he STILL will make SURE he is tall enough for any ride with a height requirement. It has worked out well. I hope it works out for you, too.

 

[samsonpete]

Every single time my 18 month old rode maters junkyard jamboree he was measured at the beginning and at the loading area. It was a bit unnerving because he was just tall enough. He loved that ride and I was really nervous that they would turn him down after he'd already ridden it ten times and then I would have a major meltdown on my hands! I kind of thought that maybe they need a central measuring station somewhere in the park that they can give kids wrist bands in different colors for different height requirements so we could avoid the potential for drama at the front of the rides.

 

[larina]

...I kind of thought that maybe they need a central measuring station somewhere in the park that they can give kids wrist bands in different colors for different height requirements so we could avoid the potential for drama at the front of the rides.

People would trade them out. No matter how hard they try to get them on tight enough to not be removed, people will try to get around it. It is sad, but it is another case of a few bad seeds ruining it for everyone.

 

[scrapshappen]

It's not just Disneyland. We have that same exact issue at our local amusement park here. Two rides with the same height requirement and the measuring stick are not set at the same height. It's the consistency that bothers me.

In some ways, it makes me relieved that Indiana Jones will be closed when we are there. DS (7) measured 46" at the doctors office this morning, but I am afraid he would still be a titch too short to ride it. And even when I have explained to him over and over that we just have to see on some rides if he is tall enough, he goes into melt down if he's turned away.

 

[inluvwithbuzz]

In some ways, it makes me relieved that Indiana Jones will be closed when we are there. DS (7) measured 46" at the doctors office this morning, but I am afraid he would still be a titch too short to ride it. And even when I have explained to him over and over that we just have to see on some rides if he is tall enough, he goes into melt down if he's turned away.

Last time we were in DL my son was just 46" and he wanted to ride Indiana Jones so bad. He had been waiting for years. The CM at the entrance said he was tall enough but warned us about the last measuring stick being a little longer due to the floor. Thank god he made it through. They have 3 measuring points at Indiana Jones.

Maybe its a blessing that Indiana Jones is down for a refurb while you are there. Its heartbreaking when kids are told they are just not tall enough to be able to ride.

 

[disney-super-mom]

People would trade them out. No matter how hard they try to get them on tight enough to not be removed, people will try to get around it. It is sad, but it is another case of a few bad seeds ruining it for everyone.

Maybe a stamp on the hand then. People can't trade those out.

 

[Geemo]

We have a 4inch wide board painted and on the wall. We use it to record the kids and now grandkids heights.

I have 48" marked on the board. That is our "Magic Disney" height! Once you are 48" you're good to go at Disneyland.

With the little ones, before each trip we would go over which rides they would be able to ride. As well as which rides they miss the height requirement and would not be riding.

We try to keep each trip on a happy positive note from start to finish. Tantrums, melt-downs and pouting are not allowed and my grandkids know it. They know we are there for FUN! There are many rides, if they can't go on a certain one then there are others to choose from. Pick one and get in line!

We have had many great trips with little ones. Our next trip in Jan/Feb will be the first where everyone going with me will be tall enough to ride all the rides!!!

If the measuring posts were that big of an issue for me, I'd carry a small tape measure. If I felt Disney's measuring posts were off, I'd reel out the tape to see.

 

[larina]

Maybe a stamp on the hand then. People can't trade those out.

You can wet them to smear them and rub hands though. People wash their hands, there is little they can do for this. It happens at the fair here every year.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

We had this crap happen to us last time on BTMRR. CM measured my sone at the front and son was good, waited all that time in line, got onto the loading deck and they pulled him to measure again and he was a hair too short. He was in tears and we plead our case about thier inaccurate measurements but they still would not let him on. Total BS that can be avoided.

 

[disney-super-mom]

You can wet them to smear them and rub hands though. People wash their hands, there is little they can do for this. It happens at the fair here every year.

If a stamp wasn't clear a CM could easily send the family back to get re-measured and re-stamped at the measuring station. It wouldn't be difficult to enforce.

Besides, the ink that Disneyland uses for the stamps to gain re-entry does not smear if you get it wet....after it dries that is, which takes about 15-20 seconds.

 

[madigraham]

may i recommend the kids wearing vans...
my 19 month old is 32 1/2 in and in vans he is about 33 1/2 which tends to let him barely slide onto autopia and some of the Car's land rides. the vans tend to have some thicker soles

 

[Tasmen]

My DD is right at 40" right now. I'm planning on putting her in cowboy boots to give me a little wiggle room in case there are differences in height from the start or end of a line. I'm actually quite a bit anxious about this as we really want her to ride Star Tours with us this year.

 

[ValpoCory]

may i recommend the kids wearing vans...
my 19 month old is 32 1/2 in and in vans he is about 33 1/2 which tends to let him barely slide onto autopia and some of the Car's land rides. the vans tend to have some thicker soles

Interesting. Also, ride first thing in the morning. You can be a half inch taller first thing in the morning than you are at night.

 

[ChrisSD]

Good points by everyone. I know I could fix every single post in 1 night at Disneyland and make them consistent. Apparently that is too much to ask for $649 per Premium AP. Should I submit a tape measure at my next renewal? Glad the $150 increase is paying for, well, nothing.

I understand the points about morning/night measurements etc...bottom line is the posts at line start and line end are AT LEAST 1cm off at a lot of rides and that is absolutely inexcusable.

 

[Eddygirl]

That would be frustrating!!! I would be mad if I got the go ahead by a CM at the front of the line only to spend a long time waiting through the que to be turned away by the second CM measuring.

My GF's little guy was a HAIR too short for Indy. That night at the hotel she took the insoles out of his shoes and cut maxi pads in half and stuck them in to make little heel lifts, then put the insole back in. Worked like a charm!

 

[kailuagirl]

When DD was 2, our first family trip, she passed the first height stick at Gadget's no problem, when we got to the ride, they measured her again and she was way to short and wouldn't let her ride. as we were leaving, we checked the first one again and she was totally clear to ride. But that was fine and she was a little too young to really know what was going on.

When we went when she was 3, she rode it and was now to short for the 40" rides. She was disappointed, but made a game out of it, whenever she saw a measuring stick, she had to see if she was tall enough. It was really cute.

When she was 4, she remembered not being able to ride all those rides and was so excited to get to go on them and measured herself again with excitement that she was growing.

aT 4, goofy's sky school was new (last year) and she really wanted to ride it, we didn't know what the height requirement was, she was fine at the first marker and they let her go. We get up to the top and the CM by the 2nd marker at the turn was distracted and just let her go without checking her, but that marker was way way taller than the first one, it was like at least an inch off or more, I'm freaking out that she shouldn't be riding it, DH says she's fine. We get on, DD loves loves loves it, I'm telling DH the whole time hold on tight to her, hold on tight to her thru all the rough turns. I was never so scared. I felt she was going to fly out since she wasn't exactly the right height. So my lesson is, I will never ever let her go on something that she doesn't completely clear. I was so scared something was going to happen.

Last week at 5, we rode Goofy's at least 10x, she loved it., and is totally clearing the 42" mark. So it doesn't take long, they will be there before you know it. My baby is growing up, it's exciting she can ride more now, but it makes me miss the littleness even more. But it does get really fustrating when they pass one and not the other. It's sad for the kids and they don't understand at all.

 

[iheartdisney]

After being in CA and having APs for 3 years, we went to WDW for the first time. My poor 41 inches tall 4 year old was devastated that he couldn't ride Space Mountain there. He kept saying, "but I'm tall enough at home!" That was my second favorite line of his during that trip. the first was, "What happened to the Matterhorn? Where's the Matterhorn?" lmao!

 

[DollBabyKG]

We had this same issue last July with Space Mountain. I knew he was going to be close, so we measured him with a CM at the entrance, and he was good to go with a titich to spare. We waited 45 minutes in line, they measured again, and it was a no go. By a hair. I was SO LIVID. With the safety of the rides, clearly Disney engineers are able to manage accurate measurements, so there is no way they can't get these sticks to be more accurate.

 

[XTinabell]

I'm curious to know why they measure you twice? I think measuring at the start of the line makes sense, that way people aren't having to wait in 45 min+ lines just to be turned away at the last minute. What is Disney's reason for two checks? Don't they trust the CM's at the front?

I understand they probably just want to double check, but it still seems like a slightly unfair practice. Getting kids hopes up and then dashing them at the last minute.