height requirement and armbands

[maps]

hi
my kids are hoping they'll grow enough to hit the 40in mark for our trip next year.

if they do achieve this, i bet they'll just barely make the 40in which makes me worried because i've heard that the measuring sticks can vary from ride to ride and kids have been turned away after waiting in line.

i also heard that you can take the kids to town hall (?) and have them measured there and then they get an armband so that there will be no surprises or disappointments at the ride.
is this true?
can anyone give me more info about this or how i can find out about this from disney themselves? thanks

mom of "petite" kids

 

[Baloo]

I just got off the phone with Disney and the CM there called Guest Relations at MK while I waited. There is no such arm band at any of the parks at WDW.

I guess you'll just have to prepare them that they might not be able to ride ahead of time.Also a thick soled pair of shoes might do the trick.

 

[toystorymom]

It's too bad there isn't any such system in place. Our family went to a local amusement park this week and everyone over 48 inches paid the adult price and was tall enough for all rides. My 6 yr old was measured at the gate and charged the full price - he's about 49 inches. But they kept remeasuring him at all the rides that had the height restriction. At one point, they made him get out of a car to be measured. He was tall enough at each of these stations but it would have saved everyone alot of time if they had given him some kind of wrist band when we paid. Maybe the problem is that at Disney there are different requirements 40, 44, 48 inches for the different rides.

I know I wouldn't want to wait in a long line only to be turned away!!

 

[KathyR]

Also prepare the kids that because they got on a ride one day/time does not mean they will get on it the next day/time. It seems there are several different sticks for each ride. Some must be a bit taller than others; because, this problem has been reported by others here in the past. Plus, it is up to the CM's discression. Best of luck to your kids growing I hope they make it! I am hoping my son makes it another 1/4 inch by Oct, so he can try Space Mountain!

As far as the wristbands go, I wish they would implement this system. It seems an easy way to do it would be to color code the different height levels. Kids who are above 38" (I think Kali's requirement) but below 40" could be blue. Kids who can ride above 40" but below 44" could be red. Kids who can ride above 44" but below 48" could be yellow. Kids above 48" who can ride all rides could be green. Think how much easier it would be if the kids did not have to get measured on every ride. The sticks would be gone! Plus no waiting in line to only be turned away. Just go to the designated spot to get your wristband and enjoy your day w/o the questions of can he/she ride this??? They could even put the colors who can ride outside each attraction w/a requirement on the signs of the rides somewhere. Just seems simpler to me, but I am not the boss

 

[ear_poppin]

They have implimented this system at California Adventure Park. There are different coloured armbands that are fitted by a CM.

My DS had a blue one as he was 46 inches tall and could go on all rides that displayed the blue arm band.

In fact the rides showed various coloured armbands that were applicable to that ride. It was a great system.

Denise
-x-

 

[Schmeck]

As long as the armbands cannot be removed and put on a smaller child, I think this would be a great idea at WDW.

We've been to amusement parks where waterproof wristbands were used. The adhesive could not be undone, and the band would have to be cut off at the end of the day.

Schmeck

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

I had the height requirement problem with DD in April on Space Mountain. If we were in the fast pass line DD was tall enough, but if we were in the regular line she wasn't. She wore the same tennis shoes each day and it's hard to tell a 5 year old that she's tall enough one turn and not tall enough 5 minutes later. I agree that there should be some type of arm band or hand stamp.

 

[Msslaydbug]

My DS just turned 6 and had his Well Child Check this week. Without shoes he measured exactly 43 3/4 inches. Sooo I figure with his shoes on he will be 44 and tall enough to ride Space mountain but makes me a little nervous that their sticks might add a little when I know for a fact how tall he is !! We will wait and see !!

 

[DrTomorrow]

Armband removal is the big problem. There are a lot of parents who would have no moral qualm removing a 10YOs arm-band and putting it on an under-height 5YO. Disney is still held responsible when the 5YO flies from a ride.

 

[maci]

I am so worried about this!! My son is 41 inches with out shoes so he SHOULD be in the clear with the 40 inche height requirements, but from what I have heard about the measuring sticks, I am still nervous. He is a daredevil! The only big bummer is BTMRR is going to be CLOSED when we go!

Anyway, my daughter is 34 and a half inches, so I am hoping she hits the 35 inche mark so she can ride Goofys barn stormer!! Just in case we got her some new tennies at target yesterday with some big soles on them . Please no one flame me for this, I have read the heated posts on this subject I am well aware the height requirements are for safety!

 

[laurie31]

Originally posted by DrTomorrow
Armband removal is the big problem. There are a lot of parents who would have no moral qualm removing a 10YOs arm-band and putting it on an under-height 5YO. Disney is still held responsible when the 5YO flies from a ride.

Yes, but non-removeable ones are not hard to come by. Hospitals have been using them for eons. Also, our local amusement park uses them. They have an adhesive strip that tears the band into pieces when it's removed. (Also, they charge admission by height and not age. 48" and up pay adult price, 40"-48" is child price, below 40" is free - after all, they can't ride anything much besides the carousel! Seems like a fair practice.)

Laurie

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by laurie31
Yes, but non-removeable ones are not hard to come by.

Perhaps you have a little more faith in human nature than I have . I think I know the hospital one's you're talking about; the plastic with the holes (like a belt) that they size with a plastic snap? Those are not non-removable, they are non-accidentally removable. But you show me a non-removable armband, and I'll bet that, with scissors and scotch tape, I could have it off and on someone else in a minute - at least well enough to pass a CM's eyes as a child passes through a line. Adhesive strips - that may take a little longer .

I do agree 100% with a measure-once approach, as long as the technology keeps the not-tall-enough crowd safely off the rides.

Hey, a thought - doesn't PI use armbands? How secure are those? Any under-21's ever use someone else's armband?

 

[eeyore0062]

The individual measuring sticks have been eliminated at the attractions at WDW and replaced by permanent measuring sticks at the beginning of the attraction, and at certain other check points along the way, as well as right before you actually can get on the ride. All measuring areas are permanent to eliminate the the possibility of subjectivity of the ride host or hostess. The reason for several throughout the queue is that sometimes a guest might get by the 1st without being measured, especially during very heavy traffic flow at the attraction.

Hope this helps clear things up!

 

[freediverdude]

I've seen these new measuring sticks, they looked like a good idea. The ones I saw were solid metal and permanently cemented into the sidewalk. So the kids just walk up and stand next to them, and it's pretty clear whether they are tall enough or not, no stick to be kind of moving around while measuring or leaning slightly one way or another or anything. And they were usually at the entrances before you get in line too.

PI does use wristbands, and they are difficult to get off, and have the cuts in them so that if you rip it at the place where it's sealed, it will tear the wristband, but on the other hand, I can see where it would be easy to cut them with scissors and tape and put them on someone else, or if someone has a small wrist how they might be able to slide it off and put it on someone else. I don't think those type of wristbands would be foolproof enough when we're talking about ride safety. Plus, then you'd have a long line you'd have to wait in at the start of the day to get your kids measured and to get the wristband- unless they wanted to fastpass this too LOL, but then it would waste a bunch of your day waiting for your fastpass time to get measured LOL.

 

[kokomom]

Disneyland has the armbands. We went there last summer and it was great. Our youngest was tall enough to go on most everything...except Indiana Jones ride...but it was nice having the band to show people. The had a measuring place right in front. It is hard to believe Disney World doesn't do the same thing...maybe the number of people would cause a big line or something?

 

[kidzmom3]

There is a small amusement park near my home called Storyland and on their raft ride they built the railings in que (?sp) line to be as tall at the height requirement. If your head is above the railing you are tall enough, below the railing too small.

 

[toystorymom]

kidzmom3 - We love StoryLand and have been on that raft ride many times. DS 3 was so excited when he got to try it for the first time last summer! I'm hoping he'll hit 40 inches by our Disney trip in Nov so that he can experience Splash Mtn. We were just at Canobie Lake a few days ago - the 2nd flume ride there is the WETTEST ride I have ever seen!

 

[kidzmom3]

Not to highjack this thread, but we were 10 minutes from Canobie Lake today when my middle DD began vomitting. So 2 hours in the car gained us, one messy car and a round trip to home But she's feeling better now and maybe we will try again next week.

 

[toystorymom]

Oh no! Glad she's feeling better now and hope you can make it back next week. My kids (also a mom of 3) had a great time. My 6 yr old decided it was his new 2nd favorite place in the world - can you guess the first?

 

[NotUrsula]

I've seen non-removable wristbands used for bars; they are clear plastic and have colored liquid inside.

Like hospital bands, they seal with a clamp, then the loose end is cut off. If you open the seal, the liquid leaks out, and the color is gone. It is pretty well impossible to re-use them with tape.

As to lines, I've always thought it would make sense for on-site resort guests to get wristbands as a perk; the measurement could be done at the resort.