Height Requirement Questions

[3HappyKids]

We are planning our 1st trip to DL at the end of June. My kids are 6, 4 & 17 months. My son (who is 4) is 40 inches without shoes so he should easily hit 40 inches unless the whatever they measure with are really off. So he should be able to ride pretty much everything right? I see he won't be able to do Indy since they requirement is 46in correct? He can't just ride with an adult right? I just want to make sure I understand it right. What about requirements for Space Mountain? I couldn't find those anywhere. But as far as the big rides go. . Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Star Tours, he should be a go. Does the adults ride next to your kids in any of these rides or what is the set-up like? I am planning on taking the kids on the bigger rides if they want to go and my hubby will stay out with the little one. Just didn't know if my kids ride alone in a car or a seat or if they can ride next to me? Thanks in advance!

 

[starshine514]

I wouldn't guarantee it (don't make promises to him), but he should be able to ride most of the 40" rides (Jumpin' Jellyfish would be the exception). The back seat on Splash seats 2, but the rest of the seats are single seating, Star Tours you should all be able to sit together, BTMRR will seat 2-3, Space Mountain (HR 40") seats two across.

Indy is 46", regardless of who is with you.

 

[strikrr]

We are planning our 1st trip to DL at the end of June. My kids are 6, 4 & 17 months. My son (who is 4) is 40 inches without shoes so he should easily hit 40 inches unless the whatever they measure with are really off. So he should be able to ride pretty much everything right? I see he won't be able to do Indy since they requirement is 46in correct? He can't just ride with an adult right? I just want to make sure I understand it right. What about requirements for Space Mountain? I couldn't find those anywhere. But as far as the big rides go. . Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Star Tours, he should be a go. Does the adults ride next to your kids in any of these rides or what is the set-up like? I am planning on taking the kids on the bigger rides if they want to go and my hubby will stay out with the little one. Just didn't know if my kids ride alone in a car or a seat or if they can ride next to me? Thanks in advance!

For the most part, if a child does not meet the height requirement they cannot ride. The only exception to this that I know of is Autopia where they can ride with an adult if they are over 32" or 54" without an adult.

Here is a list of height requirements as of now on Disney's site. Keep in mind that ones for Carsland are not on there yet.

Height Requierments

 

[ldymcbth]

Whatever you do, just tell your child that they will determine his ride eligibility at the line for each ride. It will save you a lot of heartache in case one of the measuring things is off or you get a CM who does the piece of paper trick. Also, we get shorter throughout the day (for real!) so it depends what time of day you are measured as to how tall you measure.

I have learned not to map out with the kids what they can and cannot ride based on height - because if it doesn't work out (we were turned away from Star Tours after already having ridden 2x because of the piece of paper trick) it just results in heartache.

 

[3HappyKids]

Okay what's the piece of paper trick? Do they just put in on top of the child's head to see where it hits the stick? And if they do meaure please tell me it will be at the start of the line? We don't have to wait in line to actually get measured and maybe get turned away, right?

Whatever you do, just tell your child that they will determine his ride eligibility at the line for each ride. It will save you a lot of heartache in case one of the measuring things is off or you get a CM who does the piece of paper trick. Also, we get shorter throughout the day (for real!) so it depends what time of day you are measured as to how tall you measure.

I have learned not to map out with the kids what they can and cannot ride based on height - because if it doesn't work out (we were turned away from Star Tours after already having ridden 2x because of the piece of paper trick) it just results in heartache.

 

[3HappyKids]

Okay on the rides where I can ride next to my kid(s) and I do have to stick my 6 yr old in another seat are they secured pretty well? I would feel better about having an adult with each kids but it won't work out for us this way with the little one.

I wouldn't guarantee it (don't make promises to him), but he should be able to ride most of the 40" rides (Jumpin' Jellyfish would be the exception). The back seat on Splash seats 2, but the rest of the seats are single seating, Star Tours you should all be able to sit together, BTMRR will seat 2-3, Space Mountain (HR 40") seats two across.

Indy is 46", regardless of who is with you.

 

[ldymcbth]

Okay what's the piece of paper trick? Do they just put in on top of the child's head to see where it hits the stick? And if they do meaure please tell me it will be at the start of the line? We don't have to wait in line to actually get measured and maybe get turned away, right?

Keep in mind this experience was at WDW not DLR. You get measured at the beginning of the queue. Usually, the CM had my kids "bump" their head against the measuring thing. Then you get measured again after you've waited in line but before you get on the ride - usually JUST before boarding. At this location, they took out a piece of paper similar to a notecard and said that because they could wedge it in between my kid's head and the measuring thing, he couldn't ride.

The problem with the measuring stuff is that if your kids stands a little different on one occasion vs the next (lifted chin vs. not - heels scooted back vs. not - feet apart vs. together) it can make a piece of paper worth of difference. So if you have kids who are right on the edge of being able to ride - they measure 40" at home and the ride is 40", just don't promise them they can ride. Trust me. Easier to wait and see.

Our home amusement park measures children once at the front of the park and they get a wristband for their height category. Then they don't have to get measured again and you KNOW what they can and cannot ride. They are also REALLY particular when measuring the kids - making them stand a particualr way, making them take off their shoes if their soles are too thick, etc., so you feel like they are getting an accurate measurement. I like this system SO much better but I understand it was tried at WDW and parents slipped the wristbands off of their bigger kids and placed them on their smaller kids, so the program was discontinued.

 

[coaches24]

We are there now and DD is 40.5 in with her shoes on. She won't try Space, splash, or BTMRR but she was just tall enough for star tours and Soarin and loved both. Will try both again later today so hopefully that doesn't change.

 

[starshine514]

Okay on the rides where I can ride next to my kid(s) and I do have to stick my 6 yr old in another seat are they secured pretty well? I would feel better about having an adult with each kids but it won't work out for us this way with the little one.

On Splash, they aren't secured at all (no lap bars or seat belt - which is why my DD7 is scared of it. We request the back, she sits next to me and DD5 sits in front of us), on Space, DD7 is secured well, I usually sit her in front of me. We all ride together in one seat in BTMRR (DD7 on one end, me on the other w/DD5 in the middle).

 

[Disney Dreams]

The "deal" with the paper is at DLR as well. The rule is if they can slide a piece of paper (literally) between the top of your head and the measuring "stick," you are not tall enough.

It does not matter if you're tall enough at the doctor's office.
It does not matter if you were tall enough earlier in the day.
It does not matter if you were tall enough at the first measuring point.
All that matters is that they cannot stick a piece of paper under that stick at the final measuring place.

And, yes, you are taller earlier in the day --- especially when riding rides throughout the day.

- Dreams

 

[Mel522]

The "deal" with the paper is at DLR as well. The rule is if they can slide a piece of paper (literally) between the top of your head and the measuring "stick," you are not tall enough.

It does not matter if you're tall enough at the doctor's office.
It does not matter if you were tall enough earlier in the day.
It does not matter if you were tall enough at the first measuring point.
All that matters is that they cannot stick a piece of paper under that stick at the final measuring place.

And, yes, you are taller earlier in the day --- especially when riding rides throughout the day.

- Dreams

ok, so let me see if I have this right... If your child is 0.0175 inches (average thickness of cardstock) under, they cannot ride?

 

[Disney Dreams]

ok, so let me see if I have this right... If your child is 0.0175 inches (average thickness of cardstock) under, they cannot ride?

If the Cast Member chooses to measure, correct.

- Dreams

 

[Mel522]

If the Cast Member chooses to measure, correct.

- Dreams

I have always defended cm's right to turn away children, but I guess I'll have to change that. the thickness of a piece of paper is less then the tolerance of even the most accurate tape measure. At that point it's not a safety issue, it's pettyness and cruelty.

 

[Isatricia]

And in our experience the measuring stick was actually longer than our Dr's measuring stick. There are no inch marks on the measuring stick.

 

[Disney Dreams]

If the Cast Member chooses to measure, correct.

- Dreams

I have always defended cm's right to turn away children, but I guess I'll have to change that. the thickness of a piece of paper is less then the tolerance of even the most accurate tape measure. At that point it's not a safety issue, it's pettyness and cruelty.

It's not pettiness or cruelty. If you were the person responsible for someone's safety, where would you draw the line? The thickness of a piece of paper? The width of a pen? It very quickly becomes arbitrary and subjective. That is not the way to handle a safety checkpoint. So, they stand firm by the height requirement. If you are not as tall as the required height you don't ride. How far off can you be? You can't. That way the CM is not making the decision, the measuring device is. You are either tall enough or you are not. It's very simple really.

- Dreams