height requirements - strictly enforced?

[orangeryno]

Heading to Disneyland for the first time with our little ones. Our youngest is right at 39". From experience I know she will be up for many of the 40" rides. Can we pull this off? Do I put her in a fluffy hat? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[bumbershoot]

They are strict. They measure at every ride, two times if there's a question before loading.

My son couldn't ride Star Tours b/c at the *second* measuring stick the CM was able to slip a piece of paper above his head, below the measuring thing.

Now, while the CM was busy doing this, a mite of a little girl slipped past wearing heeled shoes...but I'm SURE you don't want to be like that, especially b/c it's for her safety.

And ultimately, the inches are a guide for us, b/c there are plenty of kids who measured the correct height at home, but either were taller or shorter than the measuring sticks when at DLR. The only thing that counts is the measuring stick; each individual one.

So make sure she knows that you will "go see IF you can ride (this time)", each time you are near a ride that's 40". Practice standing big and tall, and don't let that slip at the second measuring stick if she makes it at the first. It's a good idea to NOT carry kids inside the ride, at least in sight of the CMs, because it makes the child obvious to them, and they will generally remeasure, to make sure. And in the excitement of the ride it's easy to forget to stand big and tall, and a child who IS tall enough can shrink by a millimeter, and not get to go when they really should have.

Now with a whole inch? Probably none of that is even going to happen. So prepare her now.

And if you are fortunate enough to get to go more often, I will tell you that the idea of needing to grow for certain rides can get a kidlet to eat so much good food! My son has never much liked beans, even though we're vegetarian and try to not rely on soy protein too heavily. And during our last family trip, when he saw how relatively close to 46" he is, he started happily eating beans to "grow big for Indy". It's been the same way since the Star Tours incident. He eats good for to "grow big for _______" (whatever ride he's yearning to ride). You can get a good amount of good food in 'em, if it'll help their bodies grow!

 

[tinkerbelt]

If she's 39 inches, there's no way they'll let her on. They check for hats, lifted shoes, and even ponytails.

 

[01spirit750]

We went when my daughter was exactly 40" with shoes on and she got on all the 40" rides.

We did tell her about standing up straight.

Also, when going to the measuring sticks at the ride entrance, I had her stand to the side facing away and then scoot over.

If she went straight in she would try to duck under, thinking she was going to hit her head.

By standing to the side and then scooting over she would stand tall and not duck under.

Her head would contact the measuring stick and she wouldn't be able to stand underneath the stick.

We rode all the rides (minus Star Tours, we felt this was too rough).

On Space mountain there was the three of us (two adults, one child) So I would sit directly behind her and put my hands over her seat back and next to her head to help brace it during the ride.

 

[01spirit750]

Oh, and no hats of tall shoes are allowed. They do watch for this.

 

[kailuagirl]

Yep they are very very strick. My daughter on Gadgets Go Coaster, measured ok on the outside stick, hit the top, at the one near the coaster to get on she was too short so they wouldn't let her ride it. We had to walk over the ride and there was another stick and I measured her there and she was ok. So I guess it doesn't matter if she fails one stick they fail them all Better to be safe then sorry if you ask me. I'd hate for something to happen. Maybe your daughter will suddenly grow and inch really fast. Might be a good way to get her to eat lots of veggies

 

[orangeryno]

I haven't measured her in a few weeks but our trip is in two weeks so she is what she is! In the past I have measured her in her room, tonight I will check her out on hard surface in shoes.

Interesting point about getting the kids used to wanting to have their head touch something. If she is right at 40" on height I might have to build a makeshift bar so she can practice walking under and stretching out.

The rides she will be bummed to miss would be Soaring, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder, especially watching big brother ride them.

In any case, being their first trip, (and my first trip in 25 years) we will have a great time.

Thanks again.

 

[Brady's Mom]

One other thing to be mentally prepared for is that not all of the measuring sticks are the same. DS 4 wanted so badly to ride GRR (42") and Mulholland Madness (42"). He measured just fine for Griz and was almost an inch too short for Mulholland. Even though they are both 42" rides - the sticks are not *calibrated* at all. Your daughter may be tall enough for one, but not for the others. It really is a crap-shoot. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Disney Dreams]

It is also important to note for those that are "just" tall enough that you are taller in the morning than in the evening. Gravity pushes us down as the day goes on.

 

[disneymum58]

It is also important to note for those that are "just" tall enough that you are taller in the morning than in the evening. Gravity pushes us down as the day goes on.

This is true. My son was easily tall enough for Soarin in the morning but later in the day he wasn't!

 

[Mugglemama]

it doesn't sound like your daughter is tall enough for this at the moment, so it likely won't affect this trip... but if you head back to disneyland around the time she DOES reach specific height requirements, know that sometimes the CM's even seem to be trying to make it so that the kid cannot ride. (for the record, i'm one of those people who feels it's not safe to try to increase a kid's height artificially just so that they can get on a ride - so i have never tried to slip my kid past when i knew they weren't tall enough for the ride).

last time we were there, my daughter was tall enough for Indy. she had to hunker down a bit just to get under the measuring stick (this was the last one before loading onto the ride, she had already measured up fine at the others). there was an older gentleman CM who was measuring her, and he was literally pushing DOWN on her shoulders. it scared her, she didn't understand why he was being rough with her, and i didn't even realize what was happening until she said to me, "Mommy, he's pushing my shoulders down, it hurts".

so, just be prepared....there are some commando-CM's out there when it comes to measuring.

 

[MommiePrincess]

I LOVE Disney so please don't take this as a big dig....but from a Mom with a 39 1/2 inch-40 inch DD (depending on what shoes she wears)....I feel that CM's should not be pushing down on shoulders (and I will say so if they do) and I really feel that given Disney's perfection motto and kid-focus that measuring sticks should be perfectly calibrated. My DH is so up in arms about her getting on some rides he says he'll bring his own measuring tape. I fear we'll be on the local news for causing a Disney depute in line! Maybe at least You Tube!

We are only going to push at Soarin ,the Jellyfish one and Splash. I can't remember what the other 40 inches are, but I won't let her go on Space Mountain yet.

She will be in her taller tennis shoes. I know someone mentioned on another post adding some folded up park maps in the inside heels. I just might do that for Soarin' because I don't see any safety issues with that ride that 1/4 inch will impact.

 

[Mugglemama]

I LOVE Disney so please don't take this as a big dig....but from a Mom with a 39 1/2 inch-40 inch DD (depending on what shoes she wears)....I feel that CM's should not be pushing down on shoulders (and I will say so if they do) and I really feel that given Disney's perfection motto and kid-focus that measuring sticks should be perfectly calibrated.

i agree with you wholeheartedly, and i really probably SHOULD have said something. but he approved her and hustled us away quickly (the line had been held up while she was measured, and there was now a big gap between us and the people in front of us), that we just hustled to catch up in line. sometimes those types of things happen so fast that i don't react because i didn't really have time to think about it.

when i think about it now though, it makes me really mad.

 

[orangeryno]

All my fretting over nothing. I measured my daughter last night. She was just over 40" barefoot! Put sneakers on her and she was nearly 41". We will be good to go. I had been measuring her in her bedroom on a wall mounted ruler and it was off!

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[DaddyDeuce]

I recall reading a post from someone who took a measuring tape into the park, and found that the "you must be this tall" signs were not accurately at 40".

Ultimately, it is the sign that matters, not how tall the child actually is.

 

[Mugglemama]

All my fretting over nothing. I measured my daughter last night. She was just over 40" barefoot! Put sneakers on her and she was nearly 41". We will be good to go. I had been measuring her in her bedroom on a wall mounted ruler and it was off!

Thanks for all the advice.

yep, sounds like you'll be fine! on our last trip in september, my youngest was about 40 1/2" with shoes on when we measured at home, and he wasn't turned away from any of the 40" rides once we got to DLR.

Have fun!