Height Restriction

[haydeecm]

I have no idea how tall my almost 4-year old is. I have tried measuring him a few times, and I must not be that good at it, I vary from almost 41" to right at 42" (specially with shoes).

So, at what point do they measure height in a ride, do you have to make a long line and way at the end is where they determine? Has it ever happened that you thought they were past the line (I assume there is a "you must be this high" sign) but they didnt. I am also nervous that my son will hunch or something, he doesnt "get" the stand up tall thing, do they make sure he is. I am almost afraid he might be under 40" because of not standing right.. I know he would love Grizzly River Run (42")

 

[tholczer]

The height requirement post is right at the front where the CM's are standing and they measure for you. Then they usually measure again right before you get on the ride. When our daughter was small, we'd measure at the front of the line and then wait in the line, and then once in a while get turned away when were about to get on the ride. This didn't happen often, though. But it is the CM's call who is seating you on the ride since it's his butt on the line. One time we saw a family whip out a pair of thick heeled flip flops for their daughter and explain to us they were her "ride shoes" as she was not quite tall enough. We thought that was brilliant! Maybe you can find him some sneakers that have a thick heel and will add an inch or so to his height.

The CM's really are sticklers for the height requirement. We've been turned away when you could have slid a piece of paper between our daughter's head and the marker. Better safe than sorry, though!

Tracy

 

[sonnyjane]

One time we saw a family whip out a pair of thick heeled flip flops for their daughter and explain to us they were her "ride shoes" as she was not quite tall enough. We thought that was brilliant! Maybe you can find him some sneakers that have a thick heel and will add an inch or so to his height.

Without turning this into the recurring debate about height restrictions on the site, they really are there for a reason, and if you're using special shoes or other "tricks" to making the height when your child isn't tall enough, you're putting your child at risk. Obviously it's your decision, I'm just warning that this topic comes up fairly frequently around here.

 

[haydeecm]

Thanks for the warning.

I am not trying to get him into rides he is too short for. I am pretty sure he is over 40" barefoot, probably around 41" barefoot, close to 42" with shoes. It just usually takes me a while to get him to stand up straight at home, so at the park I was afraid they might turn him away since its easier. I dont like that they measure twice, I cant imagine the disappointment of a kid being told yes and then being told no after waiting, but its nice to be warned this could happen.

 

[noryglory]

They definitely measure you more than once if they are unsure. I think the sign at the front of the ride (at the ride's entrance) is for you to determine as a family if you CAN go on and bother waiting in line...then at the ride they check again for their own reasons (safety and security). When our oldest was 5, they actually held up the ride at Screamin', the head ride runner (at the machine) made him get out, remeasured him, determined he was tall enough, let him back on and off we went. It was pretty funny! (But wouldn't have been funny if he wasn't tall enough...he had ridden it several times by then, however, and we knew he was...but just barely!)

 

[bumbershoot]

You can measure before really getting in line. Even if there's a line going beyond the measuring stick, I've found that just taking one adult and the child in question, and walking past the line to the stick, and if you feel like it using hand signals to show that you're just measuring the child, works.

It's going to be very important that the child knows how to stand "big and tall", but without going on tiptoes. Practice practice practice! And every single time you get into a line, tlak about how you are going to "see if" they can ride "this time". If there are really important rides, try at the very beginning of the day. That's when we're all the tallest, after sleeping and rejuvenating all night.

NOw with Grizzly, that might be chilly, but it's a GREAT ride! So bring lots of changes of clothes (down to underpants and socks and shoes...don't forget the shoes like I did when DS got soaked elsewhere, lest you end up buying a $30 pair of Buzz tennis shoes b/c no one wants to walk all the way back to the hotel), put them in a backpack, put the backpack in a free locker near Grizzly, and go on a few times in a row. Make it worth your while, if he's tall enough.

If he is NOT tall enough, and there are others wanting to ride, a word of warning. The two attractions inside of the Redwood play area are also 42" attractions. Even more important than bringing dry shoes is to NOT go in there, expecting that a kid can go on those things (wall climbing and a ropeswing sort of thing) to take his mind off of Grizzly, not knowing the height req is the same. There are OTHER fun things in there, don't get me wrong...but if there's a height stick, run away.


We too had a "paper above the head" moment. On Star Tours, at the second measuring stick just before you head to the seating areas. We hadn't practiced standing big and tall, and I wasn't there and DH blanked. The CM was also a big UNcool, because he put his hand on DS's shoulder, which caused him to hunch a bit, and DH didn't think quick enough. CM put the paper between DS's head and the stick, and it was all over. (meanwhile a tiny girl wearing tall cowboy boots, completely not tall enough, walked by and the CM didn't notice, which is why I'm against *purposely* buying tall shoes)

So the child needs to know to stand big and tall. Otherwise the line will have been for nothing (though actually the lines are mainly pretty cool, especially for a kid that age).

FYI, in case you don't know, Grizzly has only lapbelts. And for a little kid, you have to cinch them up like crazy. And you can get wet from ANY angle, even from below (the water pools, then the raft hits in a funny way and the water can shoot up from the floor), which can be shocking for little kids. Don't get me wrong; it's one of my son's absolute favorite rides (on one trip we rode 10 times in 2 days), but it can be surprising, especially with the lapbelt, when they are likely still used to 5 point harnesses in moving vehicles!

 

[Brady's Mom]

It's also important to remember that all measuring sticks are not created equally. DS was able to go on GRR - barely. But we walked over to MM on the same day - w/in 10 minutes of riding on GRR and he was NOT tall enough for MMadness by a flat hand. The CM could put their hand under the stick and touch the top of DS's head. He was glad to ride GRR - but disappointed not to ride MM.

It is worth it to warn your littles that they might not be able to ride, just in case 42" on one ride is not the same as 42" on the other ride.

 

[melbarkwith]

Something else to keep in mind, my DD was *just* past 40" and she was measured for every single ride except Space Mountain.

Every time they measured her, she would bend down just a little so she didn't hit her head on the pole. We had to point that out to the CM's a few times, and they would stand her just forward of the pole so she wasn't worried about hitting her head.