How accurate are the height sticks?

[noga]

So DD is 40.5", how accurate are the height sticks that they use at the rides?
She loves going on rides and is not affraid of anything, should we take her on Tower of Terror? - I am not sure about that one.

 

[pixiewings71]

DD9 rode ToT for the first time when she was 6, it's her favorite ride. As for height accuracy, yes the sticks are accurate but they measure including shoes so if she's not quite tall enough you could put her in shoes with higher soles.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Actually, there are two sticks that I know for sure are not accurate. When we went in Dec. my DS 4 was 42.5 inches (when we measured at home). He could ride GRR, which is a 42 inch ride. He was barely tall enough even with shoes on. We went over to Mulholland Madness and the height restriction for that ride is 42 in. DS had about an inch to grow before he could ride it!! The CM could put their hand on top of DS's head, under the measuring part of the stick! Talk about a disappointed boy! And a slightly sick mommy from riding Golden Zephyr and Orange Stinger while everyone else went on MM!

 

[DangerMouse]

Jumpin Jellyfish's measuring stick is also notoriously inaccurate.

 

[imjen]

It seems each one slightly varies so I never told my kids ahead of time which ones they would be tall enough for if I knew it was going to be close. We'd just casually tell them let's check the height stick and see what it says. I did have my dd wear shoes with taller heels the last trip b/c I knew it would be close on the 42" rides. She did make all of the 42" rides with her clogs on but probably would not have if she was wearing crocs or sneakers. She went on ToT but got pretty scared and did not want to go on it again, this was even with us distracting her during the video part and the very beginning of the ride where it's most scary. I don't think she liked the feeling of flying up out of her seat. She also didn't want to go on Space Mountain again although she wasn't as scared, but I think it was a bit too fast and intense for her. (She was 4.5 yrs BTW). I'm hoping when we go in a few weeks she will do Space again but don't plan on trying to take her on ToT for another year or so at least.

 

[bumbershoot]

We've found them all, that DS has measured with, to be accurate.

The thing that varies is what he's been up to. On his first Grizzly ride, he measured a bit higher on the stick than before his 5th ride in a row (he likes measuring, thinks he has to do it every time). It was interesting watching the forces work on his spinal column in that very obvious way.

So if there's something really important to ride, do that first, before going on anything else that is jolting. If Soarin' is important and so is TOT, do Soarin' first b/c it's non-jolting, then TOT. Not the opposite.


Practice standing straight and tall now. And make sure she knows that just b/c she got on once doesn't mean she'll get on next time. Those forces on the spine are powerful things. also be aware that there are TWO sticks for each ride. They will measure again if they wonder. On TOT, if you're carrying her in the ride, she'll likely get measured again, b/c it makes them nervous.

DS was measured a second time for Star Tours, and the CM slipped a piece of paper between his head and the stick, and DS wasn't allowed to ride. Hubby had gone mute and didn't remind E to stand straight and tall, so E slouched down b/c the CM seemed to want him to squish down...bad situation at the time, but it worked well for the future, b/c DS never ever takes it for granted!

Oh, and DS didn't mind TOT's ups and downs...but part of the story involves a family that disappears, and they show an image of the poeple in the elevator, then with a special effect on the elevator, and you "disappear", and THAT is what spooked DS so much he won't go on it again!

 

[noga]

Thank you all.
We always tell her that she has to be meassured. She was messured at the dr's office for a checkup at the begining of December and was 40", and at home without shoes the other day she was 40.5"; so I am hoping that she can go on all 40" rides.
She is 4 years and 3 months; is a total ride freak. Last time we were at DL she was almost 3 and she went on Matterhorn 10 times. Never was affraid of anything. She wanted to go on ToT at that time too, but of course couldn't.
I guess I will play it by ear on ToT.
I am bumbed that she can't do Grizzly though. I am not sure why that ride has the higer height limit.

Thank you for the suggestion on the forces on the spinal column. They should have some kind of a streching place where you can go and get inverted to put your spine back in place

 

[bumbershoot]

With Grizzly, honestly, I think they're trying for a maturity thing by having a higher limit. With only that lap belt, and with times when you're stopped at points on the mountain, the chances of a little-little starting to act up and try to get out would be HIGH> I've been there twice when older people have tried to get out...


DS refuses TOT, he absolutely refuses Space for some reason, last time he liked matterhorn but wouldn't go again...but he is YEARNING to go on Screamin', and he ate nothing but good growing foods for months, to get tall enough for Grizzly before our last trip! And then went on it 10 times inside 2 days.

But on the trip when he wasn't big enough for it, sigh, it wasn't pretty. He insisted on getting measured more than one day, just to see if he was big enough yet. The good part of that was that they have these cute cards they give to the kids who are too small. They act as, at least, fast passes, and at best, front of line passes, for when the kid IS tall enough... When DS was booted from Star Tours, he got one of them, and when he was big enough to stand straight and tall to be measured, we literally got front of line...were told to go in a special door, which took us upstairs and we got in front of everyone on their direction...amazing.

We weren't able to use the Grizzly card, b/c the line was never longer than 5 minutes, but it's good for the scrapbook anyway.

 

[imjen]

The good part of that was that they have these cute cards they give to the kids who are too small. They act as, at least, fast passes, and at best, front of line passes, for when the kid IS tall enough... When DS was booted from Star Tours, he got one of them, and when he was big enough to stand straight and tall to be measured, we literally got front of line...were told to go in a special door, which took us upstairs and we got in front of everyone on their direction...amazing.

We weren't able to use the Grizzly card, b/c the line was never longer than 5 minutes, but it's good for the scrapbook anyway.

That's interesting about the card. We've never gotten one of those before and had kids turned away for being too short. I think we've been turned away at GRR, Soarin', and Mulholland Madness. Probably other rides too at one time or another. Maybe it's a new thing or do they only give it out if you pass the first measuring stick, but then the cm later on in the line tells them they're too short on the other stick?

 

[MommyWithDreams]

DS refuses TOT, he absolutely refuses Space for some reason, last time he liked matterhorn but wouldn't go again...but he is YEARNING to go on Screamin', and he ate nothing but good growing foods for months, to get tall enough for Grizzly before our last trip! And then went on it 10 times inside 2 days.

This sounds like Ayden. I swear people must think I'm the meanest mom around making him go on the Matterhorn. Little do they know its all an act and he LOVES the ride and hates to get off of it. But when we're standing in line he'll whine and cry like he's scared to go on it. He's done that with Thunder Mountain and The Go Go Gadget coaster too. Oh my little drama queen.