How consistent are height checks?

[dimndgal1]

I know we're still a bit of a distance out, but the whole height check thing was a source of major drama on our trip to DL, so I want to get a feel for how people find it at WDW.

When we went to DL last year, DD was 40 inches... sometimes. Forty was the magic height for DL (it allows for BTM, SM, ToT, Soarin', swings) so it became an emotional roulette wheel for DD when she sometimes cleared the height and sometimes didn't. DH wanted to run and buy her some super tall shoes, but I didn't want to push it... just frustrating to explain to a three year old why she can or can't ride. I fully understood when CMs said no, and would never push it... I just felt guilty watching to see if there was a CM switch and trying again.

Fast forward to now - It looks like DD is going to be working toward 44 inches, and while I would LOVE to think she'll clear it no sweat, I just wanted to know how people find the height checks to be? Is it pretty consistent? All over the place? Changes based on the wind?

I know there's a human factor involved and I totally respect that it's about safety... I just would like to be able to prep DD if necessary to try to head off the yes/no confusion.

 

[matt and beth]

They are 100% consistent. Do not expect any deviation from height checks. If they look close they will check. Measure your child before you leave. If they are not 40" there they will not be at the WDW. Do not even suggest the possibility. That is how we have done it and never had any drama. Once my daughter asked if she could try the height and we walked over to see. Not quite and she was good with it. I tried to push the envelope once when the kids were younger. It just led to heartbreak and I will never lead them on again.

 

[The 4 "Quay"balleros]

My DS(6), 4 at the time, wanted to ride BTMMR. We went over to it and went right in past the CM and the height check sign. Luckily we were there first thing in the morning- we ended up riding it 4 times in a row. Between the 3rd and 4th ride the CM(who was the same guy the whole time) stopped us and told us we had to get DS height checked. I gave him some attitude but we got DS checked and he was fine-- and I apologized for the attitude- I told him I am from Jersey so he understood So yes there is inconsistencies with the height checks.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

And don't forget a person actually loses height during the day as the cartilage in the spine compresses. So if borderline, go in the morning.

 

[Marionnette]

A person's height changes slightly thru the day and from day to day. So if your child is barely 44", then be prepared to be turned away at some attractions that she may have been tall enough to ride earlier. The height measurements are pretty consistent but your kid's height won't be.

 

[scion5220]

A person's height changes slightly thru the day and from day to day. So if your child is barely 44", then be prepared to be turned away at some attractions that she may have been tall enough to ride earlier. The height measurements are pretty consistent but your kid's height won't be.

I totally just read your post hearing it in Jiminy Cricket's voice!

 

[wmharley]

they are off. easiest thing is to look at the floor where the check is. try to measure at the closest point to the post.

from experience when my DD was about 40", Space mountain, the 1st check had her clearing it. We went in with FP. at the split they checked her again, and she was about .25" below. I explained she cleared the front one, which is why we got in. the CM said the ride load would be the final verdict.

My DD was even shorter at this one, but as i looked, the floor was at a slope. so the point at the post was higher than the floor at the end of the horizontal bar. She was more than .5" shorter than the bar in the span of 5 minutes.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

It's funny you posted this. I measured my DD, 3, this afternoon to see. She was 40.25 barefoot. I'm really hoping with shoes there will be no questions because she wants to ride Splash Mountain so badly! It's hard being the youngest b/c she sees big brother and sister doing all these things she wants to do...I know, that's life, but as her Mom I still feel bad for her.

So I'm just really hoping WDW's measuring and mine are the same!

 

[Sleeping Becca]

They are consistent about checking but the measurments are imprecise.

Even though the height requirements are the same for many rides some you may pass and some you may not.

The measurements can vary within the same ride queue.

In other words just because you measured fine at the beginning of the line, you may not pass the last measure. This happened to us multiple times.

It is extremely frustrating.

 

[kirasaurus]

I don't know if they still do this, or even if it was AT wdw, but I read somewhere that a child who is close to the 40 inch mark can be issued a height check bracelet by a CM, so that they don't have to be measured at every single ride with a height check.
Please correct me if I'm wrong!
It's worth looking into, i believe.

 

[deegack]

I don't know if they still do this, or even if it was AT wdw, but I read somewhere that a child who is close to the 40 inch mark can be issued a height check bracelet by a CM, so that they don't have to be measured at every single ride with a height check.
Please correct me if I'm wrong!

It's worth looking into, i believe.

They don't do that anymore because people were taking the bracelet off the kid that met the height requirement and put it on a kid that didn't. Imagine the arguments that caused.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I don't know why but @ home my DS measured more than 40", but when we got to Disney, he was at least an 1" or so shorter.

I have found BTMRR and Soarin' to be the least consistent in measuring and I swear Soarin's is off.

It's never caused any major meltdowns with us yet, but it is annoying.

 

[daaasmith]

This is also a concern for us, so thanks for posting as it has answered some of my ?'s. We will be borderline for our trip next week. DS measured right at 48 inches so I guess we will see from ride to ride what happens. At our local amusement park, some rides he measures OK and others not-guess it is inconsistent everywhere! Have a great trip!

 

[RMulieri]

Cms consistently check heights..HOWEVER the measurements can be off and vary..For one , YOU DO lose height as the day goes on due to gravity and spinal compression.Kids notoriously do not always stand straight and tall..etc.They check you 2x .Once as you enter the queue and once before boarding.They do this because believe it or not it is possible and people DO try to get a kids past the first checkpoint without measuring.The second one you can't avoid.They do not issue bands simply for the reason mentioned, parents would take it off the tall kid and slip it on to the short kids wrist.
On our 2nd trip our daughter was 5 yrs old and just cleared the 40 inch mark at home.She is very tiny for her age.She only made it on SOME of the rides, and she managed to make it on BTMMR only once out of the 3 times we tried to ride.It happens when they are that close.Best to prepare them ahead of time, and try the ones you really really want to do early in the day.Practice at home standing very straight and very tall.IF the cm can slip a piece of paper or anything between the height bar and your kids head, they will not be able to ride.

 

[Colleen27]

They consistently check but that doesn't mean they all agree on the outcome. We don't do standby any more with a child who is close to the height limit after an epic meltdown at Splash when my then-4yo passed the measurement entering the queue, waited excitedly for 20+min, and then failed the check at the loading platform. It was very frustrating for her, and for us because we had a non-riding adult waiting for us on a bench near the ride and would just have left DD with her had we known she wasn't going to make the cut.

 

[Brian Noble]

I just would like to be able to prep DD if necessary to try to head off the yes/no confusion.

You might as well do this no matter what, because you won't know for sure until you get there.

Edited to add: however, for what it is worth, we've found them to be pretty consistent. Unless your child is *right* on the line (i.e. well under 1/4" either way), it will probably not be an issue.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

They consistently check but that doesn't mean they all agree on the outcome. We don't do standby any more with a child who is close to the height limit after an epic meltdown at Splash when my then-4yo passed the measurement entering the queue, waited excitedly for 20+min, and then failed the check at the loading platform. It was very frustrating for her, and for us because we had a non-riding adult waiting for us on a bench near the ride and would just have left DD with her had we known she wasn't going to make the cut.

I saw this happen to someone in front of me before. It really makes me feel bad after the kid has been waiting thinking they can ride and than denied right before they get on. There has got to be a better way for Disney to handle this. I don't know what?? Maybe just put the 2nd checkpoint a lot closer to the beginning of the line or why couldn't they have a couple measuring places throughout the parks and do handstamps (NOT at the entrances though)?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I don't know why but @ home my DS measured more than 40", but when we got to Disney, he was at least an 1" or so shorter.

I have found BTMRR and Soarin' to be the least consistent in measuring and I swear Soarin's is off.

It's never caused any major meltdowns with us yet, but it is annoying.

I measured at home last year and we got to BTMRR DS3 was an inch too short. I looked at the ground and there was a slope. Luckily, he didn't seem to care.

I saw this happen to someone in front of me before. It really makes me feel bad after the kid has been waiting thinking they can ride and than denied right before they get on. There has got to be a better way for Disney to handle this. I don't know what?? Maybe just put the 2nd checkpoint a lot closer to the beginning of the line or why couldn't they have a couple measuring places throughout the parks and do handstamps (NOT at the entrances though)?

handstamps are a good idea

 

[Mme. Leota]

Here is our experience, FWIW...

Last year DS (3 at the time) was just measuring 40 in at home. Our first full park day was DHS. He bumped his head hard at ToT but we just wanted to measure, not ride. We did NOT think ToT was the best way to start the week. Next day was EPCOT, he wore thicker soled shoed just to make sure he could ride Soarin and TT. He was way too short at both. Next day at MK he made it no problem at BTM. We rode, he loved it, we walked immediately to Splash, and he wasn't even close, less than 10 minutes after measuring fine at BTM. He is a good solid 42 inches barefoot now, though, and is looking forward to riding everything in a week!!

 

[dimndgal1]

I really am glad we're not unique in this and while I can't think of how to make the system smoother, I really wish there was a way. When we first encountered the height situation at DL, it didn't bother me that one ride might be different than another but it was the fact that we could get off a ride, go to get back on, and DD not clear it.

After that incident, we came up with our 'excuse' for DD - "Sometimes to be safe the ride only lets the big kids ride, but when there's room for the almost big kids, they'll let us know." After that, DD would run up to the height check and ask "Is there room for me?" (This was a hit at ToT where they do the 'room for one more' joke). This helped us so we could say "Hey, let's go do Turtle Talk (something we knew she could do) and stop by Soarin' to see if they have room for DD" which seemed to shift her focus to Turtle Talk (which she loves) and Soarin' was secondary.

I think we're going to use the same method going next time - "Oh, Buzz Lightyear ride?! Let's go do that and we can stop by Space Mountain and see what the big kid situation is like"