How does Disney measure height?

[Tinkerbell3014]

my son was just barely 40" on our last trip. On Soarin', he cleared the marker in the front of the ride and then was pulled aside to be remeasured by a CM right before getting on. Luckily, he made it. We had practiced standing up straight for weeks before our trip. It turned out to be his favorite ride.

 

[huntconn]

A couple of years ago we tried to get my youngest son on SM. The CM was a real stickler about height. He even went so far as to mat my sons curly hair all the way down. The bar was less than a 1/16th of an inch from the top of his head and he would not let him on. I know the guy was "doing his job" but he was kind of rude about it. Also..checking height twice is just dumb IMO. What's the point? Seems a bit redundant.

 

[chartle]

A couple of years ago we tried to get my youngest son on SM. The CM was a real stickler about height. He even went so far as to mat my sons curly hair all the way down. The bar was less than a 1/16th of an inch from the top of his head and he would not let him on. I know the guy was "doing his job" but he was kind of rude about it. Also..checking height twice is just dumb IMO. What's the point? Seems a bit redundant.

They check at the start of line to make sure your child can ride and at all and the end to make sure you did sneak him or her past the first CM or you didn't tell that first CM that they weren't going to ride.

I've seen the second, but not at WDW. At Kings Island on the Son of the Beast I saw them pull a kid out of a car to measure him again. The kid was a full 3" from the bar. Of course everyone canted "Let him ride" but he didn't. Here's the best part the, "Parent" told the kid to wait on the exit platform for her while she rode the the ride.

This maybe 6 or 7 years old just stood there.

 

[tlenzendorf]

OT question, but what about "little people" who are adults? What if they aren't 40" or 44" or 48"? Doesn't apply to me or anyone in my family, but it made me wonder...

 

[chartle]

I do wish they'd just have a definitive measurer at Guest Relations and then give the kid a wristband with different colors for different height ranges (then each CM could just be trained what color wristbands are allowed/not allowed on that attraction).

Its been reported that they tried this for a time but stopped because people were coming in, having their taller kids measured and then, using scissors and tape brought in for this specific purpose, cutting it off the one kid and very carefully reattaching it to the shorter child.

I'm sure there were some geniuses who tried this on their obviously too short kid and had a huge argument with a CM.

A CM on another thread said that a guest once produced a letter from their Doctor proving that their kid was 40".

 

[chartle]

OT question, but what about "little people" who are adults? What if they aren't 40" or 44" or 48"? Doesn't apply to me or anyone in my family, but it made me wonder...

This is all I could find so far

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Amusement-Parks-2521/2008/4/Dwarfs-height-requirements.htm

 

[TillyMarigold]

Its been reported that they tried this for a time but stopped because people were coming in, having their taller kids measured and then, using scissors and tape brought in for this specific purpose, cutting it off the one kid and very carefully reattaching it to the shorter child.

I'm sure there were some geniuses who tried this on their obviously too short kid and had a huge argument with a CM.

Well, then, they could require everyone on a child's ticket (or everyone, period) to have a wristband, or make child tickets themselves different colors and require them to be shown the way they are at EMHs. Or put photos on all tickets (they do it at Colonial Williamsburg for anything over a 1-day ticket).

 

[MHSweb79]

Just wanted to reiterate- the CM's have the final word. If your son passes the height test 100 times in a row but the 101st CM won't let him through, please accept it graciously. Arguing won't help your case anyway, and it's not good for small children to witness ugly parents browbeating CM's who, after all, do NOT have a personal agenda against your child. They're just using their best judgement for the child's safety.
Not saying you're one of these parents, but we've all seen them and maybe some are reading this now.

 

[nicknamy1996]

Good idea, but his willie is already small enough as it is...

LLOL.... (Literally) Laughed Out Loud!

Someday in high school he going to be bored and he's going to google your old Disboard account and you are going to have some explaining to do

 

[WDSearcher]

I do wish they'd just have a definitive measurer at Guest Relations and then give the kid a wristband with different colors for different height ranges (then each CM could just be trained what color wristbands are allowed/not allowed on that attraction).

Brilliant Idea.

They did a test of this method several years ago at Disneyland. Parents figured out ways to get the bracelets off the taller kids and onto the shorter kids, thereby getting kids who were too short on rides they shouldn't have been on. It only happened a couple of times, but as with most things, it's the one or two people who do it wrong that ruin it for the thousands who are doing it right. Disney would rather have a million disgruntled parents than one severely injured child. And I can't say I disagree with them on that.

 

[MHSweb79]

Disney would rather have a million disgruntled parents than one severely injured child. And I can't say I disagree with them on that.

I totally agree. Imagine this scenario: Parents cheat the system by switching a colored bracelet, bringing a doctor's note, pitching a stinkin' fit, or producing an Act of Congress to allow their child to ride something he/she is not really tall enough for. Child falls out or otherwise gets injured. Do parents say, "oops, my bad!" No, they will sue Disney for whatever they can get, and the argument will probably be, "They should have known my child was not tall enough."

THAT'S the reality Disney is dealing with. So even though I do wish the measurement system were more consistent from ride to ride, I do agree that the CM should have the final word. And if a CM wants to err on the side of safety, then so be it.

 

[bubblycoconut]

They are extremely strict and measure both before getting in the queue and again before actually getting on the ride, so it's entirely possible he might get through some times and not others, or even get to wait in line and then be turned away at the actual line. The measuring bar is shaped like an L and if the kid can fit under it, then he/she is not allowed on the ride. They do measure with shoes *unless* the shoes look really really thick, in which case they measure without.

There is no point in arguing, the height requirements are there for safety and absolutely nothing you could say will convince Disney to jeopardize your child's safety. I've heard of people asking for managers and even area managers and their kid is still not allowed on the ride. All that arguing about it will do is ruin your day, your family's day, the cast member's day (and believe me, having a parent mad at you is *not* worth losing your job over), and the day of all the guests around you.

I do wish they'd just have a definitive measurer at Guest Relations and then give the kid a wristband with different colors for different height ranges (then each CM could just be trained what color wristbands are allowed/not allowed on that attraction).

They do this at our local theme park (Busch Gardens) but it's probably easy to manage there since it's a smaller park. Even with the wrist bands there are still people at the lines to check heights so if someone had switched wristbands and are obviously too short they will be told they can't ride.

A couple of years ago we tried to get my youngest son on SM. The CM was a real stickler about height. He even went so far as to mat my sons curly hair all the way down. The bar was less than a 1/16th of an inch from the top of his head and he would not let him on. I know the guy was "doing his job" but he was kind of rude about it. Also..checking height twice is just dumb IMO. What's the point? Seems a bit redundant.

A lot of people try to sneak kids onto rides so this way there are two CMs to prevent this from happening. Even if they make it past the first CM I doubt they'd be able to get past the second.

OT question, but what about "little people" who are adults? What if they aren't 40" or 44" or 48"? Doesn't apply to me or anyone in my family, but it made me wonder...

The height requirement is for everyone no matter how old they are.

Its been reported that they tried this for a time but stopped because people were coming in, having their taller kids measured and then, using scissors and tape brought in for this specific purpose, cutting it off the one kid and very carefully reattaching it to the shorter child.

I'm sure there were some geniuses who tried this on their obviously too short kid and had a huge argument with a CM.

A CM on another thread said that a guest once produced a letter from their Doctor proving that their kid was 40".

I'm can't believe someone actually brought a letter from their doctor. That's too funny. I'm surprised at the number of parents who try to get there kids on rides when they are not tall enough. I'd rather have my child be upset that they can't go on a ride the risk anything happening to them.

They did a test of this method several years ago at Disneyland. Parents figured out ways to get the bracelets off the taller kids and onto the shorter kids, thereby getting kids who were too short on rides they shouldn't have been on. It only happened a couple of times, but as with most things, it's the one or two people who do it wrong that ruin it for the thousands who are doing it right. Disney would rather have a million disgruntled parents than one severely injured child. And I can't say I disagree with them on that.

I'd have to agree with them on that as well. It's terrible that parents will disregard their childs saftey just so they can go on a ride.

I totally agree. Imagine this scenario: Parents cheat the system by switching a colored bracelet, bringing a doctor's note, pitching a stinkin' fit, or producing an Act of Congress to allow their child to ride something he/she is not really tall enough for. Child falls out or otherwise gets injured. Do parents say, "oops, my bad!" No, they will sue Disney for whatever they can get, and the argument will probably be, "They should have known my child was not tall enough."

THAT'S the reality Disney is dealing with. So even though I do wish the measurement system were more consistent from ride to ride, I do agree that the CM should have the final word. And if a CM wants to err on the side of safety, then so be it.

Exactly! More parents need to understand that. I didn't notice it when we were at Disney but I've seen several parents getting upset with CMs at our local theme park trying to get their children on rides that they are clearly not tall enough to ride. It's the CM's job and parents need to listen to them. They aren't trying to ruin your childs day by not letting them on a ride, they are looking out for the safety of the child.

 

[rgf207]

OT question, but what about "little people" who are adults? What if they aren't 40" or 44" or 48"? Doesn't apply to me or anyone in my family, but it made me wonder...

The requirement has nothing to do with age. The height requirement is for safety. If you don't meet certain height requirements than the safety restraints may not be as effective therefore resulting in severe injury or death.

 

[mcraige]

Another thing to remember is, even if the measuring stick is precise, the ground at the entrance to the rides often isn't level. That can affect the measuring process.

Like a PP poster said, please do not get into an argument with the CM. Graciously ask them to measure again, and if still too short, come back later (or earlier another day) and try again.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Its been reported that they tried this for a time but stopped because people were coming in, having their taller kids measured and then, using scissors and tape brought in for this specific purpose, cutting it off the one kid and very carefully reattaching it to the shorter child.

I'm sure there were some geniuses who tried this on their obviously too short kid and had a huge argument with a CM.

A CM on another thread said that a guest once produced a letter from their Doctor proving that their kid was 40".

That stinks. I have no problem with height requirements, as I know tha tthey are there to keep my children safe. I'd never want to try and "sneak" my kid onto a ride. It's a shame that a few morons had to ruin what could have been a great thing with the wristbands. I do remember one trip when DD was right at 40in...we weren't sure how she would measure on Disney's measuring sticks, so we checked at the entrance (I can't even remember which ride now) and that CM said she was fine, so after we wait 40 min. and get to the loading area, the CM there said she was too small. I didn't complain, b/c I wouldn't have wanted her or anyone else to get hurt, but the discrepancy in measuring from the entrance to the loading platform was frustrating..there are better things we could have done with our 40 min. The wristband system would be a nice way to avoid that problem, if idiots didn't try to cheat the system.

ETA: I'm at the guest who brought a Dr's note that said the kid was 40 in!!

 

[4Robins]

I think it depends on the individual CM at the beginning of the cue. I have found very inconsistent results. Last time i checked, 48 inches was exactly 48 inches when measured properly, yet, last month on Primeval Whirl, my sons head was wedged against the measure stick and they said, go on and have fun, then we get to RnR and again, his head is pushing against the stick, and the cm, forced her finger between his head and stick and said, NOPE, too small. She had to push down to get her finger through...i think she was letting a little ego power get to her head, even after i showed her pics and video of him on PW which could not be denied. Im sorry, but they need to be consistent and they are not. Its not fun to have to tell a 6 year old they have to wait 2 more years to ride a ride that they SHOULD have been able to ride on.

 

[squirrlygirl]

Last year DD was turned away at Mission Space (the 2nd measuring) after she had already ridden it twice I wasn't there, so I don't know how far off the stick was (I know she clearly passed the outside one). I let her play in the water play area while we waited for the others (something I've said no to before), and she luckily forgot all about it.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

In my experience, they are sticklers and do not use the "close enough" kind of attitude.

That's because the "Close Enough" attitude can get a CM fired.

They do measure with shoes *unless* the shoes look really really thick, in which case they measure without.

We were at DW last week. I witnessed at several rides in several parks CMs asking children to remove shoes to measure height.

Shoes are required at all times by all Guests. CMs may NOT, under any circumstances, ask a Guest to remove their shoes.

Now, if a Guest is wearing shoes that obviously don't belong to them or are obviously padded or heightened, then the CM can get a leader involved... but no, they can't tell a Guest to take their shoes off.

EDIT: Speaking as a parent, if a CM ever told me to remove my son's shoes, I'd politely refuse and ask to speak to that CM's leader. But that's just me.

I do wish they'd just have a definitive measurer at Guest Relations and then give the kid a wristband with different colors for different height ranges (then each CM could just be trained what color wristbands are allowed/not allowed on that attraction).

As previously stated, we tried that.

OT question, but what about "little people" who are adults? What if they aren't 40" or 44" or 48"?

The height requirements apply to all guests, regardless of age. And yes, I've had this happen to me on two separate occasions (one was an adult Little Person, and one was a fellow CM who was an amputee. Neither one rode, and yes, it was awkward; the CM, who had just started her college program, even told me that she would quit her job and go back home if she couldn't ride the attractions).

A CM on another thread said that a guest once produced a letter from their Doctor proving that their kid was 40".

I had someone try that with me, actually -- and I had just checked the height stick's calibration (we do that each and every morning. The problem is that some of our Maintenance workers like to shrug and mutter "eh, close enough." I never let them get away with that and always double-checked their work.). The child was a full two inches short -- at least. I told the Guest, "If your doctor thinks he's 40 inches tall, you might want to think about getting another Doctor."

Imagine this scenario: Parents cheat the system by switching a colored bracelet, bringing a doctor's note, pitching a stinkin' fit, or producing an Act of Congress to allow their child to ride something he/she is not really tall enough for. Child falls out or otherwise gets injured. Do parents say, "oops, my bad!" No, they will sue Disney for whatever they can get, and the argument will probably be, "They should have known my child was not tall enough."

Or, "They should have been more diligent in keeping my family safe."

You'd be surprised (or perhaps not) what I've seen Guests say -- and do -- to get their kids on the rides. I understand that for many Guests, a visit to WDW can be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and that they want their families to experience as much as possible. I get that -- I really, honestly do. But a trip to the emergency room can ruin the Disney magic pretty quickly.

The two biggest stresses of a CM's day are FastPass and Height Requirements. Thank God I only work at attractions now that have neither.

 

[Steelersfan]

It seemed like the mechanisms used to measure are the same, but the amount of enforcement differs.

here are some examples from our trip July 2007:

Our daughter was a good half inch short of 40" in her bare feet but had different results in different shoes. Her one pair of sandals left her just a fraction on an inch short while she had purple ones that made it.

We went to ride soarin the first full day and her purple sandals were soaked from the day before so we wore the other ones. We had her practice standing super straight so that she would maybe buy that part of an inch. Well we went to soarin right away and got fast passes and were getting in the regular line to ride once before the fast pass was due and the guy had a credit card and slid it above her head and wouldn't let her on. We tried lurking around until a different guy took the post, but everytime we tried, that same guy reappeared! I kid you not it was the width of a credit card.

They did give us a three or four person pass to go back anytime during our trip so we were able to eventually get her on with the purple shoes, but it didn't help that day. She was very very very very upset. It also didn't help she started yelling "I grew... I grew" in a very obvious way once she made it with the purple shoes!

I remember getting nervous because there was another guy inside the line who measured her again but she passed. They would have seen a tantrum unlike any other had she failed the 2nd measurement!

Needless to say we rode it, used the fast passes, then to make things worse we got a special fastpass for the whole park after breakfast so everyone but her got to do it again! (The original day)

We kicked ourselves for not having the purple sandals. She wore the purple ones on things like Big Thunder, which is worse than Soarin without a question. Like I said, they did leave her on Soarin later that week with the purple sandals.

What I would do is this:

1. Don't "cheat" too much because there are safety reasons as to why a certain height needs to be obtained, but if you are talking about a smidge of an inch I would...

Shop for sandals that have a little larger heel. That might bump up the height just a little.

I never saw anyone make a kid take his/her shoes off or anything so it should work.

It really makes me mad because a gentle ride like Soarin is the same as rougher ones like Tower of Terror or Big Thunder. I guess the main reason on Soarin is they would have to shut the whole thing down if a kid flipped out, but that's the case on anything.

I hope this helps.

 

[Doug7856]

We've found the CM's to be pretty strict. On our last trip, my son was exactly the right height to ride RNR (I think 48 inches) we road it twice and BOTH times different CM's measured him and specifically looked at his shoes. I thought that was interesting. They did not make him take them off, they just looked down at them.