How Old Were Your Kids When They Hit the Magic Height (40")?

[Diszona]

My son isn't much of a thrill seeker so by the time he wanted to do any height-restricted rides he was already well over 40". My daughter on the other hand is the complete opposite, but she is tiny and was almost six before she hit the 40" mark. She just made it for our fall break trip that year and was so excited she could do things like Star Tours and RSR. She was most excited to be able to do the zip-line at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, of all things. She is really small for her age though as a gymnast it works for her.

 

[meltom214]

No kids here but I've been really short all my life (still am!) and my whole childhood I remember being too short to get on the thrill rides I wanted. I don't think I was tall enough to ride Indiana Jones until I was in 5th grade.

 

[E&Cmom]

My youngest was 5 but she has always been small for her age as am I. I remember waiting for her to hit the 40" mark to start planning our trip. We went a year later when she was 6. She had just reached the 43" mark and could ride on Grizzly River Run.

 

[Liat]

My daughter measured just over 40" for us here at home this last week *with her chunky sandals on*. She is almost 4. We haven't told her about hitting the magic mark yet just in case she doesnt hit the bar at the parks (though I don't see why she wouldn't). I think we will probably be skipping the rollercoaster type rides and just going on things like Soarin' etc when we go though as she is still a little timid. Its times like this that I really miss the old seating arrangement with Matterhorn as she would totally be down to go on a rollercoaster if I could hold her, but separated by a seat? Nope. Darn them and daring to change things (like seating and height restrictions!) I might try and get her on Splash and see if we can sit at the very back so I can cuddle her if she needs it.

 

[imjen]

My almost 4 yr old son is about 41". Last year we went a month before he turned three and he was too short. Looking forward to taking the whole family on a lot of the bigger rides together. Hoping he reaches 42" by June to go on Matterhorn and Grizzly.

 

[disneyfirsttimer18]

My almost 4.5 year old just hit 40". I was hoping that he'd get the last couple of inches he needed for the 40 before we went back. He's always been just a little guy. Makes me more excited for our August trip, he'll be able to ride RSR!!!

 

[agamble]

He was so excited when he made it through the entrance height check for Soarin' but at the loading area the CM re-measured him and he was a hair too short (they gave him a sticker or something to keep him happy but wouldn't let him ride).

My daughter measured up to the 35" bar for Gadget's while we were at Disneyland a few months before she was two. We rode the ride twice and she was loving it and wanted to ride again. The third time a different CM was measuring at the entrance. She said she was too short. I pointed out the other CM and she came over, but the second CM over-road her and DD did not get to ride that time. We stopped at Target that day and bought her a pair of flip flops (she had worn those flat rubber soled shoes they make for toddlers). The little height difference made it so she could ride the coaster the next day without a problem. Funny how a different CM can see the height so different. Sometimes I think it is just how the kid stands.

My daughter measured just over 40" for us here at home this last week *with her chunky sandals on*. She is almost 4. We haven't told her about hitting the magic mark yet just in case she doesnt hit the bar at the parks (though I don't see why she wouldn't). I think we will probably be skipping the rollercoaster type rides and just going on things like Soarin' etc when we go though as she is still a little timid. Its times like this that I really miss the old seating arrangement with Matterhorn as she would totally be down to go on a rollercoaster if I could hold her, but separated by a seat? Nope. Darn them and daring to change things (like seating and height restrictions!) I might try and get her on Splash and see if we can sit at the very back so I can cuddle her if she needs it.

There's no reason she wouldn't be able to sit in the back with you. We did that with our oldest the first many times she rode Splash. Be aware that some people complain the Jumpin' Jelly Fish height requirement is off. Our DD was able to ride that on the trip she met 40", but she was 40" without shoes. Many people say they have measured the bar and it is taller than 40".

 

[AZMermaid]

My son- just before 3 years

Daughter- about 3.5

Both of these are barefoot. My son just turned 5.5 and is about 47.5 with shoes. My daughter turned 4 in Feb. She was just tall enough for the 42" rides at Sea World last week (so in shoes) which surprised me!

Both are less brave than they are tall

 

[disney world dreamer]

don't have kids myself.
but my niece was 2yrs4mos.
she's now almost 8yrs old and she's not much shorter than me and i'm 5'6".

 

[realrellim]

Youngest just turned 6 a week ago and is at 39.5" -- though may have managed to put on that last half inch since I last measured her because she's been complaining about growing pains at night. Our fingers are crossed because we're going to DLR in early April. My kids are in their own percentile and always have been. My 11-year-old is a whopping 48" tall, and her mother a mere 11" taller than that.

Thankfully she is 40" with shoes on (40.5" actually), so we're hoping there aren't any issues with the 40" height requirement rides.

 

[GatorChris]

The wife and I aren't really tall people - very average. But our kids all hit 40 inches at about 3 1/2. years old. And they all were ready to do rides like Big Thunder, Space Mt, Soarin', and even Tower of Terror. Yes, TOWER OF TERROR! They all loved it, though my son took some warming up to the dark on some rides. My youngest will by 5 soon and she's almost at 44 inches, which means she could even hit most rides at WDW now.

 

[BrownHP800]

My son was 40" at 3 years 2 months. We went to WDW 2 weeks before his 4th birthday and he was right at 44"