how strict are the hight limits?

[Filmguy]

My daughter (5) is 43 inches tall, and she really wants to ride on the Matterhorn. Will she be allowed? or will the 1 inch stop her. Somehow I don't think she will sprout an inch in 25 days.

 

[Pixiedust34]

They are strict. Those height restrictions are for her safety, and unless she truly reaches the requirement (without thick shoes) I'd be hesitant to want her to ride anyway.

 

[ses1230]

Very strict. In some queues they are measured twice - once at the ride entrance, once before boarding.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

My daughter (5) is 43 inches tall, and she really wants to ride on the Matterhorn. Will she be allowed? or will the 1 inch stop her. Somehow I don't think she will sprout an inch in 25 days.

~The Matterhorn is at Disneyland in California not the Magic Kingdom in Florida and the height requirement for that ride is 42 inches, so your daughter will be fine.

~And yes, Disney is very strict with height requirements. Have fun!

 

[VAfamily1998]

Very strict and different rides might measure different (or enforce different) if your child is very close.

A few years ago we were at Hollywood studios and our child seemed just tall enough to ride Tower of Terror at 40 inches. He rode, no problem...then we walked over to Star Tours, which also has a height restriction of 40 inches...and they said he was too short!

 

[TandLMommy28]

Very strict. My 4yo is 43.75 inches without shoes on right now and I'm planning on him not riding certain things. If we get there and find he grew that. quarter inch, I'll just be pleasantly surprised.

 

[bytheblood]

Strict. They are there for the safety of the rider.

 

[chartle]

Very strict. My 4yo is 43.75 inches without shoes on right now and I'm planning on him not riding certain things. If we get there and find he grew that. quarter inch, I'll just be pleasantly surprised.

But they are measured with normal shoes so should be OK.

 

[chartle]

My daughter (5) is 43 inches tall, and she really wants to ride on the Matterhorn. Will she be allowed? or will the 1 inch stop her. Somehow I don't think she will sprout an inch in 25 days.

OK by checking your other posts I see you are probably visiting Walt Disney World not Disneyland.

As others have posted the Matterhorn is in Disneyland not WDW. So either you are going to be disappointed when its not there or are thinking of another ride. Based on the 44 inches I'm thinking Space Mountain.

As the others have posted an inch too short is too short. A 1/64th of an inch is still too short. Basically your kid's head has to touch the bar.

 

[cigar95]

Strict. They are there for the safety of the rider.

One thing to consider about height requirements is that if the posted limit is, for example, 42 inches, it's because it was determined that the real safety limit is 40.6 inches or 39.7 inches - there will always be some degree of cushion built in. So if the child is close to the limit, it's safe to assume that there's not a safety issue involved at that point.

This doesn't mean that the limit should not - or will not - be enforced, just that you're beyond the area where safety is a genuine issue.

 

[chartle]

One thing to consider about height requirements is that if the posted limit is, for example, 42 inches, it's because it was determined that the real safety limit is 40.6 inches or 39.7 inches - there will always be some degree of cushion built in. So if the child is close to the limit, it's safe to assume that there's not a safety issue involved at that point.

This doesn't mean that the limit should not - or will not - be enforced, just that you're beyond the area where safety is a genuine issue.

I really think you were trying to be helpful and maybe reply directly to the "safety issue" but I just think these kind of posts confuse the issue and is one of the ways these kinds of threads can be get heated.

When you start bringing up safety cushion factors it starts the "so the ride is safer for someone 40.05 inches versus someone 39.95 inches" argument and ends with "What do mean I don't care about the safety of my children?".

If the requirement is 40" with normal shoes, then that's the only issue.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

OK by checking your other posts I see you are probably visiting Walt Disney World not Disneyland.

As others have posted the Matterhorn is in Disneyland not WDW. So either you are going to be disappointed when its not there or are thinking of another ride. Based on the 44 inches I'm thinking Space Mountain.

As the others have posted an inch too short is too short. A 1/64th of an inch is still too short. Basically your kid's head has to touch the bar.

Or Expedition Everest.....

 

[Missytara]

My daughter (5) is 43 inches tall, and she really wants to ride on the Matterhorn. Will she be allowed? or will the 1 inch stop her. Somehow I don't think she will sprout an inch in 25 days.

Height restrictions are based on the design of the seat and the restraint and where it hits the body to allow the restraint to safely keep the person in the vehicle.

How strict is it? As an architect who takes their job very seriously about providing a safe building, so are the engineers that design the rides. The difference is between your child being able to stay in the harness or slipping out of it in the middle of the ride.

 

[Missytara]

One thing to consider about height requirements is that if the posted limit is, for example, 42 inches, it's because it was determined that the real safety limit is 40.6 inches or 39.7 inches - there will always be some degree of cushion built in. So if the child is close to the limit, it's safe to assume that there's not a safety issue involved at that point.

This doesn't mean that the limit should not - or will not - be enforced, just that you're beyond the area where safety is a genuine issue.

It does NOT matter if a safety factor is involved or not; the ultimate outcome is that the engineers have established a guideline and it should e adhered to, because the Owners, or in this case Disney, have established a level of safety to adhere to. That is their choice.

While your post may ring true to the professionals in the business such as myself, you unfortunately just put information into the hands of a layman, who could manipulate that info to what they THINK is to their advantage. I would never tell anyone or post on a board for that matter, information that could be misconstured as fact. As professionals and Owners, it is best to be much more vague with laymen.

 

[Filmguy]

Thanks everyone, it was early this morning and the ride is Expedition Everest.....not Matterhorn. My daughter was watching the video and getting excited about it. Thus the Q.
Thanks again

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Height restrictions are based on the design of the seat and the restraint and where it hits the body to allow the restraint to safely keep the person in the vehicle.

1) There are three basic forces exerted upon a rider. *
. . . Gravity (vertical)
. . . Friction (horizontal)
. . . Centripetal (circular)
2) Each of these can have many force segments.
3) The forces are examined during design and construction.
4) Then, it is determined the body mass which can safely ride.
5) The mass is now compared to average height.
6) Next, restraints are designed to safely control the body of that height.
7) Height requirements are then set to meet the restraint placements.
8) So, strict adherence to height rules are enforced.


* We could easily get engrossed in discussions of Force:
acceleration, balanced and unbalanced forces, energy, g-force,
inertia, kinetic energy, potential energy, mass, momentum,
period, Newton's 2nd and 3rd Laws, speed, velocity, weight, and
weightlessness.

 

[kgleine]

very very very strict on height. my ds was 40 on the dot. and 1/2 the time they had like 8 ppl looking at him to make sure he was there. someone even slid a piece of paper between his head and the bar and wouldnt let him on (he had just rode the ride too) so dont count on it

 

[carly chloe]

I'm sorry but the width of a piece of a paper is a little extreme. That's not a safety issue.

 

[chartle]

I'm sorry but the width of a piece of a paper is a little extreme. That's not a safety issue.

As these threads tend to go. How many pieces are not extreme?

Yes is not a safety issue its an issue that the kid is still too short.

 

[mesaboy2]

As these threads tend to go. How many pieces are not extreme?

Yes is not a safety issue its an issue that the kid is still too short.

Absolutely.