How strict are they with....

[tortugaverde]

height requirements? My son is about 39 and 1/2 + inches tall... just shy of the 40 inch requirement for splash mountain and soarin over CA. We are not interested in the coasters...

 

[lillybug]

Get him a pair of thick soled shoes

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I've found them to pretty strict with height requirements at TOT, California Screamin, Soarin over California and even the jumpin jelly fish ride at DCA. If the difference is only a half inch, get him thicker soled shoes and go early in the day.

 

[cinderella_mom]

They are very strict with the height requirements, though they measure with shoes on. My DD6 was given a no-go for Maliboomer last month because the CM could slide his pinky between the sign and DD's head.

 

[22grover22]

Good question. We have the same problem with DD who is 4. She is 39.5 inches as well. Someone suggest to us that we have her measured at City Hall and they would give her something to verify her height (I was told if they are that close they will let it slide). This would avoid any hassle, for instance one CM letting him ride and then another not letting him ride. Hope that makes sense.

 

[tortugaverde]

ok, got it... real strict, need thick shoes

Thank you Thank you!!!

 

[jemilah]

Hiking boots worked for us!

 

[bumbershoot]

Good question. We have the same problem with DD who is 4. She is 39.5 inches as well. Someone suggest to us that we have her measured at City Hall and they would give her something to verify her height (I was told if they are that close they will let it slide). This would avoid any hassle, for instance one CM letting him ride and then another not letting him ride. Hope that makes sense.

Alas, there's no such thing.

Each height checking CM is the go-to person, and you can even be OK'd at the beginning of the line, but be checked again at the ride loading area, and if the CM feels the child is too short, out you go.

I've heard that Jumpin Jellyfish has one of the most-wrong measuring sticks (a solid 40, even 41, inch kid can measure too small there), but there's no arguing with the stick at the attraction.


With boys, all you can do is get a hefty shoe and help the kid stand up tall.

With girls there are more options.

DH was in line at Star Tours in September with DS, and while the second CM (the first guy OK'd DS) actually slid a piece of PAPER between the top of the stick and his head, and deemed him too short, a tiny little girl wearing cowboy boots and poofy hair sauntered past. CM was too busy dealing with the piece of paper to notice her (hubby almost went ballistic in his mind...outwardly was too busy dealing with the disappointment of his boy and his own self).

Between Sept and Dec we encouraged DS to "eat all his vegetables" so he could "grow big for Star Wars ride", and it worked, and he went on righteously (he actually did grow in those 3 months!).

 

[tortugaverde]

Wow! A piece of paper?? Ok, they are strict! I will be sure to find some THICK shoes and hope he grows a half inch in 3 weeks !!!

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes, it was so ridiculous. Especially for Star Tours which just has lap belts and the most that might happen is they slip down slowly to the floor. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all about ride safety, but for Star Tours?

Along with eating veggies, we had lessons in standing up straight and tall. And doing so on command. With the piece of paper, all it would have taken was for him to stand up a millimeter taller, but that just didn't happen (if I had been there it might have, but I doubt DH thought of it).

 

[tortugaverde]

Thanks for the tip Bumbershoot! I will start his lessons on standing tall today!

You are in Everett right? I grew up just north of you in Skagit County.... and Bumbershoot is the coolest

 

[tortugaverde]

oops! Tacoma! Not as close as I thought....

 

[fairycat]

Yes, it was so ridiculous. Especially for Star Tours which just has lap belts and the most that might happen is they slip down slowly to the floor. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all about ride safety, but for Star Tours?

Along with eating veggies, we had lessons in standing up straight and tall. And doing so on command. With the piece of paper, all it would have taken was for him to stand up a millimeter taller, but that just didn't happen (if I had been there it might have, but I doubt DH thought of it).

It is ridiculous but if one kid gets hurt and they find out they were shorter then the 40" there is going to be one heck of a law suit. Sadly like everyone else Disney needs to watch their butts.

They did briefly have a place you could get kids measured and they were given wristbands, but sadly for parents for whatever reason this was discountined. I wish for kids and parents sake they could find a way for this to work sadly I hate seeing disapointed kids make one measurement and not a second

 

[brenda1966]

I'm sure they discontinued it because someone had their taller kid get measured, get the wristband, then slip it off and put it on their younger siblings wrist.

When DD was 4 I got her a pair of thick soled tennis shoes, that gave her that extra 1/2 inch. I also showed her how to stand tall with your feet together. Standing with them apart can make you shorter.

 

[bumbershoot]

Especially when it's probably just due to slouching.

When I was in line in December when he was completely tall enough, a kind mother told me to keep a hand on him, because kids tend to slump down down down. So I did, and lo and behold, he was practically lying down on the chair by the end. He was just STARING at the show/ride and didn't notice at all that he was sliding down. I was very glad the woman had given me the head's up!

And now I give the same head's up to parents of obviously first-time-ST-riders. Keep a hand on them, try to keep them from sliding! (would probably be a good ride to have that loop thing like on Soarin'...)



Wish I had advice for other 40+" rides, but DS refuses to believe that he can go on other 40" rides.

 

[famograham]

When we went in September, I brought my daughter's tallest runners! I think they've got nearly an inch thich sole on them!
BUT I think she would have been tall enough anyway. She made it on California Screamin', splash, and all the other big rides.

She did, however get turned away for the Maliboomer...she was OK with it, but really wanted to ride with her Daddy! little daredevil! This child is pretty brave! She's only 6!

I thought the HR for Star Tours was really strange! I was so enthralled in it that I forgot that those seats move...but don't they just tilt??

 

[ToodlesRN]

My son turned two when we went and he really wanted to ride the it's a bug bumper cars he was shy of the height requirement and couldn't go on. While in line with my niece I looked over and there was a boy about a year old riding the same ride! So it may depend on the cast member as well. The next day we tried again and nope no luck.

 

[DangerMouse]

My son turned two when we went and he really wanted to ride the it's a bug bumper cars he was shy of the height requirement and couldn't go on. While in line with my niece I looked over and there was a boy about a year old riding the same ride! So it may depend on the cast member as well. The next day we tried again and nope no luck.

Re the bug bumper cars: any age can "ride", but you have to be over the height requirement to "drive" or ride alone. So, yes, toddlers will be allowed on with a parent who is driving.

 

[KerTggr]

Used to work @ RNRC @ WDW and everyone there was really strick (including me). We actually had one guy who would carry around a tape measurer. Whenever someone said our measuring stick or line were not right, he would bust it out and show them! It really is for the child and Disney's best interest. How horrible would it be if someone got hurt! And then the lawsuit against Disney! And the ride being closed for everyone else during any investigations.

The only advice I can say though is not to measure your kid before you go and get them the anticipation of going on all these rides just to be let down once you are in line. Shoes and how straight they stand do make a difference.

Sorry - I remember having to wait for Autopia it was not any fun - having to be measured every time (it was the only height req ride when I was little that wasn't a rollercoaster). Bugged me because I wasn't tall enough for it until I was 9. And wasn't tall enough for Thunder until I was 12 (though was still not a big roller coaster fan at that point).

 

[mo3bys]

We had a hard time getting onto Indy. My boys were 5 and 6 last year and my 5 year old is a hair shorter then my 6 year old. My husband waited with our one year old and I was going to take the boys on this ride. It was so sad we went all the way thru and got the the loading area and my 6 year old was tall enough but my 5 year old was a hair short. It was so sad....he wanted to ride it so much and he threw himself down on the ground and started crying. The CM gave him a pass to come back when he was tall enough So we all had to leave and not ride the ride. They both were allowed to ride all the other rides we didn't realize Indy was different. That was our mistake. I didn't even think about going back and trying it with his rain boots he brought. He would have been tall enough then