How strict are they with....

[Dobie]

One thing to keep in mind is that the height requirements are partly to make sure that the child is both tall enough and heavy enough for the vehicle restraints to be effective. Accidents do happen and people do get hurt. Although I'm sure that people "do it all the time"--would you drive your car without your child in an appropriate restraint device?

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

The one thing that amazes me is the stories I hear about how the kid gets the okay and goes on the ride. Only to be told 5 minutes later that they aren't tall enough to go again! Huh? I'm all for safety, and if the kid really isn't tall enough then so be it. But sounds like they may need to make sure their system is really fair. How disappointing to get off of Soarin and want to ride again, only to be told that you must have shrunk!

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I may be the odd gal out here. I wouldn't think what I can do to make my son taller to get on a ride. The height restrictions are there for a reason. I would never imagine putting my daughter in plastic princess heels to get her on a ride, nor would I layer and layer my kids socks so they pass the line on the yardstick. The rides will be there next year.....it's just something I wouldn't risk no matter what. THat's just me though.

 

[Dobie]

I may be the odd gal out here. I wouldn't think what I can do to make my son taller to get on a ride. The height restrictions are there for a reason. I would never imagine putting my daughter in plastic princess heels to get her on a ride, nor would I layer and layer my kids socks so they pass the line on the yardstick. The rides will be there next year.....it's just something I wouldn't risk no matter what. THat's just me though.

Amen, sistuh!

 

[Mrs. Bee]

I may be the odd gal out here. I wouldn't think what I can do to make my son taller to get on a ride. The height restrictions are there for a reason. I would never imagine putting my daughter in plastic princess heels to get her on a ride, nor would I layer and layer my kids socks so they pass the line on the yardstick. The rides will be there next year.....it's just something I wouldn't risk no matter what. THat's just me though.

Amen, sistuh!

I say "Amen" to both of you! I was reading all of the replies and beginning to think I was the odd gal out! Haha. I don't have any kids (yet) but I do have nieces and a nephew and their safety FAR outweighs going on a ride.

As I mentioned in another thread about pregnant women going on rides...I am a "I'd rather be safe than sorry" kind of person.

 

[ToodlesRN]

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.

This is what I thought and brought it at twice ( differ days) with the cast members running the ride and both and had said in order for him to ride with a driver he had to meet the height requirement By the next time he will be tall enough (fingers crossed) and he will be able to ride with us.

 

[madfelice]

When my son was younger we went on a ride at another park where he had to me measured, and he refused to stand, kept slipping down into a puddle at my feet which was very frustrating for everyone involved! Eventually we did get him measured up but unknown to the person measuring him he was leaning against me and standing on the end of my shoes! Long story short he got on, wanted to go again when it finished so we lined up again and the guyu doing the measuring took one look at him and said "We don't have to measure you...We KNOW"

 

[Spokker]

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?

Some kids under 40" could probably ride safely, but how short is too short? There has to be a cutoff at some point.

Some safety measures at Disney parks are overblown (such as the yellow tape on steps that appeared and fortunately disappeared for a short period) but many are not.

I believe the Star Tours height requirement is reasonable.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think that some people are reading posts that weren't made.

I don't see anything like what happens on the WDW threads about putting bundled up socks or anything like that. I see people making choices in shoes, shoes the kid already has. One pair of shoes no dice, another pair of shoes OK. I think y'all are reading things that we, I, aren't saying.

I am taking this personally, I admit, but I also said that I am all for ride safety. Go back, read it, I said it! I didn't say this, but I also think that they should measure kids while in the position for the ride. I can't possibly believe that leg length has all that much to do with how a harness or belt fits, therefore, I believe they should have you sitting and make sure your shoulders come to a certain height, and head if a headrest is important. As it stands, if there's a ride where a harness is important, one would think that the torso should come to a certain height. Well, take me and my stepmom. I'm 5'3" and she's 5'10" or 11". But if we get our waists at the same level, we're the same height, almost exactly. ALL of her height is in her freakishly long legs (I'm jealous, actually, even though she has to pay extra for Levi's that fit her leg length). But if we were being measured from the ground, we're significantly different. So if the restraint is the important thing, not the dangling legs, I think kids should be measured sitting.

I also wasn't there when DS had the piece of paper inserted above his head. Now let's picture a 3 year old, and a grownup is TRYING to put something above his head. Maybe there are surly kids out there, but my guy wants you to be happy, so I'm quite sure he ducked down a bit to let the adult do what s/he needed to do. CM wanted a piece of paper there, CM got a piece of paper there. All he needed to do was stand up as straight as he had stood up outside and he would have been fine (meanwhile a tiny girl walked by). DH didn't argue, but he did wish that the tiny girl had been told to leave too! We're all about fairness, and that was not fair.


Being a (retired) chiropractor I know very well that as the day goes on, we get shorter unless we have an extremely healthy, resilient, spine. The fluid in each disc compresses as the day, and gravity, wear on, which then causes our spines to be shorter. Now I still think that the beginning vs end of the line thing is just plain old slouching, unless the CM let something slide at the front knowing that the person on the inside of the line would catch 'em. But I made sure that when we went to Star Tours in December, we made it the first ride, so that he was at his tallest.

And then he slid down down down, just like the woman said the younger ones would do. They really do need that loop thing like on Soarin'.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

I think that some people are reading posts that weren't made.

I don't see anything like what happens on the WDW threads about putting bundled up socks or anything like that. I see people making choices in shoes, shoes the kid already has. One pair of shoes no dice, another pair of shoes OK. I think y'all are reading things that we, I, aren't saying.

I am taking this personally, I admit, but I also said that I am all for ride safety. Go back, read it, I said it! I didn't say this, but I also think that they should measure kids while in the position for the ride. I can't possibly believe that leg length has all that much to do with how a harness or belt fits, therefore, I believe they should have you sitting and make sure your shoulders come to a certain height, and head if a headrest is important. As it stands, if there's a ride where a harness is important, one would think that the torso should come to a certain height. Well, take me and my stepmom. I'm 5'3" and she's 5'10" or 11". But if we get our waists at the same level, we're the same height, almost exactly. ALL of her height is in her freakishly long legs (I'm jealous, actually, even though she has to pay extra for Levi's that fit her leg length). But if we were being measured from the ground, we're significantly different. So if the restraint is the important thing, not the dangling legs, I think kids should be measured sitting.

I also wasn't there when DS had the piece of paper inserted above his head. Now let's picture a 3 year old, and a grownup is TRYING to put something above his head. Maybe there are surly kids out there, but my guy wants you to be happy, so I'm quite sure he ducked down a bit to let the adult do what s/he needed to do. CM wanted a piece of paper there, CM got a piece of paper there. All he needed to do was stand up as straight as he had stood up outside and he would have been fine (meanwhile a tiny girl walked by). DH didn't argue, but he did wish that the tiny girl had been told to leave too! We're all about fairness, and that was not fair.


Being a (retired) chiropractor I know very well that as the day goes on, we get shorter unless we have an extremely healthy, resilient, spine. The fluid in each disc compresses as the day, and gravity, wear on, which then causes our spines to be shorter. Now I still think that the beginning vs end of the line thing is just plain old slouching, unless the CM let something slide at the front knowing that the person on the inside of the line would catch 'em. But I made sure that when we went to Star Tours in December, we made it the first ride, so that he was at his tallest.

And then he slid down down down, just like the woman said the younger ones would do. They really do need that loop thing like on Soarin'.

I don't think anyone was necesarily referring to you or anyone else in this thread. I think people are just talking about things they've seen people do in the parks.

And since you brought it up...you said "but I also said that I am all for ride safety. Go back, read it, I said it!" So I did go back and look at your previous posts and saw this...."I'm all about ride safety, but for Star Tours?"

So in reality, one could interpret that as saying "I am not concerned about ride safety on star tours." However, I am sure that is not what you meant. But maybe that's how it looked to some.

 

[Spokker]

So I did go back and look at your previous posts and saw this...."I'm all about ride safety, but for Star Tours?"

This is what I was responding to as well.

I am not trying to coat my posts with any sort of hostility, but I do see comments like the Star Tours one occasionally. They usually come from parents who want to experience a favorite attraction with their kids, and that's understandable.

But when it comes to height requirements Disney is right on. I would find any attempts to circumvent them unethical.

But I made sure that when we went to Star Tours in December, we made it the first ride, so that he was at his tallest.

The reality is that many people use the line, "Well he rode earlier today! Why aren't you letting him on now?!" There is no way to tell whether the kid really rode or if he did indeed shrink below the height requirement during the course of the day.

 

[Dobie]

I'm not sure how they do this, but my guess is that they have magical statistical tables that predict the probability that a safety restraint will be effective, given (1) a child's height and (2) a child's average range of weight for height. I am sure that in all of these predictions they throw in the standard error of measurement (the range in which a measurement will be correct 68% of the time) and place the height restrictions at the bottom of the range, so that they are taking into account variables such as wiggliness, slouching, the mean sole height of the typical four year old's shoes, and the probability that a CM earning 8 bucks an hour (or whatever they make) will be able to sustain attention long enough to make a series of accurate measurements with overexcited kids and pushy parents.

All this to help make sure that Junior goes home with all of the teeth and brain cells that he came with.

And while it is intriguing to consider that they might want to measure kids while seated in a ride vehicle, I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more disappointing to wait in line 45 minutes and actually get to sit in vehicle, only to be pulled out?

 

[Spokker]

I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more disappointing to wait in line 45 minutes and actually get to sit in vehicle, only to be pulled out?

CMs are there to enforce the rule. Ultimately, I think, the responsibility of measuring the kid to determine that he or she is tall enough to ride lies with the parents. The signs are clearly marked at the entrance of the attraction. If the kid looks borderline and you want to risk it, you are more than welcome to stand in line.

One way to avoid this is to get a Fastpass for the iffy attractions so if the kid is not allowed to ride there will have been less time wasted.

 

[wendy darling]

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...

Honestly, the height requirements are there for a reason...SAFETY!!! If he is half an inch too short he shouldn't go on it...maybe by the time of your trip he might be tall enough

If it were my child I wouldn't want him to go one something that wasn't safe for him.

 

[kimis]

They are very strict. However have him wear tennis shoes that have a very thick sole on them. People do this all the time. Practice with him standing straight and tall.

 

[tortugaverde]

Wow. Sorry everyone. I by no means intended for this to turn into "your a neglectful parent because you want your kid to ride Splash Mountain" thread.



At any rate, I measured my son with his normal tennis shoes on last night and he was 41 1/2 inches tall. Either he grew a bit since measuring him the other day... or those Sketcher tennis have more of a sole than I thought! So, we will go with the understanding that he may or may not ride the two rides we are interested in based on the CM doing the measuring!
Thanks for everyones thoughts

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I think that some people are reading posts that weren't made.

So if the restraint is the important thing, not the dangling legs, I think kids should be measured sitting.

I'm so with you on this one Molly! Unless it's a ride where the kids are standing up then where their body hits the seat is what matters.
Oh and when I posted I wasn't directing it at anyone on this thread. You're right no one on this thread said anything about doubling up socks etc etc, but yes I have read it and I was just throwing out there that I know I wouldn't do it myself because....well I just wouldn't do it. It surprises me (although maybe it shouldn't) that CM's would allow a small female child on a ride if she's wearing plastic princess heels. I totally see your point on the tennis shoes...but the plastic heel thing I just don't understand.

 

[DevilDuckie]

I may be the odd gal out here. I wouldn't think what I can do to make my son taller to get on a ride. The height restrictions are there for a reason. I would never imagine putting my daughter in plastic princess heels to get her on a ride, nor would I layer and layer my kids socks so they pass the line on the yardstick. The rides will be there next year.....it's just something I wouldn't risk no matter what. THat's just me though.

I'm so with you. It is unfortunate, but sometimes you just have to tell the kid that safety rules are important. I don't want my kid growing up thinking safety is less important than amusement.

 

[Casey's Mommie]

I don't think there's anything wrong with getting an extra 1/2" with a heel or thick sole. I mean, if a 1/2" made a big difference I think they would raise the height requirement by 4" so they wouldn't risk getting sued.

 

[Spokker]

I don't think there's anything wrong with getting an extra 1/2" with a heel or thick sole. I mean, if a 1/2" made a big difference I think they would raise the height requirement by 4" so they wouldn't risk getting sued.

You'll still have parents arguing with cast members about why their 43" child can't ride.