Inconsistent Height Requirements

[Gooofy-Blade]

NO FLAMES! This post is NOT about safety and security regarding height requirements but rather the inconsistency of certain requirements. No, we don't want children riding the rides if they DO NOT meet the requirements! We just returned from a wonderful week at WDW and our group included a 4 year old who is easily 40" tall. She wore the same shoes, hair style, sock style (lol), etc everyday so, her "actual" height never changed. In addition to many of the 38" ride requirements, she was also easily cleared under the 40" rule for Big Thunder Mountain, Soarin, Test Track, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. However, she was said to be short of the 40" requirements for Spash Mountain, Dinosaur, and one other ride I can't recall! (Splash and Big Thunder measuring post are literally just feet away!) It was NEVER the case of one Cast Member "cutting her a break". It was always obvious! It's time WDW does what many other parks do - measure height at one central location and give the child a designated band so some sort of consistency can be followed throughout the park. It was a headache to adjust and plan for rider swap for those rides not to mention disappointing to a 4 year old ready to ride anything. (Additionally, you could easily see the SIGNIFICANTLY "UNPLUMBED" post level at Splash Mountain that probably precluded kids as tall as 41"-42" from riding.)
By the way...Millenium Falcon...AWESOME and only a 45 minute wait time this week!

 

[KayaWildfire]

They tried doing the bolded I believe, but dishonest people would pull the bands off and switch them among kids. They do this at a local amusement park, but I have seen people switching bands and the employees still measure the kids at ride entrances. I'm sorry you had a disappointing experience.

 

[DavidNYC]

As noted above - bands don't work because of too many ways to manipulate them. As for the sticks - we made one trip where my daughter was JUST 48". I mean literally made RnR by a hair at 9am. She didn't make it on at 3pm by the same hair and the same stick! When you're right at the borderline, posture and time of day can make or break whether you're just over or under. While I can guess there might be a millimeter or two difference, from my experience with my kids when they were hitting 40, 44 and 48, I've never seen anything that I would have called significant.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

Well trust me, the difference was very significant on the rides mentioned and I'm confident it was basically structural regarding the post. While I realize the bands used at other places may be fallible, with WDW technology, they could make it part of the magic band or something of the sort...or to be cheaper, just measure their own post! lol

 

[Snow White DPMP]

They used to do a bracelet showing what hieght requirements were met. It didn't seem to work well.

But consider its not inconsistency but rather that the 4yr old may not have stood up straight enough or if you went on something at 10am and then tried to go on something else at 4pm the 4yr old may not have been as tall by then since over the course of the day we all do shrink if standing/sitting up a lot. Its this thing called gravity.

 

[yorkieteacher]

My 46" grandson was measured two times before Flight of Passage, once at the entrance and once before entering the theater. I guess they are afraid a child will slip by and be injured somehow.

 

[vacationer1954]

They tried doing the bolded I believe, but dishonest people would pull the bands off and switch them among kids.

This is something of a recurring theme with Disney guests (and probably more generally, but I think it is most common with Disney guests because someone gets a dishonest idea like this and because of how strong the online community for Disney is the dishonest idea spreads like wildfire.

When I was working, we would always have a plan and then contingency plan for what could go wrong. I bet Disney's standard practice now is to have a plan for everything and then contingency plans for every way they can think of that someone might try to dishonesty exploit what they are doing. They probably have a fancy name for the person responsible for those plans - risk prevention officer or something like that.

 

[firefly_ris]

Would be interesting if there was a way to measure and then instead of a band, they add a flag onto the child's MDE profile what height requirements they clear. They could have it at the front desk or concierge desk at the resorts for on site guests and at guest services for off site guests. They probably won't do that but would reduce all the measuring and remeasuring.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I'm confused, either she reached the 40" line or not. What did the CMs say in regards to her not getting on? Or is OP saying the height lines are actually measured improperly in some places?

 

[jo-jo]

Would be interesting if there was a way to measure and then instead of a band, they add a flag onto the child's MDE profile what height requirements they clear. They could have it at the front desk or concierge desk at the resorts for on site guests and at guest services for off site guests. They probably won't do that but would reduce all the measuring and remeasuring.

I wonder how hard would it be to have a photo id type thing for the child. Get check and cleared at GS or resort and they get a photo id for the rides.

I find it really strange with the stories of child checks out in front of the ride, but doesn't pass inside the ride.

 

[Cinderella94]

Would be interesting if there was a way to measure and then instead of a band, they add a flag onto the child's MDE profile what height requirements they clear. They could have it at the front desk or concierge desk at the resorts for on site guests and at guest services for off site guests. They probably won't do that but would reduce all the measuring and remeasuring.

Dishonest parents could swap magic bands for kids of the same gender, though.

 

[firefly_ris]

Dishonest parents could swap magic bands for kids of the same gender, though.

Quite true.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I wonder how hard would it be to have a photo id type thing for the child. Get check and cleared at GS or resort and they get a photo id for the rides.

I find it really strange with the stories of child checks out in front of the ride, but doesn't pass inside the ride.

Even with photos, it wouldn't solve the issue of twins, triplets, etc where oftentimes one is taller than the other but they may look nearly identical.

 

[jo-jo]

Even with photos, it wouldn't solve the issue of twins, triplets, etc where oftentimes one is taller than the other but they may look nearly identical.

True.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

I'm confused, either she reached the 40" line or not. What did the CMs say in regards to her not getting on? Or is OP saying the height lines are actually measured improperly in some places?

She reached and even exceeded the 40" line on several rides but did not on 3 of them. It had nothing to do with gravity, the way she was standing, etc. As stated, for example, it was OBVIOUS the post at Splash Mountain was on a severe tilt which raised the bar. The other two posts, who knows. The issue is was making is the INCONSISTENCIES of the post and need to address it in some way to help parents better plan.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

They used to do a bracelet showing what hieght requirements were met. It didn't seem to work well.

But consider its not inconsistency but rather that the 4yr old may not have stood up straight enough or if you went on something at 10am and then tried to go on something else at 4pm the 4yr old may not have been as tall by then since over the course of the day we all do shrink if standing/sitting up a lot. Its this thing called gravity.

the answer to all of this is ...no. Gravity doesn't shrink a child 1 inch within a few minutes or even a day. As stated in the original post, she measured 40"plus at Big Thunder and 39" at Splash Mountain...next door. Plus the other issues were addressed with her standing straight, etc.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

I'm confused, either she reached the 40" line or not. What did the CMs say in regards to her not getting on? Or is OP saying the height lines are actually measured improperly in some places?

She reached and exceeded the 40" line on several rides but did not on 3 others. When politely questioned, the CM's stated they are responsible for their ride only..which is true. What I am saying is the post are inaccurate at some rides....and VERY obvious at Splash Mountain. It was more crocked than a dogs hind leg! lol

 

[emilyrachael]

She reached and even exceeded the 40" line on several rides but did not on 3 of them. It had nothing to do with gravity, the way she was standing, etc. As stated, for example, it was OBVIOUS the post at Splash Mountain was on a severe tilt which raised the bar. The other two posts, who knows. The issue is was making is the INCONSISTENCIES of the post and need to address it in some way to help parents better plan.

I'm with you on this one. I've noticed where they measure the kids isn't always flat ground, too. I wish there was a way we could enter the park knowing which rides a kid can ride without worrying about the time of day, shoes they're wearing, posture, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Well trust me, the difference was very significant on the rides mentioned and I'm confident it was basically structural regarding the post. While I realize the bands used at other places may be fallible, with WDW technology, they could make it part of the magic band or something of the sort...or to be cheaper, just measure their own post! lol

if Disney would go with some way of using the magic bands you would no longer be able to switch bands for FPs as many love to do. the time of day is a real thing child close might make height in morning but my afternoon not make it. this would be true at a central stand. it would have to be every day not just for trip. child makes height on rope drop days but say you are doing a late afternoon day with a party child might not even make it at central stand. we had one in family have this happen to at a nonDisney park. did a morning of hiking and that late afternoon child did not make height at central stand but did every other day

 

[Brett Wyman]

I'm with you on this one. I've noticed where they measure the kids isn't always flat ground, too. I wish there was a way we could enter the park knowing which rides a kid can ride without worrying about the time of day, shoes they're wearing, posture, etc, etc, etc.

There is, its their height!!! I'm more than a littel shocked Disney doesn't keep better track of proper heights for the measuring posts. Im sure they all understand what happens when a 4 year is told they can't ride a ride we've been telling them they are tall enough for for 4 months.

Id write a polite letter letting them know how this affected your vacation(speaking to OP here). Its a very quick and easy fix on their part. Just basic maintenance.