Juuuuust 40 inches..with shoes on

[LaraK]

My DD is a daredevil and is 39 inches in her socks and 40 inches when she puts her shoes on. I don't want to set her up for disappointment, but she SO wants to go on the "big girl rides". I'm not worried about her being able to handle the rides (she's ridden adult roller coasters) but I am worried that she may not meet the height requirements...do they make kids take off their shoes? If she's a couple eighths of an inch short...will the stop her from riding things like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain?

 

[Frantasmic]

Sounds like on MK day, she should be gellin' (i.e., have those gel inserts in her shoes for that fresh feet all day feelin' one-inch givin' special brand of pixie dust!)

I think the measurement is with shoes.

 

[GoofyDad869]

I've never seen them ask to take the kid's shoes off. For what it's worth, some of the big, big rides have a 48" min. height limit. My daughter is (yesterday at the doctor's office) 46 1/2" tall. She probably won't be able to do Rock'n'Roller Coaster this trip (less than a week 'til we leave).

 

[Frantasmic]

There are only 3-4 rides with the 48 inch requirement: Primevil Whirl, RnR Coaster, and Mission Space I think. allearsnet.com differentiates the height requirements for the rides.

Edit: Lots of differing restrictions from 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches. Best to check out allearsnet.com under theme parks and ride restrictions to settle it out.

40 inches will restrict someone from riding Mission Space, Space Mountain, Primevil Whirl, RnR Coaster, and driving on the Speedway, for example.

 

[conniehar90]

The measurement is with shoes on.

If she is just borderline, you may want to warn her that she may not be able to get on the rides. My DS was borderline on a past trip. He rode Space Mountain twice in the morning but later that evening a different CM wouldn't let him on. It was doubly frustrating because when he rode in the morning they measured him at the start of the line and then again right before he got on. We tried coaching him on "standing tall", but he didn't get it.

Good luck!

 

[addicted2disney]

A few years ago, my youngest DD was JUST SHY of 48 inches for Rock N Roller Coaster. When the CM said 'sorry, you are a wee little bit too short', she burst in tears. We were trying to calm her down.. and tell her next time we came she would be tall enough... but she was just sobbing... A different CM came over to us and told us to go to the store and buy her a pair of sneakers with a really high sole. They can NOT make you take your shoes off to measure you. But since she was like 1/8 inch too short, getting different shoes would work!

 

[dsnymomof4]

My DD7 was just 48 inches with shoes on when we went last year. They measure her at 3 different checkpoints before they let her on RnR. When we went to the waterparks, however, she measured under 48 so could not go on one of the slides. So, just make sure she has her biggest-heel shoes on when you go. Have a great trip!

 

[annameg]

In April, DD3 was barely 38" for Kali, but she made it. I don't think that we are going to make 40" by next Wednesday though. If your dare devil does measure 40" the first time, ask for a wrist band with 40" written on it so that they won't measure her again (since they all seem to measure differently). That's what they did for DD3. Then CMs know that she is OK for those rides without holding you up in line. Good luck.

 

[Mahusky]

No problem at with shoes on at all Parks except water parks. On our recent trip in August my son was wearing water shoes in Typhoon Lagon all day when we got to the water coaster he passed with the water shoes on and then the CM made him take his water shoes off and measure again. He missed by 1/8 of an inch and she said no go. After many tears we bypassed this time around.

Actually, I dont understand the mixed policy, and needless to say was less than impressed.

 

[1princessX2princes]

Hi! We just returned last night from our trip and I have a 3 year old DD that sounds just like yours. We had virtually no problems with Thunder or Splash or Soaring. One afternoon (out of 4 days) a CM said she was too small for Splash but then we walked right next door to Thunder and she got on. We had on a nice sneaker and talked to her about looking up and not down at her feet. I know the height is a safety issue so I would NOT let her ride Test Track (thought the sudden acceleration at the end might be too much). On the Mountains I kept my arm around her waist for a little extra mommy security (she only weighs about 34 pounds). She loved every minute and was screaming to do the rides again and again. Good luck!!

 

[mattsdragon]

Am I the only one that sees a problem with fudging safety restrictions? These rides are restricted because a person who is too short may not fit properly in the restraints and may go flying out of a ride with a lot of motion. This is the sort of thing that ends up with a child getting injured and Disney having to explain that their rides are safe.

If your kid is too short, do you really want to get her shoes that will make her tall enough to get on the rides? I mean, are you then going to take accountability if your daughter is injured? I think that if there are some CM's who will let a child get on if they are questionable is pretty irresponsible. It's the CM's who say "sorry, you're too short" are the ones we should be applauding. The one that suggested going and getting "bigger sneakers" should be fired for taking a lax attitude.

 

[druiser]

Am I the only one that sees a problem with fudging safety restrictions? These rides are restricted because a person who is too short may not fit properly in the restraints and may go flying out of a ride with a lot of motion. This is the sort of thing that ends up with a child getting injured and Disney having to explain that their rides are safe.

If your kid is too short, do you really want to get her shoes that will make her tall enough to get on the rides? I mean, are you then going to take accountability if your daughter is injured? I think that if there are some CM's who will let a child get on if they are questionable is pretty irresponsible. It's the CM's who say "sorry, you're too short" are the ones we should be applauding. The one that suggested going and getting "bigger sneakers" should be fired for taking a lax attitude.

I agree to an extent ... but explain the height requirement on Stitch's Great Escape. Nobody's flying off that. For certain RIDES, the restrictions are there for safety ... but for other things, I think they associate the height with an age they believe to be appropriate for the attraction. My (at the time) DS4 rode and loved Mission Space, as he was above the needed 44 inches. If they've raised it to 48 inches (if the above poster is correct) it has NOTHING to do with a kid flying off ... and EVERYTHING to do with Disney making sure only older kids get on. Whatever ... but if it's for safety, fine, if it's because "a 4 year old would be too scared" - well that should be more up to the parent, IMO. How to do that, I don't know.

 

[LightBurnsBlue]

I don't see a problem with having the kids wear thick sneakers to give them an extra 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch to get on some rides. If you have to be 44 inches to ride a ride, I don't think that you'd be in danger if you were 1/4 under that, but perfectly safe if you are just a hair taller. That just doesn't make sense to me. And anyways, how is wearing a different kind of shoe giving you a "false" height? The rules do not say "44 inches in your barefeet"...you just need to be 44 inches when you want to sit in that ride...which is what a shoe can make possible. (Although I don't think it would be right for a mom to make her daughter wear those 3 inch platform flipflops I've seen! lol!)

 

[stm61]

I don't think they've raised the restriction for Mission Space. We were there last month. DD6 measures exactly 44" with no shoes, so about 45 with sneakers on. She was able to ride with no problems with her older brother (12).

 

[Embel]

Our 3 yr old is 39 inches tall. When we were in DW last month we put her hair in a big hairbow on top of her head & measured her ourselves. With shoes, she passed. When we got to Star Tours she made it past the first checkpoint, but at the second one the CM said she needed to try to pass her hand over DD's head. She found the 1/4 inch of hair fluff and DD couldn't go on. DD was devastated, and we didn't want to chance having her go through that again, so we didn't try any more rides.

Guess it's a good excuse to go back next year.

 

[Yellow_Stitch]

If a kid is only a tiny bit under height, I'm sure a thick soled shoe is safe. I'm betting that for safety reasons the real safe height is inches under the limit. I mean I can't see Disney cutting it so close. "40 inches, safe and sound- 39.8 inches, likely injury!" It's probably safe for 36 inch kids even.

 

[Deb & Bill]

On Stitch's Great Escape, there is a shoulder harness that keeps you in your seat. If the child/person is not tall enough, they can get out of the harness and get injured in the dark if they get scared. Plus the harness might not go down far enough and the kid won't be able to see.

Make sure your child is tall enough in bare feet and go from there. Don't try to beat the ruler by putting him or her in taller soled shoes. Don't fluff up the hair, don't wear a hat. Just follow the rules for the safety of your child.

 

[Leota]

I think the height for driving the car alone at the Speedway is actually 52". It's ridiculously tall so the child can reach the foot pedals & still see.

Fudging a couple inches is one thing - fudging 1/2" or so is not going to make a difference in safety, I'm sure.

Unfortunately, my 3 yo Grandson is not going to make any of the 40" cut-offs - He's only 37" inches right now & I doubt he'll gain 3" by Dec. Guess Grammy & Grampa will just have to take him back in a couple years!

 

[tlev]

Make sure your child is tall enough in bare feet and go from there. Don't try to beat the ruler by putting him or her in taller soled shoes. Don't fluff up the hair, don't wear a hat. Just follow the rules for the safety of your child.

Amen. Why do people always try to find a way around the rules. I saw a parent hold his child in the air to try and fool the CM on Splash Mountain. When the CM said no, the parent got indignant and kept asking "What's the big deal". That will be the same parent who will be suing Disney when their kid falls out of the log or gets hurt some other way. IT'S YOUR CHILD PEOPLE!. They will get over not being able to go on a ride this trip, they might not get over a broken neck.

 

[CheshireVal]

Safety rules and height requirements are there for a reason. I'd be afraid to break them. Is a ride on Splash Mountain really worth risking a child for?