Kali River Rapids - height restriction

[tchan03]

Hello ...i have a question about Kali River Rapids

My son is 37 inches tall...i think they only allow kids with 38 inches or taller ....how strict is the staff ?

 

[kay1864]

Very strict. Even an 1/8" gap will disqualify a rider. Sorry.

 

[Magpie]

Very. No one wants to see a small child go flying through the air to their death, due to improperly fitted restraints.

Just tell your child they will have something fun to look forward to the next time you visit, and then take them to go play in the Boneyard (which your child probably won't find half as interesting on their next visit!). Other things to do: Take the train out to the petting zoo. Kilimanjaro Safari. Walk the trails and look at gorillas and tigers (and birds and bats). See "It's Tough to be a Bug" and the Nemo musical, and the bird show. Ride Triceratop Spin. Play some carnival games. Sign up to be a Wilderness Explorer and see how many of the challenges you can complete in a day (hint: it won't be all of them!).

 

[bumbershoot]

IMO the biggest issue with Kali is that little kids might want to get off the ride, and with a simple lap belt they might well be able to. Having a height restriction helps keep the really you g ones off the ride.

Grizzly (basically the same ride though better) out in Anaheim is 42" I believe, so people on Kali are lucky with little kids.

 

[Mom2m&k]

Kali makes kids that are over 38 but still under a certain height sit in a special seat with a different bar to hold them in. At least that is what I remember! Before then we had tried to take my DS who was just a smidge short they gave him a front of the line pass to bring back when he was tall enough! They were very sweet!

 

[Zeebs]

our wee man was just big enough last trip, he felt so chuffed with himself as his big brother was big enough for Splash on that trip. They checked us twice from memory, and they did sit him in a special seat which I had to sit beside him. (I had wanted to the put the two boys together and be next seat set beside them so that my 5 year old didn't have to sit by himself, he was ok with sitting to the side)

Depending on how long you have to go he might grow that extra inch, fingers crossed. We are stretching our girl weekly to get her high enough for Splash lol.

Kirsten

 

[disnut8]

Kali makes kids that are over 38 but still under a certain height sit in a special seat with a different bar to hold them in. At least that is what I remember! Before then we had tried to take my DS who was just a smidge short they gave him a front of the line pass to bring back when he was tall enough! They were very sweet!

Very true. The Cast Members attach a wrist band that signifies the child is tall enough but the child is put in the "special seat" to ensure more stability.

So, for the OP, sorry - your 37 inch tall child is still a bit height challenged for this attraction. But, the Maharajah Jungle Trek is very close by so your child and an adult can enjoy that while everyone else "suffers" through the Rapids. At least that's how I would present it to the child.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Kali makes kids that are over 38 but still under a certain height sit in a special seat with a different bar to hold them in. At least that is what I remember! Before then we had tried to take my DS who was just a smidge short they gave him a front of the line pass to bring back when he was tall enough! They were very sweet!

WOW!!! This is the first time I've heard of the "special seat."

To the OP- they are strict with the height requirements. That said- Kali River Rapids is a very mild ride......it's a stretch to even call this a "thrill" ride. Still nice though.....hope your son gets a chance to ride.

 

[disnut8]

WOW!!! This is the first time I've heard of the "special seat."

To the OP- they are strict with the height requirements. That said- Kali River Rapids is a very mild ride......it's a stretch to even call this a "thrill" ride. Still nice though.....hope your son gets a chance to ride.

Quite honestly, Disney does a great job in that the only difference is the child is given a wrist band (and a lot of Cast Members will positively comment on that and give reassurance) and the seat design is a bit different. 99.9% of the other passengers will never even notice. Small thing but does speak volumes for the level of safety.

 

[LoveMickey]

Here's a story. Not this ride, but the ride was Test Track.

The Cast Member used a thin card (like the thickness of a credit card), she slipped it in between the boys head and the measuring stick. We then had the boy stand up straight with his heels against the back of the measuring stick and she could not get the card in above his head.

They are very strict.

 

[Hobbes]

Very true. The Cast Members attach a wrist band that signifies the child is tall enough but the child is put in the "special seat" to ensure more stability.

So, for the OP, sorry - your 37 inch tall child is still a bit height challenged for this attraction. But, the Maharajah Jungle Trek is very close by so your child and an adult can enjoy that while everyone else "suffers" through the Rapids. At least that's how I would present it to the child.

Take him to the squirt guns on the bridge so he can drown the rest of the family as they pass underneath!!

 

[2Tiggies]

Take him to the squirt guns on the bridge so he can drown the rest of the family as they pass underneath!!

That's a great idea! One of the riders could send a message or a quick call when they are near the loading area and he could take his position on the bridge

 

[jcota]

Last year when we went to Space Mountain, my daughter was just a smidge under the required height. The CM, allowed her to ride, told us to have fun as he gave us a smile. I think that each ride is going to be different as CM all have their own thoughts

 

[maxiesmom]

Last year when we went to Space Mountain, my daughter was just a smidge under the required height. The CM, allowed her to ride, told us to have fun as he gave us a smile. I think that each ride is going to be different as CM all have their own thoughts

That was so wrong I don't even know where to begin. If the CM were caught letting someone on who wasn't tall enough they would be fired, no question. I have never ever heard of a CM letting a child on a ride who was just a smidge too short. And I have seen many parents arguing with the CMs about it!

No way should you depend on this happening, and you shouldn't want it to, quite frankly.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Last year when we went to Space Mountain, my daughter was just a smidge under the required height. The CM, allowed her to ride, told us to have fun as he gave us a smile. I think that each ride is going to be different as CM all have their own thoughts

When my DD was 3, we measured her at Kali to see if she could go on. Her head clearly did not touch the measuring bar, but her ponytail did. The cast member said something along the lines of "makes it by a ponytail" and waved us through, just giving her the wristband that required her to sit in the special seat. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but reading other stories on here I am surprised looking back.

 

[shellsd]

Here's a story. Not this ride, but the ride was Test Track.

The Cast Member used a thin card (like the thickness of a credit card), she slipped it in between the boys head and the measuring stick. We then had the boy stand up straight with his heels against the back of the measuring stick and she could not get the card in above his head.

They are very strict.

Yep, this happened to us as well. My son was dying to ride Rock n Roller Coaster so we went over there, he passed all the measurements and we rode. It was so awesome that he said he wanted to go again. We passed the first measuring sticks and then right when he was to get on the ride, the CM busted out a card and pushed it through the space and said Nope. He was so distraught! I tried explaining he was lucky to ride it once but he wasn't buying that! The CM that said no was definitely not sympathetic but a CM outside the ride heard us consoling him and gave us a free FP which was super nice and a good distraction.

 

[JillyBean1899]

That was so wrong I don't even know where to begin. If the CM were caught letting someone on who wasn't tall enough they would be fired, no question. I have never ever heard of a CM letting a child on a ride who was just a smidge too short. And I have seen many parents arguing with the CMs about it!

No way should you depend on this happening, and you shouldn't want it to, quite frankly.

Oh trust me, it happens. I *HATED* it when someone I worked with let a kid that was too short on to ride because it never failed, I was the person out front or at the load platform the next time the kid rode that told the kid they were too short, and of course I ended up being the one that got yelled at/threatened/spit on (yes, spit on ... some people are just nasty when they don't get what they want), just because I was doing my job. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen, unfortunately.

OP, start having your kid practice standing up straight at home. You'd be surprised how many kids don't stretch themselves to their full height when they're being measured. Heels on the floor (no tippy toes!) and up against the wall, back straight, arms down, shoulders back, head up and looking forward. And remind him that eating his veggies and drinking his milk helps him grow. You'd be amazed how many veggies my nieces would eat the months leading up to a trip if they were <that close> to a height requirement for a ride they wanted to go on.

 

[Wosmama6]

glad to find this thread over a year later. my little one is just under and i think we will strike the ride from our list.

 

[Dis703]

glad to find this thread over a year later. my little one is just under and i think we will strike the ride from our list.

FWIW I would go to the ride and check your LOs height against their measurements. I took my twins in the spring and they were 37 1/4 inches tall both at home and the doctors office. I didn't make them any FP for Kali or 7DMT because I knew they weren't 38 inches. Halfway through our trip we were doing 7DMT again and I sent DH and ODS through the FP line and was standing near the bar they use to measure and told the boys to stand there and see how far they had to go. To my surprise they just hit the bar and were tall enough to ride. Their shoes made up the 3/4 inch difference. Sadly, we didn't think to check at Kali and we weren't returning to AK at that point, or they may have been able to ride there as well.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hello ...i have a question about Kali River Rapids

My son is 37 inches tall...i think they only allow kids with 38 inches or taller ....how strict is the staff ?

Very. He will be measured at the beginning of the line, and if he measures tall enough, then he can get in line...but he will be measured AGAIN right before getting on the ride.
Disney is very strict about the height requirements.