If the height requirement is 38 inches and you have a child on it, they will be fine with the bars. And I'm sure the older one will be fine again on it - maybe not on the next trip but one after that. With our grandkids, we've found that five years old is the "learning trip", having taken both of them at that age. One didn't want to do anything with fire, water, or dark and the other just going along and then saying "never again". Both have been back and both have laughed with their earlier reactions.