Parents Who Try And Cheat The Height System

[rkwells]

Here's a tip for the parents out there - Heelys. With the space for the wheels, they'll add at least an inch to your kids height!

Why would you want to fudge it when your child's safety could be at issue????? My kids are now 10 and 13 so we don't deal with this anymore, but when they were younger I didn't need a CM to check my child's height. I always knew how tall my kids were. I don't want them going on something they may be borderline for. They grow up so fast what's the big deal??? WDW has plenty for everyone to enjoy. Missing a few rides won't make or break your trip. Just relax and have fun!

 

[Maleficent13]

When my oldest sons were little, there were no height requirements on Space Mountain. The cars were different and young children sat between their parent's legs. DSs went on when they were 3.

I miss the old seats.

I feel for ya, OP.

 

[cybrkitn]

I was thinking it would be nice if children were measured at the park entrance and given a wristband to show what height requirement they meet. The different heights could be represented by different colored bands. Then, in theory, kids would only have to be measured once. Signs at the height-restricted rides could exhibit the appropriate colors (coordinating with the wristbands). Parents would see the sign color and have a chance to steer their kids away from rides for which they're too small, and maybe avoid disappointment.

SeaWorld does this. When we went in October last year, DS4's height was checked and he was given a specific color wristband to show that he was tall enough to go on certain rides. All he had to do was make sure to show the ride operator. Worked great!

He was upset though at AK. He was just a 1/2 inch too short for EE. But I could see how far down those lap bars went and with DS being so skinny, he could have easily fallen out of it. I tried to explain to him that the height restriction was there for his safety and that we didn't need him flying out of the ride and get hurt or worse. Of course, to a 4 year old, they don't really understand it and all they know is that they can't go on it. But if we go next year, he will be tall enough to ride it.

OP, thank you for keeping kids safe and not giving in to the parents' pressure.

 

[DebD4T]

I'm in favor of the height restrictions and I appreciate castmembers following procedure to ensure my child's safety. However, I wish there were a better system for checking height.

On our last trip, DD was just at 40". Whenever we wanted to ride something with a height requirement of 40", DD was measured at the beginning of the queue. As we got closer to the front of the line, invariably she would get pulled out of the line to be measured again. DD took it in stride, but it was a pain to squeeze by people to have her height checked yet again.

I was thinking it would be nice if children were measured at the park entrance and given a wristband to show what height requirement they meet. The different heights could be represented by different colored bands. Then, in theory, kids would only have to be measured once. Signs at the height-restricted rides could exhibit the appropriate colors (coordinating with the wristbands). Parents would see the sign color and have a chance to steer their kids away from rides for which they're too small, and maybe avoid disappointment.

LOL! Can you tell I've given this some thought? Maybe I'm way off base -- I'm sure someone can point out holes in my plan -- but it sounds good to me and it seems as if it would make things simpler.

OP, thank you for sticking to your guns to keep children safe, despite the idiot parents.

At Six Flags Great Adventure, you can have your child measured at Guest Services and have a wristband put on them stating their height. (I can't remember if it was colored or not). Sounds like a good plan, right? Well, we did this for DD 2 years ago as we knew she just made the height for some rides. Well, at every ride we went to, they measured her again and some rides would let her on, and some would not. (They all had the same height requirement). We went back to Guest Services and told them what happened. They measured her again, she made the height, no problem. But again, at the rides, we had problems. We made our way back to Guest Services again, they said they could do nothing about it, it was at the ride operators discretion. We got front of the line passes for a few rides and golden tickets for $10 admission at a future date.

I'm all for safety, but that was ridiculous. It was like a crap shoot at each ride. I kept thinking, why the heck do they bother with the bands if they insist on remeasuring at each ride? And believe me, she didn't shrink each time we walked from Guest Services. She didn't try to cheat either, they were very strict.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Last year a friend of mine went with her family to WDW, her one son was just at that height that he made it on to one ride, but on another the CM said he was too short...after that, my friend told me they stuffed his hat just to give him that extra little bit! I was absolutely shocked when she told me! My friend is an excellent mom and I would never dream she would do anything like this. She said though that she never would have if he hadn't made it on the one 40" ride and then not on the other, she said if he was 39", well, then he wouldn't have gone on any of the 40" rides, but how could he be 40" inches at one measuring stick and not another?

I'm not defending her, but I think maybe the wristbands at the park enterance are a good idea. How do you tell a kid he is too short for this 40" ride, but not too short for the 40" ride he just went on?

 

[Rock'n Robin]

We have done the wristbands at Cedar Point. In 2005 DS was barely 48" (the requirement for the basic coasters--millenium force, gemini, magnum). The Millenium guy said he wasn't tall enough--DH took him back to guest services and they got a 48" wristband (no cheating either; he was 48") and he was fine from that point--if someone wanted to measure him he just flashed his wristband and we went on by. Last year he was able to do all but the biggest coasters (top thrill dragster, wicked twister, raptor) and we got a wristband again and had no problems. Of course he is fine at Disney now on all the rides since R&R is 48" and he's past that, but we did babyswap many times up until 06.
Robin M.

 

[cybrkitn]

Here's a tip for the parents out there - Heelys. With the space for the wheels, they'll add at least an inch to your kids height!

Is it really worth the safety of the child just to have 3 minutes (or less) of fun? I'd rather my son be safe and sound and watch him grow up. I'd never forgive myself if he got hurt or died on a ride b/c I tried to "get around" the system. It's just not worth it. No one's life is worth it.

 

[monorailsilver]

That bites you have to deal with people like that.

The guidelines are there for a reason.

I looked them up last week for our trip in August 2008 & my dd is 44-45 inches & can go on some of the rides & some that she can go on I don't know if I want her to go on just for extra safety & her fear factor.

My ds is short & he is in the mid-30's for inches so he may be able to go on a few but not all.

And the baby, well she will sit with me if we do the kiddie swap.

Quite honestly I am OK with not riding the big ticket rides if my kids can't ride.

I wish the parents would just get over it & face the fact that they are risking their kids lives all for a ride that will most likely be there in the future when the kids are taller.

 

[Sugardimples]

I'm trying to image how long the line would be to get all these kids measured at the gate. Yikes!

 

[clori]

we were just at a waterpark last week. DD was exactly 48 inches in May at the drs. One waterslide had a 48inch requirement. I explained to dd that meausurements can vary so she might not be allowed to ride. I walked the stairs with her so we could see the ride then if we both decided she could ride it if they said she was tall enough. She was measured and told she was tall enough so she rode it. She loved it and went up the stairs and down the slide for over an hour. Suddenly she came down the stairs and told me she was measured by someone else and told she was too short to ride. While I did think it was a bit silly at that point we went to a different area with no height limit. I think dd was a bit upset to suddenly be told she could't ride it but we just followed the rules. I told dd the water must have caused her to shrink.

For disney we are trying to figure out when we think my 3 year old might hit 40 inches so we can all ride Soarin. She just turned 3 and is 35 inches. I can hope for a major growth spurt but other than that I doubt she will be going on with us if we go in February like we are thinking. For me since it is a height restriction for safety I think in terms of bare feet for height.

 

[DebD4T]

I know the height requirements are in place for safety, but I don't really think and inch will make a difference. Here is my reasoning:

On almost all rides, you are sitting down. Your legs play no part in the ride. The height you need comes from your torso. Think about it: shoulder harnesses come down, the lap bar comes down... The height you need is actually from your shoulders to your hips, not from your hips to your toes.

I understand that there has to be some cut-off, and if exceptions are made for 1 inch, people will try to push for 2 inches, then 3 inches.

I would never do anything to jeapordize my child's well being, but after 3 trips to Guest Services, we stuffed her sneakers with a few napkins and went on with our day.

 

[salmoneous]

Is it really worth the safety of the child just to have 3 minutes (or less) of fun?

Sigh, I guess I really gotta find the sarcasm tags. Sorry folks - thought my tone was obvious.....

 

[cybrkitn]

Sigh, I guess I really gotta find the sarcasm tags. Sorry folks - thought my tone was obvious.....

<phew> Glad to know you weren't serious

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Sigh, I guess I really gotta find the sarcasm tags. Sorry folks - thought my tone was obvious.....

I thought you were serious, too. I was ready to go out and buy my 7yo some Heelys so he'd be tall enough for a Universal 52" ride since we'll be there in a couple weeks.

 

[PlainJane]

Sigh, I guess I really gotta find the sarcasm tags. Sorry folks - thought my tone was obvious.....

I was actually about to write a post defending you because I thought you were joking

 

[Missy1961]

I was actually about to write a post defending you because I thought you were joking

me too!

I remember a trip I made with my brother & his family. My niece was measured for Kali River Rapids, she was OK, she rode. We went back another day, all of a sudden she wasn't tall enough. (she wore the same footwear) She took it in stride, she & I went to the bridge to squirt people with water instead!

I love the idea of wrist bands, and a list of rides they could go on.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

I think what gets oem parents irritated is that the park charges by age, not height. I was so irritated last Spetember to have to pay so much moeny for ym kids to enter the parks when they really could not ride very much of anything. Certainly not much more than they could at the age of 3 when they were free.

My daughter can now ride a lot of the rides, and she is a Space Mountain addict. WHen we went to DL in Jan/Feb, we rode SPace Mountain at least a dozen times.

Anyway, cheating is not cool, but they need to have a better mesurement system. And, if they go through with the wrist band thing, they should charge accordingly.

 

[aprilgail2]

Here's a tip for the parents out there - Heelys. With the space for the wheels, they'll add at least an inch to your kids height!

Oh my daughter figured that one out on her own! She calls them her "magic shoes" because when she wears them it puts her at the right height for all rides. She makes some and not others without the heelys but with them on she makes all of them (without the wheels of course!). They are all rides she would make the height for anyway if they had accurate measuring devices!!

 

[4greatboys]

Being the mom of a roller coaster addict I know how hard it is waiting to reach the height for a ride. My 7 year old has been wanting to ride the Hulk so bad for years! I cant wait til he is tall enough but I would not dream of trying to sneak him on before he can safely ride. I could not live with myself if I snuck him on and something bad happened to him. Its just not worth it.

Atleast our trip this June he was tall enough for the Mummy and Rock N Roller Coaster. He was in heaven getting to ride 2 new coaster. He also loves ToT, EE and Space Mountain.

As much as I love to see him happy and get to have new experiences, as Im sure those other parents want to do, I just cant see it worth the risk. And then to act badly on top of it when you are just trying to keep their child safe is just a sad statement about those parents

 

[Kath2003]

The height restrictions are there for a REASON. My sister once JUST made the height market for a big swinging pirate ship ride - my dad took her on it. He said that if he hadn't had hold of her, she'd have slipped under the lap bar. From then on, we didn't ride rides where you "just" made the requirement, you had to be at least half an inch above it.

These things are there for your safety. Use them.

And yes the whole paying based on age thing is unfair but can you imagine how complicated it would get? My mother doesn't ride ANY rides, her choice, but she still pays full adult admission You know how much entrance costs, and that doesn't determine how many rides you can and cannot ride.