Platform flip-flops?

[KikiNJ]

Have any of you ever put thicker soled shoes on your not quite 40" tall child to get them past that 40" mark? My younger dd is like 39 3/4" tall with the shoes that she wears every day (timberland sandals). BUT... she also has flip flops that have a really thick sole, which puts her above the 40" mark. I'd just swap her shoes right before getting in line. Think they'd let her go?

 

[alloyd1170]

From what others have posted most CMs will notice thick shoes and will often make the child remove them to be measured. For the safety of your child, if she isnt tall enough then she shouldnt ride. The restrictions are there for a reason. My 4.5 yr old son is tall for his age and meets restrictions on several big rides (including Mission Space), but I will not allow him to ride yet. Weve all heard too many stories of people getting hurt or killed because they didnt follow the posted rules/guidelines. Dont let your child be the next one.

alison

 

[tjmw2727]

I have personally seen CM's ask children remove obviously high shoes when measuring, this was recently in May 06. FWIW they also ask to have hats removed and measure to the childs head (ponytail won't help either). The stick is an upside down L and if it moves over the head the child can't ride, if the childs head stops the L from moving over the child can ride.

Be prepared to be meausred every time on every restricted ride, sometimes 2x, once at the entrance to the queue and if the child looks borderline they may be measured again at boarding.

Have a great trip.

TJ

 

[becca011906]

Obivious sandels with thick soles will be removed, this is a heated topic on these boards, my dd was 3 last sept when we went and hovering the 40inch mark, this year she hasn't grown much at all! LOL Anyways we went to get her new school shoes they were scetchers (sp?) and did make her over 40inches that would be your best bet is to go shoe (NOT SANDEL) shoping and get her some shoes that look nomral not to high, ect. we did and she didn't have a proble other then she HATED HATED HATED to be measure over and over again time after time after time... we just went to Kings Island and you only need to be measured 1 time and they give you a braclet that has your hight on it, it was so much better and less of a hassle... i woudl go new shoes shoping if it works it works, if she's to short then she's to short! but they will see tall sandles and will be removed...

 

[Eeyore Excitement]

I asuggest not, one because Cast Members might/will notice, and two, the height restrictions are there for safety, not just for your child to think "I'm too short." Let her grow so she will be safer.

 

[freckles and boo]

Do you really want to be toting an extra pair of shoes around? And potentially uncomfortable shoes at that? Not to mention that it demonstrates to your child that it is okay to cheat just a little. If you are comfortable with her riding the 40" rides then I would get one pair of comfortable shoes that achieve that. But as others have said, be prepared to be turned away if she isn't actually tall enough to ride. It does stink, I know. My petite kids probably won't make 48" by our next trip.

 

[pweyl36]

Have any of you ever put thicker soled shoes on your not quite 40" tall child to get them past that 40" mark? My younger dd is like 39 3/4" tall with the shoes that she wears every day (timberland sandals). BUT... she also has flip flops that have a really thick sole, which puts her above the 40" mark. I'd just swap her shoes right before getting in line. Think they'd let her go?

why would you put your child in danger? there is a reason why rides have
a height restriction.?

 

[eeyoregon]

why would you put your child in danger? there is a reason why rides have
a height restriction.?

Exactly! I have NEVER understood this mentality?? And should a too small child slip out of a harness/seat and be injured or killed those same parents would be the 1st to sue

 

[MissMagnolia]

I just have to say that I don't ever recall reading that a death from a ride was the result of a child that technically was not tall enough to go on the ride but had shoes that made them taller.

Deaths have occured because of unknown/known medical conditions and sometimes from ride failure but not from height. I could be wrong, but I cannot imagine that 1/2" would cause safety versus death/injury. Even the unofficial guide to WDW states that bumping your child up in height with lifts or tall shoes will NOT put them at risk.

 

[alloyd1170]

Well Im not about to try it with my kids so they wont be among the first casualties. If the book said it was ok to put your 2 yr old on Mission Space would you do it?

alison

 

[freckles and boo]

It is easy to sit in judgment of people who simply want their children to get the most pleasure out of their trip. I do know how frustrating it is for a child who dearly wants to go on a ride to miss the height restriction by "this much". I was curious about this topic and found this information on saferparks.org. It is interesting.

http://www.saferparks.org/preventing_injuries/child_safety/height_limits.php

All I can suggest is that you don't be lured into a false sense of security simply because your child does meet the height restrictions. I would hope that Disney tries harder than most to provide a safe environment, but parents should certainly be the final judges about whether their child can sit still, listen, and ride safely.

 

[MissMagnolia]

I don't think that a 2 year old would come close to the 44" height restriction for Mission Space...but all that aside. This whole "discussion" that gets everyone so worked up is unbelievable. If you choose to not allow your children to ride certain rides for whatever reason, then that is your choice. However, if you have a 6 year old that is a half inch (or less) away from the height restriction, is emotionally ready for the ride, and wants to do it AND a hefty pair of sneakers will bump them up to be able to ride it, then that is the parents choice. It is not as if most of the rides at WDW go upside down (RnR as the exception).

I normally don't get irritated by threads, but this one got me. It is frustrating when people get all high and mighty about "putting children in danger" when this is FAR from it. Having children ride without a seatbelt in a car...dangerous. Making the height restriction with 1" heeled shoes, not so much. If the height with shoes were an issue, the the CMs should make every child take off their shoes before measuring them.

There, I feel better. Flame away!

 

[wdwpirates]

I do know of someone who attempted this bit of foolishness. The CM recognized that the height difference was because of the shoes and declined to let the child ride. This was for the RRC. Not the best idea in the world. These height restrictions are there for a reason, not just because they think little ones might get scared. The rides just aren't built for their little bodies...sorry...

 

[pweyl36]

It is easy to sit in judgment of people who simply want their children to get the most pleasure out of their trip. I do know how frustrating it is for a child who dearly wants to go on a ride to miss the height restriction by "this much". I was curious about this topic and found this information on saferparks.org. It is interesting.

This I will never understand,why is it so hard to tell your child sorry you can not or no your not tall or old enough? that's life there are rules for a reason.
I mean you have to be 16yrs old to drive would you let your child drive because she wants to and it might be frustrating for her to wait till he or she
is too young? If my children get upset because there are rules
I tell them thats life.

 

[MATTERHORN]

I'm not totally against it, but DD knows she has to get measured and if she isn't tall enough, oh well! Plus I like that it gives DD something to look forward to on the next trip. She can't wait to hit Indiana Jones this time because she was just a hair short last time. It's nice because it makes Disney be the bad guy, not you!


Andrea

 

[flgirl71]

The rides just aren't built for their little bodies...sorry...

She said her daughter was 39 3/4 inches. Do you really think her body size is going to change significantly when she grows ONE QUARTER of an inch taller? I don't think so.

If she has a normal pair of shoes that puts her above the height req, I'd have her wear them. They are regular, commonly sold shoes from a normal store right? It's not like you're having custom shoes made with a one inch lift or something to make your kid taller so she can ride. I think wearing the taller shoes is perfectly ok and safe. However, I have had my kids be denied onto rides when they were *thisclose* to the requirement....and the funny thing is, some rides they got on no problem, others they got denied, that had the same requirement. It all depends on who is checking.

I think weight is a lot more important than height on some of these rides anyway. My daughter fit the height requirement for Space Mountain and was so eager to go. She loved it, but my husband had to reach forward to her seat and hold her down, her skinny little body was not held tightly down by the safety bars. She could have been the same 45" tall and weighed say 45 pounds instead of the 40 pounds she was, and been a lot more 'secure' in that ride. Interesting the way they choose to limit who goes on.

 

[eeyoregon]

This I will never understand,why is it so hard to tell your child sorry you can not or no your not tall or old enough? that's life there are rules for a reason.

I completely agree. To sneak/trick/break/stretch the rules is to teach your kids from a young age that "hey, the rules are for everyone BUT us!"

 

[tjmw2727]

She said her daughter was 39 3/4 inches. Do you really think her body size is going to change significantly when she grows ONE QUARTER of an inch taller? I don't think so.

If she has a normal pair of shoes that puts her above the height req, I'd have her wear them. They are regular, commonly sold shoes from a normal store right? It's not like you're having custom shoes made with a one inch lift or something to make your kid taller so she can ride. I think wearing the taller shoes is perfectly ok and safe. However, I have had my kids be denied onto rides when they were *thisclose* to the requirement....and the funny thing is, some rides they got on no problem, others they got denied, that had the same requirement. It all depends on who is checking ` snip.

I agree but the OP was asking about "platform flip flops" and yes the CM's will notice and ask for them to be removed. If the child meets the restriction with normal sneakers (sketcher type maybe) that they are wearing all day then again I agree.

I have also been in the situation you described where dd was tall enough in the am but not the pm, or tall enough for one 40" ride but not another. Dissapointing but not worth teaching her how to cheat, IMHO.

Disney has since installed permanent measuring sticks that seem to be more consistant esp at rides like Splash where the ground is uneven so hopefully that will help the consistancy.

Oh and Welcome!!
TJ

 

[freckles and boo]

It is easy to sit in judgment of people who simply want their children to get the most pleasure out of their trip. I do know how frustrating it is for a child who dearly wants to go on a ride to miss the height restriction by "this much". I was curious about this topic and found this information on saferparks.org. It is interesting.

This I will never understand,why is it so hard to tell your child sorry you can not or no your not tall or old enough? that's life there are rules for a reason.
I mean you have to be 16yrs old to drive would you let your child drive because she wants to and it might be frustrating for her to wait till he or she
is too young? If my children get upset because there are rules
I tell them thats life.

I don't have a problem telling my children no. It feels like I do it a few hundred times every single day. In fact, I was told I was the meanest mommy in the world today. I won't break the rules for my kids either and if you read my first post I said I think changing shoes in line would suggest to kids that cheating is okay. BUT, I do understand the heartbreak involved. Unlike a lot of people who post, we don't make it to Disney all that often, and when we do it is frustrating to miss a height restriction by a fraction of an inch. I don't like it when it seems that folks are putting their children in danger, but responses that are judgmental and come from the parent-of-the-year soapbox aren't helpful.