Recent Experience with Height Restriction ??'s

[FayeW]

Our trip is 6 weeks away My question is regarding the devices they use for measuring for height restrictions: is the height for the measuring stick set at the ACTUAL height restriction i.e 54", or is it set a little higher to allow for shoes, etc?

I've got a little boy eating all his vegetables to insure that he will be the right height, but I'd hate for him to lose out because they allow a certain height for sole thickness and he's in sandals or something! I am NOT trying to fudge his height by buying thick soled shoes, I just want to make sure I understand the actual height requirement WITH SHOES ON!

Thanks

 

[A Mickeyfan]

It is with shoes on. I have seen parent have little girls in platform shoes & they get on. To me, I would never do that. If my children weren't tall enough then they didn't go on. There is a reason for the restrictions. Also, there is another thread about being tall enough but what about old enough. With the death of the 4 year old this year in Disney on MS, parents should think about everything, not just the height.
Has anyone heard anything on what actually did cause that little boy's death?

 

[FayeW]

Thanks for your help! If the 54" is with shoes on, then we are o.k. Sounds like the ride engineers may have set the actual "safe" height to be somewhat lower, and the 54" has the "fudge factor" of the sole height already included.

It is interesting that most of us assume that the height restrictions are for bare feet, when in fact, maybe the height required by the ride engineers may be less, and the theme parks themselves build in a little extra just to be safe, and avoid liability. I have noticed the height questions get a little heated sometimes, with some folks getting all righteous and moral about the whole shoe thing, and it may have been ok to measure with shoes all along! It makes sense that they would gross up the height requirement a little, just to be extra deligent. Anything that keeps my kids safe is o.k by me!

 

['Canes Fan]

I'm not saying we didn't 'fudge' our daughter up when she was 1/4" under 54.
the height restrictions are mandated by the designers of the attraction based on the G-Forces and the safety equipment, the parks simply enforce them. have fun.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

You are welcome... I can remember one year I was in St Louis & went to Six Flags with my son's baseball team. There they charge an adult price if the child is a certian height. I thought that was the dumbest thing. My daughter was 7 & with her sneakers on she was just at the line. I told the woman that if her shoes were off she would be under. She was very nasty & said that she needs shoes on in the park & that makes her an adult price. She wasn't tall enough to ride the thrill rides, not that she would anyway she isn't a coaster person, but they wanted a 7 year old to pay the adult price. I ended up not going in & took her shopping instead. Call me cheap, but there was no way I was paying adult price for a 7 year old that didn't ride rides.... That was how I knew they go by the height with shoes on.