Ride height measurement

[Betty Rohrer]

It's hard to believe they have had magic bands for what, 6 or 7 years now, and they haven't figured out how to utilize the magic band technology in any useful way, but this is the most obvious. They could have a "height measurement station" by guest services in each park, take a picture and a height measurement there (which families could do PPO, and ideally just once at the beginning of the trip), and then call that up at a scanner at each ride that has a height requirement. If they want to be extra safe, they could require a finger scan right before you board, to ensure that the band wasn't switched.

None of this would be free for Disney, but it would be a unique, memorable solution, and it would improve the guest experience SO much -- it would remove all uncertainty for parents, it would actually make height measurement/confirmation fun for the kids, and it would reduce the lines at FP entry points, which are often stopped up with measuring kids.

I can't believe there is not a unit in Parks that spends their time thinking, "We spent over $1bn on magic bands, how can we use the bands to improve guest experience, or in other ways that will set Disney apart from every other theme park?"

Our boys are 9, 6 and 2 right now, so we are still in the thick of this. For families with a few kids spread out, there is maybe a 10-year period where they are watching at least one of their kids get measured every time they go to a theme park.

here is the problem with using bands child 9 is tall enough to ride but 6 year child is not. 9 year old doesn't want to ride but 6 does. 6year old could switch bands. how do you stop this which is done all the time and legal if not being used for height

 

[Cajun23]

As most mentioned the sticks seem to be inconsistent in my opinion. Last year when we went our twins were right at the 40" mark. My son was measured at Big Thunder Railroad and was let on. Walked over to Splash Mountain and they said he was too short. I discussed it nicely with the CM that we just road BTR and that the sticks were inconsistent. She measured again and did everything she could to see if he would reach. Finally she measured him one time and we got on.

Soarin was also closely monitored. We walked all the way to where we were about to board onto the ride and my daughter was called out of the line to be measured. They called over about 4 CM and decided she wasn't tall enough.

I would suggest always try and teach them how to stretch out tall.

 

[maxiesmom]

As most mentioned the sticks seem to be inconsistent in my opinion. Last year when we went our twins were right at the 40" mark. My son was measured at Big Thunder Railroad and was let on. Walked over to Splash Mountain and they said he was too short. I discussed it nicely with the CM that we just road BTR and that the sticks were inconsistent. She measured again and did everything she could to see if he would reach. Finally she measured him one time and we got on.

Soarin was also closely monitored. We walked all the way to where we were about to board onto the ride and my daughter was called out of the line to be measured. They called over about 4 CM and decided she wasn't tall enough.

I would suggest always try and teach them how to stretch out tall.

If they are that close to the right height, even a difference in their posture can make them a bit too short. Also, have them inhale when they are being measured.

 

[Cajun23]

If they are that close to the right height, even a difference in their posture can make them a bit too short. Also, have them inhale when they are being measured.

Yes we did everything. The Cast members would even try to grab their head and stretch their necks. Although the inconsistency was frustrating, I always told myself not to get to upset because it was put in place for safety.

This year they are tall enough so we won't have that issue.

 

[FallsChurchDad]

here is the problem with using bands child 9 is tall enough to ride but 6 year child is not. 9 year old doesn't want to ride but 6 does. 6year old could switch bands. how do you stop this which is done all the time and legal if not being used for height

As I mentioned in my original post, there could be a fingerprint scan before you board. This is similar to what is done at Universal to confirm the express pass, except they use a photo. This would not delay anyone from riding or back up the FP line (both of which happen at Disney right now, under the current system of measuring height), because of where the fingerprint scan would take place. If you have used EP at Universal, this would be easier to visualize.

Switching bands is not actually permitted under the rules, it's just not enforced. I expect at some point Disney will start to enforce it anyway. They have already done a bunch of things to limit switching. We're only a few years away from when we would get paper rider swap passes from nice people who were leaving the park and hadn't used theirs, but now it is much more difficult / impossible for those kinds of transfers.

 

[FallsChurchDad]

So how would you ensure a child kept their own band ,and a parent wouldn't trade them? Heck people have thought my sister and I are twins before,and we have a 3 year age difference. I'm just 4 inches taller.

And yeah, a measuring station(another line) add another finger scan(another bottleneck) and still have parents angry because we all know there are times the finger scans don't work. Nothing you have posted is user friendly or foolproof any more than what they are doing now.

You obviously have strong feelings about this, and I don't mean to argue with you, but fingerprint scans, which I originally suggested, are already used at the entry tapstiles to all WDW parks. If they are placed closer to the boarding area of rides, as I first suggested, then they won't create a bottleneck. Fingerprint scans don't always work perfectly, especially for younger children, but they have been much-improved since they were first introduced, mainly by teaching CMs how to move the kids' fingers around to cover more of the scanner. If they are scanned correctly initially, they should be fine after, as long as the parents make sure the kid uses the same finger.

With the measuring station, you would get each kid measured once for the entire trip. In our past trips, we have had days where our kids were measured more than 30 times. We had one experience at Universal where our son was measured 5 or 6 times just in line for Rip-Ride-Rockit alone, and other posters above have mentioned similar things, as CMs double-check the poor kids' height.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

As I mentioned in my original post, there could be a fingerprint scan before you board. This is similar to what is done at Universal to confirm the express pass, except they use a photo. This would not delay anyone from riding or back up the FP line (both of which happen at Disney right now, under the current system of measuring height), because of where the fingerprint scan would take place. If you have used EP at Universal, this would be easier to visualize.

Switching bands is not actually permitted under the rules, it's just not enforced. I expect at some point Disney will start to enforce it anyway. They have already done a bunch of things to limit switching. We're only a few years away from when we would get paper rider swap passes from nice people who were leaving the park and hadn't used theirs, but now it is much more difficult / impossible for those kinds of transfers.

for a lot of kids finger scans don't work end up with a parent finger used. the CMs I have talked with have told me that you can switch bands at rides but not for entering the park. for photo with bands what about identical twins one could be tall enough and other not. they are going to look alike in the pictures.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

You obviously have strong feelings about this, and I don't mean to argue with you, but fingerprint scans, which I originally suggested, are already used at the entry tapstiles to all WDW parks. If they are placed closer to the boarding area of rides, as I first suggested, then they won't create a bottleneck. Fingerprint scans don't always work perfectly, especially for younger children, but they have been much-improved since they were first introduced, mainly by teaching CMs how to move the kids' fingers around to cover more of the scanner. If they are scanned correctly initially, they should be fine after, as long as the parents make sure the kid uses the same finger.

With the measuring station, you would get each kid measured once for the entire trip. In our past trips, we have had days where our kids were measured more than 30 times. We had one experience at Universal where our son was measured 5 or 6 times just in line for Rip-Ride-Rockit alone, and other posters above have mentioned similar things, as CMs double-check the poor kids' height.

parents have been allowed to use their finger scan for a kids that didn't work

 

[maxiesmom]

Disney tried wrist bands a while ago, and apparently didn't like the results, as they were never put into permanent use.

Nothing you have suggested takes away the need to still have someone checking at the ride. Wrist bands can be swapped. Finger scans are not even used for park entry for small kids, and many times parents use their own finger for kids a bit older. Nothing you have suggested is any better or less prone to problems than the system in place.

 

[KrazeeK120]

You obviously have strong feelings about this, and I don't mean to argue with you, but fingerprint scans, which I originally suggested, are already used at the entry tapstiles to all WDW parks. If they are placed closer to the boarding area of rides, as I first suggested, then they won't create a bottleneck. Fingerprint scans don't always work perfectly, especially for younger children, but they have been much-improved since they were first introduced, mainly by teaching CMs how to move the kids' fingers around to cover more of the scanner. If they are scanned correctly initially, they should be fine after, as long as the parents make sure the kid uses the same finger.

With the measuring station, you would get each kid measured once for the entire trip. In our past trips, we have had days where our kids were measured more than 30 times. We had one experience at Universal where our son was measured 5 or 6 times just in line for Rip-Ride-Rockit alone, and other posters above have mentioned similar things, as CMs double-check the poor kids' height.

Finger scans aren’t used for kids under 3 though. What would you do with them at Ride entrance?

 

[FallsChurchDad]

Finger scans aren’t used for kids under 3 though. What would you do with them at Ride entrance?

Measure their height. Same for any kid who doesn't have a magic band / wasn't measured at the front / has an issue at the scanner.

This is no different than what many non-Disney parks already do (or did at various times in the recent past, e.g., Hershey Park and Busch Gardens), where you can measure the kids at a station near the front of the park, and then get a paper wristband to show height. They still give you the option of measuring on each ride (if you didn't get a band at the front), and the CMs sometimes pull a kid aside if they think the band is not right, but the band saves time for 90% of guests and provides a lot more certainty.

The certainty is really the key - at Hershey Park, if your kid is just barely at 42 inches in the morning, you know you're good to go on 42-inch rides all day.

The main difference to what I am suggesting is using Disney's existing technology, which they have so far under-utilized, to actually make the experience better.

 

[maxiesmom]

So now we still have to measure, because we have to make sure someone hasn't slipped a different band onto a kid that isn't the right size. And now CMs have to look at bands and try to match them up to the kids, all as they cruise by them in line? And all of this after forcing guests to wait in a line to get measured before they can even attempt to get on a ride.

Um, no. Not an improvement. More of an opportunity to really get parents and kids angry and upset.