Silly Question: SM safe for a 4 year old?

[disney09]

Yes, it's very silly, but since DH has expressed his desire to include DS4 in our longtime favorite ride, SM, I'm having this strange visions of DS slipping away from that last drop, it's a nightmare!! You mommies out there can understand the feeling of fear for your child's safety...
So please ease my fears! Is that last drop safe for a 4 year old? He's 47", I think the height requirement is 40"?
Help a frightened mommy!!!!

 

[JRawkSteady]

Are we talking about SPace Mountain or Splash Mountain? SM is Space Mountain. Either ride should be fine for a 4 year old, but it's at the parents discretion. If you're worried, just put your arms around him during the drop (just don't put him on your lap). He'll love it!

 

[Caitsmama]

wow.. 47" at 4!! My dd would have loved that! LOL My dd just hit 46" and she is 5 1/2, we have been waiting to hit that 44" mark for space mountian. We celebrated when she did! LOL
Anyway, She went on Splash Mt. when she was 3 1/2. And she loved it!!! I was nervous, but my dh went in the same part of the car/log with her, and held her.. She was just 40", but had a blast, i think we ended up riding it 2 or 3 times! LOL

 

[Hannathy]

My goodness he is 7 inches over the height requirement! Splash is very tame. My very skinny barely 40 incher rode it last trip without any problems and I didn't have to hold onto him.

 

[kvogel11202]

Not silly at all- when we ride both Splash and Space Mtn I have to contort my body so as to hold hands with both my boys - 7 & 10 on the last trip ! I'm surprised I didn't dislocate my shouler on Space Mtn! On the rides where I can only hold onto one child I have to give the "hold onto their hands at ALL times, don't let go" speech to whoever will be riding with the other two kids. This happens on almost every ride! I have visions of my skinny little darlings slipping through the lap bar on BTMRR! Paranoid? Yes! I am ! But my kids know it and I try to keep the anxiety to a minimum in front of them. Just because I have panic attacks when it gets too crowded doesn't mean I should pass it on to them! And yes, I did say I have panic attacks in crowds, yet I take most of my vacations to Disney World. They just seem to have crowd control down. I have only had one panic attack- and that was when a man stepped between me and my kids as we were trying to work our way around the crowd waiting for the parade, and he refused to move. So my kids were walking away not realising I'm no longer behind them, and when I said "excuse, I'd just like to get by" he told me to "shut the H*** up B****, I'm not moving." I completely started to lose it. Luckily a very kind man in the same group saw what was happening and helped me out. I was shaking for the next hour, but I managed not to completely flip out. My husband was all upset when I later told him what happened, but I'm glad he missed it because that would have elevated it to a whole new level! Oh, sorry, I'm ranting. I just wanted you to see that you are not alon worrying about these things. Now I'm not sure I'll be any consolation after re-reading this!

 

[BTown]

You honestly have nothing at all to worry about. Height restrictions are there for a reason. That reason being, if you meet the requirement, you're going to be fine on the ride. Also, on both of those rides, you have physics working with you. I think, in order to actually fall out of either ride, you would have to actually try (and I would think it would be difficult even if you were trying) to fall out of the ride vehicle. And, honestly, in all the years those rides have existied, I dont think anyone has ever fallen out of them.

I can understand the concern. When I was there with my family in Jan, my neice was 4 at the time, but tall enough to ride all of the rides, and I found myself wanting to reach over and hold on to her during these rides, but then realized how silly that was. She's a smart kid. Most kids are. They know to hang on the the hand rail, sit tight, and let physics work its magic.

 

[Love2BinDisney]

My DD5 has been on both Splash and Space Mountains. She's been on Spash Mt. since she was 3 and started Space since last November at 4. Again, I think the ht. requirements establish what is safe but we still try to hold on to her. She loves them both.

 

[disney09]

Thank you all for your responses!! it makes me feel much better... it really was something that kept repeating on my mind... with your good assurances it'll dissappear!

And I was thinking in Splash Mountain, I completly forgot that Space Mtn had the same initials!

And yes, he's a litte tall though he'll be 5 next month! and of course, his daddy's very tall, like 6'4" or something.. he once tall me he was exactly as tall as Michael Jordan (basketball fan of course.. among other sports).

Again, thanks!

 

[pilferk]

MY DD (3 at the time, and crushing the 40 inch requirement by at least a couple of inches) rode Splash Mountain this past January and loved it. No issues with her sliding anywhere other than where she was supposed to be (right next to me). She was completely safe.