Slightly different hight requirement question for those w/ ASD kids

[wilkeliza]

Six Flags is a pretty major theme park with parks all over the US. They still do the band system.

Had no clue Six Flags does that. I will admit we didn't take the niece and nephew until they were more than tall enough to ride everything and they definitely didn't do it when I was a kid because I still remember the first roller coaster I was ever turned away from at the measuring pole.

 

[wilkeliza]

I agree that passing the measurement when entering the line and then not the second time is a lot for a kid in the spectrum to process. The sudden ride denial will feel so unexpected. It a lot of disappointment for any kid. Why not just teach the first CM how to measure accurately and eliminate the second measure. You are either 44" or you aren't. It shouldn't be a matter of opinion. No other measurements in life are opinion based.

The 2nd check is the real official check. They do it there in case someone tries to sneak a younger one on. I know I've seen kids who are inches short get through at the front for whatever reason and the 2nd check catch them.

The important thing is to let the little ones who are on the cusp know they need to hit that bar so stand up straight. Some little ones who get pulled for the at ride check think they have done something bad or get upset so slouch and that is why they get told no. Just remind then to stand up tall and they should be fine.

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree that passing the measurement when entering the line and then not the second time is a lot for a kid in the spectrum to process. The sudden ride denial will feel so unexpected. It a lot of disappointment for any kid. Why not just teach the first CM how to measure accurately and eliminate the second measure. You are either 44" or you aren't. It shouldn't be a matter of opinion. No other measurements in life are opinion based.

The issue isn't that the first CM doesn't know how to measure.
It is, as wilkeliza mentioned, because people can and do try to sneak a smaller child in. I have seen someone who appeared to be trying to do it myself several times. Either one parent tries to distract the CM while the other parent enters the line with the child, or they kind of try to 'sandwich' the child between other members of their party while walking in.

Maybe people don't try that at much at other parks, but it happens at Disney fairly often. That is why they have the second check - because people are not honest.
And that is also why they don't do height wristbands. They did do it for a while - they had even gotten high tech laser measuring devices and built all new measuring areas. But, people cheating put an end yo that pretty quickly - from what I heard from CMs, some people came prepared with scissors and tape. They got child one measured then transferred the band to child 2 who was too short. Then child 1 got measured again = 2 kids with wristbands that said they were the right height.

I think there is more incentive to lie at Disney World - for many people, it is a once in a lifetime or every couple of years thing, so people feel like 'this trip' is their one chance for the child to ride. From what I know, the other parks mentioned get a lot more repeat visitors, so if a child is too short, there is likely a visit coming up soon.

Whatever reasons, Disney is not likely to change.

The 2nd check is the real official check. They do it there in case someone tries to sneak a younger one on. I know I've seen kids who are inches short get through at the front for whatever reason and the 2nd check catch them.

The important thing is to let the little ones who are on the cusp know they need to hit that bar so stand up straight. Some little ones who get pulled for the at ride check think they have done something bad or get upset so slouch and that is why they get told no. Just remind then to stand up tall and they should be fine.

This question has come up before and what was advised was preparing ahead of time.
1) let the child know they will be measured twice and if they are not tall enought either time they will not be able to ride.

2) most kids are afraid of bumping their head and many will even duck to avoid hitting - it's natural instinct - how often do we go around trying to bump our heads?
That is the main reason kids fail the height measurement.

3) Practice! Practice! Practice!
When this has come up before several times, we suggested actually making a measuring device. It's a stick with a cross bar at the top, kind of like an upside down L.
Practice having your child stand under it and hitting the bar with his head. Make a big deal over it when he hits it. That will teach him what to expect and what he needs to do if he wants to ride.
Everyone who was worried they would have meltdowns over the second measurement came back and said it worked great.

4) Ride early in the day if you can. As the day goes on, people get tired and hot and start to slouch. So, a child who measured OK earlier in the day might be too short later.

5) the final thing would be to skip the attractions you think your child might be borderline for. If they are not going on, there is no chance of getting measured.

 

[Aladora]

The "can they, can't they", "will they, won't they" debate is how threads like this get shut down. Could Disney have a system in place where a child is measured once and given a band or some other identifying device? Well sure, they could. However, Disney has made a corporate decision to not allow central measuring and identifiers and that is really that.

The real point of this thread (at least I hope it is the point...) is how to deal with the quite real possibility that a child who is close to the minimum height requirement might be denied access to a ride after being told that they are tall enough.

Sue has some really good advice above, but I will add in my thoughts as this is something I have had to deal with at Disneyland.

To the OP, I would go into this trip with the expectation that if you try and take your son on rides that have a 44 inch requirement, it is much more likely than not that the issue you are concerned about IS going to happen at least once. So, you can either avoid those rides completely until you are certain your son is tall enough, or you can prepare both your child and yourself for how to deal with him being denied access.

Like with everything related to Disneyland and my son, I chose to prepare. We talked to him about being measured. A lot. We went over what was going to happen and how he needed to stand up straight and listen to the CM. WE had conversations about how he would need to be checked at two different places and if either of the CMs said he was too short, then we just could not ride because the CM had the final decision.

I try and do what I can to prepare my son for what is going to happen, like many kids with autism, he does best when he knows what to expect. We also have a pretty strict policy on behaviour. If things become to overwhelming for our son, we leave. End of argument. I know that things can get hard when dealing with a child who has autism but it is our job as parents to try and get them prepared for the real world and part of that involves being able to behave in an appropriate manner. I cannot count how many times we have left a restaurant, museum, fair, movie theatre or party because he was having a meltdown. He is old enough now to know what we expect from him and in fact his therapy group uses the terms "expected and unexpected behaviour" when helping him.

Do meltdowns still happen? Oh yes...but we remove ourselves from the situation when they happen and we try to prepare our son to avoid them as much as possible.

 

[tobikaye]

Pretty sure Kings Island is owned by them, and they don't do the wristband method.

KI does have the band system, it is in the kiddie area. I think they also have one if you go to the left, catty corner from the front lockers and stroller/wheelchair rentals. I really think they need a better system since I usually see kids pulling at them or hear them complaining about wearing them or not having the same color as so and so.

 

[aaarcher86]

KI does have the band system, it is in the kiddie area. I think they also have one if you go to the left, catty corner from the front lockers and stroller/wheelchair rentals. I really think they need a better system since I usually see kids pulling at them or hear them complaining about wearing them or not having the same color as so and so.

We were just there in mid August and got no bands. Just used the height indicators in the front of the lines to measure ourselves.

 

[tobikaye]

We were just there in mid August and got no bands. Just used the height indicators in the front of the lines to measure ourselves.

It was there at the beginning of the season, in front of the crappy haunted Boo ride. I was also there the Sunday before last and had a bunch of families blocking the walkway so I had to go the other way around.


Edited to add: They do not have to be used and kids can be measured at the rides.

 

[SueM in MN]

The "can they, can't they", "will they, won't they" debate is how threads like this get shut down. Could Disney have a system in place where a child is measured once and given a band or some other identifying device? Well sure, they could. However, Disney has made a corporate decision to not allow central measuring and identifiers and that is really that.

The real point of this thread (at least I hope it is the point...) is how to deal with the quite real possibility that a child who is close to the minimum height requirement might be denied access to a ride after being told that they are tall enough.

Sue has some really good advice above, but I will add in my thoughts as this is something I have had to deal with at Disneyland.

To the OP, I would go into this trip with the expectation that if you try and take your son on rides that have a 44 inch requirement, it is much more likely than not that the issue you are concerned about IS going to happen at least once. So, you can either avoid those rides completely until you are certain your son is tall enough, or you can prepare both your child and yourself for how to deal with him being denied access.

Like with everything related to Disneyland and my son, I chose to prepare. We talked to him about being measured. A lot. We went over what was going to happen and how he needed to stand up straight and listen to the CM. WE had conversations about how he would need to be checked at two different places and if either of the CMs said he was too short, then we just could not ride because the CM had the final decision.

I try and do what I can to prepare my son for what is going to happen, like many kids with autism, he does best when he knows what to expect. We also have a pretty strict policy on behaviour. If things become to overwhelming for our son, we leave. End of argument. I know that things can get hard when dealing with a child who has autism but it is our job as parents to try and get them prepared for the real world and part of that involves being able to behave in an appropriate manner. I cannot count how many times we have left a restaurant, museum, fair, movie theatre or party because he was having a meltdown. He is old enough now to know what we expect from him and in fact his therapy group uses the terms "expected and unexpected behaviour" when helping him.

Do meltdowns still happen? Oh yes...but we remove ourselves from the situation when they happen and we try to prepare our son to avoid them as much as possible.

A lot of very good advice

 

[aaarcher86]

It was there at the beginning of the season, in front of the crappy haunted Boo ride. I was also there the Sunday before last and had a bunch of families blocking the walkway so I had to go the other way around. Edited to add: They do not have to be used and kids can be measured at the rides.

That ride sucks. My gun was broken and I lost to my husband. NOT ok.

 

[tobikaye]

That ride sucks. My gun was broken and I lost to my husband. NOT ok.

It always surprises me the number of people lined up for it. I only made it a few times to KI this year, so far, but the prior 2 years I went a lot, many times during my lunch hour and I wanted to yell out "don't waste your time" when I walked by. I understand many people have different likes, but that one is horrible.

 

[aaarcher86]

It always surprises me the number of people lined up for it. I only made it a few times to KI this year, so far, but the prior 2 years I went a lot, many times during my lunch hour and I wanted to yell out "don't waste your time" when I walked by. I understand many people have different likes, but that one is horrible.

I thought it was a haunted house when we first went in. Maybe other people do too. I didn't notice it saying you shoot things until we were through a good portion of the line.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Thanks for the info. They COULD do it but choose not to. Lots of other amusement parks do it now. They have the same legal needs and issues. Disney is just getting less and less special-needs friendly. And I'LL be the one being sued when my son scratches or hurts someone else when I can't react fast enough to stop him.

no they stopped because it was being abused big time by parents who were switching the bands with their kids.

do not blame Disney for this.. it is the selfish and self entitled actions of others that ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I agree that passing the measurement when entering the line and then not the second time is a lot for a kid in the spectrum to process. The sudden ride denial will feel so unexpected. It a lot of disappointment for any kid. Why not just teach the first CM how to measure accurately and eliminate the second measure. You are either 44" or you aren't. It shouldn't be a matter of opinion. No other measurements in life are opinion based.

can't always count on that. I personally witnessed a few kids get past the measuring stick who were CLEARLY too short because they were distracted by an adult( and I KNOW it was deliberate because man did that other adult rush the kid past ) at RnRC

on one occasion the CM chased them down and made Junior be measured( he failed and Mom got a stern talking to). on anther I saw a different little girl come back down throwing a hissy fit because Mommy promised her she could ride but were turned back at the second marker( and yes I saw her get snuck by ..my husband loves that ride and I cannot so I people watched for a good half hour each time were at the park)

and a least a few other times on different rides a marker was not manned when smaller kids walked up. some adults had their kids check it out and walked away if they didn't reach. , others did not.

 

[Coonhound]

Disney is just getting less and less special-needs friendly. And I'LL be the one being sued when my son scratches or hurts someone else when I can't react fast enough to stop him.

Ok I'm not trying to be mean and at the risk of being flamed..but your child is your responsibility. If he injured someone, of course it would be you who gets in trouble...why WOULDNT it be your fault if he hurt someone?

Disney still has help for special needs. They're not unfriendly now. They let you wait outside the line, so you shouldn't have to worry about him injuring someone in hour long lines.

 

[ladyjubilee]

So. I'll say right away so no one jumps to conclusions that I'm trying to get my son on a ride he's not tall enough for. No way. If he's not tall enough, he doens/t ride. It's a safety thing. He's a peanut for his age. Even though I know he's tall enough for some rides, I won't take him on them because he's not ready and I'm too nervous about it.

ANYWAY! My question, as some of you guys w/ ASD kids would understand, if they have it in their head they can ride a ride and then they get turned away for being too short, they will have a MELTDOWN of epic proportions. Mine gets self-injourous and also injures others. The only reason that could happen is if the person at the entrance let him in for meeting the requirement and the last person to measure at the actual loading area said "no". THAT would be the issue I'm speaking of. So what I'm wondering if if anyone has gotten anything from guest services like a band or pass or what-not that says he's been remeasured and meets those requirements so we don't have to fear that melt-down every single time. We just got home from the pediatricians and w/o shoes right now (50 days out from our trip) he's 43.5 inches. SO depending, he could be right at that cusp where he could meet requirements of 44 inch rides w/ one CM and not w/ another on the same ride.

I think the easiest solution is to just check the height requirement for the rides before you get to the ride, and if he's not 2 inches above don't try. If he's 43.5 he's too small for a 44 inch ride. Lets be honest, we know our kids are unpredictable, we have to be on the conservative side and not try squeeze by.

Don't know about you, but every time I try to squeeze by something goes painfully wrong.

 

[DaisyD]

Six Flags is a pretty major theme park with parks all over the US. They still do the band system.

Hershey park used to. You were measured when you went in the park and was given a wrist band with different candy names. Reese's was for a certain height and other for other heights. The rides would have a sign on each one with pic of the candies. If your candy was on there you got to ride.

 

[ChloeH]

I just don't understand what those parents are thinking to sneak children into a potentially dangerous situation. However if the child legitimately meats the height requirement at one end, there should be enough continuity in the measurement to meet it at the other end. Of course as some pointed out the child could slouch.

OP I wouldn't try it if he is barely 44". It will lead to meltdowns and extra stress for you!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . if the child legitimately meats the height requirement at one end, there should be enough continuity in the measurement to meet it at the other end . . .

1) Actually, this is a VERY common occurrence.
2) One CM simply does not measure correctly and one does.
3) Yes, the child gets upset, but rules-is-rules.
4) They either meet the "story pole" height or not.

 

[bookwormde]

The "can they, can't they", "will they, won't they" debate is how threads like this get shut down. Could Disney have a system in place where a child is measured once and given a band or some other identifying device? Well sure, they could. However, Disney has made a corporate decision to not allow central measuring and identifiers and that is really that.

The real point of this thread (at least I hope it is the point...) is how to deal with the quite real possibility that a child who is close to the minimum height requirement might be denied access to a ride after being told that they are tall enough.

Sue has some really good advice above, but I will add in my thoughts as this is something I have had to deal with at Disneyland.

To the OP, I would go into this trip with the expectation that if you try and take your son on rides that have a 44 inch requirement, it is much more likely than not that the issue you are concerned about IS going to happen at least once. So, you can either avoid those rides completely until you are certain your son is tall enough, or you can prepare both your child and yourself for how to deal with him being denied access.

Like with everything related to Disneyland and my son, I chose to prepare. We talked to him about being measured. A lot. We went over what was going to happen and how he needed to stand up straight and listen to the CM. WE had conversations about how he would need to be checked at two different places and if either of the CMs said he was too short, then we just could not ride because the CM had the final decision.

I try and do what I can to prepare my son for what is going to happen, like many kids with autism, he does best when he knows what to expect. We also have a pretty strict policy on behaviour. If things become to overwhelming for our son, we leave. End of argument. I know that things can get hard when dealing with a child who has autism but it is our job as parents to try and get them prepared for the real world and part of that involves being able to behave in an appropriate manner. I cannot count how many times we have left a restaurant, museum, fair, movie theatre or party because he was having a meltdown. He is old enough now to know what we expect from him and in fact his therapy group uses the terms "expected and unexpected behaviour" when helping him.

Do meltdowns still happen? Oh yes...but we remove ourselves from the situation when they happen and we try to prepare our son to avoid them as much as possible.

Lots of good advice, but as we all know all our kids are different and can react different on different days, so no amount of preparation is full proof.

Many of our kids could be 2" over the minimum and still not be able to be measured consistently.

Just because Disney does not have an accommodation in place does not mean that it is unreasonable for them to have one in place.

If the nature of the accommodation (ride including the line and safety checks) with any regularity fails to allow equal access then any reasonable (not creating an unreasonable financial burden) that maintains safety and is not substantially disruptive to other guests is required by the business.

If you are getting a DAS then Disney having the capability to measure your child at the time you receive the DAS and note it on the card would certainly falls into the range of reasonable accommodations, so the OP should ask for this and if it is denied should contact OCR and file a complaint. This does not compromise safety since the CM at the attraction can still monitor that the child is near of above the height requirement and verify from the notation on the DAS.

Disability accommodations are not about what is "available" but rather what is reasonable while not creating substantively greater safety risks.

I can assure you OCR will give not consideration to the "we do not do that" argument and will base any guidance/enforcement on the facts of the situation.

This is a situation that has been an issue for a long time and hopefully someone will formally ask for the accommodation and document the result and if inconsistent with ADA follow up so if can be settled.

 

[Kellykins1218]

Disney is just getting less and less special-needs friendly. (

I don't agree with that statement at all. I feel they're just as special-needs friendly as before. What I do believe is that Disney Guests have gotten more lawsuit happy and Disney's pockets are a lot deeper than those of the other amusement parks.