Too Short to Ride

[dismur]

Everyone's height fluctuates slightly during the day (by as much as an inch and a half in an adult) as your spine compresses when you are walking around, due to gravity.

Try the rides with the height requirements early in the day if you can. You might be pleasantly surprised and your DS may meet the height requirements in the morning but not later in the day. Good luck

 

[jcemom]

I repeat. We are prepared. He is prepared. We are cautious...

..and even if he does make the cut...he will not be riding.

Space Mountain
Tower of Terror
Kali River Rapids
Thunder Mountain
and probably splash Mountain


..what I feel is appropriate for 40" 3 year old:

Stitch
Soar'n
Star Tours
Dinosaur
..and maybe Test Track

Kali Rapids is pretty tame, and my just barely 40" tall DD had no problem with ir, and no problems with Splash or Thunder Mts either. Space Mountain is 44" not 40" and with good reason. DD just made it onto that one in January and she absolutely loved it. I was a little nervous the first couple of times we rode it, since she wasn't in the seat with me, but she was fine. ToT, theming aside, is tame enough for a 40" child also, IMO, however, I can see how younger children might be scared of the theming alone.

Dinosaur is the scariest of the bunch, my DD thought.

I'll send some pixie dust your way in hopes that your DS makes it to 40" before the trip!

 

[Tinkerbell3014]

I know every child is different, but I would put BTMRR and Splash on the 'appropriate list' instead of Stitch and Dinosaur lol

I have to agree with this... Stitch and Dinosaur may be scary for young riders. My DD was almost 5 the first time we took her; she loved BTMRR and Splash. She wasn't crazy about seeing the fire on Kali but loved the actual ride.

 

[labattblue]

Each night before bed, you take his feet, have your wife take his hands and try to stretch him. Surely you can "pull" him a 1/2 inch taller in a month!

Actually this method is flawed in that he may just end up with longer arms instead of becoming taller. Much better to pull the child by his head and feet just to make sure.


Joking aside...if it is a once in a lifetime trip and this is an issue, wait a year or two. If it is an annual trip, go enjoy yourself this trip on the attractions that you make the cut on and wait until next visit for the rest.

 

[arcurioa]

No necessarily for the OP, but for others - make sure you teach your kids to stand up straight. My DD was too short for RNR when she tried the first time and was crushed, but then we taught her how to stand up straight with her shoulders back and chin straight out. When she tried again she made it by over a 1/2" inch.

 

[KimK2006]

Actually this method is flawed in that he may just end up with longer arms instead of becoming taller. Much better to pull the child by his head and feet just to make sure.
[/B]

No wonder this didn't work for my DS. I was doing it wrong. That is why his knuckles kept scraping the ground!!!

 

[stella27]

Actually this method is flawed in that he may just end up with longer arms instead of becoming taller. Much better to pull the child by his head and feet just to make sure.


Joking aside...if it is a once in a lifetime trip and this is an issue, wait a year or two. If it is an annual trip, go enjoy yourself this trip on the attractions that you make the cut on and wait until next visit for the rest.

Have you considered taking him to BBB for big princess hair, a poufy dress, and some high-heeled princess shoes? I think there are all kinds of ways around this rule.

 

[dlaushey]

I repeat. We are prepared. He is prepared. We are cautious...

..and even if he does make the cut...he will not be riding.

Space Mountain
Tower of Terror
Kali River Rapids
Thunder Mountain
and probably splash Mountain


..what I feel is appropriate for 40" 3 year old:

Stitch
Soar'n
Star Tours
Dinosaur
..and maybe Test Track

Unless Disney just recently changed it, Kali is only 38 inches so you should make that with no problems.

We have used thick soled shoes and have not been asked to take them off. We've carried different shoes in the stroller just for that purpose and changed them prior to riding. We even had a CM comment that someone got new shoes so that they could ride RnR - which was true .

 

[mom2val]

I know every child is different, but I would put BTMRR and Splash on the 'appropriate list' instead of Stitch and Dinosaur lol

Totally agree... Stitch scared my dd at age 5 and again at age 8. Dinosaur made my 4 year old dare devil nephew HYSTERICAL- leave the park the kid is so freaked out.

 

[la79al]

Maybe hang him upside down to sleep. Let gravity stretch him out. And I would totally take Dinosaur off the list. That ride is vicious.

 

[Anglefan]

They shouldn't measure height anyway, it should be based on torso. You're sitting down.

 

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

No, I'm sure she wasn't trained by the TSA! Believe me, the CM's have seen every trick in the book to make short kids a little bit taller. Since the rule is there for safety, they enforce it pretty rigorously. As they should!!!!

The OP has admitted that their DS is a half-inch too short. So the best strategy would be to prepare him with alternatives to riding these attractions, rather than trying to figure out a way to make him appear taller than he really is.

And this safety strategy is flawed. The height issue has nothing to do with the ride. My daughter who is plenty tall enough for the 40in rides has a very short torso and long lanky legs (got those from Dad ). The rides she gets on that shes tall enough to ride usually do not fit her well once she sits in them.

If they claim its for "safety" then you should be seated in a demo chair from the ride to see if you fit appropriately. Height has nothing to do with it. I'm sure plenty of kids have long torsos and tiny little legs who would fit perfectly, yet a taller child with long legs may be a little too small for the ride.

 

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

"YoMickey", where in Northeast Ohio are you?

Hi from Canton!!

 

[Anglefan]

If they claim its for "safety" then you should be seated in a demo chair from the ride to see if you fit appropriately. Height has nothing to do with it. I'm sure plenty of kids have long torsos and tiny little legs who would fit perfectly, yet a taller child with long legs may be a little too small for the ride.

Beat you to it with the torso theory! Haha.

I'm from Ohio too! Just north of Columbus.

 

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

Beat you to it with the torso theory! Haha.

I'm from Ohio too! Just north of Columbus.

That's because all us Ohioans are smart Must be that constant beating sun down there is Florida...

 

[Anglefan]

That's because all us Ohioans are smart Must be that constant beating sun down there is Florida...

Haha, no doubt. I'd never go to WDW from June-September. I complain when it gets up to 80 here!

 

[TLinden16]

I'm going to close this thread now. The DIS doesn't allow discussions of trying to get around Disney's policies.