What has been your experience with traveling with a child approximately 40 inches?

[qa4ever]

Hello,

My niece is approximately 40 inches. As in, with shoes, she is basically right on the line at home.

We are wondering how accurate the measurement sticks are from ride to ride and park to park.

If you traveled with a child approx 40 inches did you ever get turned away at some rides but accepted at others? Or was it pretty consistent?

 

[Missyrose]

Hello,

My niece is approximately 40 inches. As in, with shoes, she is basically right on the line at home.

We are wondering how accurate the measurement sticks are from ride to ride and park to park.

If you traveled with a child approx 40 inches did you ever get turned away at some rides but accepted at others? Or was it pretty consistent?

We just took our nephew in December, he just barely measured at 40 inches at home. He measured tall enough at every ride. Just don't talk up a ride to her until she measures for it, just to avoid any possible disappointment.

 

[To the honeypots]

My son was right at 40 inches on our last trip. He was measured a lot but made it on every ride.

 

[TravelandLeisure]

My dd was about 39.5 inches on our last trip without shoes. She was able to ride Soarin, Test Track, and BTMRR with no problem at all. The CM at Dinosaur almost didn't let her on, but eventually did. The CM at Star Tours went so far as to slide a card under dd's head and the bar, and ultimately wouldn't let her on. So basically in my experience, it was somewhat inconsistent and heavily depends on the CM as to how strict they will be.

 

[eticketride]

We made a measuring stick at 40 inches and had our kids practice standing up "Disney Tall" until they figured out how much they needed to stretch in their shoes to touch the crossbar. So I guess we had them practice for getting measured, because some kids seem to slink down when the CMs bring out the T-square.

 

[Mvtracey]

My daughter was just barley 40inches tall and we practiced standing . I find that is the hardest thing when they are little to get the to stand up tall. She got on everything she tried so that was nice. i found if you went right to the stick to be measured they didn't stress as much as when it seems like you are trying to "skip" the measurement .

 

[iheartwalt]

We head to world on Wednesday so I will know more later but we made all our 40" height rides for first thing in the morning as he really loses quite a bit of height over the day. We have also been practicing and have him inhale (and hold it) for the measurement as that seems to be a good trick to really have him stand tall.

 

[wendow]

When we went three years ago and my oldest ds was 40" (with shoes only!), he got measured every ride over and over and many times by multiple cm's. As in, the CM at the entrance and then the CM up at the place you actually get on the ride would remeasure. He had paper slid between the board and his head. Very careful cm's that trip.

Fast forward, we were there this past December and our youngest ds was *barely* hitting 40" with shoes. I was pretty sure he wouldn't get to ride very many of the 40" rides so I prepped him and was expecting the worst. Lo and behold, he was only measured twice! On Stitch and ToT! That is it. He also rode Star Tours, TT, BTMR, Splash, and Soarin but no measuring there and we rode several of those multiple times. Only measured once on the two he did get measured at and no paper slid in. So strange. I have always heard Disney is a real stickler about the height requirements but now I am wondering if they are relaxing that some

 

[disney world dreamer]

my niece is extremely tall for her age and always has been.
when she was 2yrs4mos old she was right at 40 inches. (with shoes on)
she went on splash mountain, test track, and soarin that trip.
because she was right at 40 inches she was checked before entering the line and then again closer to the front of the line.
the measurement was exactly 40 inches every time.
i'd say that the measuring sticks are accurate and do not deviate from attraction to attraction.

 

[adc]

My son was almost 4 and right at 40 inches last year. He could ride everything at MK but they wouldn't let him on test track or Soarin. He was able to ride Star Tours and Dinosaur.

This year he will ride everything and go to Jedi Academy!

 

[dwbrewster]

I agree it is a CM call on how much they'll enforce. My DD(4) got rejected from Space Mountain (44') because her hair was the only thing touching the stick.
I will also echo the earlier comment, don't talk up the ride until your going on. and through the height test. I had to explain to my DD as we are walking away from SM that "don't worry it's not that fun of a ride anyway" to prevent a breakdown but I felt like I was sounding spiteful...

 

[maxiesmom]

I agree it is a CM call on how much they'll enforce. My DD(4) got rejected from Space Mountain (44') because her hair was the only thing touching the stick.
I will also echo the earlier comment, don't talk up the ride until your going on. and through the height test. I had to explain to my DD as we are walking away from SM that "don't worry it's not that fun of a ride anyway" to prevent a breakdown but I felt like I was sounding spiteful...

That is exactly how they are supposed to measure. Hair doesn't count, the top of the head does.

Keep in mind that if a child is thisclose, how they stand, or even the time of day can make enough of a difference that they may not make a ride they were allowed on before. We all shrink a little as the day goes on, so if there is a ride you really want to do, do it first thing.

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

My son turned 3 two days ago, we went to Disney the first week of December and he was at 40 inches. He got measured on pretty much every ride that had a 40 inch restriction, but made it, some barely paid attention. (we walked to the stick ourselves)
The only issue was at Star Tours. My son was tired and not too interested in getting measured, so he wasn't standing straight and was looking down. The gal denied him, and I said he hasn't had issues before, so she tried again, and his head was touching the point, but she wasn't going to let him pass. Another CM behind her was yelling "he is touching he is fine" but she was ignoring him. Finally she said 'go ahead, but he'll probably get denied up ahead." They didn't even remeasure him...

At Universal I think he got measured twice, and those rides I think are way more intense!!

We made a stick here and practiced before we left, so he was used to it.

 

[blizzard]

My son was just over 40" on a trip a few years ago. We rope dropped Test Track, and they measured him at the entrance and loading area, and we rode. We then went over to Soarin, and they gave him one chance to measure, said he was too short and refused to re-do it, even when I said he was just measured twice on Test Track and was fine. Not sure if he was slouching a bit or if the sticks or method were different, but I wasn't expecting him not to pass, so didn't re-coach to stand up as straight as possible.

My advice for those just barely tall enough
- coach the kids to stand up as straight as possible every time they are measured (cast members may not give them a second chance)
- ride the close rides first thing in the morning (height actually reduces over the course of the day)
- don't make promises on the rides that could be close. Leave it as a maybe.

 

[davkata]

One of our trips one of our sons wasn't sure if he wanted to ride RnRC. He measured fine at entrance and then once inside when they measured again, they were questioning it but ultimately let him on. He chose not to ride it again after that one ride LOL! On the other hand, DD wanted to ride every ride since her first trip at 2 1/2! We of course returned to WDW once DD was tall enough to ride everything, although she had the "assistance" of those thick soled Skechers sneakers just to give her an edge if needed. She made it on every ride that trip, although much to her dismay RnRC was down on arrival day and she had to wait to ride it until later that day! So I agree with what others have said, it can be hit or miss on the measurements if your child is just at the cutoff height.

 

[anniemae]

My son was right at 40 inches on our last trip. He was measured a lot but made it on every ride.

This was our experience as well.

 

[Braden's Momma]

We just took our nephew in December, he just barely measured at 40 inches at home. He measured tall enough at every ride. Just don't talk up a ride to her until she measures for it, just to avoid any possible disappointment.

I could not agree more

 

[taffy]

We are expecting a little dissapointment as he is a very short 4 yearold. With shoes on he will be just under the 40 inches.

 

[Iowajes]

We are expecting a little dissapointment as he is a very short 4 yearold. With shoes on he will be just under the 40 inches.

If you think he's going to make it at all- make sure to practice standing tall (without cheating, they CM will stop that) at home. Tell him he wants his head to hit the bar. Lots of kids will hunch a bit, thinking they need to fit UNDER the bar.

And try the "must dos" at the beginning of the day before gravity has compressed the spine.

 

[chris1212]

We were just there a couple months ago, DD is right around 40 inches. We found the measuring fairly inconsistent... One day at Epcot at TT we were told she was way too short. Then over at Soarin she was totally fine.