Would you book FP just in case?

[Lupeix]

DS is 4 yo, but he is very tiny. Right now he is 39 inches, 39 1/2 with shoes. I know he will like to ride test track, soarin, BTMR, splash mountain and star tours. I know the lines will be long without a fastpass. Should I book them anyway just in case? or use the FP for other rides? we are 8 weeks away from our trip. (I cannot ride most of them so it will be for him, DH and grandma/grandpa)

 

[disney world dreamer]

generally shoes add 1 inch not 1/2 inch especially if they are athletic sneakers and not flat sandals, flip flops, or canvas shoes so if he's not wearing an athletic sneaker when you measure him i'd get him a pair.
it might just bump him up to the exactly 40" mark.

also make sure he is actually standing tall and not slouching as that can make him measure shorter than he actually is.

its highly doubtful he'll actually grow 1/2-1 inch in just 8 weeks so if you have done the above and he's really only 39-1/2 inches tall then i would not bother to make FP+ selections for rides that have a 40 inch height requirement.
CM's are strict about height so if he's not exactly 40 inches or taller they are not gonna let him on.
also even if the first CM lets you in the line the CM prior to boarding may measure again and say he's too short.
and even if he gets on one ride there's not guaranteeing he'll get on the next.

this is just my opinion though so ultimately you need to decide for yourself whether you think its worth selecting those FP+'s and hoping for the best or selecting others for attractions you KNOW he can ride.

 

[Pamnkevin]

I would do it. We started planning our May trip last year around January and my then 3 year old daughter grew almost 2 inches. She was able to ride all of the 40" rides. You never know when your kids will hit a growth spurt.

 

[LaurenT]

My daughter tends to measure taller at Disney than at home.
I would make the FPs for the 40 inch rides ... If you get there and he isn't tall enough, the less popular ones that you would opt for will almost certainly have plenty of availability so that you can go to a kiosk and have a CM switch all of them for you that first day...

 

[ConnieB]

We had the same concern our first trip to Disney......these are some things for you to consider:

How will he feel if you try taking him on a height restricted ride and the "worst" happens, he's denied by either the entrance or the secondary CM? If he has the personality to be able to just be sad and move on, then I'd book him the thrill ride FP and hope for the best. If his personality is one that he would have a meltdown, then it may not be worth the emotional roller coaster (no pun intended, but it is a good pun, lol). I always talked to my girls and reminded them often that they may not be able to ride because the CMs wanted to be sure they were safe and secure and belted into the ride....so when we were denied it was a "oh, darn" instead of a temper tantrum (which sadly I've seen many times with parents who tried to game it). I think it really depends on the child's personality and possibly whether the parents made him understand the possiblity that he can't ride.

If he can't ride with Dad/Grands, what would you do while you wait for them? You mentioned you can't ride those particular rides, would you be able to ride "tame" rides? Would the things you'd be riding with him be things where the standby line isn't normally very long (i.e. not something like Peter Pan or 7DMT). If you'd be wanting to ride something "tame" but that would be best with a FP, then I'd book that so he has something to ride. If you'd be instead using that time to just wander the gift shop or go to a M&G, you won't really "need" the FP so book something you hope he can get.

I'm guessing based solely on the photo and join date in your original post, that this is not the first visit to WDW. So, with the assumption that you'll be going again when he's well within the height requirement, I'd also say to remember that if he can't ride them SAFELY this trip, there is always the next trip where he can ride them safely. It's not as dramatic as "if he's too short he will die", but it could be his head won't rest in the right place and may get banged up, or he won't be tall enough to see over the car, or whatever. I know how easy it is to get caught up in that "it's only 1/2 inch, he's not going to die"....but remember that Disney doesn't make these restrictions to be mean and upset "height challenged" children....but because the experts who created the ride have deemed it unsafe for a shorter person to ride safely.....sometimes it is obvious why, but sometimes it has to do the physics and aerodynamics and other nerdy science stuff, and if that little difference in height means he won't be as safe as possible, is it worth it? As his parent, only you can answer that question. Since we knew that first trip wasn't our last, I was happy to wait until it was as safe as possible for them.

 

[Lupeix]

We had the same concern our first trip to Disney......these are some things for you to consider:

How will he feel if you try taking him on a height restricted ride and the "worst" happens, he's denied by either the entrance or the secondary CM? If he has the personality to be able to just be sad and move on, then I'd book him the thrill ride FP and hope for the best. If his personality is one that he would have a meltdown, then it may not be worth the emotional roller coaster (no pun intended, but it is a good pun, lol). I always talked to my girls and reminded them often that they may not be able to ride because the CMs wanted to be sure they were safe and secure and belted into the ride....so when we were denied it was a "oh, darn" instead of a temper tantrum (which sadly I've seen many times with parents who tried to game it). I think it really depends on the child's personality and possibly whether the parents made him understand the possiblity that he can't ride.

If he can't ride with Dad/Grands, what would you do while you wait for them?

This is not our first trip and we are going again in July 2016. Here is the thing, DS has a ridiculous memory and has been asking to watch videos about Disney since we got back from our last trip (July 2013, he was 2 and 1/2 and remembers an amazing amount of stuff about it). He has very clear in his mind what he wants to ride, and it includes BTMR and test track. I keep telling him he has to grow taller before he can. I know the height requirements are for a reason and that we are going back when he will be tall enough. I will be 20 weeks along in the trip, so I can't ride most of those things anyway, I was going to baby shop at the stores. He doesn't know we are going in April. The meltdown will ensure about BTMR regardless of whether we get in line or not, because he really wants to ride it and talks about it all the time. He even says he loves roller-coasters, although he has never been in one (at least he can do barnstormer and 7DMT). He has a pediatrician appointment next week and I am going to ask them to measure him with his shoes on. If he doesn't make the 40 inch mark I am just going to say no to any of those rides. I think I can probably take him to the Frozen sing-a-long while DH does star wars, because DS wants to go but won't particularly care if he is doing something else. I will have to prepare myself for a meltdown at MK, unless we manage to never be close enough to see BTMR.

 

[ConnieB]

This is not our first trip and we are going again in July 2016. Here is the thing, DS has a ridiculous memory and has been asking to watch videos about Disney since we got back from our last trip (July 2013, he was 2 and 1/2 and remembers an amazing amount of stuff about it). He has very clear in his mind what he wants to ride, and it includes BTMR and test track. I keep telling him he has to grow taller before he can. I know the height requirements are for a reason and that we are going back when he will be tall enough. I will be 20 weeks along in the trip, so I can't ride most of those things anyway, I was going to baby shop at the stores. He doesn't know we are going in April. The meltdown will ensure about BTMR regardless of whether we get in line or not, because he really wants to ride it and talks about it all the time. He even says he loves roller-coasters, although he has never been in one (at least he can do barnstormer and 7DMT). He has a pediatrician appointment next week and I am going to ask them to measure him with his shoes on. If he doesn't make the 40 inch mark I am just going to say no to any of those rides. I think I can probably take him to the Frozen sing-a-long while DH does star wars, because DS wants to go but won't particularly care if he is doing something else. I will have to prepare myself for a meltdown at MK, unless we manage to never be close enough to see BTMR.

Maybe you could put up a height chart and mark the height he has to be (while I don't usually advocate lying to a child, I'd probably put the mark at 41" just so he get used to the idea that he's not even "close"...you can see if he is, but don't let him feel he's very close, lol). Tell him that his reward once he reaches above that mark is to ride BTMR. He's still a bit young to get the logic or it, but maybe if you and the pediatrician and everyone around him says "next trip" it will get through to him so he doesn't have a meltodwn...those are so sad to see.

Congrats on your upcoming addition!

 

[Lupeix]

Well, he is 39 and 1/2 with shoes on. DH still has hopes he will make the 40 mark by the time we get there. I am just going to plan not.

 

[disney world dreamer]

Well, he is 39 and 1/2 with shoes on. DH still has hopes he will make the 40 mark by the time we get there. I am just going to plan not.

did you ask at the doctor's appointment if they thought it was realistic to think he may grow a good 1/2 inch by the time you go on the trip?

 

[juliekzp]

I'd seriously try to find some thicker shoes. My 5-year-old is the same way about his Disney memories and watching videos, so I totally understand the strong desire to take him on those rides. Just check and double check, and if he's actually 40" with shoes, then go for it.

I also agree with PP who suggested you go ahead and book the FPs for the fast rides, because it'll be relatively easy to switch to other rides at the last minute.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

We're 7 weeks away. Our daughter is 43 and three quarter inches. We booked Space Mountain because she really wants to ride it and we don't want to stand in that long line. Hopefully she makes height with shoes. Who knows if she will, though. If she doesn't, we will suck it up. But, going off of my strategy, I'm going to recommend you go ahead and book them just in case.

Another option is to maybe just use FP for some of them, though, and plan to rope drop the others. For example, if you head to Frontierland first thing, it's usually not very busy because everyone is heading to Fantasyland (especially right now with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the Anna and Elsa meet and greet) so you can likely ride both Thunder and Splash with little to no wait. At Epcot, you can book Test Track for around 10:00 and head straight to Soarin'. Ride that a couple of times. Use your other two FP+ selections on throw aways because you won't need them for anything other than TT and Soarin. You can cancel the other two right before you go on Test Track and then, while everyone else rides, you can go try and book Soarin' again using your 4th FP.

 

[grossmansr]

You never know when a child is join to have a growth spurt. I'd say 1/2 inch in 2 months could totally happen. Of course, it might not. But it's not outside the realm of possibility. My LO seemed to grow an inch overnight recently. She's 3.5 and 41 inches. Last year at this time she was 36.5 inches. Her growth was in bursts, not gradually. Unfortunately, you can't predict these things. I'd book the FPs and cross my fingers. You can always change them at the last minute if necessary.