How strict is Disney on height requirements for rides?

[Indy21]

Hello everyone, my first post here.

How strict is Disney World with height requirements for rides?

We have a 4 year old boy that is 37 1/2" short, hehe and my wife and I are worried sick that he won't be able to ride any of the rides that he wants like splash mountain, the dinosaur expedition thing and a few others he's pointed out in videos we've been watching.

Most rides require 40" right?

We are going the first week of August and I don't think there is much time left for him to grow!

Any reccomendations? Thick soled shoes? Tall hats? Can anyone help?

Thank you!

 

[maggiegrace1]

Pretty strict...I know that we tried to ride Goofys Roller Coaster last week with Maggie and the height limit was 35" and Maggie was just under it..her hair was touching the bottom of the measuring thing and they would not allow it...

So, I guess it really could depend on the cast member..or shoes or hat if you are wanting to do that..

Good luck!

 

[Oriolesmagic]

Hello everyone, my first post here.

How strict is Disney World with height requirements for rides?

We have a 4 year old boy that is 37 1/2" short, hehe and my wife and I are worried sick that he won't be able to ride any of the rides that he wants like splash mountain, the dinosaur expedition thing and a few others he's pointed out in videos we've been watching.

Most rides require 40" right?

We are going the first week of August and I don't think there is much time left for him to grow!

Any reccomendations? Thick soled shoes? Tall hats? Can anyone help?

Thank you!

That would be your best bet, IMO. My sister wore high heels to get on RNRC. So it can be done, but I'll let some of the more official members comment on this. (SirGoofy, LEE, Martin, anyone else except me.):lol:

 

[kitten2299]

They are very strick for saftey reasons. When going on Soarin' my husband was carring DD and they asked us to put her down so they could check her hight, which she was tall enough. I would not risk the saftey of your child just go back another time when hes tall enough or if another trip is not a possiblity you might want to wait till hes tall enough to go on all the rides he wants to go on.

 

[Oriolesmagic]

These are the rides he'd have to miss...

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/height.cfm

But keep in mind that there are plenty of other things to do in the most magical place on earth.

 

[RoRo]

They are really strict. If they don't think the person is tall enough they make them check on their height.

 

[marni1971]

Very strict, and they should be. I`ve seen kids have to remove shoes to be measured. These rules are there for very good reasons.

 

[happymom52003]

Don't worry...even though he can't ride a few of the rides, there are so many other things to do. Keep in mind that the vast majority of attractions at WDW do not have height requirements. As long as you don't make a big deal about it, he'll be fine. Just make sure he knows before the trip that there will be rides he can't ride. He will still have some disappointment, but it will not be near as bad as if he thought he was going to be able to ride something and was turned down by a CM at the line entrance. My son had multiple trips to WDW before he was tall enough to ride some of those attractions, and while he did express a bit of disappointment when we would pass by a ride he was not tall enough for, it was quickly forgotten. He had a blast on every single one of our trips, even though he knew there were rides he could not go on yet. And honestly, the fact that he had a few trips where he was not tall enough made his first rides even more special when he finally was tall enough!

 

[marsrunner]

They are very strict, as they should be, for safety reasons. Unfortunately they are also somewhat inconsistent. In my own experience my daughter was measured and allowed on Big Thunder Mountain (40"). We then went directly to Splash Mountain (also 40") and she was measured again and not allowed to ride. Very confusing at times. Later that day we went again (we know she was about 41" at the time, without shoes) and she was measured and allowed to ride Splash Mountain.

 

[Indy21]

Thank you for all the quick replies!

I understand the safety issue and I'm not going to risk my childs safety by cheating height. You guys are definately right on that account!

Good point as well as far as him actually seeing the ride in person and forgetting about it soon after or maybe even being intimidated by the size/speed of a particular ride. I'm sure there will be constant distractions that will draw his attention elsewhere.

Again, thanks for the quick replies and CANT WAIT!!

 

[Samoht]

They are definetly very strict. Last year my daughter was just 40" tall and a few times was measured twice (once at the beginning of the line and again near the end). However, putting her hair up gave her maybe another half inch that took the worry about her "just making it" away.

 

[Indy21]

They are definetly very strict. Last year my daughter was just 40" tall and a few times was measured twice (once at the beginning of the line and again near the end). However, putting her hair up gave her maybe another half inch that took the worry about her "just making it" away.

Dang! And we just got him a haircut to! Doh!

 

[The Mom]

Sometimes a CM will let hair or shoes pass, but I've had them push down on the hair (my son really, really wanted to go on Dinosaur, and he has very thick, poofy hair - he was 1/2 " too short that time) and I've seen other children taking their shoes off.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Very strict. They wouldn't even let my son ride Stitch's Great Escape because the cast member's hand was able to pass, barely, between the height guide and my son's head.....(i know, it's not a ride, did not know how to phrase it....)

 

[Dinoman96]

Very strict. They wouldn't even let my son ride Stitch's Great Escape because the cast member's hand was able to pass, barely, between the height guide and my son's head.....(i know, it's not a ride, did not know how to phrase it....)

He actually helped you out there, You should thank him.

 

[elizs77]

They are very strict. I've been on rides where DS was checked more than once - at the entrance and before boarding the ride.

I always wished, though, that Disney would go to a wristband system like I've seen in other parks. Get measured once, get a wristband based on height, that's it.

 

[Fun2BFree]

I always wished, though, that Disney would go to a wristband system like I've seen in other parks. Get measured once, get a wristband based on height, that's it.

But like the now-replaced EMH wristbands, it would be too easy to transfer them between people. If there's an exploit, it will be abused, even if it endangers children -- the tried and true method of measuring at each ride has proved effective.

 

[amaley01]

They are strict. During our visits we have had both, the CMs will check before you get in line and/or before he/she gets on the ride.
But..... what better reason to return and enjoy the magic :ROFLOL:

 

[MyLittleAngels]

I`ve seen kids have to remove shoes to be measured.

That's ridiculous. My children wear their shoes in the park, and on rides. I wear my shoes. I would flat-out refuse to remove their shoes in the park, regardless of what a CM said.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

That's ridiculous. My children wear their shoes in the park, and on rides. I wear my shoes. I would flat-out refuse to remove their shoes in the park, regardless of what a CM said.

Um, HELLO - it's for your kids' SAFETY!!!

I don't want to start a flame-war but what kind of parent are you?? (and I'm not just calling you out MyLittleAngels - this is directed to ANY parent trying to get their child around a height requirement)

Having worked in attractions at an amusement park (Not Disney) where there are minimum height requirements - they're set for a reason. Usually it's because anyone shorter than the minumum height requirements could possibly slip out of the safety restraints and be injured or possibly killed. I don't want to imagine the lawsuit that some parent would bring on if their child got injured or killed on a height requirement ride because they 'cheated' the system.

I've seen parents make their poor children walk around an amusement park in heels, if seen parents stuff their child's shoes with paper, I've seen it all and it's just NOT SAFE!! I know vacations are expensive, if your kid isn't going to be tall enough - hold off another year - the rides will STILL BE THERE!!

Call it pent-up aggression from being called every possible 4-letter word in the book, being split on and once even shoved for not letting your little "angel" on a roller coaster....but c'mon people.

The NICE thing about Disney is that there are MANY MANY alternatives to the "big kid" rides that your too-short child will enjoy and most of the time forget about the one they can't ride.

*steps off of her soapbox*