Measure Height of Child with Shoes On or Off?

[princessgirls]

Personally, I think Disney has the most liberal height requirements of any park I have been too. 40 inches is golden for the "little ones".

I have been there, done that, didn't venture off to the parks until both girls were 40". Lucky for me my husband is tall, and at 3 and 4 years of age, we had achieved that!!

Julie

[disneymom2000]

I've seen them make the child take the shoes off only once or twice in all of our visits and both times were because of abnormally thick soles on the shoes (like 3-4" in height).

How does a kiddo that young walk in shoes like that?? It seems crazy with all the walking you have to do at the parks.

[Strmchsr]

How does a kiddo that young walk in shoes like that?? It seems crazy with all the walking you have to do at the parks.

Beats me. But, then, I've seen some women walking around the parks in shoes (even heels) that made me think the same thing.

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

To be SAFE measure your kid at home with shoes off. Check online to see what rides they cannot go on. If they dont meet the height requirement do go to that ride. If you kid just meets the required heights i agree practice practice practice and explain you need to stretch tall. Above all if your kid dont meet the height requirement dont try to make them higher. Dont endanger your kid its not worth it.

[Disney Doll]

Could they not make the measure outside the ride a tiny bit HIGHER than the one inside, so if there is an error, it wont happen at the last minute?

I like this idea! Saves from disappointment when a kid thinks they are allowed to ride and then finds out they aren't. Personally if my kid is border line I expect it to go either way and don't get upset if they call it under. There's always next time.

[MNNHFLTX]

For kids whose height is borderline, I think we have to be proactive with them and talk to them about the fact that they will be measured, sometimes not just once but twice. And that if they're not tall enough with either of those measurements that they will not be able to go on the ride on this trip. And in reality, if that does happen, how we handle it as parents can help set the tone for the experience. If we are understanding (of their disappointment), but try to keep things upbeat, it will not be so traumatic. But if we get angry or upset, it will only make the situation worse. We are giving them the skills on how to handle disappointment, not just at WDW, but for the rest of their lives.

To the OP--sorry for the thread going off on a tangent. As you can see, the subject of height restrictions can by a touchy one. But you are absolutely right to prepare ahead of time as far what to expect.

[WDWFRK]

We went to Cedar Point in Ohio this summer with a large group of people, including kids of various ages and heights.

We had the option of making one stop at a guest relation-type center where all of the kids were measured and then given a colored wristband that corresponded with a height requirement cutoff.

I can't tell you how convenient this option was to have as we never had to get measured again and everyone knew up front exactly what they would be able to go on or not. I also think they took a more accurate measurement in this way.

[Melanie]

We had the option of making one stop at a guest relation-type center where all of the kids were measured and then given a colored wristband that corresponded with a height requirement cutoff.

I can't tell you how convenient this option was to have as we never had to get measured again and everyone knew up front exactly what they would be able to go on or not. I also think they took a more accurate measurement in this way.

They did test a program like this at Disneyland a few years back. Apparently it didn't go well enough to implement it permanantly.

[Goes4FastPass]

"... they will be measured, sometimes not just once but twice..

This is what frets me. Explain to a young child that the measurement may be OK at the attracton entrance but there may be another measurement again after s/he waits until it's time to ride and that measurement may be not OK?

If a child is "just tall enough" at the queue entrance but the CM at the loading area decides, "Nah, not quite." do we really think the height restriction is so exact that 44" is safe and 43.87" is unsafe?

[MNNHFLTX]

This is what frets me. Explain to a young child that the measurement may be OK at the attracton entrance but there may be another measurement again after s/he waits until it's time to ride and that measurement may be not OK?

If a child is "just tall enough" at the queue entrance but the CM at the loading area decides, "Nah, not quite." do we really think the height restriction is so exact that 44" is safe and 43.87" is unsafe?

I hear what you are saying and no, maybe the safety factor is not that stringent. But rules are rules (to quote my mom) and things like that happen and that's why I think we need to prepare our kids ahead of time. We had that exact same situation with Space Mountain when my son was little--he made the height clearance at the entrance but not at the loading point. Was it disappointing for him? Of course. Did it ruin our day? No--we talked to him ahead of time that it was a borderline thing and that we would have to respect what the CM's said.

[PinKy]

This happened to me and my DD on Splash Mountain. They cleared her at the fastpass gate and then sent us on our way right when we were getting on. And I let the CM know what I thought of her. Didn't even care if she's just "doing her job". My daughter had been wanting to ride it, and they wouldn't let her. Then the next year when we went, it was closed for refurb. Made me glad I took the time to vent the first time around.

Yikes! That sounds so scary! Thankfully the castmember had the guts to stand up for what was right. The restrictions (and the cast members) are there to prevent children from being injured or worse on rides that they may not be big enough to ride safely. Better to be safe and save the ride for another trip than to take a risk like that with a child.

My kids aren't tall enough to ride many of the 'coaster type rides either, but if I were to weasle their way on there somehow and something happened to them, I'm just not sure I'd ever forgive myself. Dramatic - yes - but also true.

[Goes4FastPass]

Yikes! ... but if I were to weasle their way ...

I would never advise anyone to try to "weasle" around any height restrictions.

(Actually, I think WDW's height rules are very fair, particularly when you consider details like they go so far as give KRR a 40" minimum because they have have a special seat on boats with a little person extra L shaped bar)

And I've had children measured and been told "too short" and that's then end of it. Amen. To argue is not being on vacation, it's being Scrooge McParent and upsetting a child and hassling a CM who's simply trying to work for a paycheck.

But I've also had times when the child was measured and remeasured and the CM called another CM over, "What do you think?" while the child anxiously waited for the verdict.

I simply want to measure, ride if tall enough, then go have a Mickey ice cream sandwich - That's not weasle-ing.

[Gator]

Better to be safe and save the ride for another trip than to take a risk like that with a child.

I guess you guys aren't hearing the point. If a child is cleared once, then she's starts jumping with glee because she can ride, and then a CM says she's not tall enough (even though her head was touching the bottom of the height sign), I think I've got every right to put my finger in her face. It wasn't a safety issue. If your' 40 inches and not 40 1/4 inches, how does that change the child's safety on a ride?

And besides that, it's Splash Mountain. We're not talking Thunder or Space here. There's not even lap bars for crying out loud. She got cleared for Soarin' and Star Tours, but not Splash, the one she'd been really wanting to ride. If I thought it wasn't safe, I wouldn't have taken her on it. For instance, Tower of Terror and Dinosaur are 40 inch rides, but there's no way she'd go on those - too dangerous and fast. So please don't insult my parenthood. I take my kids across the country to see their dreams come true, not have some teenager having a bad day squash them.

[Goes4FastPass]

OK,

I'm probably not saying what I think clearly.

I think

Some parents act weasley and they shouldn't.

Some CMs are too quick to wave a refusal with a terse "just doing my job"

[Melanie]

I guess you guys aren't hearing the point. If a child is cleared once, then she's starts jumping with glee because she can ride, and then a CM says she's not tall enough (even though her head was touching the bottom of the height sign), I think I've got every right to put my finger in her face.

To me, that's something you've got to prepare your child for as a parent. You never know who or what you're going to encounter, so the best thing to do is talk to/prepare your child and avoid the disappointment. Is this idealic? No. But definitely reality.

And no, I don't think there is ever a case where putting a finger in any CMs face is acceptable. One time while my sons were riding Primeval Whirl, I witnessed a dad going ballastic on a CM at the entrance who assured her that his daughter had ridden the day before. The girl was almost tall enough, but not quite. The CM stood her ground and the dad got so ugly it was embarrassing and a show. He kept coming back and coming back. A manager was called in, and he was ugly to her as well. He walked away, but finally he calmed down, came back and apologized. It was a bizarre scene, and certainly one that doesn't belong at WDW. I would hope that no one here would put any CM in that situation when they are just trying to enforce the rules and ensure the safety of your child.

[Jeri]

We have always told our kids that they might be tall enough but we have to wait and see what the cast member says.
We tell them that whatever they say goes, and if they say no they aren't tall enough at anytime, then they don't ride. I just tell them that next time they can ride, and for now we will just go get an ice cream bar and ride something else.
Maybe we have been lucky, because neither of my kids have ever cried, thrown a fit or anything when turned away at either the entrance or right up to getting on the ride for not being tall enough.

[MyDisneyworld]

We went to Cedar Point in Ohio this summer with a large group of people, including kids of various ages and heights.

We had the option of making one stop at a guest relation-type center where all of the kids were measured and then given a colored wristband that corresponded with a height requirement cutoff.

I can't tell you how convenient this option was to have as we never had to get measured again and everyone knew up front exactly what they would be able to go on or not. I also think they took a more accurate measurement in this way.

This sounds like a great idea and very simple.

[Daisy'sMom]

Rules are rules. The best parenting anyone can do is explain that they should obey someone's rules if they are on that someone's property. I certainly would not teach them that anger is acceptable behavior and that there is ever a reason to scream at someone for doing their job. Rudeness is never acceptable.
Splash Mountain might be a "tame" ride, but someone lost their life on that ride before.

[Gator]

Splash Mountain might be a "tame" ride, but someone lost their life on that ride before.

Only because he made a very unsmart choice of stepping out of the log in the middle of the ride...and then got run over by another log. It had nothing to do with someone falling off on a drop or anything like that. I seriously doubt the engineers would build SM and have no restraints on the logs if it were remotely possible for someone big or small to fall out during the flumes.

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

Only because he made a very unsmart choice of stepping out of the log in the middle of the ride...and then got run over by another log. It had nothing to do with someone falling off on a drop or anything like that. I seriously doubt the engineers would build SM and have no restraints on the logs if it were remotely possible for someone big or small to fall out during the flumes.

you cant stop stupid huh