How strict are Disney with minimum height requirements? About This Page:

[mattnkatsmum]

My daughter will be three as soon as we get back from our trip (Free pass for her wey hey!!!). She is a bit of a daredevil and wants to go on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but at 39" is an inch too short. I'm thinking of some platform sneakers and a ponytail on top of her head. Are the Disney folks likely to buy this or should we stick to the less hairy stuff?

[MontiMouse]

Last May my daughter was a little less than half an inch too short for Rock -n- Roller Coaster and the CM's told her she could not ride it.

[jacquipals]

My son was 39' when we went in September. He wore regular Stride Rite sandals and didn't have a problem except for Soarin'. At the first height check he made it and then after an hour in line the final CM said 'no'. I was really upset that he had waited in line all that time after being told he could go on. I asked to talked to a supervisor who after a quick check let him go on. Part of the problem was that everytime he was measured he had a hard time standing straight because he was curious as to what the CM was going to "do to him" as he put it. You may want to have your daugher practice being measured before you go so she is more comfortable with the process.

[disneymom9092]

They were always strict when the boys were little. Remember-that the requirements are for safety reasons and the CM's are just being cautious. They could get into real trouble for letting someone in they shouldn't have.

[jimmymac]

Depends on the CM. They're pretty strict about enforcing the rules though

[Jennifer2003]

The height requirements are in place for everyone's safety. If her shoes don't help her make the height, please don't hold it against WDW. They are only doing it to protect her.

Jennifer

[kathy320]

we rode Space ,ountain in 2004 and a person in front of us was just shy of the height requirement and they wouldn't let them on. Remember.....it is for safety reasons they do this. God forbid something hapopened to someone they let on who didn't meet the height req>

[Teresa]

The height rules are in place for safety - your DD's not WDW's!
It always upsets me when parents pull all the tricks - higher soled shoes, hair "puffed up", and having the child stand on tip-toe.
We made our kids wait until they were over the mark, and if it was a close call we called it - NO!
The restraints are made for that height and over.

Plus, how can we as parents tell our kids that it's not right to cheat or steal or lie, and then teach them to do it by not following the rules?

[vsonnier]

I would certainly hope the CM's are overly cautious and strict about height requirements as they are enforced for safety reasons. I personally wouldn't take a chance like that!

[coffeechef]

When are you going. Kids grow fast .. maybe she will grow that inch she needs. I would say try some platform shoes & mesaure her. Tell her to stand up real straight. Practice at home.
The measure sticks they use have a bar across the top, so they have to bump their heads on it (so to speak) to be tall enough. So the hair thing may not work but the shoe thing might.

[CinderAbby]

[ QUOTE ]
Plus, how can we as parents tell our kids that it's not right to cheat or steal or lie, and then teach them to do it by not following the rules?

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/yeahthat.gif[/img]

I agree. Daredevil or not, she needs to learn sometimes the answer is no, even if she doesn't like it. If you always give in to her now or teach her ways to go around rules, she's going to grow up thinking that rules ARE made to be broken, not put in place for her safety. I have a DD also and I know it's not easy to enforce rules when they so badly want to do something, but I do because I know once you allow a certain behavior, it will not end - it will only get worse. So when your DD gets older, how do you want her to think? Do you want her to see a rule and think of ways to get around it or do you want her to think that maybe the rule is there for a reason to begin with?

[allimanda]

When we went my DD really wanted to go on Rock N Roller Coaster. The CM say her and said no way. She measured just in case and was just barely hitting her head on the bar and not able to fully get under it. The CM said "wow just made it". We ended up not going on it anyway. Only due to the wait was 1hr and we did not want to wait.

[lkmom]

They push those pony tails down really hard. That doesn't work. My daughter is dying to ride RNRC. She is just shy of the height. We just tell her maybe next time.

Some rides, like Kali River Rapids, have special seats for children who are a little shorter. Like others have said, it is for your child's safety.

[mattnkatsmum]

Oh dear. I don't want to compromise Kartherine's safety. I had actually read about the 'height enhancing' tips in the Unofficial Guide in which they specifically state that safety won't be compromised. I had assumed therefore that the height requirements were more to do with the 'fear factor'!

[joeandjenn]

Last Oct. DS#2 was too short for the twirl ride in AK and it was only by a "hair." I accept that Disney knows best in the height area. I'd rather we had to go back to Disney when they are tall enough than risk it.