Any way to make my son 1 inch taller?

[eeyoregon]

 

[maxiesmom]

How about a rack? That wouldn't be against the rules.

You are bad, bad, bad!

And shame on you posters for saying that 1 inch isn't that big a deal. It may be only 1 inch, but are you relly willing to bet a childs life on it? Or maybe Disney should raise all of the height requirements an extra 2 inches to account for people trying to get around it?

 

[disneyjunkie]

How is disagreeing with the OP flaming, roasting or bashing?

I agree with those who say wait until your son is tall enough for the ride. I'd rather have a disappointed child than a hurt child.

 

[JerJan]

kidsister wrote: I would think that is her business, and not any of ours.

Sorry, but I must disagree, the SAFETY of ANY CHILD is everyone's business! And for all of the reasons posted here by others, I agree don't do it. Is it worth risking your child's safety so he doesn't get mad at you??? Who's the parent here??? Nothing and I mean NOTHING is worth risking the safety of a child!

 

[Hannathy]

Old short person here. While I agree there are certain rides that the height req. is very important there are others that it is not so. RNC is a very fast intense ride that the restraints must hold you correctly so I will be more concerned that my child is exactly the right height. MS while intense is not fly out of the car dangerous it is more of a hopefully we will weed out toddlers of a heighth req. What if you have really short kids? My DD was years older than the 4 and5 yr olds I see on here riding these rides. On a ride like BTMR we you sit together or Splash which isn't rough if my old short child needs a bit higher, not platform higher shoes to ride what other 3 yr olds are riding I will. I mention old because I was a child when amusement parks started adding height req and it is very hard to understand why a ride you rode all your life from toddler up goes to height req. and this summer you can't ie tilt a whirl,scrambler,ferris wheel etc.(and you are in 3rd grade) so some rides I think are a bit arbitrary and lawyer pleasing than safety.
So later this summer you will see me putting higher shoes on my 8 yr old so they can try Pri.Whirl with me and older sibling but not RNC.

 

[RIDisneyFan]

I agree that it depends on the ride. A few years ago we went to Disney Land, and my youngest DD was about 1/2 inch too short for Soarin Over California. My DH went on the ride first while I waited with both of our DD's, then me and our oldest DD went on it. My DH and I agreed there was no reason DD shouldn't be able to ride it. So I used a trick I saw someone do at Six Flags. We took off our DDs shoes and socks, rolled up her socks and put them in the shoes, then put the shoes back on. It gave her the extra 1/2 inch she needed, and she loved the ride! But I wouldn't do this for something like RNRC.

 

[barkley]

just to chime in that yes the cm's have been known to check out the height of a child's shoes and ask them to take them off to measure. we saw it quite a bit on on our last trip (seemed to be alot of kids wearing thick soled tennies or girls in thick soled sandles/flip flops). they also will push down on 'fluffed' hair to see where the height bar compares to the actual top of the head.

i tend to think he will likely 'sprout' enuf to make it (kids seem to realy grown alot over the summer) but in the event he does'nt just remind him of all the great rides he CAN ride on. we went through the same with ds-he's a daredevil and wanted to ride those rides so bad-it took him just a few months shy of his 9th birthday to make the height requirement.

 

[LighteningMcQueen]

the non-flamers all had great ideas, I especially like the idea of showing him what he can ride!

All in all, if this is that important to you all, and you want him to be safe (which I'm sure you do), lay in the organic veges & fruits, and get him to get more sleep (you body releases the growth hormone while sleeping).

Accentuate the positive, and regardless, he's going to have a very good time.

 

[Oceana]

Sorry you got flamed.

I will admit I am in the same boat. My DS is 1 inch short for some of the shorter need to be this tall rides. I have no intention of putting him on the ride unless he does meet the heigh requirments but by golly I am hoping he grows that inche before we leave ya know!

Heck at his last well check up I even asked the doctor if she had any suggestions to gaurentee his height before we left for our trip. This question was only half jokeing.

Goodnews here, my son has started eating more of his food at meals and with much more gusto. This likly means a growth spurt! Lets just hope its enough.

 

[crisi]

Another thing to mention is that there is variation in their measuring sticks and in the CMs. Sometimes you will clear the stick at the beginning on the line, but at the end of the line, you won't clear the stick the ride operator uses. The is very disappointing for a kid. However, don't argue with the CM, they are in the position of losing their jobs if they let your kid on.

Because Disney CMs have seen it all - hair, hats, shoes and tiptoes, prepare your kid to not be able to ride. The advice to stand straight and tall is good, it isn't unusual for a kid to get an inch just straightening out his spine.

 

[wrldpossibility]

Well sheesh! OP here...although maybe I shouldn't admit to that (can CPS trace my username and come take away my 43 inch child?!).

Joking aside, I am reading all the comments and taking them seriously (except the ones just looking for a fight...I'm sure those posters can find a more contraversial post elsewhere). My family and I are planning our first trip to WDW, which is why I didn't know this topic was one of the "hot" ones here. By the time we go, I'm sure my son will be within 1/2 inch of the requirement, and I really don't think that's a big deal. With tennis shoes (not heels!), I imagine he'll make it, and I know they set the measurement with shoe-wearing in consideration, so being 44 inches with shoes doesn't seem like "cheating" to me. I really wasn't asking for ways to make him inches taller, and I'm not trying to push a 20 pound toddler on the ride. If he's right at the cutoff, I'd even ask the CM if it's safe.

And I'm NOT the parent you see forcing their child on a ride that's too much for them...I'm surprised he even wants to go on, and he very well may change his mind. He also wants to try Tower of Terror...is that 44 inches too? I can't remember.

And yes, he's been warned that he may not be tall enough by the time we go, and we'll certainly know right before we leave if it's likely to happen or not. He is not the type to have a "fit" at the line about it. I don't know if we'll ever be back to WDW in his childhood (hopefully, but there are many other places we intend to travel to as well), and so that's what prompted my question. Sorry to rehash a hot topic. Didn't realize.

 

[Beca]

I agree that it depends on the ride. A few years ago we went to Disney Land, and my youngest DD was about 1/2 inch too short for Soarin Over California. My DH went on the ride first while I waited with both of our DD's, then me and our oldest DD went on it. My DH and I agreed there was no reason DD shouldn't be able to ride it. So I used a trick I saw someone do at Six Flags. We took off our DDs shoes and socks, rolled up her socks and put them in the shoes, then put the shoes back on. It gave her the extra 1/2 inch she needed, and she loved the ride! But I wouldn't do this for something like RNRC.

ITA!!! My "chicken" of a dd, whose big adventure is riding "Goofy's Barnstormer" wanted desperately to ride Soarin' because she had seen commericals. She was 1/2" to short....so, we put a curly "fall" on her head, and attached it with a bow, and bought her the thickest-soled tennis shoes we could find....voila!! She was now 1/2" OVER the limit. As a bonus, she looked REALLY cute in pictures all day.?

She LOVED the ride!! We tried (sometimes unsuccessfully) to fast pass that ride every day we were in WDW. Now, I would never do this to get her on a BIG ride....but in my case, she's not going to want to ride those until she goes off to college!! (We'll be the only couple doing a baby-swap with a 17yr old ). But, really....you know your son best.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion he won't let you put a fall and big bow in his hair?

Good luck in getting him to grow!



Beca

 

[tjmw2727]

I understand your dilemma, had one dd just short of the 40" one trip and another just short of the 48" on another trip.

In our experiences the CM's were very strict. Expect the child to be measured each time you ride even if he/she was tall enough prior in the trip. The child will also likely be measured more than once each time on a height restricted ride. They will measure to the head not a ponytail, they always have the child remove hats and I have seen them ask for obviously high shoes to be removed. (One boy two girls). They have a stick that is shaped like an upside down L if they can move it over the childs head and the head dosen't stop it they will not allow the child on the ride. Remind the child that they needs to stretch up to the stick and hit it (without tippie toes) some children kind of shrink away from it naturally, KWIM? So shoes and hairstyle will not help but posture will.

If a child looks close to the requirement they will be measured at the entrance to save the child from a long wait for nothing. Most times if a child looks close to the height he/she will be re-measured again before boarding. If either measure is deemed to short he/she won't be able to ride. I have seen many a family happy to have "snuck" by the first CM only to have the child re-measured at the boarding area. Not saying you would do this but the child waited a long time and wan't able to ride. I felt bad for the kids despite the fact that it seem to me the parents know it was a risk.

If I were in your situation I would prepare him for not being able to do the 44" and if he can consider it a bonus. When you think of all the attractions at WDW he is only restricted from maybe 4? EE and SPmt at 44" and RnRC and PEW are 48", that's pretty good!

Have a great trip.

TJ

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to the DIS site's height calculator.
You put in your child's height and it gives you a list of the attractions that the child is too short for and what the requirement is.
For 43 inches, here's what came up (sorry it's kind of messy, but the formatting would not copy):

MGM Studios Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
48"
Blizzard Beach Summit Plummet
48"
Animal Kingdom Primeval Whirl
48"
Blizzard Beach Downhill Double Dipper
48"
DisneyQuest Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam
48"
Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
52" (they can ride, but not drive until that height)
Typhoon Lagoon Bay Slide
52"
DisneyQuest Cyberspace Mountain
51"
DisneyQuest Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlaster
51"
Magic Kingdom Space Mountain
44"
Typhoon Lagoon Humunga Kowabunga
48"

Also note, EE is not on the height calculator, but the height for that is 44 inches.

 

[Karrie Davis]

My son is about 38 1/2 inches tall right now and we called his doctor (also a friend) to see if there was a change he would grow to the 40 inch mark by November when we go. She looked at his groth chart and calculated what his height will be at that time and she said he should make it. She also said that 1/2 inch will not make a difference especialy with boys beccause there legs are a bit shorter then avarage at that age. Then she joked with me about my son because his torso is really long, when he sits he is taller then both of his cousins that are 2 & 3 years older by as much as 2 inches (yah, it is weird!) Now he is only 29 months old right now so most of the rides he can even go on at 40 inches we think will be too much for him anyway even in November.

My son has not grown at all in the last 2 months so I do expect to see a groth spert soon, if he can get over all there summer colds!

My sister tried the hat thing with her son last year to make up 2 inches (too much) and it did not work at all, plus we all razzed her about it forever. She was litteraly pulling his head up at the bar to prove he was tall enough, it was so embaressing . He was scared of Dumbo on top of all of it!

My other nephew was 4 at the time and short but he got on tower of terror with my Mom & I (his mom was too scared). I thought he was going to die from fear on that ride! I could not stop my own fear that he would fall out. He fot off saying over, and over "not a cool ride, not a cool ride"

Sorry also that you are getting a really hard time from a few people. I bet he will grow anyway

 

[MyZoeJane]

FWIW, I just measured my 2.5 yo daughter against her "spot on the wall" and she's grown and inch and a quarter since April 4th!

She is now exactly 36 inches tall... Not big enough for any rides (other than Barnstormer) at WDW.... but it's an amazing growth notheless!!!

Good luck! I hoe your DS gets to safely ride whatever will make him happy!

 

[momandseandodisney]

I agree completely! My dd is five and is only 41 inches and wieghs only 38 pounds! She is a petit little girl. I would never risk her safety by taking her on a ride before she reaches the qualifications set by the parks. I know she will be disappointed but I can live with her disappointment but not the results of an injury from putting her on a ride before it is safe. (At the rate she grows it will be a long time before she will be able to ride the bigger rides which is fine by me! LOL!)

I would not stick my head in to ask a question like this lol - prepare for the flame(s)

It is a matter of saftey - dont stuff their shoes!

 

[mommiepoppins]

op try some protien and veggies

I also want my dd who is 2 to do splash mountain she is 37 inch and we go next month. I just want safety so mybe your child will grow tall december is plenty of time

 

[dementia412]

Boy, all your kids seem so big! My youngest girl is 39 months old and 37 inches, and there are people with two year olds that big!

 

[xtinkerbellax]

I think all parents have been there b4. they want to enjoy the dinsey magic w/ their kids but the requirements limits that. i think that w/ all the recent disney deaths b/c of health conditions etc. that it wouldn't be too wise to stuff shoes or puff hair. but i understand where ur coming from. if u want to try this i heard that kids r taller in the morning then the afternoon. if he still doesn't meet the requirement try again next trip. your childs safety is more important than a short ride.