Height Requirement Measurements

[flexoidar]

I know this topic has been covered, but I wanted to see if anyone has recent specific experience with rides where you thought the measurements were inaccurate or inconsistent at WDW. I'm particularly interested in the rides with 38 to 40 inch height requirements.

 

[Robo]

I know this topic has been covered, but I wanted to see if anyone has recent specific experience with rides where you thought the measurements were inaccurate or inconsistent at WDW. I'm particularly interested in the rides with 38 to 40 inch height requirements.

It can vary with the particular CM(s) who happen to be doing the measuring at the time you are ready to ride.
So, that means it can vary, regardless of anyone else's positive or less than positive experiences.

The more important part of this is to teach your child how to stand up tall (with feet flat on the ground.)
The more the child is used to doing this, the more will be the tendency to pass closer measurements.
(Remember that there will be two... one at queue entry, one at boarding... so remind the child to "stand up straight.")

 

[rwdavis2]

Even if the measurement is, in your opinion, inaccurate the CM is the final arbiter. But Robo's advice is spot on and could help save the da.

 

[Klayfish]

Robo is right.

Besides, this is truly a 100% YMMV topic, so someone else's experience will be completely irrelevant to yours.

 

[Disneypro1]

Shoes that have thick soles and such. If In doubt. That’s the way to go. As for us. We always measured our kids with shoes on before we went. If they we tall enough at home for an attraction. We didn’t have an issue at Disney.

 

[eccobleu]

Last May, DD2 (at the time) was able to ride SDD and KRR, but not 7D. We went thinking she wouldn't be able to ride anything so the first 2 were like a bonus. We were also there in July, and she had no problems getting on 7D.

 

[CalSea12]

I have always measured my girls at home with thick soled shoes on... knowing that is what they would be wearing. I taught them to stand tall and straight, shoulders back, etc.

We went to DL in October with my 4 year old and didnt have any issues except for the fact that CM decided they needed to measure my daughter 3 to 4 times along the way on many rides. I ended up getting annoyed (I know they are there to keep her safe) but after the 4th measurement on one ride it was incredibly annoying.

Never had those kinds of issues at WDW with my now 8 year old. Just another reason I favor WDW over DL.

 

[jessrose18]

We were there last week my kid was 1/8 inch shy of 44” with no shoes on. With shoes she always was fine for measurements. Some rides never measured. Flight of Passage measured 3 different times.

 

[MomOTwins]

We have always measured our girls at home with thick soled shoes on... knowing that is what they would be wearing. We taught them to stand tall and straight, shoulders back, etc.

We went to DL in October with our 4 year old and didnt have any issues except for the fact that CM decided they needed to measure my daughter 3 to 4 times along the way on many rides. I ended up getting annoyed (I know they are there to keep her safe) but after the 4th measurement on one ride it was incredibly annoying.

Never had those kinds of issues at WDW with our now 8 year old. Just another reason I favor WDW over DL.

Well but that was probably more the difference between 4 and 8 than DL and WDW. We have only ever gone to WDW and we noticed that our 4 year old has to go through the multiple height checks per ride on anything with a height restriction, and our 8 year old twins are never asked. I suspect it is just because he is so baby faced they can't believe he's actually tall enough, but he totally is.

 

[OMGBecky]

It absolutely depends on the CM. We went last fall when my little guy was just over 40" (at home), and he was able to ride Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Test Track, BMTRR, etc several times. But there was one time that he was denied at Splash and one time he was denied at ToT. If they can fit a paper between their head and the measuring stick (at least these particular CMs), then it's a no-go. In fact, the ToT time that he couldn't ride the CM at the entrance let him in, and we waited in line 25 mins, got to the top, and the CM at the start of the ride measured him and wouldn't let him ride. This was after he'd already ridden it once before. It was kind of a crap shoot. Looking forward to later this year when he's clearly tall enough.

 

[CalSea12]

It absolutely depends on the CM. We went last fall when my little guy was just over 40" (at home), and he was able to ride Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Test Track, BMTRR, etc several times. But there was one time that he was denied at Splash and one time he was denied at ToT. If they can fit a paper between their head and the measuring stick (at least these particular CMs), then it's a no-go. In fact, the ToT time that he couldn't ride the CM at the entrance let him in, and we waited in line 25 mins, got to the top, and the CM at the start of the ride measured him and wouldn't let him ride. This was after he'd already ridden it once before. It was kind of a crap shoot. Looking forward to later this year when he's clearly tall enough.

You have such a good attitude about this! I would have been beyond irritated. If they say yes at the beginning and make a family waste 30 minutes of their vacation there is a problem there. I would not have been happy and every manager within a mile radius would have known it.
I totally get it if they say at the beginning no sorry not tall enough... ok I move along... but just to sit there and waste my time... that's a problem.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

You have such a good attitude about this! I would have been beyond irritated. If they say yes at the beginning and make a family waste 30 minutes of their vacation there is a problem there. I would not have been happy and every manager within a mile radius would have known it.
I totally get it if they say at the beginning no sorry not tall enough... ok I move along... but just to sit there and waste my time... that's a problem.

the problem is parents who put things in shoes to give that extra little bit but flattens as you walk. plus I have seen kids get by first CM and not measured at beginning. but it has always been the second measurement to ride manager most likely wont change it if a piece of paper goes thru

 

[OMGBecky]

You have such a good attitude about this! I would have been beyond irritated. If they say yes at the beginning and make a family waste 30 minutes of their vacation there is a problem there. I would not have been happy and every manager within a mile radius would have known it.
I totally get it if they say at the beginning no sorry not tall enough... ok I move along... but just to sit there and waste my time... that's a problem.

Ha! Ohhh I was irritated. I have a much better attitude about it now that I'm removed from the situation. But I was super annoyed at the time. He was measured at the beginning and sent through. Then measured at the top, and denied. We didn't put anything in his shoes like the poster before this mentioned. I don't have time for those kind of shenanigans. Not to mention my 6 year old daughter (a rule follower) would NOT have approved of that. Anyway, the ride down the elevator of shame/chicken exit at Tower of Terror had me seething. I had my husband go ahead and ride with our daughter, and then we got out of there asap. We had already wasted so much time with the whole ordeal that I just didn't care enough to take more vacation time to talk to a manager. Luckily our little guy was fairly oblivious that he missed out on the ride. The way some of the CMs were measuring him and scrutinizing if there was so much as a hair's width of space was pretty ridiculous.

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

But the real question (I have) is: What are the best thick soled shoes?!

 

[mustinjourney]

We have always measured our girls at home with thick soled shoes on... knowing that is what they would be wearing. We taught them to stand tall and straight, shoulders back, etc.

We went to DL in October with our 4 year old and didnt have any issues except for the fact that CM decided they needed to measure my daughter 3 to 4 times along the way on many rides. I ended up getting annoyed (I know they are there to keep her safe) but after the 4th measurement on one ride it was incredibly annoying.

Never had those kinds of issues at WDW with our now 8 year old. Just another reason I favor WDW over DL.

I got really annoyed 2 years ago at DCA for Grizzly river run. My daughter had already done everything that had a 42" requirement -- INCLUDING GRR -- and when we went to ride a second time (as in -- left the exit and immediately re-entered the line), the CM said she wasn't tall enough. I politely told the CM that we were literally getting off the ride (as she could see), and that she was literally the only CM that somehow determined she didn't measure up. Seemed odd that my daughter was measured and approved at least 8 other times -- but somehow, was too short. Girl was on a power trip I suppose.

 

[mustinjourney]

One suggestion I have to ensure that your kid stands up straight is to actively tell them to try and bump their head lightly on the post. It worked well with my youngest b/c she was constantly trying to avoid hitting her head when she was under it.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

One suggestion I have to ensure that your kid stands up straight is to actively tell them to try and bump their head lightly on the post. It worked well with my youngest b/c she was constantly trying to avoid hitting her head when she was under it.

yours was just like my grandson