Enforcement of Height Restrictions

[andypooh]

Off to WDW in just 6 days!!

DS5 is chicken and won't go on a lot of the rides

DS3 is much more likely to be willing to go on a bunch of the rides, but he is only 39 inches at best with his sneakers on.

A lot of the rides are 40 inches minimum. Any chance he can get on any of these rides (Splash, Soarin, BTMRR) or is it just going to have to wait till next year?

Thanks


:mickey:

[Dopey's Girl]

I was with kids on the verge of 40 inches last in 2010, and the height restrictions were very strictly enforced, and rightly so. If they let a 'shorty' on and heaven forbid they got hurt, Disney would have one heck of a lawsuit to deal with.

[BugeyedMuggy]

Most if not all height restrictions are taken very seriously by the cast members. I have even see some kids get past the outside of the ride just to be turned away where you are just about to get on the ride. If they feel it is close they will measure at that point. The height limits are for the safety of the children as the restraints are dangerous for the shorter ones.

[Ian]

Unless you just happen to find a CM asleep at the wheel, you've got no shot at getting a 39" tall child on a ride with a 40" height restriction.

They're extremely rigid with those rules (as well they should be) and even if the child is close they still may turn them away in the interest of safety.

[DizneyFreak2002]

In October, I witnessed a CM not allowing a little girl on Rock N Roller Coaster because she just barely missed the height cut off... When I say just barely, I truly mean just barely... Best part about it, the girl didn't get upset... The family stood off to the side to decide what to do... I believe the father went on with the son while the mother waited at the exit with the daughter...

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

It is a wait until next time thing.

Disney is very strict with heights, and even kids right at the 40" mark can sometimes have trouble, since you are measured each and every time you ride ... and you have to meet the height every time (no slouching!)

[squad51]

Our youngest was rejected last year from riding Star Tours on our first day. He must have grown in one week because on the last day he was tall enough. Long story short, not tall enough not going on.

[K8screen]

Being too short is not always a bad thing. DD2 was too short for several rides on our first trip, and cried at the time. It was not till MANY years later that she told me they were actually tears of relief, as she didnt want to do the "big scary rides" but was afraid her brother and sister would laugh at her if she said so, so it was great to have an excuse not to ride!

[Mousemates]

I would say there is pretty much a zero chance of her getting on...so I would go ahead and let her know that there will be several rides she will need to wait until next time to ride before she gets there so she will have time to mentally deal with it. I might also go online and show her all the rides she can enjoy and all the things she can do, so she doesn't just focus on the fews things she can't.

[andypooh]

I do not think it will be an issue (at least I hope not). His brother is chicken so probably won't go on many of the rides either so it shouldn't be a problem. I do not even think he will be aware of what he might be missing. We will be going back next year so he will get to go as a 4 year old. By then maybe his brother will go as well.

[RBrooksC]

Last year, my son was at the required height when he was wearing shoes.

He would get measured before entering the ride and get the lanyard to wear to show he was measured.

The only ride where he was checked twice was the ride where he almost six inches taller than he needed for the ride, Kali River Rapids.

But, they would use the crocked stick to check his height and it would always just hit the top of his head. Basically, he was right at the 44" limit for the rides.

Unfortunately, he is only about 46" right now. So, unless he wears 1970's platform shoes, he won't be getting on RNRC, although he says he REALLY wants to ride it.

My daughter is about 37.5" tall. We are hoping her shoes, like for her brother last year, gets her to the 38" required for Kali River Rapids. My daughter is a thrill seeker, even at three. I am pretty sure she would really enjoy riding it as a family.

[andypooh]

My 5 year old son almost certainly won't go on Kali as he hates water falling on him...I hope to get him on Splash but that will be a challenge

The 3 yo enjoys the water stuff and Kali at 38" is the one "thrill" ride he can do so we will definitely try that (and it'll probably be 90+ degrees so it should be fun to get wet).

[joonyer]

We might think that there'd be no harm in a CM allowing a child who was only 1/2 an inch short (say 39&1/2 on a 40 inch ride) to get on board (and maybe there wouldn't be). BUT then they'd get complaints from parents whose child was only a 1/2 inch shorter than that, and so on and so forth. Once you start bending the rule, there's no place to stop, so most every CM I've seen has been pretty strict about the height restrictions. I'd recommend you check out the ride heights in advance and prepare your children before you arrive that they probably won't be able to ride certain things. That way you can avoid "meltdown" at the ride entrance. Then plan another trip next year when they are taller! That builds a lot of anticipation for the next trip.

[Gator]

It'll be next year. My daughter tried to ride Splash Mountain when she was 3. They let her through at the fastpass entrance, but they stopped her at the actual ride. That was pretty upsetting. They will measure all kids to make sure of the height. If he's not 40 inches, even with shoes on, he won't make it. Bummer.:(

[Main Street Jim]

Oh, I've got some "not tall enough" stories....LOL....if ya wanna hear 'em, I'll post 'em.

[Quadstriker]

Oh, I've got some "not tall enough" stories....LOL....if ya wanna hear 'em, I'll post 'em.

No way. Keep them to yourself please.



OK I lied. Tell us!

[K8screen]

Oh, I've got some "not tall enough" stories....LOL....if ya wanna hear 'em, I'll post 'em.

TELL!!!
I love your stories Jim!

[BrerGnat]

I do believe that height restrictions are something that CM's have absolutely NO leeway on. They are strict as can be, and rightfully so. No one wants to be the CM who let the "just barely tall enough" child onto a ride, who then suffered an injury during an e-stop. I'm sure it's the #1 rule that must never be broken when you are an attraction CM.

Your child will be tall enough, eventually. Until then, "life isn't fair." ;)

[disneynarula]

It is very strict...as it should be. Of course... your home measuring system could be a little off but probably not an inch.

[TinkerbellT421]

I witnessed parents start yelling and screaming at a CM who would not allow their daughter to get on Stitch. And mind you that ride doesn't even move. But she missed the height restriction by literally half an inch and the CM denied them access. The parents literally lost their minds about it. All while I am peering at them wanting to say "She really isn't missing much with this one for you to get all upset about".

[Ian]

All while I am peering at them wanting to say "She really isn't missing much with this one for you to get all upset about".:rotfl:

[RBrooksC]

See? Those parents are the type of guest who does no research before a trip. We told our son last year that he "may" not be tall enough for certain rides. And we would measure and tell him that again. When it came time to go, he was just the right height and was able to ride.

Again, we are going to do that for my daughter. We shall see what happens. If she can ride Kali River Rapids, then everything is great. If not, well, there is always next time.

And regarding Stitch, while I think my son could handle it, I don't want to take him in there since I know there is no way to comfort him if he gets scared.

[Goes4FastPass]

I wish WDW would catch up with parks like Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. At the entrance of the park there’s a measuring station where a child can step into a booth and be once, carefully and competently measured by an employee who does nothing but measure kids all day. The rig is simple, the bar slides down to the top of the head and a color is determined. Then, the child is fitted with a Tyvek wristband in the color of their height AND the parent is given a paper the same color detailing what rides that color may ride.

This only reason WDW doesn’t do this is because someone decided it might save them a few buck a year if they don’t.

The result is chaos. A child who is tall enough to ride EE today goes back 2 days later in the same shoes and now isn’t tall enough. Those tears aren’t magical.

And what’s this crud about the child is measured at the ride entrance and is AOK then waits in the queue apparently shrinking all the while because when it’s time to board, one more measure and it’s, “Get lost kid”. We’ve all seen this and heard is described on this board.

And then there’s the fabulous measuring techniques. A child stands under the ‘bar’ with the top of his head touching it. So the CM then gets a queue time lanyard and tries to wedge the card between the top of the head and the bottom of the bar. If s/he can do it, “Too short”. Folks, are you really going to tell me the thickness of that card marks the difference between safe and unsafe? I’ll believe Peter Pan really flies before I buy that.

On the other hand, Dole whips are delicious, especially on hot days.

[TinkerbellT421]

:rotfl:

Lol. It is so sad but true. I could see if it was RnR or something. But, stitch? Really? Lol

[WDWdriver]

I wish WDW would catch up with parks like Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. At the entrance of the park there’s a measuring station where a child can step into a booth and be once, carefully and competently measured by an employee who does nothing but measure kids all day. The rig is simple, the bar slides down to the top of the head and a color is determined. Then, the child is fitted with a Tyvek wristband in the color of their height AND the parent is given a paper the same color detailing what rides that color may ride.


It would be nice if it were only that simple. Unfortunately Disney found out early on that parents can be very resourceful when it comes to getting the little ones on a ride. With manicure scissors and a bit of scotch tape that wristband suddenly gets transferred from big brother to little sister and she gets onto the ride.

Also, you would not believe the number of kids who cannot stand to have a wristband on their arm, not even for a few minutes. They are often frightened by it or otherwise find it uncomfortable.

Parents also sometimes object to having their kids wear wristbands, perhaps for religious reasons or other concerns.

So for now we are stuck with measuring kids at the attraction entrance, and perhaps again just prior to boarding. It's imperfect as you said, but it works better than all day wristbands.

Now if we could just fix the problem of parents who dress their kids in oversized boots, or stuff their shoes with kleenex, or stick their hair to the top of their head with hairspray......

[Main Street Jim]

Folks, they're not "height 'restrictions'". They're height REQUIREMENTS - the REQUIREMENT being that the safety restraint will NOT hold your too-short child inside of the ride vehicle. Those "heights" are the shortest height that a guest can be, and still be SAFELY HELD inside of the ride vehicle.

Wanna hear some good ones?

How 'bout sticking Mickey ice cream bars inside of sneakers to get on Splash? How 'bout stuffing some toilet paper from the restroom (ewwww...)? Platform tennis shoes? Seen it. Standing on tippy-toes? Caught 'em. :D:D

[NewDVCowner]

And what’s this crud about the child is measured at the ride entrance and is AOK then waits in the queue apparently shrinking all the while because when it’s time to board, one more measure and it’s, “Get lost kid”. We’ve all seen this and heard is described on this board.


On that note, too, though. I've certainly seen parents, carrying a child, try to board a ride (I'm thinking of Indiana Jones in Disneyland, specifically). The cast member asks to measure the kid and this child was a good six inches too short for the ride. There was no way that this kid could have been measured and passed by the cast member out front. The parents had smuggled him in somehow and were determined to get him on the ride. You need to have that second measurement because of a situation like this.

[Aurora]

How 'bout sticking Mickey ice cream bars inside of sneakers to get on Splash?

:funny:

That had to be the dumbest parent on the face of the earth.

[WDWdriver]

That had to be the dumbest parent on the face of the earth.

Between Main Street Jim, Imagineer1981 and myself, we could tell you stories that are beyond belief. Some parents will try the most absurd things to avoid the restrictions, and then get angry with us when they are caught!

[BrerGnat]

I once watched this guy argue with a CM for over 25 minutes (the amount of time we were waiting in line) at Jumpin Jellyfish (at DCA) because they wouldn't let his little girl ride. She was about an inch too short. The guy never got loud or rude, but man, he was persistent. They brought in another CM, a management looking type, who talked to him for awhile. A security officer was brought over and we were all excited to watch him tell the guy to get lost, but then they started talking (none of the talking was loud enough for us to hear it), they measured the girl about 5 times over this period of time, and she was CLEARLY about an inch too short.

In the end, though, as we were getting off the ride, he and his daughter were allowed in through the exit and THEY GOT TO RIDE! I was floored and SO shocked that this guy actually got his way. Made me really angry, actually. :mad: I don't know the story, obviously, but I know what I saw and that girl was TOO SHORT. Although it might be morbid, I sincerely hope that he had a really good sob story, like today was going to be her last day on earth and her dying wish was to ride Jumpin' Jellyfish or something. Made me angry all day that people have such a sense of entitlement like that.

[Goes4FastPass]

Standing on tippy-toes? Caught 'em. :D:D
I'm SO glad "catching" tippy-toes was cause for double big grins.

I would never beat height restrictions or encourage anyone to do so. Making that drama just makes a bad day for the CHILD involved.

But I don't need CMs 'High Five-ing" every time they turn another child away from BTMRR.

[Goes4FastPass]

It would be nice if it were only that simple...

Yes, it really is that simple. Of course, there are ridiculous people who try and retry to cheat but they still do that with the many measures approach Disney takes.

And children are not required to be measured and get a wristband at BGW but those who want to stop for a real height check that may include, "what's with these shoes?" or "no, your hair doesn't count" may do so.

It must be comforting to believe everthing WDW does is the very best way of doing it,

[Buttercup]

Nope, not getting on.
If you want to avoid tears of disappointment, make it a family rule that if you're not big enough to ride, you get to have an ice cream while you wait!:bar:

Sometimes I think that when a rule is set, even if it is for SAFETY (as in this case), there are some people out there who just can't help themselves. They can't NOT try to break it. Those are the ones who put ice cream in their kids shoes (REALLY???) because having a thrill on BTMRR is so much more important than, you know, your kid flying out of the coaster mid-ride.

I actually like the fact that they check again right before they get on the ride? Know why? Because I've seen kids with stuff stuck in their shoes to raise their height and get in the lineup.... but they don't realize a second check is coming.... so they take out the kleenex from their shoes, and then WHOOPS! Sorry, you aren't getting on!
These kinds of double-checks are more reliable than just a wristband that can be transferred to someone else, they cost less, and the outcome is still the same. I think it's fair to say that if you have a 39 1/2 inch child, you're expecting that your kid may get on some rides, and not on others because you're so close to the 40" mark.

[TinkerbellT421]

Personally, IMO, I don't see how a wrist band could work anyway. Some rides have different height restrictions than others. So they would have to use a worst case scenario and use the tallest height restriction for the worst ride, I believe one ride is what 47"? Could be wrong but don't quote me.
So you measure a child at the entrance for a wrist band who can go on the 38" rides at the front entrance, but what happens when he gets to the rides that are 41"? So you would then have to restrict ALL children to the worst case scenario and then the children that are 40" and can ride the other rides that are 40" and under can't because they can't get on the ride that has a height restriction of 41". Hope I am making sense lol. So, really, how is there really any avoiding having to be measured at all the rides with height restrictions?

[Aurora]

I'm SO glad "catching" tippy-toes was cause for double big grins.

I would never beat height restrictions or encourage anyone to do so. Making that drama just makes a bad day for the CHILD involved.

But I don't need CMs 'High Five-ing" every time they turn another child away from BTMRR.

Obviously he's not doing it in front of the families or children. If you've read Main Street Jim's posts over the years, you know that. But on these boards, I hope CMs go right on congratulating themselves for possibly saving a child from injury or death because they did not meet the safety requirements of these rides.

If you really want to make your blood run cold, do a Google search for ride accidents and check out the first site that comes up. It's a list of injuries and fatalities that have occurred over 40 years at amusement parks, including Disney's. Among causes for these incidents was operator error.

IMHO, I think there should be an age limit to riding these rides as well as a height limit, but that's a can of worms for another day.

[PopPhan]

How's this for an answer.....

Measure once, without shoes, code to the RFID chip on the MYW ticket and have (NexGen?) readers at the start of each queue for rides that have height restrictions. Green Mickey = OK to ride; Red Mickey = Sorry, maybe next visit.

[WDWdriver]

It must be comforting to believe everthing WDW does is the very best way of doing it,

Certainly not everything, but in most areas the many years of experience, accumulated practical knowledge, the best engineering skills and the very high motivation of the Disney cast usually do result in "the very best way of doing it". And that's why so many thousands of families choose to vacation at Disney, and that's what makes it so enjoyable to work there.

[Scar]

I'm SO glad "catching" tippy-toes was cause for double big grins.
I'm a little confused. Are you saying that people, in any job, shouldn't be happy when they perform their job the way they should?

[Quadstriker]

Check em when they enter the line. Double check em at the front of the line. Heck, throw in another check in the middle of the line if you have to. If you smuggle your too-short kid through and get excluded at the front, that is YOUR fault, not Disney's. Zero sympathy.

Safety first. And this process is too important to be automated or next gen'd or whatever. LOL at measuring once in the park and getting a wristband. Yeah... they'll never find a way to cheat that one. ;)

[Main Street Jim]

*Most*, if not all, attractions with height requirements have *at least* three height checkpoints:

1) at the very entrance. If there's a FastPass return line, there's one on that side as well.

2) at the FastPass merge point - where the Stand-by and FastPass lines come together.

3) just before being seated - at the "Grouper" position, where the CM actually loads the guests.

I know at Space Mountain, we had NINE height "sticks" (or markers) (out in the very front of the attraction under the marquee; one at FastPass distribution; one each at Stand-by entrance and FastPass entrance; one at the Merge point; and two each on both A and B side groupers). The marquee and distribution height markers don't really have a CM standing there to check heights. But - there's seven other markers where there *are* CMs.

If I was out in front of the attraction - at Stand-By or FP Return - I would *always* check heights - and sometimes even get the parents in on it :) I would then ALSO remind the parents or others in the group that they would also be checking heights inside.

Most attractions also offer the "Rider Swap" for those staying with the too-short non-riders.

The only attraction I can think of that doesn't have at least three checks, is Tomorrowland Speedway. There's one out in front of the Speedway, and then the second one is at the Grouper (who tells you which number to go stand on).

[Ian]

Personally, IMO, I don't see how a wrist band could work anyway. Some rides have different height restrictions than others. So they would have to use a worst case scenario and use the tallest height restriction for the worst ride, I believe one ride is what 47"? Could be wrong but don't quote me.
So you measure a child at the entrance for a wrist band who can go on the 38" rides at the front entrance, but what happens when he gets to the rides that are 41"? So you would then have to restrict ALL children to the worst case scenario and then the children that are 40" and can ride the other rides that are 40" and under can't because they can't get on the ride that has a height restriction of 41". Hope I am making sense lol. So, really, how is there really any avoiding having to be measured at all the rides with height restrictions?I think you may have missed a critical point ... the wrist band is color coded to show what attractions you're allowed on.

So it would go in ranges ... say green means you're over 40" tall but not over 42" tall. Yellow means you're between 42" & 44", etc. etc. all the way up to 56" or whatever it is to ride the Speedway by yourself.

[TinkerbellT421]

I think you may have missed a critical point ... the wrist band is color coded to show what attractions you're allowed on.

So it would go in ranges ... say green means you're over 40" tall but not over 42" tall. Yellow means you're between 42" & 44", etc. etc. all the way up to 56" or whatever it is to ride the Speedway by yourself.

Ahhhhh okay makes sense now. Thanks for the clarification! :mickey:

[Main Street Jim]

I'm SO glad "catching" tippy-toes was cause for double big grins.

I would never beat height restrictions or encourage anyone to do so. Making that drama just makes a bad day for the CHILD involved.

But I don't need CMs 'High Five-ing" every time they turn another child away from BTMRR.I guess I don't understand your comments. We *never* "high-fived" if we "turned a child away" from *any* attraction. MOST guests understand that it's for a SAFETY reason; not "just because CMs want to make guests miserable <?>". Sure, we get that guest every once in a great while that claims "it's (our) your fault that my kid is too short!" and it ends up kind of ugly. If/when that situation arose, we'd get a coordinator to double- and triple-check; and if they still weren't happy, the coordinator would go and get a manager.

I read the post about Jumpin' Jellies; I can't believe that a *manager* (type) would've "bypassed" a *height requirement* and let an obviously-too-short guest onto an attraction. If something would've happened....then yes, that WOULD be the fault of the manager/coordinator and the story'd be all over the place. I guess they were lucky that nothing did happen.

[BrerGnat]

I read the post about Jumpin' Jellies; I can't believe that a *manager* (type) would've "bypassed" a *height requirement* and let an obviously-too-short guest onto an attraction. If something would've happened....then yes, that WOULD be the fault of the manager/coordinator and the story'd be all over the place. I guess they were lucky that nothing did happen.

I know! I was FLOORED. I could not believe what I was seeing. I guess the argument was that the girl had been allowed to ride "before." I bet they put her in super thick soled shoes "before" and then forgot this time around.

The crazy thing about it was that the KID wasn't upset about it in the least. It was the father making all the fuss. She was happy as a clam.

[Mickey'sGirl]

On that note, too, though. I've certainly seen parents, carrying a child, try to board a ride (I'm thinking of Indiana Jones in Disneyland, specifically). You need to have that second measurement because of a situation like this.The height requirement is 46", and when my youngest was 4, he was EXACTLY 46" in running shoes. He was measured no fewer than 4 times for this ride... measured at the entrance ... pulled out of line to be measured ... stopped at a corner to be measured ... measured before getting on .... Thankfully he was still 46" by the time we boarded :thumbsup: ... But they were very diligent.

[Main Street Jim]

The ones that *killed* me, would be the guests (parents) literally *dragging* their KICKING, SCREAMING kids through a two-hour wait in the Standby line - who, obviously, do NOT want to ride Splash or Space Mountain, so by the time they got to the Load area, the kid<s> need to get measured again, all the while NOT wanting to ride, screaming, crying, pulling away from Mom or Dad while we were trying to measure them. :-\ Even if they *were* tall enough, I would always ask the CHILD if he/she really wanted to ride. If I got a "No! No! NO!" answer, I would politely explain to the guest that there was a waiting area, and that they could ride again with the rest of their group when the first group got off (basically, Rider Swap), without having to go back through the line again.
*Then*, the mom/dad/adult would get MAD at the kid, because "now I can't ride because you're a brat and....etc., etc., etc.!!!" I would then explain *again*, that, no, that's not the case, that, "You'll be able to ride as soon as the rest of your party exits; the child will need someone who already rode to wait with them." So, sometimes, brother/sister/cousin/etc. would get to ride twice :)

[LibertyTreeGal]

They won't even make exceptions for a set of twins when one is just above and the other just below, we had that happen one year. They have to be "black and white" or someone will yell favoritism if even one cast member is a bit lenient.

[DisneyDawgette]

They are strictly enforced, but if I was really close, my parents would tuck Dr.Scholle's inserts into my shoes to tip me past the mark. ;)

[W24toISMdirect]

The wrist band system is not a theorhetical, it's an actual proven system that has worked out really well for Disney's competition, and really does make everyone's life easier. In case you hadn't noticed, Busch Gardens (aka SeaWorld) is no shady carnival.

Also, do me a favor. I understand safety regulation, and the need to enforce but PLEASE PLEASE stop saying that the thickness of a lanyard card is the diffrance between safe and unsafe to validate your point. I can promise you that no underwritter on earth would insure a ride with that thin of a safety margin. If 44 is safety, then I can promise you that 43.8 is also safe, in fact 43 is even safe. You know it, I know it. NOW, what you and I also know is that that buffer zone exists for a reason. The line has to be drawn AND enforced a point well above the point where safety is assured. I understand and accept that. All I'm saying is say that, don't sit here and tell me that safety restraints become ineffective within a fraction of an inch of the hieght requirement. It's enough that they exist and need to be enforced.

Also, enough with the idea that some parents forcing they're kicking screaming, terrified kids on rides they don't want to go is an arguement for hieght limit enforcement. That's another subject entirely. Yes those parents are horrible people. I'm not one of them. My son is an insane coaster nut who's only wanted to know one thing since he was three: what is he tall enough for this time. I've got a picture of him with the biggest joker smile you've seen riding his very first looping roller coaster on his 6th birthday at BARELY the 48" requirement. The point is, if my son can go, he's going and the crazier the better. In fact my son's very first rollar coaster was BTMRR at age 3 and BARELY 40". I remember the look on his face as he exploded with excitement at Crystal Palace as I describe what we going to be riding we probably rode that thing a dozen times that trip. My kid is not every kid... or even most kids, but kids like mine exist and they make height restrictions frustrating, not unreasonable, and I'm certainly NOT suggesting that they should br bent or cheated, I'm just saying again, don't argue to me that my son doesn't really want to ride something that he's borderline tall enough for, because I promise you he does.

My point here is let's keep this arguement reasonable and to the point. Height requirement DO ultimately exist for safety and will be rigerously enforced. The system is not perfact, but it is there for a reason and needs to be aloud to do it's job. To Disney credit, being a family-focused expirience they're hieght requirements tend to run on average lower than similer attractions at other parks (don't get me started on Cedar Faire's height requirments)but if your daughter can't repeatedly touch the 40" bar while standing flat in reasonable footwear, then she won't get to ride. That is the answer the question that was asked.

[K8screen]

[QUOTE=Main Street Jim;2276219]The ones that *killed* me, would be the guests (parents) literally *dragging* their KICKING, SCREAMING kids through a two-hour wait in the Standby line - who, obviously, do NOT want to ride Splash or Space Mountain, so by the time they got to the Load area, the kid<s> need to get measured again, all the while NOT wanting to ride, screaming, crying, pulling away from Mom or Dad while we were trying to measure them.

AS usual, I couldnt agree more with Jim. Why do parents do this to their kids? Its supposed to be a fun vacation for heavens sake, not some sort of endurance test!!

[chefmickey3]

I agree with pp. My kiddos were always really tall = rode Goofy's Barmstormer before 2 and by 3 were tall enough for 40" rides. My first was just 40" though and was allowed on everything but Splash - evidently the stick was a little taller than the others. Later in the week, he was tall enough.

[Georgesgirl1]

On that note, too, though. I've certainly seen parents, carrying a child, try to board a ride (I'm thinking of Indiana Jones in Disneyland, specifically). The cast member asks to measure the kid and this child was a good six inches too short for the ride. There was no way that this kid could have been measured and passed by the cast member out front. The parents had smuggled him in somehow and were determined to get him on the ride. You need to have that second measurement because of a situation like this.

We witnessed this at BTMRR in January. Cast member asked the mom to put the little girl down to measure her and she was 3-4 inches too short. Mom kept saying, "But she rode it yesterday." Yeah right! I felt really bad for the cast member though because this mom was not letting up. When we got off the ride, mom was pouting by the exit with the little girl.

ODS is 5th% height, so he will not be close 40 inches by our November trip (and he will be just shy of 4). Unforunately, YDS is tall for his age, so we have decided no one rides until they both can ride.

[Main Street Jim]

If 44 is safety, then I can promise you that 43.8 is also safe, in fact 43 is even safe. You know it, I know it. NOW, what you and I also know is that that buffer zone exists for a reason. I have to respectfully disagree with this comment. ONE INCH too short is definitely a safety issue. The lap bars and shoulder harnesses are designed for a certain height (obviously, different heights for different attractions). If I was at a "height-required" attraction (and I worked a few of 'em), and a guest approached that was one full inch too short, guess what - they would NOT be riding my attraction. They'd at least get the Rider Switch pass. There is no "buffer zone". Either the guest is tall enough to ride - *touching* the height "bar" with the top of their head, no tippy-toes, no "height enhancers" - in regular shoes. If their head moved in any direction, NOT touching the height bar, they're not getting on my attraction.
We've actually turned away fully-grown adults that weren't tall enough to ride - either height-challenged, or not tall enough due to missing limbs or whatnot. In those cases, we've offered other things to the guest.

[disneynarula]

We measured our son and he is right at 44inches according to my tape measure and yard stick measurements. However, I have no idea how accurate I am and how it will play out when we go to WDW. I am not even getting his hopes up until we get there and measure. He really wants to ride space mountain.

I have been in line behind people "who hold up the line to argue with the CM who makes someone take off a hat or notices that a kid has spiked his hair.

The rules are there for safety reasons, not to ruin someone's fun!

[Disney-4-Me]

Yep, they're strict but we turned that lemon into lemonade! We used 'you need to eat your food so you can be tall enough for RnRC' for a whole year!:D