How to be 40.00 inches tall (No Cheating!) - And What to Do If You're Not

[Goes4FastPass]

Kids are taller in sneakers than Crocs. 40" height minimums assume kids will be wearing shoes.

Help the measuring. Our system: Grandpa kneels and holds the child's feet together flat on the ground while Dad gently touches the child's head to the bottom of the beam. Yes, we were that close. Once the queue CM called for a consult. The other CM came over and tried to slide a red card (you know, what they give people to measure queue time) between the top of GrSon's head and the 40" beam. When she couldn't, she said, "You're good to go little guy!".

This might seem like a lot of work but our 40.00" kid's top favorites across WDW included Fast Train Rollercoaster (aka BTMRR), Log Mountain (SpMtn), Flyin' (Soarin'), Test Track and Dinosaur. And bytheway, if your child is tall enough to ride 40" rides, BTMRR may still be too fast and jerky and/or Dinosaur may still be too scary. Don't be a meany, be a patient pal.

If your child is under the minimum height for a group of WDW attractions don't stress out, simply do something else. I rode Triceratops Spin with my GrSon twice while the rest of our group rode Primevil Whirl. He and I went for Kilamangaro Safari Fastpasses while the rest of our group rode EE. Then we pounded drums. He found a drum is also interesting when you stick your head in the open end while another child pounds the drum.

Tip: Our group had earlier got 6 FPs for EE since we had 6 KTtW. One of our pairs rode twice.

Our little guy wore me and himself out at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground during RR'coaster and TZToT time. When we split up from the rest of the family my GrSon asked, "Where are they going?" I answered, "I think it's Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich time!" and got an immediate nod and a little finger pointing to the snack stand nearby. Grandpas are tricky... and they have lots of DDP snack credits!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I just wanted to comment on how refreshing it is to read your post. Too bad all parents and grandparents aren't like you and your family. Glad to see your little guy had so much fun despite not being able to ride everything yet.

[Mickey'sGirl]

When we split up from the rest of the family my GrSon asked, "Where are they going?" I answered, "I think it's Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich time!" and got an immediate nod and a little finger pointing to the snack stand nearby. Grandpas are tricky... and they have lots of DDP snack credits!

You have learned the way of the Jedi!

My youngest son has been benefitting from the solution for years! Now that he is tall enough for everything, he still often opts for not riding .... On our last trip in August, there were many many many other adults around with plenty of Snack credits, and they helped him out too! In past years we have had Ice Cream vendors ask me if he could have a while we were waiting/hanging out.... DS5 figures that all adults are in on it!

Nice post.

[prprincess]

Great post! DS1 is way tall for his age and has been able to ride several rides before most kids his age do, but we always just go with the flow, and judge things by his comfort level. We'd never want him to go on something, be horrified, and "scarred" for life!

[brownie]

You could always try using a ladder stretcher before the trip to make your kid taller

[BigThunderFan]

I tie my daughter's feet and arms to the bedposts each night to try to get her to stretch out for our trip in Jan. She is right at 40" by my measurements, but I don't want it to even be close.

[tink2006]

I just wanted to comment on how refreshing it is to read your post. Too bad all parents and grandparents aren't like you and your family. Glad to see your little guy had so much fun despite not being able to ride everything yet.

I agree! We were the same way. If DS could not ride, we skipped it. The result: many trips to WDW that gave us the opportunity to experience new things, along with our son. Over the years, we have MANY memories that might have been missed had we "rushed things". ...Many of those memories include conversations over Mickey ice cream

[Jeri]

We did the same thing when our youngest wasn't tall enough. We also told him many times before we got there that he may not be tall enough and if so we will go do something else while dad and brother ride.

I have to tell you a funny thing. My youngest rode TOT in 2007, he was tall enough but it was very trumatic for me (MOM) because he is very tiny weight wise. He is 6 yrs now and only weights as much as many 3 to 4 yr olds (36 lbs).
Anyways I told him when we go back next year that he can not ride it again because I don't like it and you have to be 10 yrs to ride it now. Funny thing is he tells everyone he can't ride it again till he is 13 cause mom doesn't like it.

[darthmacho]

We had a similar issue a few years back, not at WDW, but at Storyland in N.H. Our 2yoDD was suimply too small for some rides that our 5yoDD could go on. We simply explained the situation to both, and split up for a bit. I took the older one on some rides alone, while DW took the little one on others. We told the little one that we'd be back again some day when she was tall enough, and she was fine. When we did go back, we had the reverse problem on some rides. The older one, DDnow8, was too big to go on rides that DDnow5 could go on. That made her feel mighty special too.

[TheVBs]

Love it!

In May, while DH and DD8 went on BTMRR, DD4 and I went to Country Bear Jamboree.

[Buttercup]

You sound like the best Grandpa ever!
I think that should be a rule in everyone's family: if you're too short to get on a ride, you've earned yourself some ice cream.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Sometimes it is tough to get around the "story poles".
2) If the kid is too short, the kid is too short.
3) But, there is a way around it !!!!
4) And, without cheating or stuffing tennis shoes.
5) When approaching the measuring guy, just point away and YELL - "Look, Elvis !!!"
6) The time it takes the guy to look away is enough to slip by.

NOTE: If you get a Rocker and "Elvis" doesn't work, use "Look, Walt !!!"

[disneyworld55925592]

Great to know you had fun, there are plenty of things for kids, I mean its Disney World! If your kid is to short they are probably to young and scared to go on the ride anyway! Nothing like a Mickey Ice Cream Bar to make everything better!

[TinkerBell-Bell]

When I was aged 4 and we went, my 2 older brothers were able to go on rides I wasn't, so me and my mum went on all the playground areas a lot more than my brothers did. Since we've gone back I've now been tall enough to do all the rides, so it's ended up that I've probably done more than my brothers.

Just a little bit of patience, and finding the alternatives is all that's needed. There are bits that the bigger kids are too big for, and so it really does provide several options for everyone.

[jonahbear2006]

we have this problem. with high top boots on, he is 37 1/2 inches. and he is Fearless. he wants to ride everything. he doesnt care if it jerks, scares, gets dark, loud, fast...he wants to be on it. And we do really well diverting everywhere, except for soarin. that poor baby just cries when soarin happens, and everyone of the other kids come off yippin and hollarin how wonderful it was and he didnt get to see it. what do you do during soaring to shield a small child from even knowing that the ride is happening?

[Goes4FastPass]

...everyone of the other kids come off yippin and hollarin how wonderful it was and he didnt get to see it...

Our little guy loved Soarin'. This really is a no win situation. It might be best for one adult to take your 37 incher next door to Imagination Works or whatever it's called or more time at The Seas/Turtle Talk.

If the "other kids come off yippin and hollarin how wonderful it was and he didnt get to see it" are yours, you may want to try the, "When big kids make little kids feel bad, I make those big kids feel MUCH worse." speech.

[mudpuppysmom]

We've had to have the "not yet bud" speech several times in the past few years......one time we walked up to Promeval Hurl and as we approached the CM loudly said AT me, "he's not tall enough"....I said, I know, we just want to see how many more good meals he has to eat (ie, meat, veggies, fruit -- ya know the good stuff)....and DS#1 is all ready to tell DS#2 this as he grows.

We just do other stuff......and keep checkin' to see how much more we have to grow!

We recently returned and this was the third trip where DS could ride everything -- with one exception -- the Sum of all Thrills .....if you are between 48-54" you can NOT design anything that goes upside down -- so we were a little restrained this time, but other than that -- DS#1 can now ride everything! Too bad he still thinks we need to DO everything he used to do when he was too small, plus the new stuff now that he IS tall enough!