Why do parents insist on

[trackbarroness]

Taking their child on all the rides including the height restricted rides or shows for that matter? I've heard the "I want my child to experience "All of Disney World".
Why do parents encourage their kids to stand on tippy toe while the kid is being mesured to see if they meet the height requirement?
I work at one of the shows that has a height requirement and I'm just curious to see how you all feel about Stitch's great escape. It's suppose to be basicly for kids. But we do have a shoulder harness that comes down automaticly. So why get mad and demand that the little one who doesn't meet our height requirement go into a show that has special effects? I've seen kids over the height requirement get scared inside.

[merlinmagic4]

Well, all I can say is that I am a parent and I don't do that so I guess we're not all bad! My kids are plenty tall enough for all of the rides yet we have passed on quite a few that we feel they aren't ready for yet. Maybe this next trip!

[#1donaldfan]

As a parent of 3, I can honestly say we've never tried to cheat the system....my kids mean way, WAY more to me than a ride. I've seen some parents fuss and even yell at CM's, trying to get them to let their kids on....it's just crazy....what would they do if their child got hurt???? Probably sue the park and act like it was not their fault, even though they insisted the park let 'em ride......this world is crazy like that I suppose......

[ibrowse17]

Because some folks just believe that the rules never apply to them:confused:

[cruellalvr]

We are very lucky and I have a child that doesnt like to go on the scary rides yet, so I don't have to worry about getting her on rides that have a height restriction at all. But I also don't think I would ever try to sneak her on either. It is just a dorky thing to do. It is there for a safety reason...:)

[jpH/keD]

We have taught our kids that each ride has a right of passage. So if they aren't big enough this time it gives them something to look forward to! We live in VA and go to Busch Gardens monthly. They can't wait til it opens this year and see what they are tall enough for now!!

As for other parents who insist on cheating the system, it's truly a shame. The kids are the ones who are missing out on the virtue of patience!! Just my 2 cents! :thumbsup:

[Speedy1998]

I would guess it is a combination of two things. 1. stupidity (not realizing the rules are there to protect them), 2. not wanting their children to miss experiencing something on the trip of a lifetime. Remeber most people do not get to go to Disney on a regular basis, some only go once (how sad).

[Itchy]

The parents should just realize that their kids may not meet the height requirements and go for a ride that they ( the kids will enjoy more ).

While throwing a fit because they cant get a child on a ride does not set a good example for that child. I guess the next thing we will see is the parent laying on the ground kicking and screaming throwing a tantrum..

As we have all heard... " You cant fix stupid ":blush:

[elmjimmlm]

My children are at height but as far as not wanting to do something, we dont push them...I dont think that being forced is the best way for them to "experience everything"...I know that I dont want to ride everything there...I see it as personal preference...I dont care if you are 6 or 86, if you dont feel comfortable then why should you have to do it...

[TheMartellFamily]

We make sure our kids are the right height since it is for saftey reasons. I think it is stupid that they get upset over this. It just shows that some parents will but their kids in jeapordy without thinking of the outcome.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

Our DD was tall enough for a lot of the "big" rides at MK when we were there in September. She was just over 41'.

She went on Splash and Goofy's Barnstormer, that's it. (Soarin over at EPCOT, Kali at AK)

I didn't even consider BTMRR or Stitch. I just didn't think she was ready for them. I know BTMRR, even though it is my favorite ride, would have been way to rough for her...she would have been scared. She would not have liked Stitch at all.

So, there are parents that know the height restriction, honor it and don't have a fit when their child does not meet it. There are even parents that skip the ride when their child could have ridden it. ;)

I am sure your job can be a tough one!! :)

[tinksmom02]

DD was tall enough for Stitch in January (age 4), but once we got in the room and saw the shoulder harness, I made an executive decision and slipped out the chicken exit! I wasn't sure what to expect, having never been on it myself, and didn't want to subject her to something that might terrify her.

I would never encourage her to stand on tiptoes or anything...the requirements are there for a reason. And also for the same reason I would never encourage her to lie about her age--I'm raising her to be honest.

[Jenemmy]

I have had the opposite experience. Years ago, my son was anxious to ride Rock N Roller Coaster. I was skeptical but agreed he could check his height. Literally, two hairs on top of his head was all that poked over the height requirement line. I said "sorry buddy -- next time" and the CM said "ahhh, let him go, it will be fine!" :confused: We still opted to wait, but now it was with my son wailing "But HE said I could!!!!"

[mickey&missy]

I really just don't understand why someone would try to skirt the system so their kid could go on a ride! There's a height requirement for a reason!!

My kids are tall. But, we aren't really thrill ride people. DD & DS, 5 and 4 at the time, easily could have gone on ever ride last time. Does that mean I let them, no. I use my better judgement as a parent. I think I know what their ready for. The biggest ride DD's been on is Kali, she went on it at 4 yrs old and it's her favorite ride! DS its probably Stitch, he and I and FIL went on Stitch last trip and he hated it!

Next trip we'll see! We're going to start with the Barnstormer, DS is dying to ride the barnstormer, and go from there.

[crazypoohbear]

my youngest is 5'6" and still will not go on any thrill rides. Last summer I finally convinced him to try splash again... He loved it.
He's very gun shy and we never pushed him to go on anything. If he didnt' want to go he waited in the waiting area or gift shop or he and his dad rode the TTA *his favorite ride!*
I THINK that others push the envelope because they feel they are paying good money and are entitled to experience everything, afterall, "they know their kid better than disney does" but... disney knows the dangers better than they do.

When my youngest was 3 and 1/2 we took him on the "Family" tube ride, the operator gave us all a big push and off we went.... EXCEPT that the push was so hard that when we banked at the top of the slide my DS went airborne! If I had not literally reached straight up into the air and grabbed him and pulled him back into the raft he would have gone right out the top of the slide and died on the spot... NO I am not exaggerating one bit. IT was the scariest moment of our lives.
My sister (payroll princess) went to put her leg over his to hold him in and kicked him in the head, ( he still has not gotten over that)
I held onto him so tightly that I bruised his arm.
Since this incident, they no longer push the rafts to start them off.
He was tall enough for this ride and wanted to go, he was just very light and flew right out. (IT'S a FAMIY RIDE)

I think this is why he is so skitish now.
So, parents who think nothing will happen are sadly mistaken, it's much better to err on the side of caution.

OR... whenever I see parents doing incredibly stupid things with their kids I just say
"They must be very fertile and think that kids are replacable"

[Dakota Rose]

We've never done this with our son. But, I once worked with a guy who did this when he took his daughter to DLR. He was a single father on a very tight income and his parents gave them a trip to DLR. He came to me asking for planning help because he knew it would be the only time he'd ever get to take his little girl. She was like 7 I think, but very petite. Just a tiny thing and missed most of the requirements by an inch. I thought it was a dumb thing to do then, and I think it's a dumb thing to do now. But I guess, for him, all he could think about was letting his little girl have all the fun she could being he didn't know if he'd ever have the chance again.

[Stitchahula]

We took my 4 y/o ds last summer and he went on a bunch of the rides. I never would've let him go if he wasn't tall enough. That said he like all he went on except for big thunder his exact quote was "that's it, no splash". I was afraid he would be scared but he wasn't he wanted to go on tower of terror but neither my sister or I would go on it with him(we were to scared). Needless to say he's an unusual child.

[murphy1]

Because they have no sense. Remember that quote from Keanu Reeves in Parenthood movie, "You have to take a test to get a driver's license, but they let anybody be a parent"

[murphy1]

We saw someone at Test Track (from Michigan he said) get irate at the CM b/c he got his kid past the front, got up to the ht marker where you get near the cars and track and the CM there wouldn't let him on, I couldn't believe people were ganging up on the poor CM!

[krose78]

When we went with DS3 this Dec we had measured him at home and he was measureing 38 inches so we didn't even consider "bigger" rides for the first couple days but then at Soarin' we measured him ourselves and then had the CM's measure him and he measured 40 He loved all the rides we took him on Star Tours, Soarin' and BTM, especially loved BTM he giggled the entire time. Would never go back to Stitch per my DS7 he hates that ride.

[Flower]

Brandon just meets the 40" and he went on Stitch with DH in September and he did not like it, we did not even ask him if he wanted to go on it this past January. I would never push him to go on a ride, he did not want to go on the barnstormer at all in January because it was too fast, yet he chose to ride BTMRR twice because he liked the crazy train! Ah, the logic of someone who is almost 4!

Just my :twocents:on Disneys height requirements, I think they should come up with something more consistent than the measuring poles. I like how they do it at Kali where they give you a wristband to show that the child has been checked. Yes, the wristband is so the loading CM knows the child needs the seat with the waist bar, but it still shows that the child has been height checked and is okay.

Brandon loves Soarin and has probably been on it 12 times. One of the last times he was on it the CM actually took one of the red 'credit cards' that they use to measure line length and tried to slide it between his head and the top of the measuring pole. I honestly thought that was a bit much - it was obvious his head was touching the cross bar, and to turn him away for something paper thin would have caused me to be that parent having a melt down/temper tantrum!:drama: Fortunately his head stopped the card from sliding thru and she let him ride.

If it was obvious he did not meet a height requirement, I definitely would not blame the CM.