Trip Preparation: Height Requirement

Rides are a big part of Walt Disney World. If you’re traveling with children one of the things to be aware of, in regards to rides, is the height of your kids. There are many rides at Walt Disney World that have height requirements. To get on many of the rides your child needs to be a certain height. If you have not been to a theme park before, the rides that have height requirements have a measuring stick at the entrance with a cast member making sure everyone is adhering to the regulations. So there is no sneaking your child on to a ride they are clearly too short for.

In preparation for your trip, measure your child to see what height they are and double check what rides they will be able to go on and which ones they won’t. This is also a good idea to do before you book your fastpasses to make sure you don’t book a fastpass that you can’t use. Knowing what your child will be able to ride before your trip will deter from any disappointment. You can go over with your child which rides they will be able to go on. Make that the focus and excitement instead of mentioning the rides they won’t be able to enjoy. If your child is close to a certain height measure them with the footwear they will be wearing during the vacation. This can add a little height. Don’t worry, the cast member is not going to require you to take them out of their crocs to ensure they are the ideal height. Make sure you measure your child on a flat surface and not carpet. Carpets add a bit of cushion that will not be at the measuring stick by the entrance to the ride.

There are six different categories of height: 32 in, 35 in, 38 in, 40 in, 44 in and 48 in. Just because your child is tall enough to ride a ride does not mean that it will be appropriate for them. Our daughter, 5, was tall enough on our last vacation to ride Tower of Terror, we let her go on it, steering her clear of the screens in the library. She screamed throughout all of the drops and said she would not go on it again. Should we have brought her on it? We think so, but others may not have felt the same way.

If your child is just a hair, and I mean a hair not a hand, below the height requirement the cast member will likely let your child go on. On one vacation, our daughter was 37 inches and 3/4. So we went to take her on the Kali River Rapids, we measured her with the cast member and said with great enthusiasm “Look you’re tall enough to go on.” The cast member with a smile waved us through. She was definitely tiny to be on such a ride and got bounced around a bit but she enjoyed it and I’m glad we took her on it. She’s very adventurous so other children that age and stature may not be ready to conquer the most thrill seeking rides.

Use this tip to create excitement with your kids for their trip as you countdown for your next Disney Vacation.

Happy Planning.