Height aside, ages of kids on rides

[Cameo]

I was reading the thread about how tall kids need to be to get them on the rides. Now, my question is, if your child is tall enough, do you think they still may be too young to go on rides?Not for the scarey issue, but for the safety issue.

Our DS will be 3 1/2 when we go and will be about 41 inches. So, technically he could go on Splash Mountain, and we all want to go as a family, but he is just a skinny little kid. Do you think there is a possibility of him slipping out during the big fall?

I read with interest the information about the lap bar not fitting down on the child because the larger adult is sitting next to them. That would definitely be the case with us because he is so skinny.

What do you guys think?

 

[campingcorgi]

Well, he might be tall enough to ride--the measuring sticks can vary and he may not measure quite tall enough. However, if he is tall enough and wants to ride, I'd let him with an adult family member. There are no lap bars on Splash Mountain at WDW, though, so the adult would really want to hold on to him!

 

[Tiggerafferty]

I could have sworn that Splash mountain did have lap bars. I remember holding on to it for dear life (I am a real chicken when it comes to heights). I could be wrong, but I really think there are lap bars.

My son rode for the first time last trip and he was 5 (very skinny and had just met the height requirement) and he did fine. In fact he wasn't anywhere near as scared as I was. I didn't have any concerns for his safety. Now yours is 3 1/2 so is obviously smaller than mine, but I still think it will be OK.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Yes, there are lap bars.
I remember it vividly because I was a lot "wider" (if you know what I mean) back then and I had on a poncho and I had trouble getting it to cover me all the way around when sitting BECAUSE the bar was smooshed down messing it up and making it come unsnapped on the sides.
I was being anal- I didn't want to get wet. LOL And I didn't- except on the front of my hair. GREAT, right where I most wouldn't want to get wet. LOL

 

[FreeTime]

I don't think that Splash Mountain has lap bars that come down. They do have bars that stick out of the seat in front of you to hold ontp but they don't move.

 

[jacksonsmom]

I think I can help.
My son will be 4 yrs old in August, he is 43 inches but only 36 pounds so he is tall & skinny.

He did go on Splash Mountain but I did have my arm around him to hold him down a bit. There was a pretty good gap between his legs/lap & the lap bar.

Another ride that I held on to him more was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad since that is a lap bar also & only went to my legs & left a gap for him.

All other rides we went on, that I am remebering, were single selt belts so those were fine.

I say if your child wants to go on it & meets the requirement, let him go on it but I personally would hold on to him. You can never be too safe.

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/data/500/58620002.jpg

While it may not be the best photo ever, you can kinda see that they have no lap bars that come down on you, only the bars that stick out from the seat in front of you.

This was the best one that came up when I did a google search.

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

This one is pretty decent! It shows the bar that is on the seat in front of you that you hold onto!
anycities.com/user1/disneyworld/splash-mountain-station.jpg

 

[Barb D]

M 3yo rode both Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain with no problem at all. (She didn't like getting wet, so we put a poncho on her for her 2nd Splash ride.) Space Mountain is another story; even she was tall enough (I don't remember) I wouldn't have let her ride because there is only one person to a seat. There is no way to even put your arm around her if she's scared.