Disneyland's height requirements are ridiculous!!

[fairytalelover]

The Dinosaur ride at WDW's Animal Kingdom is the exact same ride as Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride (same track etc...)just different theme. Yet, my 6 year old is tall enough to ride the Dinosaur ride but not Indiana Jones! WHY?? It's the same exact ride!! Why does Disneyland have stricter height restrictions? Disney should have the same height rules in all of their parks equally. And now they have raised the Matterhorn height requirement? There is no rhyme or reason!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The Dinosaur ride at WDW's Animal Kingdom is the exact same ride as Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride (same track etc...)just different theme. Yet, my 6 year old is tall enough to ride the Dinosaur ride but not Indiana Jones! WHY?? It's the same exact ride!! Why does Disneyland have stricter height restrictions? Disney should have the same height rules in all of their parks equally. And now they have raised the Matterhorn height requirement? There is no rhyme or reason!

Height restrictions are not set only by Disney. State laws dictate some of these rules, and California regulations are more strict than Florida ones.

 

[sonnyjane]

Regarding Dinosaur in WDW vs. Indy in DL, they are similar rides with similar vehicles but they are in very different STATES! Different states have different laws.

Regarding Matterhorn's increase, they changed the ride vehicles and therefore had to adjust the requirement for safety reasons. I'd imagine that as a guest, you'd prefer vehicles to be safe?

 

[Carolynleanne]

Regarding Dinosaur in WDW vs. Indy in DL, they are similar rides with similar vehicles but they are in very different STATES! Different states have different laws.

Regarding Matterhorn's increase, they changed the ride vehicles and therefore had to adjust the requirement for safety reasons. I'd imagine that as a guest, you'd prefer vehicles to be safe?

I certainly prefer it! I have young children and for us it's just 'one of those things' you deal with. When they are tall enough, they will ride. Nothing we can do about it.

 

[wdwrich]

The Dinosaur ride at WDW's Animal Kingdom is the exact same ride as Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride (same track etc...)just different theme. Yet, my 6 year old is tall enough to ride the Dinosaur ride but not Indiana Jones! WHY?? It's the same exact ride!!

As PPs stated, differing state laws come into play here. Also note that while Dinosaur and Indy use the same ride vehicles and similar track, the vehicle movements are programmed to match the individual attraction- so the movements/speeds/affects on the guest are different.

 

[Malcon10t]

Regarding Matterhorn's increase, they changed the ride vehicles and therefore had to adjust the requirement for safety reasons. I'd imagine that as a guest, you'd prefer vehicles to be safe?

It is a very different ride set up now. Instead of your 2-3yo cuddled in your arms, they are now in a seat belt by themselves. The buckling is different. Whole new ride, whole new requirements.

CA and FL are totally different states, with totally different safety requirements.

 

[Feistygirl916]

I certainly prefer it! I have young children and for us it's just 'one of those things' you deal with. When they are tall enough, they will ride. Nothing we can do about it.

No rush, the ride will still be there when they are tall enough.

Safety first!

 

[WicketsMom]

I'm checking the height requirements carefully too because I have a five-year old that is just at 44" and will want to ride everything! What did the Matterhorn change to? It's best for us if we prepare ahead of time for what he can and can't ride, especially since our DL trip will be with my nephew who is two years and a couple of inches taller. Most likely this will be our only DL trip since we live in Alabama and it is much more affordable to get to WDW.

I was noticing that Space Mountain is only 40" at Disneyland, yet is 44" at Disneyworld. Do they still use the cars where two ride together? I'm not ready to put him on the one at WDW since he would be in a single seat alone, but he would LOVE to ride it if we were in the same seat.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I'm checking the height requirements carefully too because I have a five-year old that is just at 44" and will want to ride everything! What did the Matterhorn change to? It's best for us if we prepare ahead of time for what he can and can't ride, especially since our DL trip will be with my nephew who is two years and a couple of inches taller. Most likely this will be our only DL trip since we live in Alabama and it is much more affordable to get to WDW.

I was noticing that Space Mountain is only 40" at Disneyland, yet is 44" at Disneyworld. Do they still use the cars where two ride together? I'm not ready to put him on the one at WDW since he would be in a single seat alone, but he would LOVE to ride it if we were in the same seat.

Matterhorn has been changed to 42".

Space Mountain is two across.

 

[pixiewings71]

I guess I will never understand how someone can get upset at the height requirements when they are there to keep you (and your children) safe. I'd rather they be more cautious and ensure safety then be lax and have someone get hurt.

 

[scrapshappen]

I think the height requirements at Disneyland are VERY reasonable.

We live across the freeway from an amusement park (Lagoon in Farmington, UT) and most of their rides (including one exactly like Silly Symphony Swings) have a 46" requirement or higher. Very frustrating for my 45.5" seven-year old. But rules are rules and hopefully by next summer he will be tall enough.

And yes we are hoping he grows that half inch+ before we go in November so he can ride Indy. But besides that and California Screaming, he can go on everything else.

Then there is my very tall nine year old who was often tall enough for rides that weren't age appropriate for him. Indy can be very intense and a little scary for the little ones. To this day he won't go on rides that I dragged him on when he was five because he was tall enough to ride them.

 

[KateDrake]

I'd rather they be more cautious and ensure safety then be lax and have someone get hurt.

Agreed pixiewings! The Matterhorn is my DD3's favorite ride, but since she has to ride alone now, I'm glad the height requirement is higher. We had a talk about it the other day, and I explained that it is a little more intense now with the new sleds. She was disappointed, but I think she understood that it was to keep her safe.
As far as Indy vs. Dinosaur, I know they are similar, but it seems like Indy is much more dangerous (and therefore, in my mind, better:good vibes) So I've always thought that height requirement made sense. I've almost fallen out on Indy myself!

 

[DizMe]

Ok, I'm going to admit to having done something bad. Shame on me, honestly.

When oldest dd was about 6, she was just *slightly* too short for Indy. She'd ridden almost every scary ride but that one had a little bit taller height requirement. She had a pair or sandals with enough of a platform to make her the right height, and her jeans were long enough to hide the fact that she was wearing them.

We got on the ride (after having about 4 cms along the way check her height) and guess what? She was too young! She hated it. She loved other scary rides but Indy was too much for her.

I learned a big lesson that day. There is a reason for allowing kids time to grow into the rides. You have to exercise your parental judgment and also allow the safety experts to do the same. I was wrong...they were right.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

As PPs stated, differing state laws come into play here. Also note that while Dinosaur and Indy use the same ride vehicles and similar track, the vehicle movements are programmed to match the individual attraction- so the movements/speeds/affects on the guest are different.

definitely!!! the vehicle movement in Dinosaurs vs. Indy are way diff....you dont go downward on dinosaurs...they just jump out at you

Ok, I'm going to admit to having done something bad. Shame on me, honestly.

When oldest dd was about 6, she was just *slightly* too short for Indy. She'd ridden almost every scary ride but that one had a little bit taller height requirement. She had a pair or sandals with enough of a platform to make her the right height, and her jeans were long enough to hide the fact that she was wearing them.

you and about a hundred thousand other people did that...shoot i wouldnt let my dd go on SM till she was like 11 and then i was still apprehensive

 

[specialks]

I guess I will never understand how someone can get upset at the height requirements when they are there to keep you (and your children) safe. I'd rather they be more cautious and ensure safety then be lax and have someone get hurt.

This!

 

[PHXscuba]

I think for a major theme park, Disneyland is very inclusive on height requirements. If you're 42 inches (3 and a half feet), you can ride everything inside Disneyland park except Indiana Jones. Even my super-petite daughter was that tall by age 6. There are very few theme parks where that is true -- that you can go on most of the headliners when you're five or six.

I have been trying to figure out how to take my two teens and two shorter kids (47 and 50 inches) to Knott's Berry Farm or Magic Mountain when the younger ones can't ride most of the coolest-looking rides they can see. I finally decided to take just the older two and go back in a few years with the younger ones.

At Disneyland you rarely have to separate based only on height requirements, and even then they have Child Swap to make it tolerable.

PHXscuba

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I think for a major theme park, Disneyland is very inclusive on height requirements. If you're 42 inches (3 and a half feet), you can ride everything inside Disneyland park except Indiana Jones. Even my super-petite daughter was that tall by age 6. There are very few theme parks where that is true -- that you can go on most of the headliners when you're five or six.

I have been trying to figure out how to take my two teens and two shorter kids (47 and 50 inches) to Knott's Berry Farm or Magic Mountain when the younger ones can't ride most of the coolest-looking rides they can see. I finally decided to take just the older two and go back in a few years with the younger ones.

At Disneyland you rarely have to separate based only on height requirements, and even then they have Child Swap to make it tolerable.

PHXscuba

Absolutely. My just turned 5 yr old is 42" and my 3.5 yr old is 40"....where else can my young kids ride just about every ride in the park? Most places have the bulk of rides at over 48".

 

[CheshireGato]

I went on it when I was 9 (it just came out and lines were the worst!) and when the ride started the big gold snake went towards my mom and I was so scared I closed my eyes THE REST OF THE TIME. I only blinked them open when the walls were shooting darts at us. With the amount of time we spent waiting, you would have thought I would have wanted to see it more

As an adult I love the ride, but it can be very scary to some kids.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I guess I will never understand how someone can get upset at the height requirements when they are there to keep you (and your children) safe. I'd rather they be more cautious and ensure safety then be lax and have someone get hurt.

I believe the OP was expressing frustration that what appears to her to be incredibly similar rides have different height requirements, suggesting that either one is "lax" or one is overly strict in its requirement. She's disappointed that her child could not get on a ride that appears to her to be the same ride her child has already safely and happily ridden at another park. In other words, she believes that previous experience has demonstrated that the ride is in fact safe for her child.
Responders have since explained about the different states, different laws and requirements, and even suggestions on how the rides are not quite as similar as they might first appear. There is nothing to suggest that the OP somehow does not care enough about her child's safety.

 

[bumbershoot]

State laws dictate some of these rules, and California regulations are more strict than Florida ones.

Yep. Look at the carseat laws between the two states, for instance!

The other area where it's different is in the pool slides at the Disney resorts. In Florida kids can go down at any age, wearing life vests. At DLR, last I checked there's a height and/or age restriction, and NO life vests are allowed.


On the other hand, because Space Mountain is an entirely different ride (not in theme, but how they did it), it's lower than at WDW.