Child height restrictions at theme parks and play areas.

[Lizzie888]

Why are theme parks and play areas so strict with their height rules and not show a little more understanding and empathy with younger children who are tall for their age. Our holiday has been spoiled by unsympathetic establishments who have stuck strictly to height rules when in some cases the rules are nonsensical. Our DS is nine but tall for his age at 59 inches. He has learning difficulties, not major, but has a mental age a year or so younger. We faced many difficulties at theme parks where he was too timid to go on the rides for older children or adults but was turned away endlessly from younger child's rides even although it was one to a car and no direct interaction with other children. We tried to finish our holiday by visiting an adventure playground. We paid the admissions for DS and our younger two children only to fall foul of the maximum height rule again. We then had the problem of whether to deprive the younger two their fun (they are far rougher playing wise than their older gentle 'giant' brother or to let them in and sit outside with DS. On this occasion we allowed the younger two in and tried to console the older one with a walk and an ice cream. We did ask around some other adults/parents and found that some kids as old as twelve were in and the general behaviour was very much rough and tumble as you would expect in an adventure play area, nothing too extreme, and far rougher than our DS would have added to the occasion. On the other hand some of the language of the older kids was sweary and inappropriate for such an area and when pointed out to the staff was met by a shrug. So why do nothing about that, allow twelve year olds who play like twelve year olds in because they are a few inches shorter than DS but not admit a child based on age alone and circumstances described to them. The fall back excuse is always 'health and safety rules' a pathetic cop out used by lazy, ignorant staff unable or unwilling to use any flexibility/discretion. It is heart breaking to see the effect is has on DS just plain heart breaking.

Yab utterly u.
height is not a protected characteristic and comparing it to race etc is ridiculous.

there will always be some kids too tall/short/young/old etc. you’ll never get something that keeps everyone happy.

If a child had been turned away by the appalling attitude of the supervisor on race, gender or disability grounds that would have been roundly condemned on here, but a nine year old who is a little taller than his peers shouldn't be accepted either.

Being tall isn't a protection characteristic. And even if it was, adjustments have to be reasonable, and if they can show that there's a health and safety element, that will trump any reasonable adjustments.

*protected

The fall back excuse is always 'health and safety rules' a pathetic cop out used by lazy, ignorant staff unable or unwilling to use any flexibility/discretion.

No you’re being ridiculous and entitled. It’s basic health and safety, you sound like the first person to complain if your too small child got injured on a ride because the harness didn’t fit properly.
It’s equally important for the safety of others too. Don’t be selfish, your child isn’t more important than everyone else.

This

Yabu op

An age related restriction would have been far more reasonable but let's just quite H & S rules as a cop out. You people have no idea!!

No it wouldn’t be more reasonable. Bigger children, regardless of their age, have a much bigger chance of hurting smaller and younger children. That’s just a fact. Children don’t carry ID, you could say your child was 7,9 or 12 and there’s really no recourse if it isn’t true. Height is an easy and factual characteristic. It’s important little toddling children are protected in young soft plays and things like rides are designed around a minimum and maximum height.

No, staff absolutely shouldn't be "flexible" about height restrictions fgs. The ride has been tested and certified safe for riders under a certain height, not over it. I hope you didn't give the poor staff a hard time.

Most people encounter a few years where theme parks are tricky due to the size restrictions if they have children of different ages. So some can do some rides and others can't. It's par for the course and you just have to work around it.

I took my kids to a water park in the Canary Islands.

They weren't allowed in the kids area because they were too tall.

They were tall enough for lots of the genes rides but were too scared as they were only young.

That was a waste of a day and money!

That looks clear. So only bouncy slide and soft play he was clearly too big for, which is right in my opinion as these would have small children playing. Only a bit too big for the trampolines, which I understand would be annoying. Plenty he could go on.

If they let you break one rule, they’d have to let others break another. As PP have said, the min wage workers staffing the rides don’t have the power to break rules (and shouldn’t)

I also have an above average hight 9 year old. She was refused entry to a Wakey Warehouse type place recently for being too tall. The week before nobody checked her hight.... Now I check rigorously what the limits are, if they say up to 12, do they mean average hight of a 12 year old, or do they mean birthdate.

Just noticed he could go on the bungee trampoline, which is much cooler than regular trampolines anyway, and not too old or scary for a school aged child. So only the young kids stuff he was really excluded from.

Height is a differential that can be viewed and verified. Age can be lied about and I don't see a company weighing children.

Unfortunately your son is too tall, their insurance probably has the detail about limiting height to reduce incidents.

I’ve never been anywhere with a max height restriction. My youngest is the opposite, tiny, she has to miss out ALL THE TIME when we go to theme parks because she’s not tall enough for the rides that her sister and all her pals are going on.
Adults are allowed on most rides so there must be something he can go on surely?
My dd is pretty used to the disappointment now, we just explain she’s too small. You just have to explain he’s too big. Then we take her on something she can go on. Can’t one parent stay with the other kids and the other take him on a ride he likes? We spend a lot of time separated at theme parks for this reason

Except the height restrictions are very clearly set out on the website ... https://www.codonas.com/opening-times-info/#RideGuide

You are being ridiculous. The park is not going to break the clauses of their insurance just because you want your tall child to have a ride in an attraction that has been deemed unsuitable for his height. They'd be risking millions to make your child happy.

As for the swearing of the other kids, that might be unpleasant but definitely not dangerous. If you want your children to be protected from hearing bad words, take them to a park in a foreign country where they don't speak the language

It's because parents lie about ages so a height restriction is an easier way of having a general age restriction.

Oops only one screenshot attached, but as you go further down the list the "Max height" requirements are very clearly laid out in the Height Restrictions section

height & age restrictions are set by the manufacturer, not the park itself. If they altered the conditions .& an accident occurred they would seriously be in trouble with the insurance company’s.

@Gymmum82
I've found playground/soft play type places may have a height restriction to protect smaller children. Parents may lie about age, and anyway a teenager helping a young sibling as an adult would is much less risk than a large energetic 8-10 year old so age doesn't make sense.

I had a smaller side of average but mature for his age child and he was frequently disappointed when he was too small for height restricted rides too.

Judging by the OPs responses on here and horrible attitudes about staff, I bet if her little darling injured theirselves she would be screaming blue murder wanting the park closer down.

Child*

Fuck off with your 'Karen' comment. That makes you as bad as the OP.