Ride height restrictions in Florida

[MrsSnape]

We're off to Florida next year and whilst DS1 doesn't like fast rides, DS2 loves them.

He will be 8 next year and has his heart set on The Kraken, The Hulk ride etc...I've measured him and so far he's nowhere near the height restriction of these rides, DS1 isn't at the right height yet and he's 10 next year so I don't think DS2 will make it then either.

What I'm wondering is, are the height restrictions for kids going on by themselves or can shorter kids go on with an adult?

AFAIK the height redtriction appiles to accompanied children as well.

DS was about a eighth of an inch too short for the Kracken and they would not let him ride this.

They are very strict on height requirements; they will not let him ride even with an adult in attendence if he is deemed too short. They use a height measuring stick.

If he's just marginally too short then buy some of those trainers with lights in the bottom, they add a good half inch or so!
If he's clearly too short (and if in doubt they make them stand under a measure stick not just next to it) they will not let him on the rides. It's not worth their safety records, and it's not worth your child's safety either really. People do get injured on rides, even at Disneyland etc.

This is why I like California rather than Florida in addition to being cheaper overall. Most of the height restrictions rides can be avoided easily and the taller restrictions are in the california adventure park anyhow. Even at 6 and average height my son could go on almost all (with the exception of Indiana Jones which was easy to bypass) in Disneyland itself. And we only briefly popped into California Adventure that time. This time he was tall enough for all but the 'worst' California Adventure rides and so we could happily go to that park.

Read up before hand and prepare him for any disappointments. And don't try reasoning with the people at the ride either. If one lets you past it's only because they know another further up the line will say no. I watched someone queue for 40 mins on splash mountain, talk one line checker into letting her clearly too short son stay in the queue only to watch her have to leave disappointed when they finally got to the front of the queue. Her child was so upset, far more so than he would have been having his mum say sorry no and distracting him with something he could go on before they had queued all that time i'm sure.

Gilly

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to talk to DS tomorow and let him down gently. I'm assuming there is still loads of rides for younger ones to go on? stuff thats a little more exciting than the standard "round in a circle" rides that Britain has for little kids?

From what I remember, the best rides for adventurous smaller kids were in animal kingdom & epcot rather than magic kingdom. If you look on line you'll get all the details

My DD and I went to Florida last summer, she was aged six and her height was 48 and a half inches. Whilst she couldn't go on the really big rides like Hulk and Kraken, there are lots of pretty scary rides that allow children of 48 inches and upwards on them. The Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roll rollercoaster at Disney MGM is amazing, goes upside down a fair few times and my daughter loved it! At Disneyworld the Space Mountain ride is fine for 48 inches and above. Busch Gardens has some pretty scary rides too - the Gwazi in particular which absolutely terrified me but which DD loved! Islands of Adventure have some brilliant rides too - Spiderman, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Flying Unicorn. Sea World's Journey to Atlantis was also brilliant.

At the water parks, they only have one height restriction, 48 inches, for even the most terrifying of rides, so if your DC are brave, there's nothing to stop them going on all kinds of vertical slides!

I don't think that my DD missed out on not being taller. Some of the really big rollercoasters tend to be ridden by macho men in their twenties!!!! Having said all that, we're back off to Florida in 2010 when she'll definitely be tall enough to do all the rides!

The only three rides my DS (6) couldn't go on where Kracken and Hulk and Duelling Dragons. He was big enough for everything else and believe me there are heaps of exciting rides to go on. Everest at Animal Kingdom and Aerosmith, Tower of Terror for example.

were not where... obv!!