Understanding Disney World Height Requirements

You’ve been saving for a while, the ultimate family vacation to Walt Disney World! Planning for months, all the hard work is about to pay off! You get there, and your child is too short to ride an attraction that they have been looking forward to!

A little bit of planning can help prevent this disappointment!

Don’t let this happen to you! Here is all the information that you will need before visiting Walt Disney World! Here are all the height requirements that you will need to know before going!

This post will go over basic information that parents/guardians of littles should know prior to going to Walt Disney World.

It will be laid out in more of a frequently asked questions layout. If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would be happy to help.

Looking for the height requirements for a specific Walt Disney World Park?
Check out these other height requirement posts:
>Magic Kingdom Height Requirements
>Animal Kingdom Height Requirements
>EPCOT Height Requirements
>Hollywood Studios Height Requirements
>Blizzard Beach Height Requirements
>Typhoon Lagoon Height Requirements

Why is height important for rides?

For starters, let’s talk about why height requirements are important to understand why the height requirements are in place.

Ultimately, Disney has put height requirements in place for the safety of the guests. The safety of the guests is for when everything runs smoothly, as well as when things go wrong.

How do they measure kids at Disney?

At the front of the queue (basically just before you hop in line), of any ride with a height requirement, there is a cast member and a themed measuring stick/platform.

Any child who might be close to or a little short of the height requirement will be asked by a cast member to stand tall by the measuring stick.

If the child is tall enough then the cast member will let them through. If the child is too short, then the cast member will break the news that the child won’t be able to ride the attraction.

Additionally, there is a second measuring stick for cast members to double-check the height of the little ones, right around when they start dividing groups up to hop on the ride.

Unfortunately, if the cast member at the second height measuring stick, doesn’t think it is safe for the child to ride the attraction, then the child won’t be allowed on. However, to help make the experience enjoyable, a cast member will usually offer what is called a rider switch.

Does Disney measure height with shoes on?

Yes! Because guests are required to wear shoes during their time in the park, cast members also measure the height of the individual in question with their shoes.

However, if it is apparent that the guest in question is wearing a platform or a heeled shoe. The cast member may ask for the shoes to be removed to get an accurate height.

Remember this is for the safety of everyone involved. So wear flat shoes, and don’t argue with the cast member if they say that your child is too short. It can’t be easy to have to be the one to break the news to guests.

Are Disney ride heights accurate?

It is pretty safe to say that Disney is fairly accurate with its height measurements. The height requirements are set in place for the safety of all guests. Which is not something to be taken lightly.

If you are going to measure your children prior to your vacation, then I recommend measuring them with the shoes that they are going to be wearing in the parks.

Remind them of the importance of standing as tall and as still as they can.

How strict is Disney with height?

Again, because of the safety of guests are on the line when it comes to height requirements on the rides, Disney is pretty strict with their height requirements.

So much so, that a majority of the time, they will measure the child in question twice before actually letting them on the attraction.

Additionally, if your child gets measured before they enter the queue, you can bet that they will also get measured a second time, just before the guests hop on the ride.

Are there weight limits at Disney World?

No, there are no known weight limits for attractions at Walt Disney World.

Something to keep in mind though is that certain attractions might not be comfortable depending upon your size.

Also keep in mind that the weight of the guests do need to be distributed among certain rides so that there aren’t any safety issues.

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What is the height requirement for most rides at Disney?

As stated previously, the height requirements for the rides at Disney World are dependent upon the safety of the guests. Therefore the Disney World height requirements will vary upon the type of ride.

However, it is a safe bet that if your child is around 40 inches tall, they will be able to ride most of the rides at Disney World.

This isn’t a strict rule, as there are many rides that require children to be over 40 inches tall. But for most of them, the height requirement among all the parks is 40 inches.

How old do you have to be to ride Disney rides by yourself?

According to PlanDisney, in order to enter the park, no child under the age of 14 years old is allowed in unless there is someone with them that is over the age of 14 years old.

Keeping that in mind, as long as the child meets the height requirement for that specific ride, the child must be at least 7 years or older.

In other words, if your 5 year old or 6 year old is tall enough for Space Mountain, you CANNOT send them on the ride, unless they are accompanied with someone who is 14 years old or older.

On the flip side, if your 8 year old doesn’t meet the height requirement for Space Mountain, they also CANNOT go on the attraction.

It is important to remember that the height AND age requirement must be met in order for children to ride an attraction alone.

The Wrap Up: Disney World Height Requirements

Understanding Disney World’s Height Requirements is important to really maximize your Walt Disney World trip! It will also help minimize any disappointment if a little one is a smidgen too short.

The Disney World Height Requirements are put in place for everyone’s safety, so be sure to be respectful if a cast member informs you that your child is a bit too short for an attraction.

Be sure to measure your child’s height prior to leaving. And be sure to measure their height in the shoes that they will most likely be wearing in the parks.

And remember, that most of the rides in the different Disney World parks (including water parks) are available to guests of any height.