We went to DCA yesterday and my 3 year old daughter is now hovering at 40 inches...just barely. I mean, by a hair...it is a very close call. At home on her growth chart she is probably just a hair under. Anyway...we were at Soarin' last night and she wanted to see if she is tall enough (she thinks it's fun to check each time on the 40 inch rides)...I was honestly expecting her to not make it so I was going to let THEM tell her no :lol. Anyway, she squeaked by, and - having both ridden Soarin' before, my DH and I decided it was a good "starter" 40 inch ride. So, DH took her. She got re-measured at the end of the line and passed, again just barely. Well, we got a rider-switch pass and then went to watch the parade, do some other things (including riding Jumpin' Jellyfish, again a 40 inch requirement - but no one questioned her there), and then before leaving I was going to ride Soarin' w/ her using the pass. Again, she got measured at the front of the line and was fine (this time she passed w/ flying colors, it wasn't borderline at all) and then at the end of the line (short b/c we were in the fast pass line, but still about a 10 min. wait) she was measured again and didn't make the cut! And, I couldn't really argue w/ the CM b/c I could clearly see that her head was not touching the bar. BUT...it clearly WAS the 3 other times she was measured! I mean, I understand that kids can squirm and whatnot...but it seemed like a very big difference. The CM could stick his fingers between her head and the bar...and at the front of the line she very clearly touched the bar! So, we had to exit. (She handled it pretty well, thankfully!) I was frustrated - not so much that we didn't get to ride, I mean I understand and respect the height requirements. BUT...to have MET it 3 times - I guess I'm frustrated w/ the inconsistency. I told the CM that she'd already ridden it today, and he said "I don't know how." And the he couldn't, in good concious (sp!) let us go. And I couldn't argue - the evidence was in his favor (at that moment).

Is my kid's head shaped weird and has a tall side and short side? :p Or are the measuring sticks or the methods of measuring not consistant? I think maybe having a bar for the kids to put there heels against, or little pictures of feet on the cement for them to stand on would help, I don't know.

I was just very glad we only waited in the 10 min. line that time, and that it didn't happen when DH waited 40 min. with her!!

Is my kid's head shaped weird and has a tall side and short side? :p Or are the measuring sticks or the methods of measuring not consistant? I think maybe having a bar for the kids to put there heels against, or little pictures of feet on the cement for them to stand on would help, I don't know.

I think if she was barely hitting the line/on that little edge of just the right height, it's more likely to happen- you know they say we 'shrink' over the course of the day with our spines compressing or something like that.

I'm still amazed she got on Jumpin' Jellyfish. Did they try to measure her at all? That's the notoriously problematic stick that my friend used her measuring tape on and it is actually 41" tall.

Adrienne

you know they say we 'shrink' over the course of the day with our spines compressing or something like that

Hadn't thought of that one! It was a few hours later. :lol You know, no one questioned her at JJ...we had her walk up to the stick but DH was w/ her, I was hanging back w/ our 1 yr. old. The CM at the entrance wasn't watching, though, she could have been an inch short and he wouldn't have known. I was assuming she would hit it - b/c of our success on Soarin' the 1st time. (This was before we got turned away the 2nd time.) The CM at ride loading didn't question her, so they went right on. :confused: I didn't know it was notorious for being a "tall" 40 inch ride.

I was assuming she would hit it - b/c of our success on Soarin' the 1st time. (This was before we got turned away the 2nd time.) The CM at ride loading didn't question her, so they went right on. :confused: I didn't know it was notorious for being a "tall" 40 inch ride.

Yep! It is.

My friend Mary's daughter had just ridden Soarin with no problems at all. She was more than 'barely' 40" - she was a definitely 'over 40"' child. Walked up to Jumpin' Jellyfish and they said she was too short. Mary pulled out her tape measure from her purse because she was curious, and sure enough, the stick measured over 40" tall!!

CMs have written to me swearing that they personally checked the stick and my story is wrong. Well, Mary's my son's godmother, so I'm a lot more likely to believe Mary over a CM I've never met. Also, other parents have reported that the same thing happened to their families at Jellyfish- children who were tall enough for other rides were told they were too short at Jellyfish.

Now you know! :)

Adrienne

Yep! It is.

My friend Mary's daughter had just ridden Soarin with no problems at all. She was more than 'barely' 40" - she was a definitely 'over 40"' child. Walked up to Jumpin' Jellyfish and they said she was too short. Mary pulled out her tape measure from her purse because she was curious, and sure enough, the stick measured over 40" tall!!

CMs have written to me swearing that they personally checked the stick and my story is wrong. Well, Mary's my son's godmother, so I'm a lot more likely to believe Mary over a CM I've never met. Also, other parents have reported that the same thing happened to their families at Jellyfish- children who were tall enough for other rides were told they were too short at Jellyfish.

Now you know! :)

Adrienne


Ha, ha! It was my daughter (aka the Future President of Disneyland) who rode Soarin without a problem and then was turned away--even after I brought out the tape measure!!--from Jumpin Jellyfish. I'm here to tell ya, the Jellyfish measuring stick was *wrong.* At the time, there was a 'central' place to measure kids, over by the bridge to Paradise Pier (near Golden Dreams), and she measured 40 inches there.

I happened to have an Ikea paper tape measure in my purse that day, simply because I'm a packrat and it seemed like a handy thing.

NOW, I have a really spiffy leather-encased metal tape measure in my purse, which looks far more official that the raggedy-edged Ikea measure. My godson's mother has one just like it, just in case she needs it for her boys. And it's funny, but those things do come in handy for other cases besides measuring kids at theme parks.

The Future President of Disneyland now can ride Jumpin Jellyfish without a problem, but there are still some places that height might be an issue for her, so that's why I have the tape measure.

Did you go on the same side of Soarin as your husband? It could just be the bar was put in a little higher or the ground was not level? Sorry not quite sure where they do the measuring the 2nd time, but maybe that is it.

I have decided that the measuring sticks they use allow for shoes. I was surprised the other day when we measured my daugter she was 42" without shoes. Yet with shoes she barely fit. Her shoes are a good 1/2 to 3/4 inch.
As to why one time they say no and then yes? I have no idea.