I have a VERY tall 2 year old. At his 2 year check up, he was over 3 feet tall. He continues to grow (even though he's stopped eating - - sigh, finicky 2 year olds!). By the time we go to WDW in September, we have no doubt about him being 40 inches or above.

My question is - given that he is so young - is it o.k. to take him on the 40 inch rides (provided he wants to go...)? I, of course, do not want to cause his little vertebra any damage or anything. I'm just wondering if there is a developmental component to being ready for these rides that is not just linked to height?

Its scary, too, the kid is over 1/2 his daddy's size and talks like a 5 year old. I have a hard time remembering he's not even three!

I also have a very tall son. He was 3 feet tall before 2. He'll be 4 in 2 weeks, and is about 44". He's grown over an inch in the last 4 months. I can't keep the kid in pants! LOL

I would do a ride by ride judgement. The height requirements are for safety. You child shouldnt fly out of the ride if they are the right height. That, of course, doesnt mean they are emotionally ready. We took our son 3 1/2 on some rides that we probably should not have. He was safe, but he was scared to death! Daddy just didnt want to listen to me. So, he (daddy) learned the hard way. LOL

I also have a very tall son. He was 3 feet tall before 2. He'll be 4 in 2 weeks, and is about 44". He's grown over an inch in the last 4 months. I can't keep the kid in pants! LOL

I would do a ride by ride judgement. The height requirements are for safety. You child shouldnt fly out of the ride if they are the right height. That, of course, doesnt mean they are emotionally ready. We took our son 3 1/2 on some rides that we probably should not have. He was safe, but he was scared to death! Daddy just didnt want to listen to me. So, he (daddy) learned the hard way. LOL

Yeah, I am prepared for the scare factor. We've taken him to DL twice now. We took him on Pirates as the last ride. He was a little scared, but I held him tight. I think he would really like Big Thunder - - but, I was afraid that he would get knocked around and it wouldn't be good for his little bones.

I try telling him what he will see in advance and, when he starts to get scared, I whisper in his ear and tell him that its supposed to happen and its o.k., he is safe, that he is just watching a movie like on t.v. That seems to help.

Height requirements are based on the minimum size that the ride restraints will be able to safely contain. The rest of it is up to parents' judgement.

Thanks, Mark. That was what I was wondering.

Obviously, if my son cannot handle the ride, we will not go on it. I'll probably start him on Goofy's Barnstormer to see how he likes roller coasters, in general. Just knowing what he's liked in the past, though, I think he will really like Big Thunder. I wouldn't dare take him on Splash right now, or Tower or any of the other "big" rides. We *might* try Test Track.

He'll be almost three when we go in September. It won't be too bad if he can't go on the big rides - his sister will only be 1.5, so he won't be the only kid not going. :)

Yep. It largely depends on the kid. My 7YO is 45 inches or so, and we'll be lucky to get him on Goofy's Barnstormer in August. :rolleyes:

I believe at one point they not only had a minimum height requirement on some rides but also a minimum age.
I think it is good that you are not just thinking, that he is tall enough, but also thinking about the fact that he is just 2 and while he may be as tall as a 3 or 4yo, his body is still just as 2yo.
Have fun on your next trip!

[QUOTE=HTanner]I have a VERY tall 2 year old. At his 2 year check up, he was over 3 feet tall. He continues to grow (even though he's stopped eating - - sigh, finicky 2 year olds!). By the time we go to WDW in September, we have no doubt about him being 40 inches or above.

My question is - given that he is so young - is it o.k. to take him on the 40 inch rides (provided he wants to go...)? /QUOTE]
A few rides may also have the requirement of being 3yo in addition to the height requirement. They will request a ticket in addition to the height. Also, since your son is so large, you may want to bring his birth certificate in case you have any hassles at the gate for entry.

Thanks, everyone! We always travel with his birth certificate after seeing an episode of Airline where the woman couldn't fly with her large son because she couldn't prove he was only two. LOL! Poor lady - I understand now! That kid looked 4 or 5 - so does my son!

I had a friend in college who was a CM at DL. He used to tell me all the horror stories of parents putting their kids on the rides when they really weren't ready. He told me that the rides weren't designed for a certain height because Disney wanted to keep kids off the rides - but because that was the safest height to begin riding the ride at. It had something to do with the restraints. But, I also remember him saying something about how kids' bones aren't fully developed and putting a kid on a ride before they are ready could do damage.

I just thought - hey, if my kid is tall for his age - are his bones ready to take the impact? I want him to have fun - but not at a permanent cost!

On the reverse side, I have a large son who can't get enough of rides. I had him on old fashioned wooden roller coasters at the age of 2 (+36 inches) and could not get him off of them. Then the local Paramount park changed all the ride heights so that he could not ride some of the rides he had ridden in the past. Very hard to explain that to a 3 or 4 year old. When riding Thunder Mountain, I just make sure I have a good handle on him without squishing him. Since I had him on rides early he has become a thrillseeker when it comes to amusement parks. :-)

On the reverse side, I have a large son who can't get enough of rides. I had him on old fashioned wooden roller coasters at the age of 2 (+36 inches) and could not get him off of them. Then the local Paramount park changed all the ride heights so that he could not ride some of the rides he had ridden in the past. Very hard to explain that to a 3 or 4 year old. When riding Thunder Mountain, I just make sure I have a good handle on him without squishing him. Since I had him on rides early he has become a thrillseeker when it comes to amusement parks. :-)

Thanks, Hershey. I remember riding Big Thunder with my dad. One of my fondest memories... Of course, I was already 6 or so when they put Big Thunder in, so... I just think my son would like BT. Maybe Test Track because he just LOVES cars. But, we'll see. I'm not going to permanently scar my 2 year old! LOL!! If he seems up for it, we'll try. If not, well, we just will do something else. I am so excited to see Disney through his eyes.

i think it's a good idea to start with a small coaster -- see how he does going on it a couple of times...i had to convince my 3 yo to go on it again (and then he LOVED it - was a bit scared the first time) -- he's a tall one too -- something like 42 inches tall! when we take him on BTMRR, one of us sits with him and holds on to him tight so he feels secure -- he'll even put his arms up and scream when he's riding now :)

he'll even put his arms up and scream when he's riding now :)

That is one of the fearful things for me... my son will not hold on during a rollarcoaster. He insists on having his arms up which means my grip on him normally gets a little tighter. However the laughter in his voice makes it all worth it.

That is one of the fearful things for me... my son will not hold on during a rollarcoaster. He insists on having his arms up which means my grip on him normally gets a little tighter. However the laughter in his voice makes it all worth it.

Me too!!! but with my daughter ...

She now thinks that screaming is part of the ride ...

Me too!!! but with my daughter ...

She now thinks that screaming is part of the ride ...
It's not????