Hey, this is my first time posting here and I'll be in DL for my second time June 23-28. I was wondering, I have a little sister who is above 40 inches but I'm not sure about the 46 inches and worried she won't be able to go on Indy so does anyone have any ways how to make them taller?

Also, last time I went was 6 years ago and I go with my grandparents who were 59 and 61 at the time and they were pretty good about going on the fast rides. I had to talk them in with SM. but that was 6 years ago and they are now 67 and 65 and now having second thoughts about all the mountain rides and Indy. They are in good health but I would like them to go on those rides. anyone around those ages have any comments about it or have trouble with the fast rides.

Another thing, what are the height requirements for Jurassic Park the Ride and Back to the Future at Universal. I can't find them anywhere.

And lastly, what is this single rider thing I've beeen hearing about? Thanks!

Originally posted by adrian102
Hey, this is my first time posting here and I'll be in DL for my second time June 23-28. I was wondering, I have a little sister who is above 40 inches but I'm not sure about the 46 inches and worried she won't be able to go on Indy so does anyone have any ways how to make them taller?

The height requirements for riders are not arbitrarily assigned. There are safety issues involved. Unless you want to make your little sister wear stilletos and pur her life in danger, I suggest she wait until she's a bit taller before riding Indy.

I wanted to drive a car when I was 14 too, but darn those rule makers, I couldn't!

Shes just a little below 46 inches I just need something to make her go up a few centimeters

Tell her to eat her vegetables and drink her milk. If she's not tall enough, it's not safe for her to ride. There's always next year, as I was told over and over as a child.

I've got some info on Single Rider posted on my web site (http://www.funplans.com/disneyland/tips.html) (see tip #4). Also, you can now add Splash Mountain to the list of SR attractions.

If you realy want to get her in I have heard of people sticking socks in kids shoes right before they get on and leave the socks in untill after the ride, I think its up to you if you want to do it or not. thats all i have heard of people doing.

Originally posted by adrian102
...they are now 67 and 65 and now having second thoughts about all the mountain rides and Indy. They are in good health but I would like them to go on those rides. anyone around those ages have any comments about it or have trouble with the fast rides.

My grandma would go on the coasters up until she was 80. She loved the Matterhorn, yet found Indy too bumpy (though in my opinion, Matterhorn is a rougher ride). Still, it depends on their overall health. Aside from the normal stuff you see on signs (back problems, heart conditions, etc), it may depend on if they just don't feel like they can handle it. I wouldn't unduly beg them -- it's not worth ruining their day if an attraction would be too rough for them. I would say to start with Big Thunder if they agree to try it. To me, that seems to be the smoothest coaster in DL. Then work your way up to Space Mountain, then decide on Indy and the Matterhorn based on how they feel after the smoother coasters.

By the way: the height requirement for Jurassic Park: the Ride is 46", and for Back to the Future it is 40". The only other Universal attraction that lists a height requirement is E.T., which requires riders to be at least 42".

With the 6 inch difference, I wouldn't do anything to get your sister on the ride. If it was maybe an inch, 1 1/2 inches, just put on an extra pair of socks and and a keychain in each shoe. I did it once when I rode on the BATMAN at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL. They wouldn't let me on because I was A QUARTER ON AN INCH TOO SHORT!!!!!!!!!!!! (AIN'T THAT A CRIME?!!?)

Anywho, it shot me up by about an inch, and I had no problem going on any of the rides. If I remember correctly, it was about 4 years ago when I was in the 3rd grade. But with such a big gap, it would be best for your sister's safety to not ride.

I'd reply but Not Afraid and Matterhorn Fan said what I would say.

I do agree strongly enough to make a "me, too" post, so here it is.

What Not Afriad and Matterhorn Fan said.

Adrienne K

Me, too. This is an area I feel very strongly about. We just can't teach our kids to obey all the rules except the ones that seem inconvenient. It just isn't the right message.

I guess I should have put this on the 'Pet Peeve' thread awhile back.

DZ

Dave,

Stop reading my mind, K?

I was just coming back here to add that one of the primary reasons I don't lie or cheat to get my children on a ride is that these are not values I want to teach my children.

I realize that this isn't your child, but your sister, but the goal should be the same. I love my sister and didn't want her lying and cheating, so when we were in high school, I turned her in to my parents for a big, life-threatening, "lie" she told. I didn't regret it in the least.

Adrienne K
Oh, and have I mentioned to anyone that my sister is finishing up her residency internship year, about to become a senior resident, at Children's LA, one of the top children's hospitals in this country, having graduated top 10% in her class, as an Osteopath no less? Ok, just checking.

Our family is short. REALLY SHORT! I am talking very short...I am 4 feet 10 1/2 inches here...none of us females go over 5 feet tall.

And, it was so heartbreaking that 5 year old kids could go on the coasters, while my 8 year old couldn't. But...she couldn't. That is their rules...and I of course, want her safe. And she'd be upset...but I would sit out with her whilel the others rode. I didn't mind.
Every trip...we would measure her...and she would always come up too short...even for Thunder Mountain.

Then...guess what?! One year we went down...and she barely made it over the line! Imagine that...kids GROW. She could get onto everything but Indy...and she wasn't to keen about riding it yet anyway.
By the time she really wanted to see it...she was tall enough!

Can I say it again...kids GROW. Even us short folks (well, some of us) finally become tall enough to ride the coasters.
Be patient...and try to go back next year. It's amazing how fast kids sprout in a year...or even through the summer!>
**ps. She wishes she wasn't tall enough when we took her to WDW and drug her onto Rock n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror....she hated those rides. And wouldn't probably go on them again if we went back today...
But...some day she will be ready. We just have to be patient...**;)

Jumping on the bandwagon here with everyone that is telling you to seriously reconsider trying to "beat" the system, her safety is a lot more important than a few tears because she still isn't tall enough .. if she is so into coasters go over to toon town and let her ride gadet several times.....

Before our last trip, when we bought shoes for our son, I took a tape measue to the store to make sure he would be 46" while wearing them. No, I wasn't buying him boots formerly worn by KISS, but sole thicknesses vary. When we showed up on our first day, and went straight to Indy, he wasn't allowed on the ride because the CM was barely able to get a postcard between the top of his head and the cobra. I will emphasize here that I didn't ask him to go onto tiptoes, and certainly didn't argue with someone doing their job. But I had no qualms about putting folded maps into his shoes when we went the next day, either. That said, "a few centimeters" is rather significant (perhaps you meant millimeters). Even on rides with over the shoulder harnesses where height really matters, a quarter inch boost probably isn't going to make a big safety difference, because if the kid grows that 1/4 inch on his on by his legs getting longer, he'll still be the same height in his seat. On Indy, I'd even speculate that body strength in coping with the movement of the ride is what really matters more than height, since you're held in with a belt. But I would only artificially boost someone's height if they're almost there to begin with.

The subtle message here, that our kids hear loud and clear, is that we can choose the rules we want to follow. When you aren't around they will start choosing to 'roll thru the stop signs (no one was coming) squirting lighter fluid onto an already burning barbeque (the can can't blow up) seatbelts are for whimps, everyone else is doing 80mph and so on. I'll get off the soapbox but think about it.

I have a funny/depressing story (is that possible?). When we go to the movie theaters we usually smuggle in some candy. I'm fine with paying for a large soda or the popcorn because you do get quite a bit of each (although they are gouging you). Plus it's hard to smuggle in popcorn and soda. ;) But you hardly get anything in those huge, empty boxes of candy.

We will often do this when we take the kids because they always ask for treats and I'm not about to shell out another $20 after being raped at the box office.

Well, a couple weeks ago when I took my 5 year old son to go see Star Wars we went to Jack in the Box for dinner first. As we were entering the theaters my son still had his drink with him. I was anticipating the usher to tell me to throw it away, and I was fully prepared to comply. But when I looked behind me to find my son he had the drink hiding behind his back. :eek: I felt so ashamed. :(

rut roh dad :(

Originally posted by Bill Catherall
Well, a couple weeks ago when I took my 5 year old son to go see Star Wars we went to Jack in the Box for dinner first. As we were entering the theaters my son still had his drink with him. I was anticipating the usher to tell me to throw it away, and I was fully prepared to comply. But when I looked behind me to find my son he had the drink hiding behind his back. :eek: I felt so ashamed. :(

A drink from Jack is nothing! The people sitting behind us, in the middle of the first chase sceen, began popping open beer cans!

Originally posted by Bill Catherall
I have a funny/depressing story (is that possible?)

Yes! You're right! It is a funny/depressing story, but mostly funny, or is it mostly sad...

There's a Q&A type column in my local paper about ethics, and the question once came up about taking outside food and beverages into a theatre. The reply was that you shouldn't, but a few weeks later, the writer reconsidered. His reasoning was that you go to the theatre to see a movie, not to have a meal. Quite a different situation to bringing a ham sandwich to a resturant.

Interesting sidenote to this topic, that isn't the original topic of this thread anyway, is that Disney policy is to not allow outside food into the park, yet the Parenting in the Parks section of this very website advocates breaking that rule. We all choose, don't we?

Originally posted by ralfrick
Interesting sidenote to this topic, that isn't the original topic of this thread anyway, is that Disney policy is to not allow outside food into the park, yet the Parenting in the Parks section of this very website advocates breaking that rule. We all choose, don't we? There is a difference between bringing in children's snacks (read: raisins, fruit roll-ups), and taking in a three-piece chicken meal from KFC. The snacks, in my opinion, are for dietary purposes (akin to a diabetic bringing in small snacks for their medical condition), and cannot be easily duplicated with food that can be purchased in the parks.

Originally posted by lani
There is a difference between bringing in children's snacks (read: raisins, fruit roll-ups), and taking in a three-piece chicken meal from KFC. The snacks, in my opinion, are for dietary purposes (akin to a diabetic bringing in small snacks for their medical condition), and cannot be easily duplicated with food that can be purchased in the parks. Additionally, the Disneyland Today brochure reads, "We request that no food or beverage be brought inside Disneyland park. A picnic area is located west of the Main Entrance for your convenience" (my emphasis). Outside food and beverages are not prohibited in the parks. Coolers and three-piece chicken meals from KFC, sure--the bit about the picnic area implies that if you're going to bring full meals of your own, you should make use of the areas outside of the park.

Lani and Matterhorn Fan: I agree.

Beyond that, bringing snacks into Disneyland doesn't threaten my child's safety.

Adrienne K

Originally posted by ralfrick
But I had no qualms about putting folded maps into his shoes when we went the next day, either.Just out of curiosity, I have to ask. If you taught your son to cheat by sneaking him onto a ride using some minor trick that elevated his height, and he somehow got injured, would you, in any way, place blame on the park?

"Just out of curiosity, I have to ask. If you taught your son to cheat by sneaking
him onto a ride using some minor trick that elevated his height, and he somehow
got injured, would you, in any way, place blame on the park?"

No I would not! (unless there was an actual defect, malfunction, etc.) I stongly believe in personal responsibility. And, as a reminder in this case, when I measured him he was 46" tall. Maybe my tape measure is off by the thickness of a postcard, but seriously, does anyone really think that difference is a safety issue? There can be much more variance than that between different shoes with no "Alterations". I state that as a fact based on the measurements I just now took of him wearing 2 different pairs of shoes. So, at least in this instance, the lesson was not cheating, but the idea that you can question authority if you feel that the authority is wrong.

On the other hand there's a ride at Great America called the Extreme Skyflyer, sort of a cross between a giant swing and a bungee jump. I could make him tall enough for it if I so chose to do so, but that won't happen because of the design of the harness; he won't be on it until he's actually tall enough. So I guess I'm willing to judge each situation seperately.

"The snacks, in my opinion, are for dietary purposes."

Didn't realize your kids were allergic to the fruit they sell in the park. According to the Disney website "The Disneyland Resort is pleased to offer vegetarian as well as kosher
selections. For those Guests with special dietary needs, arrangements can
be made."

"Outside food and beverages are not prohibited in the parks. Coolers and three-piece chicken meals from KFC, sure"

So if it's not prohibited, why not bring the KFC? Where do you draw the line? You either honor the request or you don't. I think it's well known that if someone is on a restricted diet or needing infant formula, it's OK with Disney to bring in those items. However, when you bring your own bottled water rather than buying it from Disney, that sounds more like an economic decision rather than a dietery one. Sounds a lot like deciding for yourself how relevant the policy is.

Now I was originally resonding to the idea of breaking rules on that one as opposed to safety issues, such as the movie/Jack in the Box example stated above. I personally don't care if people bring in outside food or not; throwng the scraps on the ground instead of in the trash can bothers me much more. But, then again, I don't care if someone goes well away from the nearest person on a drizzly winter day to smoke a cigarette rather than find the smoking section. That's because the smoking rules exist to prevent annoying people that don't smoke cigarettes (which I think are nasty and stupid by the way). And in this example, the smoker may be violating the letter of the rule, but not the intent. Lighting up in the Fantasmic crowd on the 4th of July, on the other hand, does violate the intent of the rule.

What I'm ultimately saying is that almost everyone on the planet sometimes bends the rules to fit their preference, and this sentence would probably be more accurate if I removed the word almost. Let's face it, if everyone got a ticket every time they ever exceeded the speed limit, the budget deficet would disappear in about four days. Yesterday some kid in my son's class brought an exacto knife to school and gave it to my son. So now I have to hope the principal (that wouldn't even know about it if I hadn't informed his teacher) recognizes the difference between a student maliciously bringing a weapon to school, and a six year old that never even considered that it was a possible weapon being subjected to some zero tolerence rule that ignores circumstance, and I'm thinking of the boy that actually brought it, too, not just my own. Blindly following rules is not necessarily good, but that doesn't mean they should all be ignored either. THINKING is the critical step.

Here's the most extreme, possibly absurd, example I can think of now. The people that fought the Revolutionary War were breaking British rules; the people in Afganistan that used to beat women half to death because of exposed ankles were obeying Taliban rules.

And since we're all good civil people here that want the best for our children and don't want others to suffer for our personal enjoyment, I'll veer completely off the topic to mention that the Travel Channel has a show about WDW airing on Monday, June 3rd. It's a good show worth checking out. On THAT we can probably all agree. Cheers.