Shoes to give a toddler a little extra height?

[maxiesmom]

I agree, a bit of an inch isn't going to kill anyone.

Probably not, but it is not our decision to make. It is up to Disney.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

My point is that some kids don't need any encouragement - they see the big ride and they want to do it without one word from anyone. I could walk by a big ride not even looking at it and my 4 yr old is jumping up and down wanting to go on it.

they aren't even there yet and supposedly the kid is chomping at the bit.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Probably not, but it is not our decision to make. It is up to Disney.

of course.

 

[VillageMama]

If I thought the 1/4" he needs to make the height restriction would fling him off of rides I would not have asked.

That made me literally laugh out loud. Great way with words!

I'm sure you're right that being 1/4 inch less than the required height has no bearing on the safety of the child... but I can see where it's in Disney's best interests to decide on a height and then be sticklers about it.

I hope that you and your family have a super fun trip, even if your little(ish) guy can't ride some of the rides. It will give him and you something to look forward to for your next visit!

May your visit be a magical one!

 

[Willow25]

A few years ago we took my neice to DL and she was the same as your child literally 1/32" away from 40". We put some socks under her heel in the shoes and she got on the rides. She never had to take her shoes off.

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

Height or not, just choose rides wisely. Remember that whiplash and other soft tissue injuries can occur on these types of rides, especially for younger riders. We have all read the news stories and heard the cautionary tales. Just use good judgement and remember those hieghts are the MINIMUM, not the safest. Also, if something were to occur (God forbid) and something were to happen, you would have some serious issues with liabilty.

 

[DVCJones]

If I were you I would erase this question and run. Run far far away.

 

[RF536]

Since OP has stated that his family has AP to Disneyland he is familiar with most of the rides that open up to his son at 40 inches. We also grow them tall in our family my younger son was barely 40 at home in shoes when we went to Disney just before he turned 3. To answer your question, we have found that for boys Skechers tend to have a thicker heel. The heels are normally about 1-1 1/2 inches thick, but don't look overly thick, we have never been asked to remove our sons' shoes at Disney or at our local amusement park, even when it was very close to them making the height.

 

[puffkin]

My dare devil son was also riding the 40" rides as soon as he was tall enough at 2 1/2 and he wanted to do them. On that trip he was right at the 40" mark. Trust me that my worst nightmare on that trip was that we would pass the first height check getting in line and then be turned away at the ride vehicle. I don't care what anyone says, that tiny bit of a difference will not affect the childs safety. That is just pure cruelty to make a child wait in line and then turn them away. How do you explain that to a young child? Anyway, my problem is not that a child be turned away for being a hair too small...that I can accept. But if the child clearly makes it past the first measurement, then he should be allowed on!

The regular sneakers my DS wears have very thin soles. I bought some SpiderMan sneakers with light up soles at Walmart just because they were a bit thicker soled and gave DS that extra 1/4 inch or so to make the height. He probably would have made the height in his regular sneakers, but I didn't want to risk the disappointment and tantrums if he couldn't measure up at both markers. He easily made it with the very normal but slightly thicker soled Walmart sneakers.

 

[CheshireSmile]

My dare devil son was also riding the 40" rides as soon as he was tall enough at 2 1/2 and he wanted to do them. On that trip he was right at the 40" mark. Trust me that my worst nightmare on that trip was that we would pass the first height check getting in line and then be turned away at the ride vehicle. I don't care what anyone says, that tiny bit of a difference will not affect the childs safety. That is just pure cruelty to make a child wait in line and then turn them away. How do you explain that to a young child? Anyway, my problem is not that a child be turned away for being a hair too small...that I can accept. But if the child clearly makes it past the first measurement, then he should be allowed on!

I understand why this situation is very frustrating for parents and disappointing for children. This system is not in place to frustrate you or upset your child (although that is an unfortunate consequence). The second check is to catch anyone who has brought a child who is too short to ride into the queue, having somehow sneaked past the CM working at the front of the ride. Also, it is there to catch people who have taken a child into the line after being told by the CM out front that the child would be too short to ride. This tactic wouldn't even work anyhow since if you do that, we will phone the load dock and tell them what you look like and what you've done, and they will not allow you to board with a child who is under the height requirement.

 

[LWatson]

I never realized exactly how short my oldest was till reading some responses. LOL. I have an almost 4yr old and he is still only 39.5 inches....LOL. Yeah we are prepping for him not riding rides again, but hoping that he can.

 

[kim_o]

I never realized exactly how short my oldest was till reading some responses. LOL. I have an almost 4yr old and he is still only 39.5 inches....LOL. Yeah we are prepping for him not riding rides again, but hoping that he can.

My 4 year old at his annual only measured 37"...so I've got a short one too. I was hoping he'd be able to ride the 40" rides for our next trip....but apparently he isn't even going to be coming close to the mark.

 

[melisandes]

I remember as a young child on Coney Island wanting to ride the wooden rollercoaster with my Dad and Uncles. I remember my mom being horribly offended that I wanted to do such scary things. I could not have been more than 4. It is one of my first memories of things. So no you do not need to encourage the kids. They just decide on their own that something looks fun. Little kids have no fear. I hate coasters now and can not imagine what I was thinking then.

 

[Amber Leigh]

Attraction CMs have seen pretty much almost anything and everything you can think of when it comes to parents trying to squeeze kids under the requirment through and onto the ride. They know what to look for. Height of a sole is a dead giveaway so really going out and buying shoes for him will be only a waste of money cus the moment a CM looks down and sees them, he's going to have to take them off and measure without them. Take the money with you and buy some extra souviners.

It's a tough age for daredevil kids, but it's best to prepare them NOW that they might not be able to go on some rides rather then tell them you think they will make it only to let their hopes die at the ride itself. It sounds like his height is way to close to call.

My recommendation... and this is something my mother did with me when I was young, find a ride that your child CAN ride and likes a lot. Might not be a big fast one, but something that they like so much riding it will distract them from not being able to ride the big stuff. You might have to sacrfice yourself and ride something you yourself don't like over and over and over, but it's better to have a happy child then and unhappy one because that will make you unhappy as well. When I was five... my mother rode Peter Pan's magic flight SO many times that to this day she refuses to ride it EVER again.

 

[scuba]

interesting topic, DD3y9mos is 41-42 inches tall, I cannot remember one time her height being checked this last September......with or without shoes

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Hope he has a growth spurt before you leave. Maybe it will be an early present from

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Slap a pair of high heels on the kid and you are set!

 

[Heidijs]

This threat is pretty funny...

But seriously...Disney 40" is different???? Why???? My DD4 just had her annual exam and she was exactly 40" in socks...we have almost 3 months before our trip. I actually asked her pediatrician if there was any chance she'd have a 4" growth spurt in the next three months. She's like, why? I'm like, so she can ride space mountain with us! She's like, she'd right that? Um, YES!!!! We took her to a theme park by us for the first time when she was 3 this summer and she cried cus she couldn't ride the big giant coasters with us! She had ZERO fear...

 

[mommy2allgirls]

Am I the only worry wart? I am scared of my kids riding roller coasters, I don't want anything to happen to them. Of course I am sure once they do and I realize they are ok I will be ok but it still scares me. I think I have an irrational fear of them falling out, i know it is stupid. My oldest dd is measuring at 40'' right now I wonder what she will measure at Disney next month

 

[princessmom29]

I never realized exactly how short my oldest was till reading some responses. LOL. I have an almost 4yr old and he is still only 39.5 inches....LOL. Yeah we are prepping for him not riding rides again, but hoping that he can.

this time last year I had a 40.5" just turned 5 year old. She is now 45" tall.