Rider Safety: Height Checks

Article by Chuck Strom

Keeping guests safe is job # 1 at Disney World.  Every Cast Member is dedicated to ensuring a safe experience for every guest.  Because of the design of the seats and the restraint systems, certain rides and attractions require that guests meet a minimum height requirement.  Guests who do not appear to meet these height requirements will have their height checked by Cast Members.  Since this is very much a “health and safety” issue, it is best to be prepared for this before you leave home for any Disney trip.  Measure your child in normal street shoes and use the Rider Height Chart below to determine which rides your child can enjoy.

By measuring your child and checking the Chart, you can prepare your child for the fact that there are some rides they may not yet be able to experience.  If others in your group want to ride the ride, you can make use of the Rider Switch (or, Child Swap) option that allows one person to remain with the child while another rides.  When the ride ends, the child is “swapped” and the waiting rider can get on the ride without having to go through the line.  If you’d like to take advantage of the Child Swap, simply inform the first Cast Member you see as you enter the ride line.

For the safety of everyone and to avoid disappointed children at the Parks, please take the time at home to prepare yourself and your child for the possibility of Child Swaps or of bypassing some rides completely.