Know Before You Go....Height Requirements

There is nothing that will make little Johnny sadder than to be all set to ride Mission Space only to get into the queue and find out that his is not tall enough to ride. It is always a good idea to measure your child before you go (and subtract a half inch to cover any discrepancies) before you promise any particular attraction. You can I know that Disney has minimum height requirements for safety purposes, but that can be very hard to explain to your budding astronaut.

If no height requirement is listed, you can assume the ride is safe for your tot...even an infant.

You must be at least 32 inches to ride:
Chairlift - Blizzard Beach

You must be at least 35 inches to ride:
Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacres Farm- Magic Kingdom

You must be at least 38 inches to ride:
Kali River Rapids - Animal Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - Animal Kingdom

You must be at least 40 inches to ride:
Stitch's Great Escape - Magic Kingdom
Splash Mountain - Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Magic Kingdom
Soarin' - Epcot
Test Track - Epcot
Wonders of Life / Body Wars - Epcot
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - Epcot
Star Tours - Epcot
Dinosaur - Epcot

You must be at least 44 inches to ride:
Space Mountain - Magic Kingdom
Mission Space - Epcot
Expedition Everest - Animal Kingdom

You must be at least 48 inches to ride:
Sum of All Thrills - Epcot (54 inches to go upside down)
Primeval Whirl - Animal Kingdom
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith - Hollywood Studios
Summit Plummet - Blizzard Beach
Downhill Double Dipper - Blizzard Beach
Humunga Kowabunga - Typhoon Lagoon
Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam - DisneyQuest

You must be at least 51 inches to ride:
CyberSpace Mountain - DisneyQuest
Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlaster - DisneyQuest

You must be at least 52 inches to ride:
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway - Magic Kingdom (to ride solo)
Bay Slide - Typhoon Lagoon

You must be at least 54 inches to ride:
Sum of All Thrills - Epcot (54 inches to go upside down; 48 to ride up right)

I absolutely do not advocate trying to sneak a child that is too small onto an attraction. There is no ride cool enough to risk your child's safety. Keep your Cowboy boots and your chunky heel shoes at home, and leave the shoe-stuffing-napkins in the restaurants...it is just not worth the risk. However, if your child is right at the height requirement and you are worried they may be turned away, here are a few things that may help that I think will not compromise safety:

• Go first thing in the morning. Did you know that you actually "shrink" as you walk around during the day? The average person shrinks about 1% due to compression of the disks in their back. If you are right on the bubble height wise, you may be "in" in the morning and "out" by evening.


• Wear newer sneakers. We all know that wearing new shoes in the theme parks is never a good idea. But a pair of sneakers that has been gently worn in still has a little extra "spring" in the step. The less compressed insole may just make the difference.

Hopefully, knowing the height requirements before you go will help your trip run a little more smoothly! And if you little guy or gal just doesn't make the cut...there is always next time!