Height requirements question

[Honda Enoch]

We all know the SGT to try to get around the height requirements.

My question is, are the requirements in place for actual height reasons or is it more of an age thing to make sure the child is old enough for the ride?

I am asking becasue we are planning our next trip for Dec 2011 and my son will then be well over the 40 in for Tower and will be 4 years old. Right now he LOVES it when we toss him int he air and he falls and we catch him. so I don't think tower will scare him. Anyone think 4 years old is a good age for fast rides?

[ktulu]

We all know the SGT to try to get around the height requirements.

My question is, are the requirements in place for actual height reasons or is it more of an age thing to make sure the child is old enough for the ride?

I am asking becasue we are planning our next trip for Dec 2011 and my son will then be well over the 40 in for Tower and will be 4 years old. Right now he LOVES it when we toss him int he air and he falls and we catch him. so I don't think tower will scare him. Anyone think 4 years old is a good age for fast rides?

My daughter was 3 when she first rode Matterhorn (38" height requirement) and she is just over 40" now when we measure her. Hopefully that works out, she wants to ride Tower, as well as all of the other attractions she can.

I'm sure the height is for actual safety reasons.

[MyLittleAngels]

While the general height req is for safety (forces applying to the chest of an adult might apply to the head of a child, and that sort of thing ..), I think some are in place for protecting kids from things that might scare them. If I'm not mistaken, the height req was raised 2" on Stitch's Great Escape, and I feel like that's just because it's dark and loud, and it can be frightening to some children.

As far as 4 yo old being too young, well, every child is different. Be straightforward about what he's going to experience, and don't force him if he's afraid (you'd think that wouldn't need to be said, but ...). My daughter reached 40" just before she turned 4, and it's her greatest ambition to ride ToT 100 times. We're in the 80s now. After that, she said her next goal will be 1000. I told her she had to keep track of that one. She's definitely my daredevil.

My oldest was afraid to try new things, especially if they were extreme. She went on Space Mountain the first time she was able, and loved it. The next few trips, she was too scared to go again. I've told her that I want her to try everything once (and I'll buy her a pin for doing so), and if she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to go again until it's her idea. These days, she loves all rides (she's 9 now), and even rode Rip Ride Rocket at Universal the other day ... She loved it, BTW.

[felinefan]

The forces applied to the rider are indeed part of the equation. Also has to do with being able to fit the restraint system, the seat, not fall out of the ride, etc.. Physics is part of the design.

[shinysparklybubbles]

Never, ever force a child on a ride, it is a very dangerous thing to do. I forget the statistic but when I worked at Six Flags they broke down the % of what people get injured on rides and it is mainly rider error and children being forced by their parents was part of that.

sometimes for OT I would help out in rides (the kiddie section of all places) and I got into a fight with a parent because I refused to start the ride because their poor child was near about puking because he was crying so hard because he didn't want to ride.

[Honda Enoch]

Never, ever force a child on a ride, it is a very dangerous thing to do. I forget the statistic but when I worked at Six Flags they broke down the % of what people get injured on rides and it is mainly rider error and children being forced by their parents was part of that.

sometimes for OT I would help out in rides (the kiddie section of all places) and I got into a fight with a parent because I refused to start the ride because their poor child was near about puking because he was crying so hard because he didn't want to ride.

I would never force my child onto a ride if they did not want to ride. But I don't see my son not wanting to ride fast rides. he is a dare devil LOL

[shinysparklybubbles]

I would never force my child onto a ride if they did not want to ride. But I don't see my son not wanting to ride fast rides. he is a dare devil LOL

I didn't mean for that to come across as you personally, just a general note. I hope I didn't offend you!

Your son can have my fast passes, I'm chicken poo! I rode ToT once and when I was done was laying on the concrete outside the gift shop thinking I was doing to die

[Honda Enoch]

I didn't mean for that to come across as you personally, just a general note. I hope I didn't offend you!

Your son can have my fast passes, I'm chicken poo! I rode ToT once and when I was done was laying on the concrete outside the gift shop thinking I was doing to die

None taken :)

[Kifaru]

Your son can have my fast passes, I'm chicken poo! I rode ToT once and when I was done was laying on the concrete outside the gift shop thinking I was doing to die

oooooh, would you watch my Delicate Flower while I ride, then? No one can puzzle out how a roller-coaster lovin' fasterhigherfaster person spawned a kid who abhors all things loud and fast.

[felinefan]

When I worked at Knott's, I had a few kids who were afraid to ride Huff'N'Puff, of all things. No amount of my explaining that they control the speed, there were no hills, etc., would convince them to ride. One mother told her kid she'd give him a treat if he rode.

I had one scary moment on Red Baron when a kid somehow managed to wiggle out of his seat belt, IN MID-FLIGHT, and began to stand up, crying. I immediately hit e-stop, got the ride down while explaining over the microphone what was going on, got the kid out, and after that scare of a lifetime, got the ride started again and the other kids got an extra amount of time on the ride to make up for it.

If you don't know what Red Baron is, it's like Dumbo, only instead of elephants you have WWI airplanes, and instead of a mouse in a ringmaster's uniform in the middle, you have Snoopy on his doghouse dressed as a WWI flying ace.