Ride Height Requirements 101 At Walt Disney World

A Walt Disney World vacation can be the highlight of the year for a child (and for an adult!).  But one thing that can turn even the biggest Disney smile upside down is the disappointment of not meeting a height requirement for a coveted ride.  So, for any families with children, here are your Ride Height Requirements 101; because it is much better to know before you go!

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It is a good idea to plan ahead and know which rides your little ones will not be able to ride.  Know that WDW cast members will measure every person who appears to be close to the maximum height, and there is no stamp given out after riding once, which means your child will be measured each and every time he or she rides.  And cast members will not bend on the height restrictions, for safety reasons, no matter how much crying kids do (or how much cajoling parents do)! Here are the rides with height requirements, sorted by park.

Magic Kingdom

There are 7 attractions at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom with height requirements.  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, and Stitch’s Great Escape have height requirements of 40 inches.  Children need to be 32 inches tall to ride Tomorrowland Speedway, and 35 inches to ride The Barnstormer.  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a height requirement of 38 inches, and you must be 44 inches tall to ride Space Mountain.

Epcot

Walt Disney World’s Epcot has 4 rides with height requirements. Both versions of Mission: SPACE have height requirements; you will need to be 40 inches tall to ride the Green version, and 44 inches tall to ride the Orange version of the ride. Soarin’ and Test Track are the other two rides in Epcot where children will be measured; they’ll need to be at least 40 inches tall to ride both of these attractions.

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Hollywood Studios

At Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, there are 5 (soon to be 7) attractions where height is a factor.  To ride Star Tours: The Adventures Continue or Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, you will need to be 40 inches tall.  Rock ‘n Roller Starring Aerosmith has a height restriction of 48 inches. Two attractions in Toy Story Land have height requirements including: Alien Swirling Saucers where you must be 32 inches or taller, and Slinky Dog Dash where guests must be 38 inches or taller to ride. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has two attractions with height requirements including Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at 38 inches and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (opening December 5) at 40 inches.

Animal Kingdom

A total of 5 attractions at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom have height restrictions.  To ride Kali River Rapids, guests will need to be at least 38 inches tall, and you will not be able to hitch a ride on Dinosaur unless you are at least 40 inches tall.  Both Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest have height restrictions of 44 inches, and you will need to be 48 inches to ride Primeval Whirl.

What to Do?

If your child doesn’t meet the height requirement for a specific ride, and you have more than one adult in your party, you can always use Rider Switch.  Available on select attractions across all 4 WDW parks, Rider Switch allows one adult to wait with the child (or children) who don’t meet the height requirement, while the rest of your party rides.  Once the other adult returns from the ride, he or she can take the place of the waiting adult, who can then board the ride without having to wait in line again!

Knowing in advance which rides in which parks your child will be able to ride, and preparing for this before arriving in Walt Disney World, will help to alleviate disappointment and tears among the youngest guests in your party.