Walt Disney World Height Requirements: All Your Height Basics Covered!

If you’re planning a visit to Walt Disney World with children, it’s a good idea to review the Walt Disney World height requirements ahead of time. Measure your children at home, with their shoes on, with a standard tape measure. Then you have your child’s height at the ready and you can prepare yourself for which rides they might not be tall enough for. Walt Disney World is strict on their height requirements- if you are not tall enough, even if you waited for an hour in line, you will not ride.
It’s best to just avoid the rides that children cannot go on rather than give them a big list of things they can’t ride because they’re not tall enough. Focus on the rides they can enjoy and it will make your entire trip much more fun. And for parents that want to ride attractions their children aren’t tall enough, they can utilize Rider Switch.
Rider Switch is a system that Walt Disney World has to help parents (or other families) switch off care-giving duties at the front of the line rather than waiting in line twice so each caregiver can ride. This system also helps Walt Disney World fill any gaps in seating when loading the attractions which is a similar concept to the Single Rider line.
This guide will provide the Walt Disney World height requirements for attractions, an overview of Rider Switch, and a how-to on the Single Rider line so everyone can enjoy their time spent in the parks.
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Walt Disney World Height Requirements
Here is the full list of Walt Disney World height requirements for attractions that have required height minimums in order to ride. If an attraction is not on this list, then there is no minimum height required and anyone can ride. You will find these all broken up by the individual theme parks and water parks in Walt Disney World.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular parks in Walt Disney World with its iconic Cinderella castle at the center. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
32″ (81 cm) or taller
35″ (89 cm) or taller
38″ (97 cm) or taller
40″ (102 cm) or taller
44″ (113 cm) or taller
Epcot
Epcot’s futuristic themes is a favorite for many families and there’s plenty of child friendly attractions with only three in the park requiring a minimum height to ride. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
40″ (102 cm) or taller
42″ (104 cm) or taller
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to all things Star Wars and the newer Toy Story Land. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
32″ (81 cm) or taller
38″ (97 cm) or taller
40″ (102 cm) or taller
48″ (122 cm) or taller
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
You can find the breathtaking world of Pandora in this Disney theme park making it a popular choice for all ages. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
38″ (97 cm) or taller
40″ (102 cm) or taller
44″ (113 cm) or taller
48″ (122 cm) or taller
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
The Walt Disney World water parks offer a variety of water themed attractions for all ages. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
48″ (122 cm) or taller
60 inches (152 cm) or shorter
Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
Blizzard Beach is a winter resort themed water park in Walt Disney World that has a variety of ski themed attractions. Here are the Walt Disney World height requirements for this theme park.
32″ (81 cm) or taller
48″ (122 cm) or taller
Rider Switch
Any ride with a minimum height requirement offers a Rider Switch option. Rider Switch is a system put in place by Disney to accommodate families so parents can ride their favorite attractions even if their littlest kids aren’t old enough to ride. This is a great option to take advantage of if the Walt Disney World Height Requirements means that some kiddos in your party cannot ride all the attractions.
Here is the step by step process for utilizing Rider Switch:
- First check with a Cast member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question.
- Once at the attraction, approach the greeting Cast Member with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guests who are not riding will be issued a Ride Switch entitlement by the Cast Member and asked to wait in a designated area (usually outside of the attraction). This group is “Party 2.”
- The other party members (“Party 1”) ride the attraction.
- After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2. Then, Party 1 takes over supervision of the non-riding children or Guests.
- Party 2 enters and boards the attraction without having to wait in the regular queue a second time. The Rider Switch entitlement must be validated by a Cast Member at this time.
If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring up to 2 other Guests back to ride the attraction with him or her. Only 3 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass.
One issue that is common for parents when utilizing Rider Switch is having a less than happy child having to wait in line for a ride they don’t get to ride. If you’re traveling with an infant then that’s not too big of a deal. But if you have a toddler or smaller aged child, this can be tricky. Make sure you prep for this in advance- let them pick their favorite ride to do after or favorite character to see.
Single Rider Line
The Single Rider line is another great option to use for families with kids that don’t meet the Walt Disney World height requirements. If utilizing Rider Switch becomes complicated for your group then this is another great option. One parent can take the littlest off to meet characters, get a snack, or ride an age appropriate attraction. Then the other parent can utilize some of the Single Rider lines which typically always have a lower wait time than the standby lines. This is also another good way to save on your FastPass+ selections- use those on the rides that don’t offer single rider.
Here are the attractions that offer single rider options Walt Disney World:
- Test Track- Epcot
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith- Hollywood Studios
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain- Animal Kingdom
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run- Hollywood Studios
Single rider can be a great option for parents if their children are being fussy and can’t handle doing the Rider Switch option. Despite the Walt Disney World height requirements, Walt Disney World really is one of the most child friendly amusement park in the country. There are so many rides that have no minimum height requirements so little ones do not miss out on the fun. Aside from attractions, there are plenty of characters to see, shows to watch, and fun foods to try. Walt Disney World works hard at making every guest feel included and welcome.
Plan Your Visit To Walt Disney World
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You can discover more about planning your trip from these links:
- Walt Disney World Cheap Food Guide
- Discount Walt Disney World Tickets
- Walt Disney World Character Guide
- Guide to Epcot Food and Wine Festival
- Guide to Walt Disney World Transportation
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