Disneyland Height Requirements: What Can Your Kids Ride?

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Sharing is caring!

This guide has all of the Disneyland Resort Height requirements, tips for helping your kids measure, and a printable height requirement chart.

One worry a lot of parents have when planning a Disneyland vacation with kids is “can they even ride anything?” The answer is YES! Even though Disney has plenty of rides even infants can go on, there are some Disneyland height requirements for certain attractions. Today we will be covering all of those for you, and what to do if your child doesn’t quite measure up.

Parents often ask what is the best age to take their kids to Disneyland. I think any age is a great age, but what most parents are asking is “when will they be able to do the most stuff while still enjoying the magic?”

There is no magic age but there is a magic height where they can officially do every ride in the parks. Keep reading to find out what that height is.

While we are usually talking about minimum height restrictions, there is an attraction with a maximum height and age restriction. We will talk about that in this article as well.

Now if you are like us and measure your kids’ growth by what attractions they are working towards, it can be easy to just want the list of heights, but there are some important details we should cover. After all, this is a complete guide to height requirements.

Disneyland Ride Height Requirements – Common Questions

While I know it is easy to scroll down and check out the height requirements, I know if I put them first, people will miss these important questions that we get ALL. THE. TIME. in my Disneyland with Kids Facebook Group (you should go join if you aren’t in there already).

Why Does Disneyland Have Height Requirements For Rides? Isn’t It A Family Park?

Many people wonder why Disneyland would even have height requirements on rides. After all, isn’t this supposed to be a kid-friendly theme park?

While Disneyland is definitely one of the best theme parks in Southern California for children, they also want to appeal to a wide audience. Many teens would hate a family vacation where there were only rides for little kids, even if they have siblings that are toddlers.

As a parent, I know that in order to be a family park, that means appealing to kids of all ages at Disneyland. This means you need those thrill rides for teens and adults who enjoy them. And thrill rides come with minimum height requirements. Even at Disneyland.

How Strict Are Cast Members About Disneyland Height Restrictions?

Very strict. Safety is one of the keys Disney strives to excel in and that includes enforcing height requirements.

That said, each cast member has a slightly different way of measuring. Some say as long as their head grazes the minimum height requirement marker they can ride. Others want them to not even be able to fit under the marker.

How Accurate Are The Disneyland Height Requirement Markers?

Years ago I took a tape measure into Disneyland and measured the height requirement rulers. I found that most were quite accurate, with a few being shorter than the posted requirement.

Many of the signs have been replaced, so I may need to do this again, but they were usually fairly accurate.

If They Are Accurate, How Come I Have Heard From Others They Are Off… As In Taller?

There are several reasons that kids may not measure up to Disneyland’s height requirement markers.

Parents may have mismeasured their child’s height at home. Parents assumed that shoes worn at Disneyland would add more height than they do. Or even the fact that we all stand much shorter at the end of the day compared to early on.

Tips For Helping Kids Measure Accurately

I never suggest fudging the system. It is not worth your child’s safety just so they can ride an attraction.

That said, there are ways to prepare your kids for being measured to help make sure they are measured more accurately.

• Help your kids practice standing tall and straight when being measured. This includes looking straight ahead and not lowering their chin
• Teach your kid that when they are measured to stand in front of the marker, with it hitting the back of their head. I have seen several kids scrunch down to try and fit under the marker, and the Cast Member does not notice they are not standing tall
• Prepare your kids that they may not be able to ride every ride, even if they have the same height requirement
• Finally, I always suggest measuring your kids at home with their shoes off and taking that as their measurement. That way the sole from their shoe is just extra insurance, and not something you are counting on

As a note, sometimes you will have a Cast Member let them past the first height check at the entrance, but the Cast Member at the loading zone may remeasure and deny entry if they do not meet the height requirement marker.

What Happens If My Child Isn’t Tall Enough For A Ride?

If your child is not tall enough for a ride, they will not be allowed to ride. If you are alone with multiple children, kids meeting the requirements and those who can ride alone per Disneyland guidelines may still go on. However, if they must ride with an adult, they will be required to sit out as well.

If there are other kids or adults who want to ride, you may utilize Disneyland’s Rider Switch Service, also commonly referred to as Rider Swap, Parent Swap, or Child Swap by guests.

Basic Rider Switch Service Info For Disneyland Resort

Rider Switch Pass allows one adult to sit out with the child(ren) who is unable to meet the height requirement, while the other guests in their party ride. Afterward, they can swap so the waiting adult who sat out can ride, without waiting in the standby line again. They are usually allowed to take 2 other guests with them.

What Disneyland Rides Offer Rider Switch Pass

While traditionally Rider Switch Service is offered for rides with height requirements, as of March 2023, Disneyland’s Website states that ALL RIDES offer Rider Switch Service and lists the different scenarios that the service may be used.

Rider Switch is available at all attractions in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

Disneyland Website 3/2023

Read More: Disneyland Rider Switch Option

Disneyland Ride Height Requirements

Below you can find the different ride height requirements for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Parks. The two important numbers to keep in mind when it comes to thrill rides are 40 inches and 48 inches.

At 40 inches, many of the thrill rides, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain are now available to your child.

Once your child hits 48 inches they can ride every attraction, though there are a couple where they may still need an accompanying adult over a certain height.

In the chart below I will list each height requirement in the park, starting with the shortest, and going to the highest. For each ride, I will note the land and park they are in.

Note: For our Walt Disney World friends, you will want to note that for some rides that are in both parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World height requirements are not always the same.

Disneyland Rides With a 32 Inch (81 cm) Height Requirement Include:

• Autopia Passenger, Tomorrowland, Disneyland Park
• Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Park
• Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Park

Disneyland Ride With A 35 Inch (89 cm) Minimum Height Requirement:

• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, Mickey’s Toontown, Disneyland Park

Disneyland Ride With A 38 Inch (97 cm) Height Requirement:

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Park

Disneyland Rides With A 40 Inch (102 cm) Height Requirements:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland, Disneyland Park
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!, Avengers Campus, Disney California Adventure Park
• Jumpin’ Jellyfish, Paradise Gardens Park, Disney California Adventure Park
• Radiator Springs Racers, Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Park
• Silly Symphony Swings (tandem swings*), Paradise Gardens Park, Disney California Adventure Park
• Soarin’ Around the World, Grizzly Peak, Disney California Adventure Park
• Space Mountain, Tomorrowland, Disneyland Park
• Splash Mountain, Critter Country, Disneyland Park
• Star Tours, Tomorrowland, Disneyland Park
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Park

*Silly Symphony Swings requires kids to ride in a tandem swing until they hit 48 inches. If they are age 7 or older, they can still ride alone but must be in the tandem swing. Just nobody would be sitting next to them.

Disneyland Rides With a 42 Inch (107 cm) Height Requirement:

• Goofy’s Sky School, Paradise Gardens Park, Disney California Adventure Park
• Grizzly River Run, Grizzly Peak, Disney California Adventure Park
• Matterhorn Bobsleds, Fantasyland, Disneyland Park

Disneyland Ride With a 46 Inch (117 cm) Minimum Ride Height Requirement:

• Indiana Jones Adventure, Adventureland, Disneyland Park

Disneyland Rides With a 48 Inch (122 cm) Height Requirement:

• Incredicoaster, Pixar Pier, Disney California Adventure Park
• Silly Symphony Swings (single swing), Paradise Gardens Park, Disney California Adventure Park

Disneyland Ride with a 54 Inch (137 cm) Height Requirement To Ride Alone:

• Autopia (Ride Alone), Tomorrowland, Disneyland Park

Minimum and Maximum Heights for Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is located in California Adventure, in Grizzly Peak, near the Grizzly River Run ride. The challenge trail has swinging bridges, ziplines, climbing walls, slides, and more. Some of these activities have minimum or maximum heights, and one even has age restrictions.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail Height and Ages Restrictions

You must be 42 inches (107 cm) to do the rock wall or zipline in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

Guests must also be UNDER 63 inches (160 cm) and under 13 years of age for the zipline.

The log slides also list a height requirement of 32 inches (81 cm) in the app, though I don’t remember seeing signs for this.

My Child Is Tall Enough To Ride, But I Am Not Sure If They Should

Just because a child is tall enough for safety reasons, doesn’t mean the ride is a good idea for your child. As parents, we know our children best and need to make those calls. That said, there are certain rides that come up again and again among our Disneyland with Kids community members of ones their kids found too loud, fast, or scary.

Rides That May Be Too Scary For Some Children

These are rides that may have scenes that will scare some children (starting with rides with no height requirement and moving up):

• Mr Toad’s Wild Ride – This ride has sharp turns, loud noises, flashing lights, and a scene where you are literally in hell. Many kids find this ride scary while others think it is fun because they get to “steer the car” (not really, but the steering wheel does move).
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – This classic dark ride has some scenes that kids might find scary, with children/donkeys in cages, and at one point Monstro the Whale comes out toward your ride vehicle.
• Haunted Mansion – This ride located in New Orleans Square is a fun, but a little bit spooky, ride. The stretching room and hallway tend to be the scariest parts for young children. If they are too scared to ride the traditional version, you might visit during Disneyland Halloween Time or Disneyland Holidays, when it has a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, which is a bit more whimsical.
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT! – This ride in Avengers Campus does have a height requirement of 40 inches, which many kids will hit before they turn 5 years old. Even if your child likes thrill rides, this ride may be too scary for them. Especially when you get in the loading zone area, where it is themed like an old basement.

Read More: Rides that may be too scary for younger children at Disneyland

Rides That Guests Of All Ages May Experience Motion Sickness On

Another thing to think about with the rides and height requirements is motion sickness. Children and adults can both suffer from motion sickness but in my experience, small children are less able to “hold their gut” when it hits them.

While this is not anywhere near a complete list, here are some of the bigger offenders of rides that may bother those with Motion Sickness at Disneyland.

• Mad Tea Party – Commonly referred to as the Tea Cups, this ride is spinning around in circles… and if you utilize the turn wheel, spinning even faster.
• Star Tours – If motion simulators give you motion sickness, this ride may not be for you.
• Pixar Pal-A-Round, Swinging Gondolas – This is the only ride in both parks to come with motion sickness barf bags. The swinging cars are terrifying. Choose life – ride in a stationary car.

Rides That May Have Too Much Thrill For Your Child, Or You…

A good rule of thumb is that any ride that cautions expectant mothers from riding, maybe a bit too thrilling for some children. But there are a few that pregnant moms can ride, that still have a bit of thrill to them.

Read More: Disneyland While Pregnant

• Pirates of the Caribbean – The Disneyland version has two drops. The first is quite steep and in the dark. Even now, this makes one of my eight-year-old twins anxious. The second drop is not as deep and you are able to see the track
• Roller Coasters – Many of the roller coaster-type rides in Disneyland Resort may be a bit too thrilling for kids. A good introductory roller coast is Chip ‘n’ Dales GADGETcoaster (formerly Gadget’s Go Coaster) in Mickey’s Toontown. This small coaster is a short 30-45 second ride, and young children will sit tandem with a parent.

These Disneyland Rides Have No Height Requirements and Are Fun For The Whole Family

So you may be wondering, what can I ride with an infant? And maybe also with Grandma who hates thrill rides and gets motion sickness?

These are some rides that are calm, generally enjoyed by everyone (with the exception of one that you either love or hate), and best yet, will let your entire group do the actual ride because there are no height requirements.

Here are just a Few of the Many Rides with No Height Requirements

• Peter Pan’s Flight – This Fantasyland attraction is extremely popular and really, I think it is one of the best rides that is a 1955 original ride. This one does have a small drop (and I mean small) but the feeling of flying through the air in a pirate ship can’t be beaten.
• “it’s a small world” – remember that one ride I said you either love or hate? This is it. While I am actually pretty neutral, my twins are in the first group while my husband is in the latter. For him, it is the song getting stuck in his head. Instead, I try to remind him it is a great ride for a hot day because it is a decent length and air-conditioned.
• Jungle Cruise – This is one of those Disney Rides that everyone seems to love. The corny jokes just can’t be beaten.
• King Arthur Carrousel – Okay, I know many adults aren’t big fans of carrousels, but there is a rich history with this one. Oh, and there are benches. Mostly I think this one is great for those with small children and parents can stand next to them.
• Little Mermaid, Ariel’s Under Sea Adventure – This is a ride where the track system is similar to Haunted Mansion. The ride vehicles (clam shells) are even very similar in design to the Doom Buggies. The difference, this ride is much more light-hearted and colorful. Even the Ursula animatronic is not super scary, and her death scene is in the background, unnoticed by most children.
• Disneyland Monorail – This 100% counts as a park ride at Disneyland. Unlike at Walt Disney World, you must have a valid park entry to ride this. It is not as much of a transportation system in the west coast park.
• Disneyland Railroad – This one is a great option when you want to give your feet a rest. The Disneyland Railroad trains go around the perimeter of the park, with 4 stops. You can ride it as transportation from land to land, or take the full circle tour. A great time to ride this is in the evening. Other people think a good time is in the mid-day, but I find a lot of guests choose to do this then. That means you may have long lines at the train stations, and may have to wait for a few trains before boarding.

Free Printable – List of Disneyland Ride Height Requirements

I love to include free printables for parents to make their Disneyland vacation plans easier. From the planning stages to their time in the parks.

This is a printable card with a list of height requirements and rides. This one is great for carrying with you in the park, so you aren’t searching for it on the park maps or having to bring up the Disneyland App.

More Disneyland Vacation Planning Resources:

Learn about Strollers at Disneyland, including renting, size restrictions and more

Get info about Disneyland’s Disability Access Service

Learn how to shorten your time in line with Disney Genie+ at Disneyland

Ready To Book Your Disneyland Vacation?

If you still need to book your Disneyland vacation, I suggest booking through my partners at Get Away Today. They offer discounted park tickets, hotel savings (including free nights at some hotels) and more.

Sharing is caring!