Why must I be this tall to ride?

Theme park height requirements are complicated. They aren’t just based on the size of the ride itself, but on a range of factors, from the design of the roller coaster to rider comfort. So, what are these height requirements, why do they exist, and why do they vary so much from ride to ride?

00:00 Introduction
01:11 What are height requirements
04:03 Maximum height requirements
05:10 Metres or inches?
06:25 Park discretion
08:08 Responsible riders
08:46 Guest impact
10:53 The future

VIDEOS:

[coasterbot]

If you enjoyed this video it would mean a lot to subscribe to my channel! We recently hit 70K subs which is wild! 😍

[PaulieLauraXombie]

As a kid I used to be upset that I wasn't tall enough or thick enough for some ride safety restraints.. A cast member overlooked this when I was around 13 I was a skinny 80 pounds and as tall as a hobbit, I was falling out if the ride Soar at Epcot on Teir/Level 3 and my aunt had to hold me the entire time. No one heard us yelling for help.

Always take these seriously!

[marposted]

I’m a ride operator at kings island and a lot of parents get mad at me when I tell them they’re kid isn’t tall enough to ride, wish everybody watched this video before going to amusement parks

[MattMcIrvin]

I've seen some problems occur when parents take height requirements as a proxy for how scary or psychologically intense a ride is--which it is not, not necessarily. For instance, Dinosaur at Disney's Animal Kingdom has a low height requirement of 40 inches, but a lot of the little kids who are physically safe to go on that ride end up not having a good time on it at all!

[snowt]

Man I wish more people saw this video. I am a ride operator at Legoland Billund and, unfortunately a lot of people don't understand why the height thing is that important. We make no exception, even down to the millimeter, and some people get upset when they cant persuade us to let their child on anyway.

[tyrap]

I am a ride operator, and the park I work at has some pretty rough bumper cars so we have signs everywhere explaining why our bumper cars are 42" requirement to ride AT ALL, if a child is any smaller, they could end up getting the safety lap bar smashed into their face.
You would not believe the amount of parents who have been pissed off at me because of the height requirement, even when I explain the potential danger they think I am lying. Its ridiculous. I wish more people could see this video.

[mangoleafs]

i love how coaster bot is making videos to ease in the general public that are just getting into coasters

[ParkMind]

Kiddie coasters like flight of the hippogriff definitely need a max height. Being a tall person sitting with my tall brother I remember being scared shitless as the lap bar only went a quarter of the way up our legs and no were near our hips due to the netting aspect and demographic. Honestly surprised we were allowed to ride.

[initiald]

6:40 - went on steel vengeance with a friend yesterday, and noticed when I got to the front there was metal detectors. They also gave us lockers to put our stuff in for free.

Turned out later I realized why they did that as the ride was far rougher than any other ride at Cedar Point.

[copperblossom]

The hulk coaster's ride requirement still makes me mad, though I understand entirely why it's as it is, because I went to ride with my parents the year I met 54 inches. I was checked at the entrance, we waited nearly 2-3 hours in the queue, and when we got to the loading dock, they loaded my parents into the coaster then checked my height again. This time, I failed by half an inch. Because the coaster was already loaded and apparently needed to get moving, they had me step across the train and wait on the other side, next to the operator, and had to watch for my parents to come back. I was heartbroken. I finally got to ride it the next time we visited years later and it was as awesome as my parents had proclaimed.

[Amrepdude]

Height requirements are tricky but many unfortunately see it as an indicator of what a child should do. It’s not. At my home park (Magic Mountain) at 48 inches you can get on X2 while to do West Coast Racers which is far tamer and honestly good for most families you need to be 54 inches. There’s no way I’d let my child onto X2 before they had a chance to experience some of the tamer coasters which are in the 54” height requirement

[camikelly]

Very informative video, Harry. Safety is always the number one priority, so having proper height requirements is crucial to keeping everything safe. I tried going on a dragon coaster at a fair with a maximum height of 56 inches. Although the operator let me on, my legs would not fit into the seat. From that experience, I understand why those tiny coasters have maximum height requirements. Good work!

[WulfRanger]

I’m at exactly 52 inches so height requirements are very important to me, and even being exactly the right height doesn’t mean the most comfortable ride…I’m thinking about you Vortex even after all these years, with a side of Chang

[BoyRoy]

Working with the coasters in the efteling can me a nightmare sometimes. We have: 1.00, 1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.32, and 1, 40 meter for 6 coasters, and the hights of the riders determines there place in the train.
Python, Vogelrok and De Vliegende Hollander are the easy 3, just 1.20 and you can go.
Joris en de Draak has 1.10 for the middel rows and 1.20 for the back and frond rows. Joris en de Draak is way more intens, but smaller childeren can ride it.
Baron 1898 has 1.32 for the 2 seats left and right and 1.40 for the 2 middel seats, these are XL seats with 2 seat belts. A stupid thing that makes quest panic when the see they only have 1 belt XD
Max en they have 1.00 with an adult and 1.30 for riding allone... try explaning that to a guest by the gates of Python and Joris en de Draak.
Efteling wants childeren to ride as many coaster as posible, thats were alle these lengts come from, but fore us its not always a farytail

[TanookiOshawott]

The craziest one to me is X2 being 48” (1.2m) I just can’t imagine that the kids who can barely ride the arrow mine train gold rusher can also ride X2

[MrMatteNWk]

Then you come to water parks where say they might force guests under 48" (1.2 m) to wear a life jacket in the wave pool. Because height definitely corresponds to swimming ability...

[whatNAMEcanIchoose.]

1:41 is in 'Plopsaland' the atraction is called ' De Draak'. Plopsaland is a Belguim amusement park.
3:04 is in 'Plopsaland' too the atraction is called 'Tommorowland'.
3:32 is in 'Plopsaland too the atraction is called 'Tommorowland'. Tommorowland is the newest rollercoaster build and it is tye first rollercoaster that goes upside down, plays music and the seats are turning all the time.

[nomemeshere]

Love your videos man. They helped me psyche myself up for my first, and so far, only experience with roller coasters almost two years ago at Universal for my honeymoon. Can't wait to go back there and to visit new parks.

[Shag]

Thank you for this video. As a coaster op myself, it’s sometimes difficult for guests to understand the safety protocols that make up the height requirements.

[christianortiz-vl]

Always a fantabulous day when Coaster Bot uploads!