Like most theme parks, Disneyland resort
, California, has strict height requirements to determine who can go on various rides. Such requirements are in place for visitors' safety. It's governed by the construction of the ride and the minimum occupant size required to let the seat belts and safety harnesses work properly. There are about 20 rides scattered throughout Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure parks with height requirements.
The Autopia miniature-car ride has unique height requirements. The minimum height is 32 inches ... provided there's an adult at least 54 inches tall accompanying the driver. For solo drivers, the minimum height is 54 inches.
35 and 36 Inches
Two of Disneyland's milder roller coasters--the famous Matterhorn and the Gadget Go Coaster in Toontown--have a height requirement of 35 inches. In California Adventure, the Bug's Life Drive 'Em Buggies (bumper cars) have a height requirement of 36 inches.
Most of the faster and more intense rides at Disneyland have 40-inch height requirements. They total four rides and include the remainder of their roller coasts--Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain--as well as the Star Tours "virtual roller coaster." At California Adventure, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Jumpin' Jelly Fish and Soarin' Over California require a minimum height of 40 inches.
A trio of California Adventure rides requires their passengers to be 42 inches or taller: Grizzly River Run, Mulholland Madness and the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
The Rest of Disneyland
The Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland is the only other ride at that park with a height requirement. (This one, though not as fast as some other rides, involves a lot of jostling and sudden leaps forward.) Its height requirement is 46 inches.
The Rest of California Adventure
California Adventure has three additional rides with height requirements. California Screamin' and the Orange Stinger set the bar at 48 inches, while the Maliboomer has a minimum height requirement of 52 inches.
Intense Rides Without Height Requirements
Height requirements at Disneyland account for the physical rigors of the ride in question. Parents with young children also might want to consider the emotional intensity of certain rides, which have no height requirement but could end up scaring their children. The Haunted Mansion is a slow-moving ride, but it involves images of ghosts and undead creatures which might be frightening for small kids who don't understand it's all make-believe.
Robert Vaux has been a professional writer and editor since 1995. He has traveled throughout Europe and North America as well as parts of North Africa. Since 2000 he has been a professional movie critic at Flipside Movie Emporium, the Sci-Fi Movie Page and Mania.com. Vaux has a Master of Arts in English literature from Syracuse University.