Is Kings Island really strict on height requirements?

[mtl2013]

I had a guest today with a kid about 1/4 of an inch too short for Phantom Flyers and his dad almost hit me. Called me an a** on his way out the exit too. I laughed.

On PHANTOM FLYERS??? That's so stupid. What's the point of getting all worked up over a kiddie ride?

His kid didn't even seem to care. But, yea, I've been called racist and many other, much worse, names by guests with a short kid.

On Wed. At Flume I had a kid that was about 1 1/2 - 2 inches too short to ride and her mom got all worked up saying they rode every week and they had gold passes and how ridiculous I was being. She then asked me where the exit was...*facepalm*

Gold pass syndrome. Just because one has a gold pass (along with a million other people) does not mean you are entitled to certain things that are not in the control of the associates.

I know! I seriously saw this guy on The Beast the other day, who was trying to like cut the line. He just kept saying. "i have a gold pass, and showing it to people". hahahaah

[buckeyemaniac]

I had a guest today with a kid about 1/4 of an inch too short for Phantom Flyers and his dad almost hit me. Called me an a** on his way out the exit too. I laughed.

On PHANTOM FLYERS??? That's so stupid. What's the point of getting all worked up over a kiddie ride?

His kid didn't even seem to care. But, yea, I've been called racist and many other, much worse, names by guests with a short kid.

On Wed. At Flume I had a kid that was about 1 1/2 - 2 inches too short to ride and her mom got all worked up saying they rode every week and they had gold passes and how ridiculous I was being. She then asked me where the exit was...*facepalm*

Gold pass syndrome. Just because one has a gold pass (along with a million other people) does not mean you are entitled to certain things that are not in the control of the associates.

My *facepalm* was more directed at them not knowing where the exit is even though they supposedly ride it every week. And I'd never seen them before and I'm working constantly lol.

[tinaedmond]

So where do you go if you want your kids measured/get a height bracelet?

Tina

[PhantomTheater]

There is an Official measurement station near the main gate on the Skyline side of I-Street.

[CedarPointer]

There's also one across from Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle in Nickelodeon Universe.

[KIfan1980]

And inside Guest Relations - on the right after you have your ticket scanned. Note that someone is always available to check height there which may not be true of the other two locations.

[markr]

I have a question. The manufacturers, the park, Cedar Fair and insurance companies and/or the State of Ohio have determined that your child must be a certain height to safely ride. Is a ride on an amusement device more important than your child's safety? How would you feel if your child was allowed to ride and then something horrible did happen? Would you then want to sue the park? How would you feel for the rest of your life? What lesson(s) are you teaching your child? And as for stuffing shoes, etc., again, what lessons are you teaching your child?

There is such a thing as modeling...of teaching by what you do, not what you say. Is this that important to you? If sneaking your child on a ride the manufacturer and/or park and/or insurance company says is not safe for your child yet is that important to you, I sincerely suggest you need your priorities re-examined.

You took the words out of my mouth. And I especially get angry when the crowd boos a ride attendant for rejecting a child as too short at the loading platform. Does anyone care about the safety of our children?

[buckeyemaniac]

And inside Guest Relations - on the right after you have your ticket scanned. Note that someone is always available to check height there which may not be true of the other two locations.

At the other two locations they actually know how to check height. The guest relations workers seem to either not care or not know what they're doing when it comes to height checking.

[tinaedmond]

So does this mean I should or should NOT go to Guest Relations? LOL

Both kids are 1/2 inch over the height requirement (48 1/2 and 36 1/2 respectively), by our measurements. I do remember taking our oldest a couple years ago and while we measured her at home and she should have been fine, some of the height stations at the individual rides seemed to have measurements higher than they should have (i.e. she wasn't even close when she stood next to the measurement pole, on a ride that per our home measurements she should have been cleared to ride).

Maybe this is why some parents get upset?

[CedarPointer]

I would go to the main gate or Nickelodeon Universe height checking stations, just to be safe.

[KIfan1980]

And inside Guest Relations - on the right after you have your ticket scanned. Note that someone is always available to check height there which may not be true of the other two locations.

At the other two locations they actually know how to check height. The guest relations workers seem to either not care or not know what they're doing when it comes to height checking.

I'm sure your co-workers in Guest Relations appreciate your support and confidence. I've actually found them to be very helpful and friendly about checking height on the many, many occasions that I've been there. The stand in GR is also consistent, which can not always be said for the different people in NickU.

[buckeyemaniac]

And inside Guest Relations - on the right after you have your ticket scanned. Note that someone is always available to check height there which may not be true of the other two locations.

At the other two locations they actually know how to check height. The guest relations workers seem to either not care or not know what they're doing when it comes to height checking.

I'm sure your co-workers in Guest Relations appreciate your support and confidence. I've actually found them to be very helpful and friendly about checking height on the many, many occasions that I've been there. The stand in GR is also consistent, which can not always be said for the different people in NickU.

Every kid I've seen that has a wrist band that they shouldn't have has said they were checked at GR. The bands are for rides, so it should be rides people doing the checking.

[mtl2013]

^ well it seems that the people working at GR need to go through a little seminar in height measuring. haha, no didsrespect, but is measuring really that hard?

[HTCO]

^ well it seems that the people working at GR need to go through a little seminar in height measuring. haha, no didsrespect, but is measuring really that hard?

Nope. It isn't. Its workers being lazy.

[The Interpreter]

So, are you saying some of these people don't measure up?

Terpy, who is reminded of Bob Vila:

http://www.amazon.com/Measure-Twice-Cut-On...r/dp/0316004944

[Tomkatt7]

So does this mean I should or should NOT go to Guest Relations? LOL

Both kids are 1/2 inch over the height requirement (48 1/2 and 36 1/2 respectively), by our measurements. I do remember taking our oldest a couple years ago and while we measured her at home and she should have been fine, some of the height stations at the individual rides seemed to have measurements higher than they should have (i.e. she wasn't even close when she stood next to the measurement pole, on a ride that per our home measurements she should have been cleared to ride).

Maybe this is why some parents get upset?

If they are close, and you don't get a wrist band. They will be pulled off and checked at every ride.

If they have a wrist band on, the ride ops don't check them.

That was the situation that I delt with anyways.

[violakat03]

The discrepancies between GR measurements and rides measurements is because the people at GR take 3 seconds to do the measurement, because they usually have a huge line of other things to do. This leads to them not checking children to see if they're standing on their toes, wearing tall shoes, etc. I saw a girl in heelies (the shoes with skate wheels) that were obviously way too big for her (probably her older sister's), which added at least two or three inches to her height. Added to that, she stood on tiptoe. It put her over the 48" mark and she got a wristband. She then left GR and immediately changed shoes! I've seen many kids stand on tip toe and stretch as far as they could to clear a height line they shouldn't have. The GR people never looked down to check that they had their feet flat and their back straight. I've even seen them give a wristband to a kid who only cleared it because of her pigtails!

The rides people take a little more time to make sure they get it right, because that is all the height measurement stations are there for and they're usually less hurried. They will make sure a child's feet are planted flat on the floor and if their shoes look suspiciously tall, high-soled or like they may be stuffed, they'll ask the child to take their shoes off.

[MarketingExpress]

You took the words out of my mouth. And I especially get angry when the crowd boos a ride attendant for rejecting a child as too short at the loading platform. Does anyone care about the safety of our children?

I like to start applauding while everyone is booing the ride attendant and yell out "Thanks for doing your job and looking out for that child's safety."

Of course the looks afterwards from everyone who was booing is priceless.

[shortyOSU]

hi, my daughter is about 47 1/2" and really wants to be able to ride the bigger rides. Are they really strict on that?

jan

i'm a 3rd year rides associate and I have been EXTENSIVELY trained to be VERY particular about height requirements. I worked on Racer for 2 years, and I checked many, many kids who were close, but I wouldn't let them ride. I've been cussed out, boo'd, threatened, pleaded with, and many other things because of the height restrictions.

I remember one particular story from last year, when I worked on The Racer. A father came through the line with his daughter, who was OBVIOUSLY too short. I could tell because her shoulders were not in line with the handrails: this is how we usually judge heights. She was a good inch, two inches short. I asked him if I could check his daughter's height, he said, "no, she's fine" but I checked her anyway. The height scale hit the top of her high ponytail, but not her head. I told him that she couldn't ride, because she wasn't tall enough, and he got FURIOUS! He was like "you see? You're breaking my daughter's heart over a roller coaster ride!" She wasn't even crying, she was just sitting there calmly. And he wouldn't leave me alone about it. He sat IN THE EXIT and continued to harass me about it, until I finally gave up and (as I was crying, because he was being VERY rude) got my supervisor, who told him THE EXACT SAME THINGS I said, and even took him out to the height scale at the front of the line and showed him that his daughter was too short. He finally agreed, and asked if she came back with taller shoes if she could ride. My supervisor agreed, and I left to go on break. When I came back my supervisor informed me that while I was on break the man and his daughter came back, with taller shoes, and she was STILL not tall enough.

Karma's a jerk, but I love it.

[screamingnight]

It annoys when parents don't measure their kids before getting in line. Then they argue with the OP, which slows the line down. The height requirement line is there for a reason.

[Flyer]

I've found height-checkers to be strict but still able to use common sense.

The other day my daughter, who is 48 1/2 inches tall, was about to go on the lazy river at BB with her friend. After her friend got on, my daughter was measured and was told she had to wear a life jacket because she was too short. My daughter walked away crying because she knew she was 48 1/2 inches tall (she had been measured by her doctor a week earlier) and had been riding all the 48-inch waterpark rides all day and because it is pretty tough on a 7-year-old to be told to wear a life jacket when her younger friend didn't have to. I didn't want to cause a stir, but I asked the girl to measure her again because the ground was obviously not level and because I knew she was actually 48 1/2 inches tall. The lifeguard measured her again and still wasn't sure my daughter was tall enough, but she saw how upset my daughter was and that my daughter wasn't going to ride if she had to wear a life jacket, so she said it was OK.

In this case, I thought the lifeguard used good common sense to let her on without a life jacket. Those measuring poles make it very tough to get a good measurement, especially with the unlevel pavement. And it wasn't as if she was going to ride The Beast or Firehawk.

I think KI's lifeguards and height-checkers always do a great job.

[MarketingExpress]

I've found height-checkers to be strict but still able to use common sense.

The other day my daughter, who is 48 1/2 inches tall, was about to go on the lazy river at BB with her friend. After her friend got on, my daughter was measured and was told she had to wear a life jacket because she was too short. My daughter walked away crying because she knew she was 48 1/2 inches tall (she had been measured by her doctor a week earlier) and had been riding all the 48-inch waterpark rides all day and because it is pretty tough on a 7-year-old to be told to wear a life jacket when her younger friend didn't have to. I didn't want to cause a stir, but I asked the girl to measure her again because the ground was obviously not level and because I knew she was actually 48 1/2 inches tall. The lifeguard measured her again and still wasn't sure my daughter was tall enough, but she saw how upset my daughter was and that my daughter wasn't going to ride if she had to wear a life jacket, so she said it was OK.

In this case, I thought the lifeguard used good common sense to let her on without a life jacket. Those measuring poles make it very tough to get a good measurement, especially with the unlevel pavement. And it wasn't as if she was going to ride The Beast or Firehawk.

I think KI's lifeguards and height-checkers always do a great job.

I would hardly say the lifeguard used common sense in this situation. You as the parent would probably disagree because you only see the benefit of not having to deal with an upset child. If she questioned your daughters height after the second time, she should have had another lifeguard measure or made your daughter wear the life jacket (better safe than sorry). Glad that nothing did happen to your daughter while she rode, but if it had, I'm sure you and the lifeguard would have felt horrible. What this lifeguard did was totally inexcusable and against all training that they were given.

[scarletandgrayfever]

I've found height-checkers to be strict but still able to use common sense.

The other day my daughter, who is 48 1/2 inches tall, was about to go on the lazy river at BB with her friend. After her friend got on, my daughter was measured and was told she had to wear a life jacket because she was too short. My daughter walked away crying because she knew she was 48 1/2 inches tall (she had been measured by her doctor a week earlier) and had been riding all the 48-inch waterpark rides all day and because it is pretty tough on a 7-year-old to be told to wear a life jacket when her younger friend didn't have to. I didn't want to cause a stir, but I asked the girl to measure her again because the ground was obviously not level and because I knew she was actually 48 1/2 inches tall. The lifeguard measured her again and still wasn't sure my daughter was tall enough, but she saw how upset my daughter was and that my daughter wasn't going to ride if she had to wear a life jacket, so she said it was OK.

In this case, I thought the lifeguard used good common sense to let her on without a life jacket. Those measuring poles make it very tough to get a good measurement, especially with the unlevel pavement. And it wasn't as if she was going to ride The Beast or Firehawk.

I think KI's lifeguards and height-checkers always do a great job.

yeah that lifeguard should've been disciplined. when it comes to anything involving safety there should be absolutely no compromising.

[Flyer]

I do see your point, safety first. But I don't think the lifeguard acted wrongly. The guard did measure her again and saw that it was too close to call from that pole. It was really impossible to say for sure one way or another. Those poles really don't work well, in this case a half-inch off. Plus, with the unlevel grade of the pavement ... You see what I mean, it's possible to use a little common sense at times. And if precision down to the say, 1/8-inch, really was necessary to a child's well-being here, I think they would use a better measuring device than tape on a pole. On Vortex and Beast, precision is necessary, so they have a better measuring device. No one can argue a measurement on those rides because they use those very precise metal platforms.

As a responsible parent (and I realize this has nothing to do with the measurement dispute), I was content because I knew she was a very good swimmer, was actually tall enough (48 1/2 inches at the doctor's office), and was in no danger.

You know what was surprising to me, though, is that my daughter was never measured on any of the other three 48-inch BB rides that day even though she only passed by a half inch. I could see how that could raise some questions. But I guess the lifeguards do this so much they have a very good idea of how tall a kid is and could tell she would pass.

[Rustbucket]

Two years ago, the ride ops stopped The Beast on lift hill to check my son who was 48 adn 1/2 inches at the time. He also had a wirst band. They still checked his height once again.

[frisbeefan]

I always made sure the guests were tall enough/not to tall too ride. It was very important to check and even double check myself ensuring people that were safe to ride were on the ride.