Disney Ride Height Requirements: A Park-By-Park Guide with PDF Download

A Disney World vacation includes so many amazing experiences. Adorable character meet-and-greets, atmospheric dining, jaw-dropping shows! But let’s be real — the rides are probably the biggest draw for visitors coming to this world-famous destination. 

If you’re heading to the theme parks with little kids, figuring out the Disney ride height requirements in advance can save you plenty of headaches and heartbreak. Nobody wants to walk up to the entrance of a ride after your child has been talking about it for months to be turned away because they are an inch too short. 

Use this guide to understand the height requirements in every park in Walt Disney World so that you know which ones your family can enjoy and which ones that may need to sit out.

Disney Park Height Requirements: A Quick Overview

Luckily, there aren’t that many rides in the Disney Parks that littles can’t ride. There are only 22 rides across the four main theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom — that have a height requirement.

These minimum height restrictions range from 32 inches (82 centimeters) to 48 inches (122 centimeters) and differ depending on the type of ride. These ride rules are set in place by Disney Parks to ensure guest safety. 

Guests will see height measuring tools at the entrance to each ride where a minimum requirement is in place. Families or cast members will use these tools to check children prior to entering the standby line or Lightning Lane for the ride. Measurements will be taken with shoes on, as long as the child’s shoe has a normal sole. 

How Strict Are Disney Height Requirements?

Disney World is pretty strict about checking and maintaining height requirements for rides that have them. Some rides — such as Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom, Tron in Magic Kingdom, and Cosmic Rewind in Epcot — even have multiple checks throughout the queue before a child is allowed to ride. 

If your child is right on the cusp of a specific height requirement, it may be hit or miss on whether they will be allowed on the ride. But it’s best to manage expectations and plan to be turned away.

This strictness surrounding height requirements for Disney rides is simply to ensure your child’s safety. If your child is too short to ride, be kind to cast members and enjoy the many other things in the park that are safe and suitable for your little one. 

Magic Kingdom Height Guidelines

Big Thunder Mountain in Magic Kingdom in Disney World

The Magic Kingdom is the Disney World theme park that offers the most ride options without any height restrictions. There are 16 rides that guests of all ages and all sizes can happily ride. This makes the park very family friendly and the ideal place for babies and toddlers to experience all of the Disney magic. 

Here is a breakdown of all of the Magic Kingdom rides with height restrictions:

RideHeight MinimumPark Location
Tomorrowland Speedway32” (82 cm) to drive with adult / 54” (137 cm) to drive aloneTomorrowland
The Barnstormer35” (89 cm)Fantasyland (Storybook Circus)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train38” (96 cm)Fantasyland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad40” (102 cm)Adventureland
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure40” (102 cm)Adventureland
Space Mountain44” (113 cm)Tomorrowland
Tron Lightcycle Run48” (122 cm)Tomorrowland

Rides in Magic Kingdom With No Height Restrictions

  • Astro Orbiter
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Haunted Mansion
  • It’s a Small World
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Mad Tea Party
  • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Prince Charming Regal Carousel
  • PeopleMover
  • Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Walt Disney World Railroad
  • Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Epcot Height Requirements

The Land Pavillion at Epcot in Disney World

What was once considered a sleepier park when it came to thrill rides, Epcot has recently upped its game with one of the coolest roller coasters in all of Disney World: Cosmic Rewind. 

And while that crazy, chaotic, spinning ride does require you to be at least 42 inches, many of Epcot’s fan favorites — like Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure — are fine for explorers of all sizes. 

Epcot doesn’t have many rides with height restrictions, but here is the full list so you can plan accordingly:

RideHeight MinimumPark Location
Mission Space40” (102 cm)World Discovery
Soarin’ Around the World40” (102 cm)World Nature
Test Track40” (102 cm)World Discovery
Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind42” (107 cm)World Discovery

Rides in Epcot With No Height Restrictions

  • Frozen Ever After
  • Gran Fiesta Tour
  • Journey Into the Imagination With Figment
  • Living With the Land
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • The Seas With Nemo and Friends
  • Spaceship Earth

Hollywood Studios Height Restrictions

Star Wars Rise of the Resistance in Disney's Hollywood Studios

Between Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land, Hollywood Studios is a big draw for movie fans everywhere. But if you’re planning to come here with super short kiddos, they may not be able to ride the heavy hitters including Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash. 

Hollywood Studios is the Disney World park with the most limited ride selections for kids under 32 inches. Luckily there are plenty of shows, character meets, and activities that they can enjoy while taller thrill seekers are on the rides. 

Here is a breakdown of the height minimums for rides in Hollywood Studios:

RideHeight MinimumPark Location
Alien Swirling Saucers32” (82 cm)Toy Story Land
Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run38” (96 cm)Galaxy’s Edge
Slinky Dog Dash38” (96 cm)Toy Story Land
Star Tours40” (102 cm)Echo Lake
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance40” (102 cm)Galaxy’s Edge
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror40” (102 cm)Sunset Boulevard
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith48” (122 cm)Sunset Boulevard

Rides in Hollywood Studios With No Height Minimums

  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Toy Story Mania

Animal Kingdom Height Minimums 

Line outside of Flight of Passage in Disney's Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom offers a good balance between thrill rides (like Expedition Everest and Flight of Passage) and amazing animal encounters. This makes it a must-do for families with kids who may miss out on the action in some of the other theme parks. 

There are plans to make big changes in the park by introducing Tropical Americas, a new Encanto and Indiana Jones themed land with new rides. This means the closure of Dinoland USA and at least one non-height-requirement ride, Triceratop Spin. But the exact timeline for closures and construction has yet to be revealed. So, get your kids on that flying dinosaur ride  stat! 

Here’s a list of the height restrictions for rides in Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

RideHeight MinimumPark Location
Kali River Rapids38” (96 cm)Asia
Dinosaur* 40” (102 cm)Dinoland USA
Avatar Flight of Passage44” (113 cm)Pandora
Expedition Everest44” (113 cm)Asia

Animal Kingdom Rides With No Height Requirements:

  • Kilimanjaro Safaris
  • Na’vi River Journey
  • TriceraTop Spin*
  • Wildlife Express Train

*Will be permanently closing soon due to park expansion plans and new construction. 

Downloadable Disney Park Height Requirement PDF

If you want a visual representation of all of this information to have on hand while you bop your way around the parks, we’ve got you covered. Simply download our free Disney Park Height Requirement PDF and keep it on your phone or tablet. We hope it’s a helpful tool!  

Height Requirements Disney infographic

Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Height Information

As Disney’s original water park, Typhoon Lagoon is a nostalgic and beloved way to spend a hot day. It doesn’t get much better than splashing around in the wave pool or floating along the lazy river with your family. 

But if your kid wants to careen down one of the park’s water slides, it’s time to take out the measuring tape. There are some minimum and maximum height requirements that you should know about in advance. 

Water Slide / AttractionHeight Information
Crush ‘n’ GusherTaller than 48” (122 cm)
Humunga KowabungaTaller than 48” (122 cm)
Bay SlidesShorter than 60” (152 cm)
Ketchakiddee CreekShorter than 48” (122 cm)

Typhoon Lagoon Attractions for Any Height

  • Castaway Creek
  • Gangplank Falls
  • Keelhaul Falls
  • Mayday Falls
  • Miss Adventure Falls
  • Storm Slides
  • Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool

Height Restrictions at Blizzard Beach

If a snow-capped ski-lodge in swim shorts is more your scene, then Blizzard Beach is hard to beat. This fun-in-the-sun water park has fast-paced slides, a very cool chairlift ride, and the 12-story Summit Plummet. 

So, what can your little snow bunnies get up to at this Disney Water park? Quite a bit. In fact, there are a few areas, like Tikes Peak, that are specifically designed for shorties. 

Here’s all you need to know about the height minimums and maximums at Blizzard Beach:

Water Slide / AttractionHeight Information
ChairliftTaller than 32” (82 cm)
Downhill Double DipperTaller than 48” (122 cm)
Slush GusherTaller than 48” (122 cm)
Summit PlummetTaller than 48” (122 cm)
Tikes PeakShorter than 48” (122 cm)

Blizzard Beach Attractions for Any Height

  • Cross Country Creak
  • Melt-Away Bay
  • Runoff Rapids
  • Snow Stormers
  • Teamboat Springs
  • Toboggan Racers

What to Do If Your Child Is Too Short for Disney Rides

It’s a bummer if your child doesn’t meet the minimum height requirement for a certain ride that your family is looking forward to. But just because your kid can’t ride for safety reasons doesn’t mean that the rest of your party can’t enjoy the attraction.

That’s where Disney’s Rider Switch program comes in handy.  

What Is Disney Rider Switch?

This is a service that allows part of your party to go on a Disney World ride while another person waits with the child who isn’t tall enough (or brave enough) to go on.

Once the first party (known as Party 1) exits the ride, they can “switch” places with the person who was originally waiting. The second person and one guest (known as Party 2) can then enter the ride via the Lightning Lane so that they don’t have to wait in the full queue. 

This ensures that everyone in your party who wants to ride the attraction can do so without having to do double the waiting. 

Rider Switch can be used if you book Lightning Lanes for the attraction. However, all people in your group who plan on riding will need to have those Lightning Lanes booked in order for Party 1 to use the Lightning Lane entrance. The same goes for Virtual Queue rides — all people who plan to ride will need to be booked into the Virtual Queue. 

How to Use Disney Rider Switch

Using Rider Switch in Disney World is simple. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Find a Cast Member at the entrance of a rider. They should be holding an digital tablet.

Step 2: Approach the cast member with your whole party present. 

Step 3: Tell the Cast Member that you’d like to use Rider Switch and give them the names of the people planning to ride.

Step 4: The Cast Member will divide your group into Party 1 and Party 2. The people in Party 2 will be issued a Rider Switch digital ticket.

Step 5: Party 1 will get into line and go on the ride. Party 2 will wait in a designated location with the child who can’t or doesn’t want to ride. 

Step 6: When Party 1 exits the ride, they will take over waiting with the child. Party 2 will scan into the ride with the digital pass via the Lightning Lane entrance and proceed to ride. 

Disney Rides Eligible for Rider Switch

In order to be eligible for Rider Switch, a ride needs to have a Lightning Lane entrance. Below are the rides in the four main Disney theme parks that have Rider Switch as an option: 

Magic KingdomEpcotHollywood StudiosAnimal Kingdom
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tomorrowland Speedway
TRON Lightcycle Run
Frozen Ever After
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Mission: SPACE
Soarin’ Around the World
Test Track
Alien Swirling Saucers
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 
Avatar Flight of Passage
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Kali River Rapids
Na’vi River Journey
About Deidre Grieves 30 Articles
Deidre Grieves is a Philadelphia-based writer, editor, and the founder of DisneyTourist.com. She spent her childhood taking family trips to Disney World and is now sharing those experiences and creating new memories with her two young sons.