Hi there Heather! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. We're so glad you're hEAR with your planning question. I'd be happy to assist you.
How exciting that your family is planning a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth! Forty inches is such a big milestone at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. My own little guy wanted to measure himself daily before a recent trip to see if he would be tall enough to ride attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Test Track, and more. Now that he's surpassed the forty inch mark, he has his sights set on Space Mountain; he knows he has to be 44 inches tall to board that ship to the stars!
Heather, I have been in your shoes before. When my son measured just about 40 inches tall at home in bare feet, we visited Walt Disney World, and he ended up being able to ride some, but not all attractions with a 40 inch height requirement.
Pro tip: the measuring sticks are not all exactly the same throughout the theme parks, so your mileage may vary with a child who is borderline on making the minimum height required to ride.
In case your youngest Mouseketeer comes up short, I have heard on some occasions that a Cast Member will issue a special pass to return on a later date. This is a rare sprinkle of pixie-dust left to Cast Member discretion, and
my friend Clara describes the process in detail here.
If your little one just misses the 40 inch mark, remember there are some attractions with height requirements slightly below this threshold. If your child stands 38 inches tall, he or she will be able to experience new and exciting attractions such as
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train,
Slinky Dog Dash, and
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Be sure to explore the full list of
Walt Disney World attractions and filter them by height requirement to plan exactly what your youngest will be able to enjoy with the rest of the group. For those times when your smallest family member is unable to ride, I suggest using the
Rider Switch program - it's been a life saver for my family, as our youngest is still under forty inches, and our oldest is a thrill seeker!
One more thing to keep in mind as you plan. Walt Disney World's newest attractions,
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, debuting March 4, 2020 in Disney's Hollywood Studios, and
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure coming summer 2020 to Epcot will not have height restrictions! I can't wait to experience both of these with my entire family.
Heather, I wish you the best in planning your family's Walt Disney World adventure. If you have any other questions as your vacation approaches, please come back and see us again. We love to help!
See ya real soon!
Betsy