Rides and height restrictions

[Ranger]

I've always been interested in heights restrictions on rides. I got a few questions:

 

1. What's the highest height requirement for a ride?

2. Do you think they'll ever make a adjustable restraint? 

3. Why does DCR have a age requirement?

[Gtmichaels]

Fascinating topic, here’s my answer:

1: Permanent quality flat rides and rollercoasters usually have a max in America of 54 inches, which is 1.37m. In other countries, such as Europe, UK, and Australia, it’s 140cm. That’s the max I’ve seen from top of the class manufacturers. I remember seeing carnival rides that have a minimum height of 150cm to ride alone.

2: I have no clue! I do know that the closest to adjustable restraints for height have been stand up coasters, which allow you to pull down the OTSRs to a desirable height level, also togo’s shoulder press on their coasters. Old school though. Hopefully we see more adjustable restraints in the future so almost all adults can ride safely?

3: It’s probably because it’s Movie World trying to prevent youngish children from riding and getting too freaked out by the intensity? Very funny cause 11 yr olds can ride Top Thrill Dragster in America. I think it’s silly, but it also has a smallish height restriction of 130cm, my 10yr old cousin can ride it. I would be very interested in seeing a true answer from someone?

 

[Brad2912]

I wasn’t aware of DCR having an age restriction? I thought that was just a dreamworld thing. In saying that it’s 7yo, and I probably wouldn’t consider putting a kid under 7 on a hyper coaster anyway. 
 

Dreamworld does my head in though with The Claw having a minimum age of 10. It’s absolutely ridiculous. 

[Gtmichaels]

3 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

Dreamworld does my head in though with The Claw having a minimum age of 10. It’s absolutely ridiculous. 

Wtf? I never even knew that?!

[Ranger]

Checked on DW website and claw indeed has a minimum age of ten. I swear I rode it before 10. Also, how can they enforce it when some 9 year olds look like teens. Also at the Royal Easter Show, some ops have let me on rides even if I'm too short.

It's also the same with the Giant Drop.

 

[themagician]

Scooby also has a minimum age requirement of 6 years old with an adult and 10 years without

Vortex has a minimum age of 10

Gold Coaster is also 10

[Ranger]

Vortex has a higher minimum age than DCR? What?

 

[Brad2912]

22 minutes ago, themagician said:

Gold Coaster is also 10

What? That’s 100% new. 

When it was HWSW there was no age associated just height. 

[Baconjack]

43 minutes ago, themagician said:

Gold Coaster is also 10

Gold Coaster barely passes as a thrill ride and is on pace with most family coasters when it comes to intensity so I've got no clue why there is an age restriction that high, higher than that of DCR and honestly it's pretty ridiculous.

Edited April 18, 2021 by Baconjack

[Brad2912]

Confirming that I’ve just checked as I couldn’t believe they’d have implemented new restrictions on Gold Coaster just because they repainted the trains ... 

it’s minimum age of 10 if unaccompanied, no age restrictions if with an adult 

[Flynn_Smith]

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

Confirming that I’ve just checked as I couldn’t believe they’d have implemented new restrictions on Gold Coaster just because they repainted the trains ... 

it’s minimum age of 10 if unaccompanied, no age restrictions if with an adult 

It was actually like this as HWSW as well. Wasn't just implemented after the repaint.

[Gtmichaels]

What I don’t understand is why these age restrictions are only applying on some thrill rides, and not all of them? Movie World doesn’t put any age restrictions on Superman Escape, Green Lantern or Batwing, but places them on DCR and Scooby bloody doo? Lol very strange.

[mba2012]

I believe that most of the ride restrictions come from the ride manufacturers and not the parks themselves. I'd assume the parks have ability to add/remove/modify the restrictions as they wish, but most of what we see isn't dictated by the parks.

[Brad2912]

29 minutes ago, mba2012 said:

I believe that most of the ride restrictions come from the ride manufacturers and not the parks themselves. I'd assume the parks have ability to add/remove/modify the restrictions as they wish, but most of what we see isn't dictated by the parks.

I don’t believe manufacturers apply any age restrictions to rides, only minimum & maximum heights, and in some cases weight

[red dragin]

Is the age restriction more to do with having a safe evacuation, rather than the ride experience itself? 

Scooby, DCR and GCer - heights. Vortex and Claw - precarious stopping position potential. 

Just throwing that out there as a thought for further discussion. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by red dragin

[Gtmichaels]

1 hour ago, red dragin said:

Is the age restriction more to do with having a safe evacuation, rather than the ride experience itself? 

Scooby, DCR and GCer - heights. Vortex and Claw - precarious stopping position potential. 

Just throwing that out there as a thought for further discussion. 

Interesting point. Still makes me wonder about Green Lantern and even Arkham Asylum before the plug got pulled. This is kind of funny, because these were the two rides that had most (if not all) of the evacuations in recent times. They made news headlines I remember. And Arkham has definitely got the height, GL not so much, but it’s not small. Good point made though, definitely up for more discussion.

[Naazon]

7 hours ago, Gtmichaels said:

And Arkham has definitely got the height, GL not so much, but it’s not small. Good point made though, definitely up for more discussion.

Aren't they literally the same height?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

17 hours ago, Ranger said:

how can they enforce it when some 9 year olds look like teens.

While the age restriction is there, from what I understand, few ops will ask the question if the kids meets the height requirement. Ops also will take whatever age they're told at face value (but if the guest honestly gives an underage answer, they won't permit them to ride).

[Naazon]

36 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

While the age restriction is there, from what I understand, few ops will ask the question if the kids meets the height requirement. Ops also will take whatever age they're told at face value (but if the guest honestly gives an underage answer, they won't permit them to ride).

Although when I was at SW last the ride op was being very firm on this and asking pretty much everyone, including some young adults, taking more or less the cigarette approach 

[rappa]

Lol it it used to be you had to train your kids to lie that they were younger at the front gate (“No Mummy I’m 6 remember!” Anyone?). 
Now you’ve to teach them the opposite. 

[Gazza]

Kind of when you were a kid getting into attractions "yeah yeah he's only 4"

Edit: Rappa literally thinking the same thing lol.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Gazza

[Gtmichaels]

4 hours ago, Naazon said:

Aren't they literally the same height?

Lmao yeh you’re right, my mistake. Still begs the question tho.