With two theme parks, Disneyland Resort has a variety of height restrictions for its rides. In this post, we review the height requirements for each ride and provide a park-by-park breakdown.
Additionally you can click here to jump to the list of requirements for the entire resort for each height. As with all posts, you should confirm on the official Disney website (or in the app) if you’re worried about a particular ride.
Related Posts
If you’re on the wrong coast, we have a post on Walt Disney World (Florida) height requirements as well.
This post is focused specifically on height requirements. For more information on attractions we have a guide the the attractions of Disneyland and a guide the the attractions of Disney California Adventure.
If you’d like information on planning your days at the parks, we have a Disneyland one day plan and a Disney California Adventure one day plan.
Finally, if your child meets the height requirement for a ride and is at least 7 years old, they can ride via the Single Rider line on rides where that’s available.
A Broad Look at Disneyland Height Requirements
Before we get to the park-by-park breakdown with all the rides, we want to talk more broadly about the height requirements.
We’re covering 52 rides here. We’re not counting non-ride attractions (like stage shows or explorable areas), none of which have height requirements. We’ve also left off the Mark Twain Riverboat and Sailing Ship Columbia—both no height requirements (we’re fans of both, by the way).
Disney uses the following height requirements (centimeters are included below): 48 inches, 46 in, 42 in, 40 in, 38 in, 35 in, 32 in. There’s also a 54 inch height requirement if you’d like to drive the Autopia go kart without supervision (or supervise a smaller driver).
The below chart just tells you how many rides at each park have each height requirement.
You can see that about three quarters of the rides in Disneyland park have no height requirement. At Disney California Adventure, it’s only 9 of 19, but at just 32 inches you’ll be up to 11 of 19.
Disneyland has significantly more rides and is inarguably the better park at all ages, but it’s not as big a gap as the numbers suggest. Remember, all Disney parks have other things to do, like shows and parades, and the things not on this list have no height requirements. Families with kids should have a nice time at either park.
For example, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and Turtle Talk With Crush are excellent offerings at Disney California Adventure that don’t come into the above analysis.
One final thing to note from the chart is that the biggest number of rides gained comes when you hit 40 inches. You gain nine rides when you hit 40 inches: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Star Tours, Rise of the Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, Radiator Springs Racers, Silly Symphony Swings, and Soarin’.
Rider Swap (“Rider Switch”) At Disneyland
If one member of your party doesn’t meet a height requirement, you might worry that your group will have to wait in line twice if everyone wants to ride. Luckily, Disney has “Rider Switch” (sometimes called “Rider Swap”) to help you avoid spending all day apart in line. You can read more about rider switch—including reasons other than height requirements to use it—here.
Here’s the basics on the system:
Your group has at least three people and one of them is too short for the ride (e.g. two parents and child)
Break the people who can ride into two groups—Group 1 and Group 2.
Approach the Cast Member outside the line to the ride with everyone (Groups 1 and 2).
Group 1 will wait in line for the ride.
Group 2 stays with the person too short to ride. Group 2 has their park tickets scanned and they’re given a digital return time (like a Lightning Lane). Group 2 can only contain two people.
When the return time comes up, Group 1 waits with the person too short to ride while Group 2 uses to return time to “skip the line” via the Lightning Lane queue or ride exit.
Disneyland Height Requirements
There are 33 rides at Disneyland (the park) (this list doesn’t include non-ride attractions like Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room or the arguably-rides Mark Twain Riverboat and Sailing Ship Columbia). If you’re looking for more information, we have a guide the the rides of Disneyland.
Of the 33 Disneyland rides, 9 have height requirements. Autopia has two height requirements—one for people who wish to drive the go kart (or supervise a smaller driver) and one for people who wish to ride or to drive with supervision. Here are the height requirements at Disneyland:
Disneyland Rides With Height Requirements
Autopia (driving or supervising) - 54 inches / 137 centimeters
Indiana Jones Adventure - 46 inches / 117 centimeters
Matterhorn Bobsleds - 42 inches / 107 centimeters
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Space Mountain - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Star Tours — The Adventures Continue - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run - 38 inches / 97 centimeters
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster - 35 inches / 89 centimeters
Autopia (riding or driving with supervision) - 32 inches / 81 centimeters
Disneyland Rides Without Height Requirements
The remaining 24 rides do not have height requirements: Alice in Wonderland, Astro Orbitor, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Disneyland Monorail (to/from Downtown Disney), Disneyland Railroad, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world”, Jungle Cruise, King Arthur Carrousel, Mad Tea Party, Main Street Vehicles, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Pirates of the Caribbean, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and Storybook Land Canal Boats.
Disney California Adventure Height Requirements
There are 18 rides at Disney California Adventure (this list doesn’t include non-ride attractions like PhilharMagic). If you’re looking for more information, we have a guide the the rides, attractions, and entertainment of Disney California Adventure.
Of the 19 rides at Disney California Adventure, ten have height requirements. Here are the height requirements at Disney California Adventure:
Disney California Adventure Rides With Height Requirements
The Incredicoaster - 48 inches / 122 centimeters
Goofy’s Sky School - 42 inches / 107 centimeters
Grizzly River Run - 42 inches / 107 centimeters
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Jumpin’ Jellyfish - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Radiator Springs Racers - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Silly Symphony Swings - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Soarin’ - 40 inches / 102 centimeters
Luigi’s Rollickin Roadsters - 32 inches / 81 centimeters
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree - 32 inches / 81 centimeters
Disney California Adventure Rides Without Height Requirements
The remaining nine rides do not have height requirements: Golden Zephyr, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, Jessie’s Critter Carousel, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, Pixar Pal-A-Round, Red Car Trolley, Toy Story Midway Mania!, and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.
Disneyland Rides Listed By Height Requirement
Going back to our chart from above, we’ll now go through each height requirement and list the rides at that height requirement.
54 inches / 137 Centimeters
The height requirement of 54 inches / 137 centimeters only applies to people who wish to drive Autopia alone (or who wish to supervise a driver between 32 inches and 54 inches).
48 inches / 122 centimeters (1 ride)
The Incredicoaster (California Adventure)
46 inches / 117 centimeters (1 rides)
Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland)
42 Inches / 107 Centimeters (3 Rides)
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Disneyland)
Goofy’s Sky School (California Adventure)
Grizzly River Run (California Adventure)
40 Inches / 102 centimeters (9 rides)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disneyland)
Space Mountain (Disneyland)
Star Tours — The Adventures Continue (Disneyland)
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Disneyland)
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! (California Adventure)
Jumpin’ Jellyfish (California Adventure)
Radiator Springs Racers (California Adventure)
Silly Symphony Swings (California Adventure)
Soarin’ (California Adventure)
38 Inches / 97 centimeters (1 rides)
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Disneyland)
35 Inches / 89 Centimeters (1 Ride)
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster (Disneyland)
32 inches / 81 Centimeters (3 rides)
Autopia (riding or driving with supervision) (Disneyland)
Luigi’s Rollickin Roadsters (California Adventure)
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (California Adventure)