Disneyland Paris height restrictions: the full table

At Disneyland Paris, only 10 rides have a minimum height, for safety reasons. They range from 81 cm (Autopia as a passenger, Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop) to 1.40 m (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, the strictest). All the others, around forty attractions, are open to everyone with no minimum height at all.

In other words, if your child is small, most of the park is open to them from a very young age: Peter Pan’s Flight, "it’s a small world", Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom Manor, Ratatouille, Frozen Ever After and the new Raiponce Tangled Spin and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye have no restriction.

In this article, I give you the full table of height restrictions (sorted by height), clear guidelines for your child’s height and the Rider Switch tip so that nobody misses out. My first tip: don’t rely on a measurement taken at home. The signs at the entrance to each ride are what counts (measured with shoes on).

Here are the 10 rides with a minimum height, from the most accessible to the strictest. Height is measured at the ride entrance, shoes included. Each ride is in a land, which means a themed area of the park.

One special case: Autopia has two steps. Your child can ride from 81 cm with an adult (as a passenger), but must be 1.32 m to drive alone (to reach the pedal).

All the other attractions have no minimum height. So around forty attractions are open to everyone, whatever your child’s age or height. The new rides in Disney Adventure World (Raiponce Tangled Spin, Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, Frozen Ever After) are among them: they have no restriction.

To keep things simple, here’s what each height step unlocks. At each new threshold, your child gets access to new rides, on top of all those with no restriction (which they can do from a very young age).

A useful pointer, with a word of caution: it’s height that counts, never age. As a rough guide only, many children get close to one metre at around 3 or 4 years old, but this varies hugely from one child to another. Always go by their actual height.

Until your child reaches 81 cm, they already have access to the vast majority of the park: all the gentle rides, the slow-moving dark rides and most of the great classics.

No minimum height is needed for Peter Pan’s Flight, "it’s a small world", Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom Manor, Ratatouille, Frozen Ever After, Raiponce Tangled Spin, Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, Orbitron or Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, to name just a few. For toddlers and babies, see the dedicated section below.

At 81 cm, your child can try two thrill rides, as long as they’re with an adult: Autopia (as a passenger) in Disneyland Park and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop in Disney Adventure World. Watch out: despite its modest height, Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop is a small drop tower (Toy Story). The drop is short but can surprise more sensitive children.

This is a big milestone. At 1.02 m, your child unlocks Big Thunder Mountain (the most family-friendly roller coaster in the park), the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue simulator and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (a more intense free-fall ride) in Disney Adventure World.

At 1.07 m, your child can ride Crush’s Coaster in Disney Adventure World, an indoor roller coaster that spins around. It’s very popular and often has long queues: consider Single Rider (a separate queue for solo visitors, often quicker) or the Rider Switch (see below).

At 1.20 m, your child can ride the more intense attractions: Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (formerly Space Mountain, so its minimum height is 1.20 m) in Disneyland Park, plus Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and RC Racer in Disney Adventure World.

At 1.40 m, your child can ride absolutely every attraction, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (Adventureland, Disneyland Park), the only ride that needs this height. It’s a short but intense roller coaster, with a tight loop.

It’s a question many new parents ask and the answer is reassuring: Disneyland Paris is very welcoming for babies. The forty or so attractions with no minimum height (gentle rides such as "it’s a small world", Pirates of the Caribbean or Le Carrousel de Lancelot) are open to them, with an adult.

Two things to bear in mind, though. First, the minimum height applies to the child’s own body: so you can never take a baby on your lap for a ride with a height restriction (roller coaster, free fall). Second, some thrill rides require the child to sit up properly: if you’re unsure about a toddler, ask the Cast Member (the member of staff) at the entrance, who will tell you whether they can ride.

For everything your baby can’t do yet, the Rider Switch (see below) lets you each enjoy it in turn.

On the practical side: pushchairs are not allowed in the queues. You park them in the dedicated areas near the ride entrances (remember to take your valuables with you).

These minimum heights are not arbitrary and they don’t depend on age: they match each ride’s safety system. Harnesses, seat belts and lap bars are designed for a minimum body size. Below it, the restraint can’t hold the child firmly against the seat: on a tight bend, a strong acceleration, a drop or a loop, they could slip or not be held properly.

It’s the same rule in every Disney park in the world and there are no exceptions, not even for one centimetre and not even with an adult.

In practice, depending on what the ride does:

There are no exceptions to these rules, not even for one centimetre and not even with an adult. It’s frustrating at the time, but it’s what keeps your child safe.

Three things not to mix up: height (to ride certain attractions), age (to enter and move around the park) and supervision (being with an adult). Here are the official Disneyland Paris rules.

At the entrance to each ride concerned, a sign or a measuring bar lets you check their height. These markers on the spot are what count, shoes included. My tip: check before you join the queue, to avoid disappointment at the end.

A few simple tricks that can make a difference of a few millimetres: height is measured with shoes on, so trainers with slightly thicker soles are perfectly acceptable.

On the other hand, hair buns, headbands or caps don’t count (the Cast Member will have them removed so the head sits flat under the bar). Also make sure your child stands up straight, heels on the ground, without going on tiptoe.

If your child is just under a height step, group together the rides they can already do so you don’t pile up the disappointments. A good combination when a child is too short: Rider Switch so you can take turns, plus Single Rider, which often lets the waiting parent get through the queue faster in the meantime.

And remember: with around forty attractions with no restriction at all, there’s plenty to fill a day, even for the youngest. Rides with a minimum height are only a small part of what’s on offer.

Now that you know what your child can ride, browse all the attraction guides for both parks (detailed pages, queue times, filters). For more ideas, see my guides to the best attractions in the park and gentle rides for younger children.