History Main / YouMustBeThisTallToRide

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart attempts to subvert the trope by applying ice cream bars to the bottom of his shoes to meet the height requirement. It gets played straight when the ride starts and he nearly falls out going through a loop because he is not big enough for the safety bar to catch him.
* In "Brandy and Mr. Whiskers", Whiskers and Gaston le Gecko launch a protest over the shorter animals not being allowed on a water park ride. The lifeguard and Brandy tell them that it is due to safety issues, but they refuse to listen and force themselves on the ride... where they get injured due to their short stature.

* In one ''WesternAnimation/HiHiPuffyAmiYumi'' episode (The Ride Stuff), Kaz is too short to go on a roller coaster, so Ami and Yumi disguise him as a British rock star lady by [[TotemPoleTrench Yumi standing on top of Kaz]]. Kaz even lets out a [[SneezeOfDoom]]...and the guy operating the coaster isn't suspicious! The plan works, and he gets on.

* In one ''WesternAnimation/HiHiPuffyAmiYumi'' episode, Kaz is too short to go on a roller coaster, so Ami and Yumi disguise him as a British rock star lady by [[TotemPoleTrench Yumi standing on top of Kaz]]. Kaz even lets out a [[SneezeOfDoom]]...and the guy operating the coaster isn't suspicious! The plan works, and he gets on.

However, due to pesky safety regulations, equipment and seats made to accommodate adults, not to mention pesky liability issues and lawsuit-happy parents, park regulations dictate that younger children can't ride the most intense, exciting and popular rides. In RealLife, these safety concerns are perfectly valid and are there to protect children - safety harnesses that fit an adult may be too large to properly restrain a child. In fiction, this is rarely if ever pointed out. Though rarely mentioned, the inverse of this is also TruthInTelevison: child-scale rides are often too small to be safe for adults (and some adult-scale rides are too small for adults of exceptional size).

However, due to pesky safety regulations, equipment and seats made to accommodate adults, not to mention pesky liability issues and lawsuit-happy parents, park regulations dictate that younger children can't ride the most intense, exciting and popular rides. In RealLife, these safety concerns are perfectly valid and are there to protect children - safety harnesses that fit an adult may be too large to properly restrain a child. In fiction, this is rarely if ever pointed out.

NoRealLifeExamplesPlease - This is TruthInTelevision, and we'll leave it at that.

** The ''Literature/SinbadTheSailor'' segment of ''ScoobyDooInArabianNights'' has the captain (who is depicted as a dwarf, similar to [[WesternAnimation/TheJetsons Mr. Spacely]] or [[WesternAnimation/MagillaGorilla Mr. Peebles]]) being too short for [[ItMakesSenseInContext a log ride filled with the treasure he's after]]. He reacts by destroying the measurement sign and gets on the ride anyway.

* In ''Left4Dead2'', the poster for the Dark Carnival campaign (which is set in an AmusementParkOfDoom) reads "You must be this tall... '''TO DIE'''!"

* [[http://www.loadingartist.com/2012/06/04/vomitron/ This]] ''LoadingArtist'' strip.

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* In ''Left4Dead2'', the poster for the Dark Carnival campaign (which is set in an AmusementParkOfDoom) read "You must be this tall... '''TO DIE'''!"

However, due to pesky safety regulations, equipment and seats made to accommodate adults, not to mention pesky liability issues and lawsuit-happy parents, park regulations dictate that younger children can't ride the most intense, exciting, and hyped rides. In RealLife, these safety concerns are perfectly valid and are there to protect children - safety harnesses that fit an adult may be too large to properly restrain a child. In fiction, this is rarely if ever pointed out.

This trope is prevalent across various media, though will rarely occur in works not set between the middle of the 1900's and TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. Generally, usage of this trope is followed by said kid desperate to find a way onto the ride, and doing so may be considered a RiteOfPassage into becoming a teenager. This trope may either be played for laughs in order to highlight the zany schemes that the kid(-s) take in order to sneak onto the ride, or for drama if the kids end up getting hurt due to neglecting the precautions of a very ReasonableAuthorityFigure.

In contrast, it may also be used as an excuse for a child or young teenager who is legitimately scared of said ride. Of course, the plot requires that said child actually be tall enough to ride, in which case elaborate, wacky hijinks are played in order to avoid the ride, before finally admitting his or her fear, going on anyway, and generally enjoying themselves. This variant is almost always played for laughs.

* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'': Hayate's absurdly rich mistress has an entire amusement park that was given to her as an elaborate KickTheDog--all the rides require a height she is as yet unable to reach...and may never grow into.

* The plot of ''Film/{{Big}}'' is sparked by a thirteen-year old being told he wasn't tall enough to go on a roller coaster.

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* A little person on an episode of ''Series/MurphyBrown'' complained about how embarrassing it was to be shooed away by Mickey Mouse at DisneyLand.

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* Parodied in ''[[ComicStrip/TheFarSide The Far Side]]'' -- a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever giant monster]] encounters a sign even taller than itself reading "You Must Be This Tall To Attack The City".

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* In the Strong Bad e-mail "theme park" in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'', The Cheat tried to be tall enough to ride the Bowels of Trogdor roller coaster, but was unable to do so even when standing on tiptoes and wearing a top hat, so Strong Bad recommended he goes to Sweet Cuppin Cakes Land instead, much to his disappointment.

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyB'': Bessie is too short (by one sixteenth of an inch!) to go on the ride, but her dog threatens the operator and he bends the rules so the dog won't rat him out.
* Subverted and lampshaded in the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch, "Attack of the Giant Midget." A midget, turned into a giant by a MadScientist, goes on a rampage through an amusement park. It comes to a "you must be this tall" sign, then [[{{beat}} pauses a moment]] to let the irony sink in before continuing on its rampage.

** The Literature/SinbadTheSailor segment of ''ScoobyDooInArabianNights'' has the captain (who is depicted as a dwarf not unlike [[WesternAnimation/TheJetsons Mr. Spacely]] or [[WesternAnimation/MagillaGorilla Mr. Peebles]]) being too short for [[ItMakesSenseInContext a log ride filled with the treasure he's after]]. He reacts by destroying the measurement sign and gets on the ride anyway.
** The WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo episode "Roller Ghoster Ride" featured a few scenes that had a young boy being told that he was too short to go on certain rides, such as the Sky-Diving Simulator, the Slingshot, and the Rocket Coaster. In the end, after the villain of the episode was caught, the boy gets to ride with Shaggy and Scooby on the food-based ride that was built for the amusement park.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart attempts to subvert the trope by applying ice cream bars to the bottom of his shoes to meet the height requirement. It gets played straight when the ride starts and he nearly falls out going through a loop because he is not big enough for the safety bar to catch him.

NoRealLifeExamplesPlease - This is TruthInTelevision, and we'll leave it at that.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyB'': Bessie is too short to go on the ride, but her dog threatens the operator and he bends the rules so the dog won't rat him out.

* In ''{{Problem Child}} 2'', during the fair scene, Junior tries to get on the Crazy Dance ride, but is told that he has to be as tall as the tentacle, which he just barely isn't ("But it's only a millimeter!"). After getting the usual teasing from the local bully, he encounters Trixie, the girl who's just as bad as Junior is, who wears elevator shoes in order to get on the ride. This gets Junior mad enough to mess with the speed of the ride to make everyone barf.

* In the Strong Bad e-mail "theme park" in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'', The Cheat tried to be tall enough to ride the Bowels of Trogdor roller coaster, but was unable to do so even when standing on tiptoes and wearing a top hat, so Strong Bad recommended he goes to Sweet Cuppin Cakes Land instead, much to his disappointment.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart attempts to subvert the trope by applying ice cream bars to the bottom of his shoes to meet the height requirement. It gets played straight when the ride starts and he nearly falls out going through a loop because he is not big enough for the safety bar to catch him.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' episode "A Small Problem", Ben is told he's too short to go down a water slide, which he immediately decides to rectify by turning into [[FishPeople Ripjaws]]. Maybe it's for the best that he ended up as the less-noticeable [[IncredibleShrinkingMan Grey Matter]] instead.

* Parodied in a ''[[ComicStrip/TheFarSide The Far Side]]'' panel in which a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever giant monster]] encounters a sign even taller than itself reading "You Must Be This Tall To Attack The City".

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* In the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' episode "A Small Problem", Ben is told he's too short to go down a water slide, which he immediately decides to rectify by turning into [[FishPeople Ripjaws]]. Maybe it's for the best that he ended up as the less-noticeable [[IncredibleShrinkingMan Grey Matter]] instead.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart attempts to subvert the trope by applying ice cream bars to the bottom of his shoes to meet the height requirement. It gets played straight when the ride starts and he nearly falls out going through a loop because he is not big enough for the safety bar to catch him.

* Walter in Film/TheMuppets is shown being unable to go on a carnival ride.

* A little person on an episode of 'Series/MurphyBrown'' complained about how embarrassing it was to be shooed away by Mickey Mouse at DisneyLand.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'' Rollo is exited to go to an amusement park because he's finally tall enough to ride on the roller coaster. But when he gets there they measure him not counting his [[FunnyAfro Giant Afro]] and he's still too short.
* One ''Literature/CuriousGeorge'' book has George go to an amusement park but being too small ride on a roller coaster or play with bunnies in the petting zoo. He then has a dream that he grew to five times his previous size, only to find he's now too big to fit on the roller coaster and too large to play with the bunnies safely.
* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'': The episode "Ewww That's Growth" is about Dexter being upset about his pint-sized height; one of the ways his stature makes his life harder is that he's denied going on a rollercoaster with his family. After he makes himself very tall with an invention of his, he is allowed onto the ride ([[spoiler:during which he crashes painfully into a wall.]])
* The ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D: Atomic Edition'' level "Babe Land" has a sign with Duke's likeness before a ride entrance, saying "You must be 48 pixels tall to enter".

* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'': Hayate's absurdly rich mistress has an entire amusement park that was given to her as an elaborate KickTheDog--all the rides require a height she is as yet unable to reach...and may never grow into.
* In the Strong Bad e-mail "theme park" in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'', The Cheat tried to be tall enough to ride the Bowels of Trogdor roller coaster, but was unable to do so even when standing on tiptoes and wearing a top hat, so Strong Bad recommended he goes to Sweet Cuppin Cakes Land instead, much to his disappointment.
* ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski'' has this problem with a ride. The ride operator takes pity on him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyB'': Bessie is too short to go on the ride, but her dog threatens the operator and he bends the rules so the dog won't rat him out.
* A little person on an episode of 'Series/MurphyBrown'' complained about how embarrassing it was to be shooed away by Mickey Mouse at DisneyLand.

* In ''Problem Child 2'', during the fair scene, Junior tries to get on the Crazy Dance ride, but is told that he has to be as tall as the tentacle, which he just barely isn't ("But it's only a millimeter!"). After getting the usual teasing from the local bully, he encounters Trixie, the girl who's just as bad as Junior is, who wears elevator shoes in order to get on the ride. This gets Junior mad enough to mess with the speed of the ride to make everyone barf.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart attempts to subvert the trope by applying ice cream bars to the bottom of his shoes to meet the height requirement. It gets played straight when the ride starts and he nearly falls out going through a loop because he is not big enough for the safety bar to catch him.