Batwing Height Restriction

What is the height restriction on Batwing?

The height restriction is 54"

I know this all too well. SFA was the 2nd stop on our 11 park, 10 day vacation. Batwing was not running. Too bad, but I figured my son and I would get to ride X-Flight at SFWoA. No such luck... it took 10 hours to ride the other 9 coasters once and X's wait was over 3 hours.

We decided to take a 300 mile detour on our way home to try to hit Batwing and Hypersonic (which was also closed). After a 2 hour wait we were on the front row! The ride op measured my son (he got measured on nearly every 54" ride since he is only 1/8" over 54") and the ride op said he was not tall enough. I said I wanted a supervisor. The T-square they were using had play in it and they pulled it up past 90 degrees. He said too short. The crowd started booing and another ride op said "Anyone booing will not be allowed to ride"! I told the supervisor I would go straight to guest relations.

An hour later, a guest relations supervisor verified that my son met the height requirement. There was still a problem though. He had to go up the chain of command to the manager over both ride operations and guest relations in order to overrule the ride op supervisor.

A half hour later, and after a heated discussion between supervisors, my son and I enjoyed our first flying coaster on the 1st row! Unfortunately, we didn't make it to PKD before closing.

Sorry for the rant... 54 1/4" and up should have no problems!!

Dan

As a ride op it is very hard to tell someone they are too short. I commend you for not getting angry and yelling at the ride op. Many people thing ride ops wake up in the morning and say "Hey I wanna make a little kid cry today" or "Im gonna piss this guy off". We do what we are trained to do. If you do not like our decision, feel free to go to another authority, but yelling, name calling, and violence(yes i have seen it) is not called for.

I agree, measuring kids is the worst part of a ride op's job. The general public just doesn't seem to understand the restrictions are there for a reason.

Yet, I agree that DangerousDan's case was terrible. But since it took place at SFA, I can see how it happened. The sticks ride ops us can be bent, worn, or warped. The swing bars work the best, but a kid's height changes can change with their shoes.

I know for a fact that Kennywood has a station where kids who are close to a particular height can get measured and stamped. Then when a ride op has a problem, the kid shows the stamp and they are allowed on. Why can't everyone else do that?

I knew this kid that wanted to go on Viper at SFGAdv and he was a smidge taller than 54 inches with his shoes on. The ride op measure him with the shoes and said okay. Then he made him get back out and take his shoes off, so he could take him off the ride. Was he mad for the rest of the day.

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Nitro: The Most Explosive Coaster on the Planet explodes at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2001.

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Phantom Catcher said:
"I agree, measuring kids is the worst part of a ride op's job. The general public just doesn't seem to understand the restrictions are there for a reason.

Yet, I agree that DangerousDan's case was terrible. But since it took place at SFA, I can see how it happened. The sticks ride ops us can be bent, worn, or warped. The swing bars work the best, but a kid's height changes can change with their shoes.

I know for a fact that Kennywood has a station where kids who are close to a particular height can get measured and stamped. Then when a ride op has a problem, the kid shows the stamp and they are allowed on. Why can't everyone else do that?"

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At SFGAm you can go to guest services and get mesured and stamped.

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My Milk Money, And My Milk.

That's awesome that your son (and you) got to ride Batwing. I got to give you credit for making a 300 mile detour for a coaster. I don't think I would do that! Hopefully your son will grow a little bit more by next year and you won't have that problem again.

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Batwing-Bow Down