Something that I often find weird is how much the height restrictions can differ between similar rides at different parks.

For example, to ride Marauders Mayhem or Dobble Teaparty you have to be 1.1M tall, but Mad Hatter’s tea party at DLP, essentially the same ride, can literally be ridden by a newborn baby as there are no restrictions.

That same newborn baby could also ride Pirates of the Caribbean with its drops and spooky scenes, but would have to wait until they’re 0.9M to ride Curse at Alton Manor.

Similarly Runaway Mine Train at Alton Towers has a min height of 1.3 meters, but the likes of the far more intense Wickerman and Big Thunder Mountain is only 1.2. Although Wicker does have individual restraints rather than the single bar between 2 people on runaway and BTM

Tower of Terror can surprisingly be ridden by someone just 102CM tall. So most 4 year old children can ride that before they’re allowed on the teacups at AT & TP.

Is anyone else aware of any bizarre height restrictions, or any of the reasoning behind some of them?

For the record I’m not arguing against any of these restrictions, clearly there’s a reason for them, I just find it an odd and interesting quirk.

Merlin really went ham on a few restrictions (log flumes in particular). My cousin went on Pirates at DLP at a few months old and slept through the entire thing. RMT at Towers is min 1.1m though, 1.3m is unaccompanied.

It's frustrating really. Little one adored the teacups at Efteling but can't ride them at Towers and you can't really explain why to them. Granted she wants to ride Nemesis but you know. Guess it's just that difference of safety and responsibility expectations.

Did amuse me that you can take a baby onto Pirana at Efteling.

I remember when Thorpe raised a few height restrictions one season (I want to say it was like 2012 / 2013?). Teacups jumped from 0.9m to 1.1m. Storm Surge jumped to 1.2m. There seemed to have been changes to guidelines, and that was the easiest thing for Thorpe to do. But it did hit them hard.

As for strange height restrictions, another one that comes to mind immediately is The Walking Dead. In its old incarnation as X, it was a 1m height restriction. Slap some zombies around and it jumps to a 1.4m height restriction. I get it's because of the scary factor and they want to make it clear it's for that slightly older audience. But obviously, it's the exact same ride - it doesn't need that 1.4m restriction.

I can't think of any others that haven't been said (Benin stole my one of saying Pirana). Europe is reasonably sensible with height restrictions I feel. It was interesting a few years back that the Dutch B&Ms were able to have their height restrictions dropped from 1.4m to 1.32m with no (obvious/known) changes to the restraints. Simply seems to be a change in legislation.

Another one from Efteling, Halve Maen (the HUGE pirate ship) only says that children under 1.2m must be accompanied.

Viable that kids under 0.9m could feasibly go on it.