3. First time reaching a height restriction

Image: Disney

Many former Disney kids can remember the agony of waiting years to reach height restrictions for favorite attractions. Don’t be surprised if your child counts the inches hour by hour until you arrive at the parks. Meeting a height restriction means earning access to the exclusive club of the big kids!

At 32 inches, kids get their first taste of one of these “secret” attractions in the Tomorrowland Speedway (riding… driving doesn’t come until a whopping 54 inches!). Once they’ve squeaked up to 35 inches, they can step onto their first roller coaster, Goofy’s Barnstormer in the Magic Kingdom. At 38 inches, things get real-- you can always spot that one kid  taking his first strut down the queue onto the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train or Kali River Rapids.

At 40 inches, a whole new world of possibilities opens (this is a great age for a Disney trip!). Kids can brace for their first thrill on one of Disney’s iconic mountains—both Big Thunder and Splash Mountain! They also can take their first flight on Soarin’, their first drive on Test Track, their first drop on the Tower of Terror, and their first journey through space and time on Star Tours and Dinosaur.

Finally, after years of trying to stretch their little bodies out by hanging from the monkey bars, at 44 inches they can take the ultimate ride on Avatar: Flight of Passage, Expedition: Everest, and Mission: SPACE Orange Team… which means your kid has reached Height Level: EPIC! By 48 inches, they can ride all the same rides as the adults!

Oh… except for driving in the aforementioned Speedway. Back to the monkey bars, kids.

4. First time volunteering for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Image: Disney

This is one that many guests don’t think of, but for some kids, this is the ultimate of all Walt Disney World coming-of-age milestones: volunteering to be an extra for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney Hollywood Studios.

Speaking personally, I have a soft spot for Indiana Jones. I grew up watching the world’s greatest archeologist and had the pleasure of being at Disneyland for the opening of the Indiana Jones Adventure. I got my first Indiana Jones fedora at age twelve, and I still have it to this day. You would think kids of this generation wouldn’t recognize good old Indy, but he’s a legend that never dies. I have middle-school students who still regularly steal the hat off my head and start pretending to wield a bullwhip!

It’s the ultimate event for a Disney adventurer to commemorate their leap into adulthood—by literally jumping up and down, flailing your arms like a fool to get picked as a volunteer extra for the show. Don't worry. You won't get blown up by a flaming WWII aeroplane.

This milestone can prove a tall order, but there are a few ways to up your chances. First off, get to the show early enough to score seats in the middle sections near the front. Second, when the MC makes the call for volunteers, DO NOT STAY SEATED. Seriously, jump to your feet and let your freak flag fly. If you are visiting with a friend or family member who is just as batty as you, recruit them on the action. My husband and I got to do this on our first wedding anniversary and it was a blast (quite literally what with all the explosions).

Want to be parent of the year? Spring for a fedora at the gift shop and thank me later.