If you are going to Snowshoe this season and family tubing is a big fun part of you looked-forward to vacation, BE AWARE THAT STARTING ABOUT A WEEK AGO (today is Jan 3) THEY CHANGED THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO TUBE FROM A MINIMUM OF 4 YEARS OF AGE TO 4 FEET OR MORE TALL. As it says on their present website, "no exceptions"...no children with an adult either.
This means that if your height challenged young child went tubing last year or earlier, or even earlier this year, because they were 4 years old or older, they can no longer go tubing at Snowshoe, likewise for height challenged child that was underage before, but now 4 and really excited about going tubing. If you have promised them tubing on your coming vacation....you are doomed to crushing child disappointment and all that this entails.
I will post this on multiple discussion threads to assure the word gets out.
The Colonel

Because of the Snowshoe Resort changing their rules re who can tube, and in an effort to educate DCSki readers about Tubing at Mid-Atlantic areas, I did a quick web check last night (Jan 2) and made a few phone calls today to ascertain confusing tubing rules. NOTE that each line is broken into Name of Area;Minimum Age (if applicable); Minimum Height (if applicable); Whether Area Has a Separate Childresn Tubing Hill or Special Children Only Tubing Lanes; Whether Young Child Can Tube With Adult In Tube; and any Comments. (BE SURE TO READ ADDITIONAL NOTE AT BOTTOM OF RESORT LIST):

Tubing Hill Restrictions
(Data from Resort Web Site 01/02/09)
Note that a "?" notation indicates that info either not available or not applicable.

Area/Age/Height/ChildHill/Tube With Adult/Comment
Snowshoe/ NA/ 48"/ NO/ NO/ Intrawest
Wintergreen/ ?/ 42"/ YES/ ?/ Applies to Plunge, separate child tube hill
Wisp/ ?/ 42"/ ?/ ?/ None/
Tremblant/ 4/ ?/ ?/ ?/ Intrawest
7 Springs/ 4/ ?/ ?/ ?/ ?
Casnaan Vly/ 4/ 42"/ ?/ ?/ ?
Massanutten/ ?/ 36"/ ?/ ?/ ?
Sugar Mt/ 3/ ?/ ?/ YES/ <6w/adult
Blue Mt/ ?/ 36"/ ?/ ?/ ?
Beech Mt/ ?/ 48"/ ?/ ?/ ?
Whitetail/ 2-5/ ?/ YES/ ?/ Age2-4 chid lanes
Liberty/ 2-5/ ?/ YES/ ?/ Age2-4 Child Hill
I note that most areas have a 4 year minimum age to tube unless they have a special children's tubing hill or cordon off lanes on main tubing hill for youg children only. The above info made from a quick check (Jan 2) of resort related ski areas in Mid-Atlantic. I strongly suggest you call ahead to confirm tubing rules for smaller children before going to the area to tube, or planning a tubing included vacation. A "?" indicate no info available on resort web site. Obviously facilities, prices, hours, and length of sessions differ by resort.
The Colonel

A couple more places with tubing.

Area/Age/Height/ChildHill/W/Adult/Comment

Winterplace/NA/ 44 /No/ No? / also separate Kiddie run with no magic carpet
Hawksnest/ 3yo / Yes / No / 4 separate areas, two magic carpets

The so-called Kiddie run at Winterplace is very short, maybe 50 feet long. The main tubing lanes include a valley at the end before the flat stopping zone. They have people there to catch lighter tubers before they slide backwards at the bottom of the valley because they don't quite make it to the flat area.

The Hawksnest run for little ones is a real tubing area with it's own magic carpet. I think it's the one that's 400 feet long. They've been having trouble keeping enough snow on the runs lately. Having just converted to tubing only, there are some kinks to be worked out. But the big run is long and can be very fast.