According to WebMD the percent of Americans who are obese has now reached 26%. And, the percent who are either obese or overweight is now at an alarming 63%. This trend means that more and more guests will be too large to be safely seated on some theme park attractions. If restraints like lap bars and over-the-shoulder harnesses do not fit correctly, riders could be in danger. Last month, guests were turned away just as they were about to ride the new Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
… according to some Harry Potter lovers, pudgy muggles — those who weigh about 265 pounds or more — are getting tossed from line at the most-hyped ride in Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter amusement park. – AOL News
Both roller coaster enthusiasts and average theme park-goers could find themselves in a similar situation. Thankfully, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living has written a number of theme park tips for larger guests. The writer recounts an early memory of riding Cedar Point’s Magnum in it’s second season. Then she gets into tips like educating yourself on amusement park ride policies and size and weight restrictions.
For example see Cedar Point’s “Guests with Exceptional Size” section of their Rider Safety Guide:
“Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, guests who exceed 6′2″ or those who exceed 225
pounds, have a 40″ waistline or 52″ chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear a size 18 or larger.
Our larger guests may experience difficulty on Blue Streak, Chaos, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Mantis, Maverick, maXair, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Mine Ride, Power Tower, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster, Wave Swinger and Wicked Twister.”
She also mentions the test seats placed in front of the queues of many roller coasters these days. I never really thought about them, but test seats (like this one in front of Intimidator) could definitely prove useful. This particular test seat had a light that needed to turn green before you knew that you could fit safely. The article’s author continues the article by mention non-ride things to do at amusement parks like shows and possibly less restrictive rides like bumpers cars.
What’s Your Take?
Are you an overweight or obese theme park fan? Do you have tips for overweight guests visiting theme parks? Leave a comment below.
July 28, 2010 at 06:17
I was at Hershey Park recently, and on Great Bar, there was a sign saying that the seats in one of the rows was larger, so larger guests would be able to ride it.
July 28, 2010 at 06:57
Good point Andrew. B&M has a few larger seats on several of their inverted coasters. I've seen those larger seats on Alpengeist at Busch Gardens too.
July 28, 2010 at 09:06
They also have these seats on The Griffon also. You can find these seats by looking for the red straps instead of the black straps. My father had to use these seats on our trip earlier this year. I tried to get him to try the Apollo's Chariot test seat but he was too embarrassed to do it. I know Intimidator 305 has a test seat outside of the que also at KD.
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September 7, 2010 at 12:42
First…..Americans are just larger people(too many steriods in the food;eat organic)Second, ride manaufactures are building thrill rides based on small Europeans, Asians, and little kids; forget the average size person. Third, I notice a change in restraints back in 2003. My buddy and I used to go to SFA and ride Superman with no issues; he is 6ft5 about 285lbs and me 6ft3 /260lbs. We went to Cedar Point that year and we were about to get in line to ride Millenium Force when they asked him to sit in the test seat. We thought no problem, this Superman on steroids, but he could not fit. It wasn't his size but the seat belt had been altered for tighter fit. Many people were turned away and were complaining saying that they were not like that a year before. The problem only seems to be on Intamin Rides….not sure if RipsSaw Falls is made by them at IOA, but since they added the new boats you pretty much have to have anorexia to ride it now. The "larger seat" is not a larger seat just a double belted harness…which is still too short. I think Theme Parks can to do better in accomodating ALL and still keep safety a top priority
April 22, 2011 at 09:07
Thanks for the tips. I am an overweight mom to 5 ( soon to be 6) children and we are looking forward to a fun day at Busch Gardens, so I thought I would do a little research about ride safety for "exceptional" sized riders .
July 14, 2011 at 20:18
I see this alot at amusment parks. I feel bad for these people. I am not obese, but i am overweight. I don't have problems fitting into rides, but if I keep gaining weight I might. I always say to myself when I see people leaving rides due to obesity that if that ever happens to me, I am going to run around the park 4 times and come back.
But seriously if that does happen to me, it would be a wake up call and I would go on a diet or something. I will not let weight keep me from doing my favorite hobby. (roller coasters)
July 23, 2012 at 23:08
anyway, thank you to those on the board with helpful suggestions.
September 23, 2012 at 19:25
well tell me this, why can a man weigh up to 268 lb. but a woman can only weigh up to200lb. or not wear over a size 18. that sounds rather like sexism to me.
October 2, 2012 at 00:29
thanks for the tips it was helpful and it really is changing because my uncle who is bigger then me used to be able to ride the same rides as i used to {i recently got told that i have hypothyroidism} but now neither of us can ride them. he's still the same height/weight and while i'm still shorter and smaller then him i can not ride them either and i am a size womens 24.
October 15, 2012 at 03:17
I recently went to the TX state fair & was told that I couldn’t go on a ride because I am overweight. it is very upsetting since there was a man in front of me that was at least my size or larger who was able to ride. I am about 5 ft 9& weight 260.
March 31, 2013 at 06:11
I removed a number of comments that were basically an argument around being overweight. This post is for tips for overweight riders. That’s all. I apologize for letting it get out of hand.
Respectful discussions are allowed and welcomed, but I will not allow people to disrespect others on this site. If you feel that any comments have been inappropriate anywhere on the site, feel free to use the contact form and let me know. Thank you for reading.
April 12, 2013 at 00:37
Are any rides at six flags over weight friendly?
April 12, 2013 at 00:39
Im going to be going to my grad night at six flags and id like to know what I can ride I am 300 pounds or more.