Plus Sized Riders

[bgs]

I love amusement parks about as much as I love food, which is a lot.

I could easily fit into any ride 3-4 years ago, but ever since my close call with drop zone the last time I went to KI I've been paranoid about not being able to fit. I just could not deal with the embarrassment of being asked to leave a line because of being too fat.

I was wondering if anyone had any input for me.

I don't have my exact measurements, but I'm a 5'8, 260 lb female with a 42DD bra size(it matters for the chest restraints!). Is there anyone with a similiar body type that has been there recently and could fit on most things? Could you not fit on some rides? Which ones?

Anything helps!

[TheCrypt]

Can't say I'm anywhere close to your specs, but my guess would be that you can't ride on rides like the Zephyr, The Racer, or Firehawk. I really can't tell you for sure. The most surefire way to know for sure is to talk to the park.

[violakat03]

You're pretty similar to where I used to be (I lost a significant amount of weight last year before my wedding) and I found Diamondback, Beast and Racer to be pretty snug but still rideable. Firehawk was uncomfortable on my chest (still is, the girls didn't really go anywhere) and Drop Tower required some finessing to get them in. Flight of Fear and BLSC were sometimes a struggle to get the belt hooked because it required twisting, which knocked the bar up too high, but ride ops will buckle it for you so it wasn't a very big deal. Diamondback has a test seat before the ride entrance that you can try, and you can also go up the exit of any ride and ask to try the seat before waiting in line. Be aware, however, that each seat on the train will be a little different, so if you can just barely get it in one seat that doesn't guarantee you will fit in every seat. They are mechanical and only have to be within tolerances, not exact specifications.

I don't want to get all preachy, but after barely fitting into Millennium Force in 2011 and almost having to take my first walk of shame, I decided it was time to make some major changes. Three pants sizes gone and I fit in everything with room to spare. I even had slack in the seatbelt of Top Thrill Dragster for the first time ever. Definitely something to consider. I'd be more than willing to direct you to some resources to help you with lifestyle changes that made all the difference to me.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Can't say anything with certainty, but it comes down to body proportions, which there isn't exactly a simple height/weight equation for unfortunately. Especially for a ride like Diamondback.

Try contacting KI Guest Relations about specific measurments?

[RollerNut]

I am 5'9", 270 pounds and I sometimes fit on Intimidator and have a hard time with Afterburn at Carowinds. I have done the walk of shame on WindSeeker and Intimidator but normally can get the two clicks. I have big tighs and a plumb belly.

[benred23]

I made a thread about this a while back, it may be a help to you.

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24047-is-WindSeeker-fluffy-friendly/?hl=fluffy

[stashua123]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

[jdawg1998]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

[retrofan22]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

well im 6-2 270 some rides i can ride some i cant i think Kings Island should redo all there rides so us big ppl should be able ride they better

Edited February 22, 2013 by retrofan22

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

well im 6-2 270 some rides i can ride some i cant i think Kings Island should redo all there rides so us big ppl should be able ride they better

Starting with Son of Beast perhaps? There is no leg room!

[The Interpreter]

There is now.

[RD Reynolds]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

well im 6-2 270 some rides i can ride some i cant i think Kings Island should redo all there rides so us big ppl should be able ride they better

That is one thing I very much enjoy about Disney parks - they make the rides accessible for just about any body type. As someone who is 6' 5", 245, that is very much appreciated.

I have been able to ride I think everything at KI, but was very close to not being able to do Drop Tower. I remember not being able to ride SOB early on, because there was literally no leg room. I was able to ride it a few years back (after the loop had been removed) and wished I would not have fit on it - I got off of there and felt like someone had beaten me with a pillow case full of door knobs.

[Hank]

There is now.

What a great comeback answer!

[Hank]

CP has different restraint sizes for their rides. At KI, I fit on everything except Vortex (only because of the new buckle thingy) yet at CP, I may as well just just resign myself to walking around most of the day - actually, it is a waste of money. That's what you get for being 6' 4" - and the pounds don't matter because of the torso. So you see, ya gotta go and try it for yourself. Best of luck to you!

[flightoffear1996]

I am 6'3" and weight in about 250 pounds or so. I dont really have a gut though and I fit in every ride with no problem.

[Hank]

Forgot to mention that I can ride most of the kid's rides too - even Runaway Reptar (or whatever they're calling it these days) and Beastie (or whatever they're calling it these days)

[esquire]

I'm similarly proportioned to the OP, but I can't speak for a lot of the grown up rides since I am primarily there with my kids. My problem is my hips, which will always be there no matter how much weight I lose... just an aftereffect of having had two kids!

Anyway, I could not ride Kite Eating Tree and the tiny train ride in Planet Snoopy (can't remember what it's called) because of the seatbelt. I've ridden pretty much everything else (that adults can ride) in Planet Snoopy, including Flying Ace Aerial Chase and Woodstock Express, with no problems. (I didn't try Linus' Launcher - my husband rode that and said it's not comfortable for adults no matter what your body size, especially men. )

But enough about kiddie rides. Now that my daughter is 48 inches, we have tried some of the bigger rides, and I haven't had any problems. I have ridden Flight Deck, Adventure Express, Back Lot Stunt Coaster, Scrambler, Monster, and Shake Rattle and Roll with her. (she doesn't want to try Vortex or Beast yet, so we haven't done that) One day last summer when crowds were low, I tried Diamondback by myself for the very first time. I did try the test seat first, and the worker had to push down to get it locked. Then the worker in the station did the same for me to ride.

I probably would not try Zephyr, WindSeeker, or Drop Tower due to my size, but at my age (36) those are less appealing these days. I'm not sure about some other rides either.

[Tanna]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

well im 6-2 270 some rides i can ride some i cant i think Kings Island should redo all there rides so us big ppl should be able ride they better

But what if they redid all the rides and excluded little people (5'2" 100 lbs.)? That would be like my saying to retrofit all the rides with big huge comfort soft pillows so I don't get buffeted. That would be an expensive wish, and besides, I literally get more bang for the buck than bigger people with every ride.

[RD Reynolds]

While im not that big im pretty big for a 7th grader. Im 5'11 and around 210 pounds. But ive actually NEVER had issues fitting into rides! I geuss im lucky. I can even fit into Woodstock Express seats with the seatbelt.

Well you are 5'11" - same height as my dad and he's 210. He fits on every ride perfectly. If you were say, 5'4" it would be a different story...

well im 6-2 270 some rides i can ride some i cant i think Kings Island should redo all there rides so us big ppl should be able ride they better

But what if they redid all the rides and excluded little people (5'2" 100 lbs.)? That would be like my saying to retrofit all the rides with big huge comfort soft pillows so I don't get buffeted. That would be an expensive wish, and besides, I literally get more bang for the buck than bigger people with every ride.

It doesn't have to be an either/or proposition, though - like I said, Disney designs so that everyone can ride. I am sure that the costs are WAY higher to do this, but it is possible. Now to retrofit things? That would probably be impossible.

[amandagail13]

I'm a 5'4 250 lb female and my bra size is 40D so I'm around your stats. I can fit on pretty much everything in the park. Most require an extra push but I can still ride comfortably. The only rides I'd say I have some issues with would be The Beast, racer, WindSeeker and Diamondback. I've only had one walk of shame and that was the 2nd time I rode Diamondback. The main thing with Diamondback is if you carry a lot of weight in your hips/theighs it's harder. I've rode everything in the park except Drop Tower and I hardly ever have problems. And I've never had problems with over head restraints. Hoped this helps!

[zombiejane]

It's all about how you're built. I'm 5'5" and had to stop quit going to KI when I was a teen and went over 220 (in '97). But, I carry my weight in my hips and most rides at the time were not built for my booty. I quit going mainly for fear that I would eventually have to get off of a ride for not fitting. Although I'm 180 now, Racer, The Beast, and Drop Tower are a little uncomfortable.

[Hank]

Cedar Point just posted pics of the new Gatekeeper trains - and I'm telling you right now that there's no way in hell that I'm gonna fit in those seats. They look like they're for kids or very tiny people - not unlike those from the Wizard of Oz. Why do these manufactures keep doing this? people in this country keep getting larger - and to pay a hefty price to enter a park only to find out that I can't ride more than half of the coasters - it becomes a waste of my time.

[Creed Bratton]

Hank, Cedar Point has also stated that row 4 of each train are going to be more lenient (spelling?) and will allow for larger guests to ride.

[XGatorHead 8904]

Those look to be pretty much the same seats/restraints as Wild Eagle at Dollywood. Sometimes I fit on WE, sometimes I didn't. I'm not sure if WE had "big boy" seats or not. One of the first times I rode it, they had me switch rows to try to get me on (it worked). We asked several different ride ops at different times of the year if there was a certain row that could accomadate bigger people, and each time I was told there was not or they weren't sure. Now that my friend who helped squeeze me on the first day is a Team Lead on WE this year, I'll get a definite answer to that question.

The fact that CP flat out mentioned that there would be big boy seats in row 4 gives me hope for GK, more hope than I did, or even still have, for WE.

[violakat03]

Those look to be pretty much the same seats/restraints as Wild Eagle at Dollywood. Sometimes I fit on WE, sometimes I didn't. I'm not sure if WE had "big boy" seats or not. One of the first times I rode it, they had me switch rows to try to get me on (it worked). We asked several different ride ops at different times of the year if there was a certain row that could accomadate bigger people, and each time I was told there was not or they weren't sure. Now that my friend who helped squeeze me on the first day is a Team Lead on WE this year, I'll get a definite answer to that question.

The fact that CP flat out mentioned that there would be big boy seats in row 4 gives me hope for GK, more hope than I did, or even still have, for WE.

I asked in training last year and no one was able to say "yes, this spot right here is larger." Each seat is slightly different, as I explained in my first post in this thread. I can tell you exactly which seat is the biggest on Mystery Mine because we all got really bored one day and decided to figure it out. The answer is back row, seat 3 (counting from the left) of car 5. The smallest is front row, seat 4 of car 4. The difference between those two seats is a matter of probably 5 or 6 inches. I'm sure at some point we'll end up doing the same on Wild Eagle, which will be very useful for the many guests who ask.

As far as those who are claiming the "parks" should redesign the restraints: Parks do not design restraints. Manufacturers do. Most manufacturers are not based in the United States, nor do they have an real necessity to design restraints to fit obese or morbidly obese - and considering at my current size I'm at the top end of obese and fit in everything, most people who don't fit do fall into the morbidly obese category. B&M, Intamin and Premier are all based in Europe.

Ride operators and parks do not get to arbitrarily decide what's too big and what's too small. That is all done through very extensive testing processes to make sure that every rider that can securely fasten the restraint is 100% safe. The engineering behind restraints just isn't as simple as people seem to think it is. If restraints are designed specifically to fit larger riders, they will not properly fit on smaller riders. They also must consider any way in which you could possibly slide out of the restraint. Think about an OTSR - if you pull it down and it rests on your belly but is several inches off your chest and shoulders, you can slide out to the side. That's not safe. This of course also depends on the forces of the ride. I can get out of a junior PTC train without unlocking the lap bar (yes, I've done it - I was tired of waiting for the ride op on Teddy Bear to come let me out), but there aren't strong enough forces on a junior wooden coaster to throw me from the ride vehicle. If I could wiggle out of Diamondback's restraint that easily, that would be a huge issue because it does have strong enough forces that I could be thrown from the train. Also don't forget that there are height restrictions on many rides for maximum height as well. For instance, Wild Eagle has a maximum height of 6'6" tall. This isn't because of the restraint but because of how close the trains come to nearby obstacles. 6'6" is the height that the manufacturer determined was a safe enough "cushion" that there was absolutely no physical way a rider could come in contact with a stationary object. Is it "fair" to tall people? No. Is it a fact of life? Yes. Just like individuals who will never grow above a certain height will never be able to ride some rides (ask DaveStroem's wife about this one), there are some people who will simply get too tall to ride some rides.

[Hank]

^ I'm sorry, but I don't go along with some of the things you said. The parks have a lot of control on the making of the ride. They can specify things and the ride makers try to accommodate. Ultimately it's the mfg. that do the design work - and they, like you said, are mostly in other countries - so they don't really know what's going on here. The same holds true for automobiles. Big, small, short, tall - and all in between - drive cars. The restraints for cars are specified by the government. Yet, did you ever notice that a foreign cal has a smaller (length-wise) seat belt? Every foreign car I've ever been in - and I've been in a lot of them - has just enough belt to go around me, whereas the American cars have longer belts. So, I believer things can be done IF THEY WANTED TOO - and I fit on all the Intamin rides but not the B&M's. So go figure!

[violakat03]

^ I'm sorry, but I don't go along with some of the things you said. The parks have a lot of control on the making of the ride. They can specify things and the ride makers try to accommodate. Ultimately it's the mfg. that do the design work - and they, like you said, are mostly in other countries - so they don't really know what's going on here. The same holds true for automobiles. Big, small, short, tall - and all in between - drive cars. The restraints for cars are specified by the government. Yet, did you ever notice that a foreign cal has a smaller (length-wise) seat belt? Every foreign car I've ever been in - and I've been in a lot of them - has just enough belt to go around me, whereas the American cars have longer belts. So, I believer things can be done IF THEY WANTED TOO - and I fit on all the Intamin rides but not the B&M's. So go figure!

I'm surprised by the fact you fit in Intamins but not B&Ms, as usually it's the other way around. That just goes to show that proportions have more to do with actual weight or size.

Parks do have an influence on their rides but only to a certain extent, and that is usually a very minimal amount when it comes to restraints or rider requirements. For example, Dollywood was able to convince B&M to lower the height requirement to 50" on Wild Eagle, making it, as far as I know, the only B&M with a height restriction of less than 54" but they would not be able to lower the requirement without manufacturer permission. All requirements that involve physical features (including height, body control and amputations) are set by the manufacturer and the park, by law, must follow them. Six Flags Intamin hypercoasters have additional side and ankle restraints over other similar Intamin trains due to an accident on a Six Flags ride. Cedar Fair and some Six Flags parks add seatbelts to Arrow OTSRs while others, like Dollywood, do not. Parks are also subject to state regulations, which are often in addition to manufacturer requirements. In Ohio, all rides above a certain intensity (based on IAAPA ratings) require a double restraint mechanism. That can be either a double-locking restraint, as in Diamondback, or by the addition of a seatbelt. When choosing the use of a seatbelt, the manufacturer recommends the length. Parks can shorten them (I believe) but not lengthen them. I know Sea Dragon's seatbelts were shortened because they were long enough that they could have gotten wrapped around the wheels but I don't know for sure if that was a park decision or PTC decision.

[Bennett]

I cannot ride Delirium...per the sign (76" I think). I've tried to ride it a few times, when there was no real line, always been rebuffed.

I did ride the Rip Ride Rocket in Universal Studios three times, with a 78" height restriction. Had no problem, no one even questioned it...though I did slouch when I got up to the top.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I asked in training last year and no one was able to say "yes, this spot right here is larger." Each seat is slightly different, as I explained in my first post in this thread. I can tell you exactly which seat is the biggest on Mystery Mine because we all got really bored one day and decided to figure it out. The answer is back row, seat 3 (counting from the left) of car 5. The smallest is front row, seat 4 of car 4. The difference between those two seats is a matter of probably 5 or 6 inches. I'm sure at some point we'll end up doing the same on Wild Eagle, which will be very useful for the many guests who ask.

Thanks Kat, I knew you would come through with an answer.

I fit on all the Intamin rides but not the B&M's. So go figure!

I'm surprised by the fact you fit in Intamins but not B&Ms, as usually it's the other way around. That just goes to show that proportions have more to do with actual weight or size.

Yup, I'm one of those that fit on most B&M's (with the exception of Raptor, and sometimes WE) but not older Intamin's. Drop Tower, Millie, TTD and WT are all no's, but I fit on Maverick & Kingda Ka just fine.

[kblanken]

violakat03, on 01 Mar 2013 - 01:20, said:

don't forget that there are height restrictions on many rides for maximum height as well. For instance, Wild Eagle has a maximum height of 6'6" tall. This isn't because of the restraint but because of how close the trains come to nearby obstacles. 6'6" is the height that the manufacturer determined was a safe enough "cushion" that there was absolutely no physical way a rider could come in contact with a stationary object.

I'm shorter than 6' tall, and the vest restraint on Wild Eagle clamps down on my shoulder/clavicle to the point it is painful at the end of the ride.

Even though it has nothing to do with the height recommendations, I don't think I would want to ride if I were more than 6.5' tall.