mine ride for BIG PEOPLE..

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

There are ways of handling this so that people don't have to be offended. If the CM simply directs the guest to go to a specific row and doesn't make a big deal out of explaining why, most guests are just going to assume the CM is doing their job of filling the rows anyway. The only way it would come up at that point is if the guest asks to be moved to a different section, at which time the CM could gently and discreetly explain that he or she thinks the guest would be more comfortable in the directed area. Most guests who are larger, whether it be height or gait, will be able to read between the lines and figure out the underlying meaning without it being a big show to the rest of the guests.

And yes, DH has been very embarrassed by not being able to fit on rides (before he lost his weight). I could tell you horror stories... and of course it always used to happen on rides with high demand, so we'd wait for an hour or more just to have him humiliated when a latch wouldn't lock or a bar wouldn't go all the way down. I could tell it was horrible for him, and it made me feel horrible too because saw him hurting like that.

I'm just a tad surprised that there isn't already a row in place that can fix this issue. As someone else said, it's not like Disney never sees tall or thick guests, so the need to address this without guests being disappointed or embarrassed should have been obvious. It seems like a no-brainer that they could have easily worked that into the plans.

Agree 100%. I do think going with a test seat would be better than a CM eyeing someone's size.
I used to work at Six Flags Great Adventure. We kept test seats outside and when you pulled the latch down, it told guest:
Green - You can ride!
Yellow - You can ride, but should seek a seat in row 5 for extra room.
Red - unable to ride.
No one had to know but you and it saved guest time waiting for a ride, if they knew they would not fit.

 

[Disney Donna]

Omg DH and I have free express passes for our next uni trip, whenever that is, because the person working the ride embarrassed the tar out of us by pulling us out of line to see if we would fit in the ride. He was very loud and obnoxious about it and even after I was visibly shaken by his behavior, he rolled his eyes and acted like we were inconveniencing him, when that was clearly the job he was being paid to do. This was even worse when one considers that we had already waited over an hour at that point with no indication that there might be an issue beforehand.

Granted, DH has since lost over 150 pounds, and I have lost 135... but that experience just about turned me off from uni. It wasn't the fact that we had to be checked to see if we could safely ride. It was the way the guy handled it.

Congrats on your weight loss... that is awesome... may I ask how you did it?

 

[cw1982]

Congrats on your weight loss... that is awesome... may I ask how you did it?

Thanks! DH and I both had weight loss surgery. The exact procedure is commonly referred to as a gastric sleeve. It has a similar effect as a lapband, but with no foreign object it's considered to be much safer. Basically, I now have a smaller stomach that just can't hold as much food. We were both diabetic, and this surgery took care of that. I had tried the "old fashioned way" numerous times, but my diabetes made my blood sugar so out of whack that I couldn't control my hunger. The sleeve changed that and made it so that I could use the same techniques as the "old fashioned way." It just made everything more doable. We still had to diet and exercise... the sleeve is just another tool to aid with those efforts is all.

Feel free to PM me if you have further questions. I'll be happy to discuss this at length; I just don't want to hijack this thread

 

[LithiumBill]

Omg DH and I have free express passes for our next uni trip, whenever that is, because the person working the ride embarrassed the tar out of us by pulling us out of line to see if we would fit in the ride. He was very loud and obnoxious about it and even after I was visibly shaken by his behavior, he rolled his eyes and acted like we were inconveniencing him, when that was clearly the job he was being paid to do. This was even worse when one considers that we had already waited over an hour at that point with no indication that there might be an issue beforehand.

Granted, DH has since lost over 150 pounds, and I have lost 135... but that experience just about turned me off from uni. It wasn't the fact that we had to be checked to see if we could safely ride. It was the way the guy handled it.

Congratulations on your wieght loss that is fantastic!

 

[LithiumBill]

Back to the original poster... was it a WIDTH issue, not a lapbar being able to close issue?

 

[Bolt]

I am 6'5" and weight a biscuit shy of a load.. my wife has thick legs but got in.. I just couldn't do it.. and I was not the first.. as I found out just a few minutes later.. they know they have a problem..

To provide insight to others who are wondering - what do you weight since you did start the thread? Just curious to know where people are hitting a point of having difficulties.

 

[Tom]

Back to the original poster... was it a WIDTH issue, not a lapbar being able to close issue?

He indicated in a later post that due to the girth of his legs, he wasn't able to fit them both between the vertical rails of his lap bar. He tried to put one leg off to the side, so that it would fall under the other lap bar, but the attending CM did not permit it.

 

[Tom]

As "plus size" people have come to learn in their lives, one size does not fit all - and this is especially true when it comes to physics and engineering.

It's indeed unfortunate that people aren't able to experience all the theme park attractions, but it must be understood that the line has to be drawn somewhere. Humans come in a wide (no pun intended) range of sizes, with extremes to the small and large.

Just like people (typically children) who are too small are restricted from riding, due to safety concerns, people of a big and/or tall stature may also be restricted. It's especially applicable on rides with higher safety concerns, such as coasters.

Ride systems are not infinitely adjustable, and there will never be a system that can accommodate all shapes and sizes. No matter what, there will always be a cutoff point. On this family coaster, which was designed to accommodate as many smaller guests as possible, the larger portion of the population may lose out. Compared to Barnstormer, this ride is extremely accommodating (relatively speaking, of course).

 

[NiarrNDisney]

Well it sounds to me like this is a height issue which sucks since I like many of my friends and family are tall!

 

[UltimtMickeyFan]

Did anyone see someone transfer from a wheelchair? Is there a modified car like Big Thunder or Everest that lets you slide over the seat rather than just that little opening to step through? Really want to ride this one.
Thanks

The last car has a door that swings open to allow a transfer from a wheelchair.

 

[LithiumBill]

As "plus size" people have come to learn in their lives, one size does not fit all - and this is especially true when it comes to physics and engineering.

It's indeed unfortunate that people aren't able to experience all the theme park attractions, but it must be understood that the line has to be drawn somewhere. Humans come in a wide (no pun intended) range of sizes, with extremes to the small and large.

Just like people (typically children) who are too small are restricted from riding, due to safety concerns, people of a big and/or tall stature may also be restricted. It's especially applicable on rides with higher safety concerns, such as coasters.

Ride systems are not infinitely adjustable, and there will never be a system that can accommodate all shapes and sizes. No matter what, there will always be a cutoff point. On this family coaster, which was designed to accommodate as many smaller guests as possible, the larger portion of the population may lose out. Compared to Barnstormer, this ride is extremely accommodating (relatively speaking, of course).

As a big guy myself, I totally agree. I was bummed when I read about people not being able to ride FJ. I never attempted to ride (more so for the 200 plus minute wait each time I was there), but at the same time I was not angered, I understand the saftey issues.

I've lost nearly 50 pounds since my last visit to Orlando, looking forward to our trip in November. I've never had a single issue on any ride in an Disney Park.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Sounds like my DH isnt riding

 

[Lipinski82]

I'm 5'4 115lbs and I felt SQUISHED in the seat ! Absolutely crammed. This isn't a plus-sized issue it's an adults don't fit in the vehicle issue. They didn't take into account that adults would be riding this along with their children....

 

[shinymonkey]

We rode it over the weekend- my boyfriend is a rather big guy hes 300lbs with thick legs he's an ex football player he managed to get in and was able to bring the bar down but the CMs made him force the bar down further then it was it was a very unpleasant experience there were about 4 other adults on the train with us that were directed off because they did not fit- This does not make sense for it being a family ride parents have to ride with their children they did not think this through. I hope they can fix this considering how much time has gone into this ride.

 

[Hooguru]

I rode it last Friday night.

I'm 6'1" 320lbs and carry most of my weight around my midsection. Football lineman legs. Size 48 pants. Biggest problem was squeezing my knees together to fit my legs within the width of the restraint, but it worked out.

Second biggest problem was not realizing that the CMs were loading all cars to contain two riders. On many rides I get a car/seat to myself as wife and son ride together in front of me. On the mine train I foolishly started to try to fit with the crossed feet technique to drop my knees lower, which I learned at Legoland. Recovering from that gaffe was hugely complicated by the stranger settling into the second seat. Thankfully she was nice and helpful; I was a bit embarrassed that my size struggle was not my own problem at that point.

 

[bjlc57]

its just really unfair.. there is only one other ride, Winne the Pooh, that we cannot ride.. because the cars make my knees ache.. each and every other ride on base, I was able to get into with ease.. and as for the 'single bar" I rode splash mountain and my bar NEVER LOCKED IN PLACE.. I pulled it to me.. it just went right back.. and no one cared..again. this is an easy fix.. you make one or two cars for BIG ADULTS.. this is not an impossibility.. just the shortsightedness, of a bean counter in charge..

 

[SkipperButler]

Well it sounds to me like this is a height issue which sucks since I like many of my friends and family are tall!

It's a leg thickness issue, not length issue.

 

[SkipperButler]

I'm 5'4 115lbs and I felt SQUISHED in the seat ! Absolutely crammed. This isn't a plus-sized issue it's an adults don't fit in the vehicle issue. They didn't take into account that adults would be riding this along with their children....

I'm 6ft, 155lbs, and it fit me like a glove. I try not to pull the lap bard down too tight.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

It's a leg thickness issue, not length issue.

Oh! I guess I will see on my next trip!

 

[Rob562]

Yeah, common at other parks.. especially thrill rides.. but I think this would be a first for a Disney ride AFAIK.. and the irony is it's on a 'kiddie' coaster and not a thrill ride.

Everest has a test seat off to the side by the Single Rider Line. It's mostly intended to demonstrate the transfer procedure for handicap guests, but it includes a lapbar with yes/no indicator.

Test Track had a handicap transfer test seat before the 2.0 refurb. I presume it's still there somewhere, but I didn't notice it on my one ride since the redo.

-Rob