Woman says she felt fat-shamed at Islands of Adventure ride

[Tony the Tigger]

Doesn't that set a dangerous precedent? It's a slippery slope until everyone is requesting half-full benches for one reason or another.

No. You don't get to just request it for fun, but if the fact is your combined size of 3 people takes up 5 spots...I'm guessing the guy who volunteered to take the next one wasn't just being nice, he didn't want to sit with them.

So if they were simply loaded in as requested, NBD.

 

[lebeau]

No. You don't get to just request it for fun, but if the fact is your combined size of 3 people takes up 5 spots...I'm guessing the guy who volunteered to take the next one wasn't just being nice, he didn't want to sit with them.

So if they were simply loaded in as requested, NBD.

She didn't seem to be the equivalent of one and a half people. She looked overweight, but not to the point where it would be a problem. You're suggesting opening a Pandora's box. I don't know if you have ever worked in customer service, but the minute you allow this sort of thing you are setting yourself up to honor all kinds of requests. The next guy in line says his family needs a whole bench because of "fil in the blank". Word gets out online. Before you know it, everyone wants their own bench and ride vehicles are being run half full.

Universal was completely in the right denying this request.

 

[lazyboy97o]

No. You don't get to just request it for fun, but if the fact is your combined size of 3 people takes up 5 spots...I'm guessing the guy who volunteered to take the next one wasn't just being nice, he didn't want to sit with them.

So if they were simply loaded in as requested, NBD.

A lone individual sounds like a Single Rider.

 

[JT3000]

But seriously: if the interest is capacity, that includes speed of loading/unloading riders, right?

So isn't it faster and better for capacity if the ride attendant recognizes the situation, gets her family of 3 on the bench of six quickly, and then gets the next bench loaded? Could this have just been a "bad call" on the part of the attendant? Any ride attendants care to comment on protocol?

You can only load the vehicles so quickly. It's not an omnimover or the like that's constantly loading. The only potential capacity problem caused by trying to fill the vehicle is if they stand there arguing with the ride attendant. Although the guy offering to stay behind also isn't helping in that regard. Once you're assigned a seat, you're supposed to get on.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You can only load the vehicles so quickly. It's not an omnimover or the like that's constantly loading. The only potential capacity problem caused by trying to fill the vehicle is if they stand there arguing with the ride attendant. Although the guy offering to stay behind also isn't helping in that regard. Once you're assigned a seat, you're supposed to get on.

Thanks. I haven't been to Uni in about a dozen years, and I'm not familiar with the ride. For whatever reason, I was picturing a constantly moving thing where it wouldn't matter a ton if there were 3 people in a row instead of 6 unless it was Christmas, etc.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Thanks. I haven't been to Uni in about a dozen years, and I'm not familiar with the ride. For whatever reason, I was picturing a constantly moving thing where it wouldn't matter a ton if there were 3 people in a row instead of 6 unless it was Christmas, etc.

Think of a vehicle like the trucks at Kilimanjaro Safaris, but automated.

 

[raven]

Thanks. I haven't been to Uni in about a dozen years, and I'm not familiar with the ride. For whatever reason, I was picturing a constantly moving thing where it wouldn't matter a ton if there were 3 people in a row instead of 6 unless it was Christmas, etc.

Spring Break crowds are in the parks now. But you have to look at wait times as well. If an attraction has a 60+ minute wait, filling every seat is vital to help make that time drop. Dispatching several empty seats over a course of just 10 minutes can add 20 minutes to an attractions wait time. So operations are simply trying to help guests by doing everything they can to keep wait times low.

Test seats are also a great tool at attractions that have them. Guests can test a seat before entering the queue so they don’t waste their time in line if they aren’t going to fit. Employees are getting better at singling out individuals who may need to test a seat. But many guests refuse to try the test seat, wait in a long line, then are removed from a vehicle because they don’t fit. With moving-load-attractions (Rip Ride Rocket, Forbidden Journey, etc) there is no time to fill those, now empty, seats because the vehicle it too close to dispatching. If they stop the ride to load new guests then everyone on the ride stops. And then those guests that were removed complain, even though they refused to try the test seat. This scenario happens several times every hour every day at these attractions. It’s not uncommon at all. People ignor posted rider requirements and warnings then act surprised when they are removed from a ride. Attractions would run more efficiently if all guests followed these guidelines, but that’s a lost hope anymore.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

While it doesn't seem like her request was unreasonable (don't you think that if it was the person squished beside her who asked to be moved, the employees would have done it?), the attendant had every right to refuse. In fact, by refusing, the attendant was doing the opposite of "fat-shaming": they were tacitly implying that this woman was of sufficiently normal size that she didn't need to take up two seats.

This lady is just another person trying to make a mountain out of mole hill...

Has anyone seen the, I believe, second episode of 9-1-1 on Fox? They put a skinny guy in a roller coaster with a fat guy and the safety bar didn't go down all the way. Of course, the safety bar flies up and the skinny guy falls to his death, but now I an going to think of this anytime I see an overly large person with a small person, especially a child.

 

[Otterhead]

I'm telling you, as a fat guy, that I do get intimidated when getting on certain rides. The Hulk, Harry Potter, and the old Dueling Dragons are the worst for overweight people like myself.

I have to say that I was really surprised by how low the weight/size requirements are on rides at Universal versus Disney. I recently went to Universal LA with some friends, and out of our group of 8 people, only three were allowed on the "Forbidden Journey" ride in the Harry Potter area. And none of us are huge people, but even people in the 230-250 lb range were too large to ride. It was really weird and disappointing to go there with die-hard Harry Potter fans who were told they were too fat to ride.

 

[raven]

I have to say that I was really surprised by how low the weight/size requirements are on rides at Universal versus Disney. I recently went to Universal LA with some friends, and out of our group of 8 people, only three were allowed on the "Forbidden Journey" ride in the Harry Potter area. And none of us are huge people, but even people in the 230-250 lb range were too large to ride. It was really weird and disappointing to go there with die-hard Harry Potter fans who were told they were too fat to ride.

It’s less about weight, more about shape. Many men with large muscles can’t ride Forbidden Journey as well because their arms are too thick for the restraint to lower correctly. Ride manufacturers set that safety requirement, not the parks.

 

[Otterhead]

It’s less about weight, more about shape.

This is true, and having ridden the ride, I completely understand why it has such strict limits -- I mean, it's basically a crane whipping people around. But Disney works with their ride manufacturers really closely to make sure the ride is widely accessible for its guests. It was surprising to see people of not-really-unusual weight and size being turned away from a marquee theme park attraction.

 

[lebeau]

This is true, and having ridden the ride, I completely understand why it has such strict limits -- I mean, it's basically a crane whipping people around. But Disney works with their ride manufacturers really closely to make sure the ride is widely accessible for its guests. It was surprising to see people of not-really-unusual weight and size being turned away from a marquee theme park attraction.

Is it though?

I see it all the time at our regional amusement park. Is it realistic to expect every attraction to accommodate every body type?

 

[Otterhead]

Is it though?

Well, yes.

Is it realistic to expect every attraction to accommodate every body type?

Absolutely not; I'm not saying that, by any means. As I say, this ride in particular needs to keep weight/size to a limit because of what kind of ride it is, and I get that, having ridden it. But without knowing that, it's surprising to go to a theme park with people who can easily get on any ride at Disney without any issue whatsoever (a 250-lb 6 ft man, a 230-lb, 5'6" woman) and be told they're too large for the most popular ride at Universal.

 

[21stamps]

Not cruel, but I can vouch for this because I saw it within my family. This person wanted and complained about needing to lose weight constantly (I caught the brunt end of it because it very well lead me down a bad road or in other words a seriously close call to an eating disorder).

However, their actions versus their words didn't make any sense whatsoever. They complained about needing to lose weight while shoving junk food in their mouths.

I see this too often today and it boggles my mind. People say they need to do stuff, complain about it, we offer advice or direction, get blamed for it, and then end up getting fussed at because we don't accept that person for their size....

I just...I just don't get it.

Like, no logic. Whatsoever.

You just described me, perfectly. I complain about my weight gain daily, and then I eat a donut at the office. Because....they're there, so I mean, I have to.

 

[21stamps]

Has anyone seen the, I believe, second episode of 9-1-1 on Fox? They put a skinny guy in a roller coaster with a fat guy and the safety bar didn't go down all the way. Of course, the safety bar flies up and the skinny guy falls to his death, but now I an going to think of this anytime I see an overly large person with a small person, especially a child.

Been there with children. I explained it once that the kids need to ride together for this reason, next time on a coaster Dad was believed to be right. First time time the kids were terrified by the lack of bar.

I think this is one of the reasons that most rides have a lap bar for each person now.

 

[lebeau]

Well, yes.

Absolutely not; I'm not saying that, by any means. As I say, this ride in particular needs to keep weight/size to a limit because of what kind of ride it is, and I get that, having ridden it. But without knowing that, it's surprising to go to a theme park with people who can easily get on any ride at Disney without any issue whatsoever (a 250-lb 6 ft man, a 230-lb, 5'6" woman) and be told they're too large for the most popular ride at Universal.

Why would that be surprising though? Universal and Disney are very different resorts. Just because something works a certain way at Disney I don't expect it to be the same at Universal. If anyone does any research at all, they will quickly find out about the ride restrictions. I have been to plenty of other parks that have test seats out, so it's not like this is unheard of in the industry. Disney's just different.

 

[Otterhead]

Why would that be surprising though?

I think I made that pretty clear: that the extremely low size/weight requirements kept even normal-sized people from riding. I'm certainly glad they had test seats out so we didn't spend time standing in line. I'm glad Disney works with their ride manufacturers to make sure their rides are accessible to people slightly larger than children.

 

[JT3000]

I think I made that pretty clear: that the extremely low size/weight requirements kept even normal-sized people from riding. I'm certainly glad they had test seats out so we didn't spend time standing in line. I'm glad Disney works with their ride manufacturers to make sure their rides are accessible to people slightly larger than children.

You're entering hyperbolic territory now. Forbidden Journey does not have an "extremely low" size/weight requirement, nor do you have to be "slightly larger than children."

And you can't say this doesn't happen at Disney. I've seen it happen on Flight of Passage just recently. They waited nearly two hours just to find out the seating wouldn't accommodate them.

 

[Otterhead]

You're entering hyperbolic territory now.

Yes, I am, because some people find it difficult to understand these things, oddly. And yes, it does have a very low size/weight requirement, as I outlined repeatedly -- far lower than any ride at Disney or Universal. Thank you for your input.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes, I am, because some people find it difficult to understand these things, oddly. And yes, it does have a very low size/weight requirement, as I outlined repeatedly -- far lower than any ride at Disney or Universal. Thank you for your input.

Please do share your comparison of percentiles.