# Fatty Friendly Amusement Parks



## AshleyEileen (Jul 20, 2009)

(I didn't see a thread like this so let me know if I missed it.)

I was talking to another plus sized friend and told her she should come visit here in Pittsburgh. I told her we could go to Kennywood, a local amusement park, and she said she was too big to ride anything. She's a size 24.

I went yesterday without any problems. I'm a pretty large size 28 and I fit on everything I wanted ride. I rode two roller coasters among numerous other things.

I was wondering what your experiences with amusement parks have been and what places are good for us fat folks. I've been told Cedar Point is horrible for anyone over a size 12.


----------



## Crystal (Jul 20, 2009)

I have to agree with the comment about Cedar Point.

I went there with my group of friends for a high school graduation trip. My friend Brittany, a size 16, couldn't ride any of the rollercoasters. Isn't that the whole point of going to Cedar Point?

Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge TN, is okay. I'd say a size 28 or 30 is about the max.


----------



## PunkPeach (Jul 21, 2009)

Amusement parks are nightmares. I used to have a huge love of roller coasters, and go a few times a year, but now I avoid them like the plague. Both Dorney Park, and Six Flags Great Adventure are close to here, and neither are size friendly in my opinion. I do however love the idea of this thread and would love to find a park where I could go and get my coaster fix.


----------



## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (Jul 21, 2009)

Conrad is a businessman....maybe he could make us a roller coaster


----------



## Deadbolt100 (Jul 21, 2009)

Well, eventually the parks will have to adjust the rides for those with more "beauty"...if ya know what i mean


----------



## moore2me (Jul 21, 2009)

Deadbolt100 said:


> Well, eventually the parks will have to adjust the rides for those with more "beauty"...if ya know what i mean



Not really. I am a BBW woman and my brother is a BHM. He is also an inspector of amusement rides in an official capacity. These rides have to pass government inspections before folks can ride. So, in talking to him, I know a little bit about rides. 

Some rides are just not designed to support the weight of our bulk. Our mass has even more power when it is accelerated by being slung around or thrown in a circle. There has actually been fat people thrown out of rides because their seat restraints were not adequate. This inadequacy is the fault of the ride designers who usually design rides for 99% of the population. Unfortunately. my brother, myself, and a lot of DIMMERS exceed this 99% measurements. The ride seat buckets, the restraits, the safety features (brakes, bearings, clutches, other protective elements) just can't hold the load. In our state alone, we have had a lady who exceeded the weight limit of a ride, be allowed on a tilt-a-whirl type ride. During the ride, she was thrown out, landed yards away and incurred serious (but not fatal) injuries. This is just one example of a weight related injury.

I do enjoy amusement parks myself and have stood in lines at Six Flags and the like only to find out that I was too fat to fit in the seat when I got to the car. Yes it can be embarrassing if you let it be. But, you can find some rides that can accomodate you. And if you want the rides to hold more than 99% of the people, the ride designers & manufacturers are your Huckleberries.
(I can provide you with some of these if you want to get in touch with them.)


----------



## HottiMegan (Jul 21, 2009)

Last time i went to Great America in Santa Clara, CA i was a size 28 and could ride everything I wanted to. I don't like rolloer coasters anymore since they give me a headache. But I was able to ride them.. (i just suffered afterwards..) I am hitting Disneyland and Lego Land with the boys next year and hope it will be okay. (i hear Disney is pretty fat friendly)


----------



## toni (Jul 21, 2009)

I am very sad to hear this about Cedar Point. I was going to plan a family vacation there in the near future. I am a total coaster addict and Cedar Point is our Mecca.


----------



## Melian (Jul 22, 2009)

Canada's Wonderland (Toronto) seems to be pretty fat-friendly. My dad is ~350 lbs and he has gone on basically every ride in the park with me with no trouble.


----------



## BigJimmy (Jul 22, 2009)

The Disney Parks are pretty darn fat friendly. I fit fine (300+) on everything there and have had friends in the 500-600lb range fit on many rides.. They also tend to be very discreet and accommodating if there are size issues.


----------



## AshleyEileen (Jul 22, 2009)

I wish I had the money for Disney.


----------



## Fallenangel2904 (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm thinking about heading to Tennessee next year for CMA fest so I'll have to see about Dollywood- I was wondering about it. This thread is pretty helpful! I actually never knew a lot of these amusement parks accommodated to larger sizes. I'm about a size 26 and was pretty sure roller coasters weren't in the cards for me. Good to know I have options. 

As a side not- I am not really that big on roller coasters (No pun intended lol) I am pretty scared of heights so the two don't really go well together lol. But it is nice to have the option to know there are rides out there that I could fit on if I wanted to.


----------



## Allie Cat (Jul 24, 2009)

I'm not really all that big, but some of the roller coasters at Kennywood make me feel cramped...

My ex and I went to Hershey Park out by Philly one time. She couldn't fit on the roller coasters, but we didn't know that until we'd waited in line for an hour... and they weren't discreet at all. She was very upset.


----------



## tinkerbell (Jul 24, 2009)

The last time I was at Cedar Point, I was a size 18/20 (more towards being a size 20). Anyway, I was able to get on every ride there that I wanted to. The only coaster I did not get on was Top Thrill Dragster, and thats because I went with a bunch of babies and they wouldn't go on with me. 

They have their size guidelines and weight guidelines on their site. But honestly, I think it just depends on how you are built. They do have seats at each ride, as you get in line. So you can see if you fit before you waste 2 hours in line.



> 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
> ...



And I was about 230 - 235 when we were there. They dont weigh and measure you  lol so if you fit, you fit.


----------



## phatfatgirl (Jul 24, 2009)

I haven't been to an amusement park in years! I love them.. for my younger brothers birthday my bros planned a trip to six flags.. I didn't go.  All i know is I went to six flags in the 8th grade and then I had trouble fitting so I know almost 100lbs heavier it's definitely a No-Go.


----------



## Tania (Jul 25, 2009)

One more for the "Disney theme parks are fat friendly" chorus. The American parks, anyway.

At size 26, the only tight squeezes I can remember are the Muppetvision 3D seats at DCA, the (old) Indy seats at Disneyland, and the Star Tours seats at Disneyland. At size 20ish on the bottom, I now have no trouble at all with anything at the DLR or WDW. 

I know this has been shared here before, but the "WDW at Large" section of AllEars.net is very helpful...

http://allears.net/tp/ridsiz.htm


----------



## suebeehoney (Jul 25, 2009)

> I wish I had the money for Disney.



That's easily solved, Ashley - just go thru 10 yrs of marriage, divorce and then the ex starts taking the kiddos to all these "fun" places that were never possible or that he never had time for during the marriage.  But then, of course, YOU don't get to go on those trips....so....nevermind. :doh:

Just kidding. 

I know that Michigan Adventure is also one of the less-fat-friendly parks. I'm a size 24Wonderful and the only thing I can ride there, according to their website, is the Lazy River, which is like tubing down a little river - and I can only ride THAT because it's one person to a large inner tube. I have wanted to take my kids either there or to Cedar Point, but I guess if we do go, I will be watching from the sidelines for the most part.  

I understand the whole size/mass/weight issue when it comes to these rides, but there's GOT to be some rides, other than the Lazy River float rides and the merry-go-round that WE can ride. We like to have fun too!


----------



## Darling Nickie (Jul 26, 2009)

I loved going to CedarPoint in ohio! One year we had our yearly town fair (mind you i dont mean cedar point) and i bought tickets and the first ride i tried i made the ride sit still for about 30 mins getting to watch the guy adjust my belt then go back to the machine controlls to see if the ride had registered i was buckled. i also got to listen to all the people asking him to just kick me off . eventually he did and the fair people wouldnt refund the tickets i bought even thought i couldnt ride. that was about 3 years ago and i havent even tried to go to cedar point for fear of the same situation. at the date of the town fair i was only a size 22 now i'm a size 28


----------



## PunkPeach (Jul 26, 2009)

Just a side note on Dorney Park in Allentown, PA. It was brought to my attention yesterday that they are trying to become more size friendly. Some of their coasters have specific seats that are built for larger people, and they are getting much better with their manners.


----------



## ClashCityRocker (Jul 27, 2009)

BigJimmy said:


> The Disney Parks are pretty darn fat friendly. I fit fine (300+) on everything there and have had friends in the 500-600lb range fit on many rides.. They also tend to be very discreet and accommodating if there are size issues.


 i second disneyland..i was there last week (first time ever..loved it! But thats another story..) and while in line for the haunted mansion i saw 2 BBW's and a BHM come in from the other side and head straight in with no problem..so it seems like disney is pretty accomodating. Not sure about other spots..


----------

