are now offering optional ‘jumbo’ seats to buyers to fit larger adults,” said Bob Dean of Florida-based Leisure Labs, which represents Mack Rides, Great Coasters International and Mondial. “Most manufacturers, if not all, hoping to do business in the U.S. Seat belt lengths can vary from ride to ride and row to row.
Some parks require two locking clicks to secure a lap bar or over-the-shoulder restraint on a ride, while others insist on three clicks. There are no industry standards among ridemakers and amusement parks when it comes to accommodating bigger riders. Depending on your body dimensions, you might not be able to maneuver yourself to get into the seat properly.” “Not to mention that you have the seat several feet off the ground, so you have to tippy toe or jump up to get into the seat. “The issue with these rides is the seat belt and the lack of an audible ‘click’ when pulling the restraint down,” Galvan said. Intamin’s suspended launch coasters like Wicked Twister at Cedar Point and Volcano at Virginia’s Kings Dominion cause the most problems for big riders, Galvan said. Vekoma, Gerstlauer and Mack Rides typically present few problems, while Premier and Intamin often prove difficult for bigger riders, he said. Older coasters by Arrow Dynamics and Schwarzkopf tend to be the easiest to ride for larger riders, according to Galvan’s “Big Boy’s Guide to Roller Coasters.” Some Bolliger & Mabillard rides can be tight fits, while others offer rows with larger seats, Galvan said. Some rides are more egregious than others in this department.” “The only reason I can think for this irregularity would be off-season maintenance. “It’s absolutely amazing how from one row to another, the length of the seat belt will vary,” Galvan said. One of the biggest concerns for larger riders is what Galvan calls the “seat belt lottery.” For big riders, coaster rideability varies from park to park. The average weight for women increased from 140 to 166 pounds during the same period.Īddressing the issue is complicated for ridemakers in part because every rider carries weight differently - with problem areas ranging from the hips, waist and stomach to the chest and shoulders. The average weight for adult men has risen from 166 pounds in 1960 to 195 pounds in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ”Īs has been well documented, Americans are getting fatter. Due to the rider restraint system, guests of a larger size may not be accommodated on some rides. We require that all seatbelts, lap bars and shoulder harnesses be positioned and fastened properly. Theme park officials typically respond with prepared statements when asked about making accommodations for “riders with unique physical attributes” (such as this one from Six Flags): “We work closely with ride manufacturers to incorporate safety systems that are designed to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportions. Disneyland famously replaced the 1964 boats on It’s a Small World because the increasing waistlines of Americans were causing them to run aground - an assertion reported by MiceChat and vigorously denied by Disney officials. Splashin’ Safari water park at Holiday World in Indiana uses a walk-on scale to ensure the maximum weight on the six-passenger Mammoth rafts doesn’t exceed 1,050 pounds.ĭisney parks have no height or weight maximums on any attractions, according to officials. Utah’s S&S Worldwide, which makes roller coasters and drop towers, sets its restraints for a maximum weight of 300 pounds and equips its seatbelt locking mechanisms with no-go sensors that restrict over-sized riders. The Green Lantern: First Flight at Six Flags Magic Mountain has a height maximum of 6 foot 5 inches.īusch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia sets aside two rows of seats on the Alpengeist and Griffon coasters for riders with “chest measurements exceeding 52 inches.”
Tennessee’s Dollywood has 6-foot-6-inch height maximums on a number of rides, including the Wild Eagle wing coaster. Ohio’s Kings Island institutes height maximums for a number of rides, including Firehawk (6-foot-9), Invertigo (6-foot-6) and Delirium (6-foot-4). At Ohio’s Cedar Point, some coasters like Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and GateKeeper have a 6-foot-6-inch height maximum.