Size/Weight restrictions

[gypsymuffin]

Hey guys, I thought i'd share my experience with you. Me and my four friends visited Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Drayton Manor & Alton Towers over three days about two years ago.

We came down from the NE of Scotland so I was a bit worried if i'd be able to fit on anything. All my mates are considerably slimmer than I am so it wasn't a problem for them. I was a bit concerened i'd have to sit and watch them go on.

Just a background, I am a big big guy, big belly, massive shoulders so I was worried especially the rides with the shoulder restraintes, however out of the all the rollercoasters I tried to go on over the three parks I got on every one apart from one, and that was air.

For Nemesis and G-Force (Drayton Manor) I sat in the big boy chairs and all was fine. For G-Force I tested myself in the test seat outside. Rita was okay. I got on Infusion at BPB, although that took alot of effort from the staff to get it shut. I got on shockwave no problem, Big One no problem, Corkscrew no problem. I even got on Spinball Wizard (even though I weigh more than 17.5 stone) using the cross leg trick. Oblivion was not working when we went to ride it but I wasn't that worried as I had ridden it before, but air I hade never been on.

The staff at Air were great, they tried really hard to get it shut but couldn't manage and were very understanding. Hope that helps

[Jaybird89]

Hiya so i know this has really be awnsered already probably but as i am going on monday (21st) June just felt like asking. I haven't been for just over 4 years now and am quite a big guy chest is around 49 - 50 inches really want to ride everything only thing i am worried about really is air do you think i should bother giving it a go my thighs are not too big so hopefully that shouldn't be a problem just worried about looking like an idiot any help or advice would be greatly received thanks .

[linzimoo6]

Im taking my little boy to Alton towers in the summer hols for the 1st time, hes so excited and so am i...buuuuuut, my bust measures in at 47/48" which it has been for a couple of years now! Though when i went to Thorpe park and rode nemesis there,the chest restraint wouldnt come down, and i had to be transferred to the "big boy" seat! Though i never had any problems on any other rides! im wondering whether it makes a diff as to how u sit in the seat? Im very broad, and in a rush to get on the ride i think i was sat upright too much and thats why it wouldnt do up! I really dont want this to happen at alton coz i will be just mortified, and im just really worried about it. So yeah basically i was just wondering if any1 else has experienced this and found slumping right down helps?

[Crofty]

I wouldnt worry about it too much, the fact is the restraints are a bit limited when it comes to space around the upper body, I suppose that if your sat up very straight then your shoulders will restrict the restraint, if you slouch as you say then you may find the restraint come down further, although the park wouldn't recommend slouching.
If you are that worried then you could just request the 'big seat' when you are being sent into the queue pens for Oblivion and Nemesis.
Air and Rita have test seats so you can try yourself before you queue.

[linzimoo6]

oh dont get me wrong i dont mean slouch to an extreme, but rather...how to explain, because its an inverted coaster, i suppose the back of the seat feels more upright...hahah this isnt makin much sense, but what i guess im tryin to say is that when i got in the seat i sat right in the dip for your bum therefore making my back very straight, and chest pump out more? the seats are so comfy i guess my natural instinct is to get right into it, but if i kinda replaced my position instead of my bum being right in the curve of the seat...arghhhhhh that doesnt make no sense! i hope you understand what i mean

I can only see that being the reason when i went on any other ride i had no problems!

[.Will]

Sorry to bring an old topic back up but today I was on park went on Spinball, and I don’t have a very large stature by any means bit of a tummy and I am quite stocky with longish legs and I had my wallet in my jeans pocket and the restraint was caught on my thigh and would not go down any further when there was a good inch / inch and a half between my tummy and the restraint! To be honest it made me feel a little weird has anyone else had this problem, it has never happened before though I haven’t been on it in ages before today. Despite that hitting the brake run at the end I was lurched forward and nearly winded myself on the blinking restraint! Those things are just awful! So anyway it made me a little upset and I was just wondering if that had happened before?

[Anonymous]

I wanted to share my experience of Alton Towers with others. I had put off going anywhere like this for many years as I am conscious of my weight and had a ridiculous fear that I was too big for any of the rides here. My husband assured me that my fears were unsubstantiated and that I fear I am bigger than I actually am. My worst nightmare would have been to turn up and not be able to get on anything.

My husband and I are roughly the same size. I weigh under 16 stones and my chest size, I measured it the day before we went, after reading this website, is no where near 52 inches even on the widest part. It is about 42 inches. I thought due to this I would easily get on the rides. So I agreed to go for his birthday. Much to my disappointment.

I strongly feel that Alton Towers does not cater for anyone overweight and will be making a complaint to the park - am sure they will not listen but I feel so strongly about the humiliation I suffered yesterday, I need to voice it.

Now as mentioned already my husband and I are not massive and are weight has never physically restricted us from anything in the past. When we got there we went on the log flume which was ok, although due to it being busy they were cramming the logs full of the maximum 5 persons. There were 2 other grown men in the front and my husbnad and I were forced to get in the back . I was squashed in, legs around a stranger and very very close to him. Truely uncomfortbale for a mamarried woman.Next we went on the rapids which was ok although the boats are supposed to take 8 people , but the seats are so tiny they only comfortably sit 4. Next we ventured on the runaway train. This was horrendous.The carriages and seats are very small and the bar that comes to your chest over your lap would just not close over us. The staff noticed and made a real big thing of this. Staff told us to swap seats with someone and the ride was held up by someone trying to squash us both in. These few seconds sempt like a life time. Someone was yelling over the platform for the key to unlock the carriages and the woman on the tannoy was bellowing over to the full train how the seats were small and not very roomy. How embarrassing. I was mortified. The whole train now new what the problem wasand that the staff were physically ramming us into the seat.

If this happened to us I would certainly not encourage anyone bigger than us to visit this park or try and get on any of the rides. I dont think I will ever recover from this humiliation.

Throughout the day I saw many people around the park who were way bigger than us and felt like asking them what they had managed to get on.

After the humilating event my husband and I made our way home with heavy hearts. Never before has my weight been such an issue. I feel sad that Alton towers cannot even cater for people my size let alone anyone who is bigger. Dont put yourself through the humiliation guys and dont give the satisfaction of paying £40.00 per head.

In all honesty I could not bare the humiliation of trying to get on anything else. We saw another chap getting asked to get off the ripsaw as his size was restricting his safety harness from closing. They tried swapping seats with someone for him. He was so humiliated you could tell and honestly was not that big. My heart went out to him. Again the staff made a huge thing of it, and made him feel very embarrassed.

I did not see any of these seats people had mentioned outside the rides so we could test for size either!

[Jaybird89]

sorry to hear you had a bad time but i went in june and am going again this friday and i found all of the rides fine to fit on my chest is a good 48 inches and i managed to fit on every ride so i think it really doesnt matter wehat you weigh or how big you are it is more your body type / shape. at least this time i dont feel so worried but again sorry to hear you had such a bad experience.

[Jen411371]

Hi guys,

Sorry to renew such an old topic but was wondering if someone could help me? i've been big all my life, with what i consider to be quite large thighs. everytime i go to AT i have to sit outside air and wait for my friends to finish riding - not the most pleasant hours i've spent! and truthfully, Air is the one ride i REALLY want to go on.

i've lost 3 stone recently but dont know if it will be enough : i know they have a tester seat ouside but when i used the tester seat for rita once i was unfortunate enough to have a group of young lads having a laugh at my expense and now dont want to risk a repeat seat test! is there anyone who has *only just* managed to squeeze their thighs into air who would be willing to give me their thigh measurement?

Thanks in advance

[dbeatz13]

Hi Jen

I'm quite large with a thigh measurement of 25ins and a chest of 47ins, I've never been refused from Air although last year they had a bit of a struggle closing the harness to the point that I didnt enjoy the ride because I thought I was going to fall out (impossible I know) It wasn't uncomfortable at all and the harness closed comfortably, it just wouldnt lock for some reason :S

Hope this helps!

[JAMMYD777]

Hi guys,

I am visiting the towers with my friend soon who has been on submission and fits into the restraint system but hasn't been on ripsaw. On our upcoming trip he would like to ride ripsaw for the first time but is afraid his size will cause him to do the Walk Of Shame.

So bearing in mind that he fits into the restraint system of Submission, do you think he would be able to ride ripsaw easily without being embarrased.

Replies Are Appreciated

JAMMYD777

[Big Dave]

It has a similar restraint system, but its always best to inform the assistant that you may require a seat at the edge of the ride in order to give you more arm room. In addition, the ride staff actually have to by the ride restrictions, allow you to test a seat without queueing. Obviously, if you do wish to then later ride, you will have to queue.

[JAMMYD777]

Well he told me that when sitting down his stomach area is around 42-43" and standing up is around 41-42".
So do you think he would fit on comfrotably.

He also a similar size in the chest area.

JAMMYD777

[RustyRider]

To all the people who feel humiliated by asking for the bigger seats or trying out the test seats, think of it this way, your at a tourist attraction in the middle of nowhere, theres a 99.9% chance youll never see these people again. dont let people you dont know ruin your day.

[Big Dave]

Most rides are between 42" and 45" girth, but some smaller rides such as Sonic Spinball, will have much smaller restrictions. As for Ripsaw, I think you are better asking for an outer seat and making the assistant aware you may require some assistance.

[Marie]

[quote="".Will""]Sorry to bring an old topic back up but today I was on park went on Spinball, and I don’t have a very large stature by any means bit of a tummy and I am quite stocky with longish legs and I had my wallet in my jeans pocket and the restraint was caught on my thigh and would not go down any further when there was a good inch / inch and a half between my tummy and the restraint! To be honest it made me feel a little weird has anyone else had this problem, it has never happened before though I haven’t been on it in ages before today. Despite that hitting the brake run at the end I was lurched forward and nearly winded myself on the blinking restraint! Those things are just awful! So anyway it made me a little upset and I was just wondering if that had happened before?

[/quote]


I had this problem on spin ball, I was there a month ago and I was there this weekend, I haven't had a problem with any of the rides at all, but I got on and my harness locked in, then the guy asked me if he could push it down once more, he made such a fuss even though I was completely safe, he pushed it right onto my bladder and I was so uncomfortable the whole ride, I wonder why he'd done it, it made me feel a bit upset, then I just think to myself, at least I fit into them, I know I'm not that big where I cant fit on spin ball or air or Rita, so it doesn't really matter does it.

[Alex Tyler]

I think I know why he pushed it down one more click, the harness has to go down 7 clicks for the car to be sent round.

[andyleli]

hi people

i thought i would update this forum, having visited alton towers aug12 and being a large framed big guy 54" chest 52" gut and shoulders the size of tree trunks.

If you are my size and worried then dont be, here is a list or rides that i successfully went on

OBLIVION
ENTERPRISE
NEMESIS
THIRTEEN
LOG FLUME
HEX
RAPIDS
RUNAWAY MINE TRAIN
ICEAGE

SOME HAVE LARGER SEATS, JUST ASK THE GUYS AT THE FRONT THEY WILL POINT YOU TOO THEM THEY ARE REALLY HELPFULL

KIND REGARDS

ANDY

[bensaund]

Some rides do not have official larger seats but for example on Colossus at Thorpe if you go in an odd row, the belts are slightly longer.

for some reason Rita has very short belts, I'm not sure of the reason behind that.

[The Moon]

B&M provide double belted seats on most coasters for larger guests, just ask an attendant. Not sure about Intamin, however.