Anyone been to any of the theme parks recently? Alton Towers? Thorpe Park? Any!

[Caz]

This is going to be a fairly personal question I guess, so don't answer if you don't want to! But I'm considering taking my niece to Alton Towers or the likes for her birthday, but I'm scared about not fitting in the seats! I guess I probably will, but I'm scared of trying in case I won't! Has anyone been recently? Did you have any problems with the seats? I was thinking if people can say I was able to fit fine and I'm this size/measurement, and people who were too large say what size/measurement they were at the time we might be able to get a rough guide! Does that make sense? But I know I might not want to share if I'd been too big to fit in a seat, so if that makes you uncomfortable I apologise, it's not what I wanted, and please don't feel you have to share this information.

 

[curlywurly1234]

Sorry hon, I cant help you.. I have been to theme parks recently went to Euro disney and to Gullivers land.. but I was fine.. but Im alot further in my journey so could fit into the seat..
I am sure you will be fine hon...... x

 

[Caz]

I've managed to find a few websites actually to give me an idea! I had tried before and found nothing on it.

icBirmingham - Theme park's weighty ban

Weight Restrictions - Alton Towers Almanac Forums

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Thorpe_Park__Review_5332634

Chessington World of Adventures Tickets & Chessington Zoo Tickets at Discount Prices


So looks like I should be fine, my chest size is 44 taking boobs into consideration, so is it only chest size that matters? Not hips or anything?

 

[Indianprincess]

Ok Im going to give you my personally experience.
I went to Chessingtons a few years ago, I was about 23st at the time. And went on the Dragons fury, basically the safetly bar came off and I was nearly thrown out of my seat. I have no idea if it was my weight, a defect on the ride or anything else BUT I will never ever go on a ride like that again till Im about 14 stone and thats a huge PROBABLY. I did get compensation recently via a claims company because of the stress and shock from the ride.
But thats me!!!
You should defo go, if you have always been before. I went to Thorpe Park on Sat and I have to admit, I saw about 3 overweight people the entire day and none of them went on the rides. I think that may be down to insecurities etc. Thorpe Park has some great rides but its not very big at all. Id say Chessingtons or Alton Towers.
Im sure you'll have a fab time hunny and if ur gut says no then dont go on them.
I FEEL AWFUL TELLING YOU MY EXPERIENCE. But I think I should defo let people know incase someone has an injury xxxxx

 

[Caz]

Oh my god, that's terrible!! It's so good that you were ok! It has got to have been a defect, if it was your weight or size the bars wouldn't have closed in the first place. Basically my option is I go in a months time or I go in September after the summer. So either way I'll go, but it's just when! If I didn't think I'd fit in the seats I think I'd leave it. But by the sounds of it I'll be fine. I think! Like I said, I'm a 44 inch chest with a bit of squish room for boobs, but only like an inch probably without hurting myself!! So if it's 50-52 inch chest restriction I should be fine right?

 

[Indianprincess]

Yea of course. When I went on the ride the 1st setting clicked fine the second needs alittle more strength to click for the 2nd setting.
The rides have soo many checks that my experience must happen very rarely. I would say go in September, the sun is always still around at the beginning of September plus ull be move confident and will not have to check all the seats and restrictions because you'll be slim enough not to even give it a second thought.xxx

 

[Greeneyes11]

I went to Alton Towers a few weeks ago, but I am further down the diet line than you and everything fitted fine.... I did feel humiliated last year though, we went to Europa Park in Germany and I weighed 14 stone 5lb and was a size 20 all over and on the big Silver Star roller coaster the guy made me try the dummy seat to make sure they could get the 3 clicks on the harness.... wouldn't have minded if I hadn't have been on it numerous times over the 2 days.... and seen 2 assistants pushing down on the restraints to get a really large guy strapped in.... so excited now as no more humiliation for me... have fun whenever you go...

 

[DC23]

I have been to both Thorpe Park and Alton Towers recently. They have dummy seat at the entrance to all the big rides to try. The seats are bucket like and can be quite narrow. I have a friend who is a size 20 that fits in them fine. They do give maximum torso measurements on the website so you could check. I've seen alot on big men with wide shoulders on the rides and they were ok.

 

[Watergirl]

Think you'll be fine hun. I went to Alton Towers when I was much bigger and was fine. My hips are always the biggest part of me and was nearly 16 stone.
Went to Alton Towers about 2 weeks ago and noticed people a lot bigger than you I promise!
You're getting all svelte and lovely though, so I doubt you'll have any probs

 

[Caz]

Aww thanks Liz Made me smile!

I think I'll be fine too, I am tempted to wait until September anyway just because it wouldn't be the summer holidays!

 

[tillyfloss]

I will tell you something I havent told anyone!!
I was on the valhalla ride with my children.
It is alike a log flume type ride where you sit in a log boat low int he water.
I was 16 stone.. I did feel that at times things were a bit sluggish and I was a bit paranpid about being too heavy..
ANyway Just as we reached the hot steamy section(those who ahve been in the ride will know what i mean) there were a couple of sharp bends... the boat was def lower int he water my side and on the last bend we got absolutely stuck!!
The boat wasn't moving anywhere... so all other boats on the ride stopped moving too..
Anyway... we all had to get out and walk up this ladder sort of thing.. up the side of the ride to an emergency exit!! It was pitch black with jsut some emergency lights and quite scary as I had young kids with me!

Anyway..t he ride was stopped and the queue dispersed! I left first as felt it was soemthing to do with me although no one said anythign at all!
However.. I heard the ride manager talkign on his walkie talkie to the engineers... I over heard the engineers saying... " You didn;t have a big fatty aboard did you???"
I never told anyone what i heard but am sure that there should have been a weight limit on that ride!!

Also as a side, I was also on avalanche.. i went on with my then 6 yr old... you sit with the person infront between your legs... No one said anything But I actually hurt him!!! On this ride you are very thrown about and the pressue meant that at times he was taking my full weight pressing down on him as well as a bit of gravity... He was crying when he came off and I thoughthe had jsut been scared by the ride... I was horrified later when bathing him... he was brusied all down his ribs and his hip!!

Soooo the answer in my opinion is that rides in this country are not made to carry larger people.. its different in the US, but over here they are stingy!
As others have said, it does come down to body shape, as well as body size, I struggled at 16 stone and would never have manged if I had been bigger..
I am not trying to rain on your parade though just passing on my experiences... I love theme parks with a passion and this is one of my goals for when I am slim, to make sure I do as many as I can in the coming year!!!

Have fun whatever you decide!! If you do wait till september you will be several stones lighter and wont have to contend with any queues either so it will be a win win situation!!

xx