At theme parks, safety is always the number one concern. If guests don't feel safe, they won't return. It's that simple. However, a newer wave of theme park attractions appear to be taking safety seriously to the point of sacrificing guest satisfaction, or is it something else entirely.
Before we go any further, let me preface that I am a larger gentleman. I am 6 ft 7 and on the husky side. Theme park rides with restraints don't tend to be my friends, but a recent trend has me curious.
Shoulder harnesses and lap restraints are theme parks' go to safety features on thrill rides. Obviously, guests of certain body types won't be able to ride safely due to size limitations, however, it is commonplace on most roller coasters with these types of harnesses to include modified seating to help larger guests experience the ride safely. These seats allow guests of greater sizes enjoy attractions safely. However, more recent attractions have not only done away with modified seating, but seem to be intent on weeding out larger guests.
Although the Rocket and it's troubled past contributed, Harry Potter is at the center of the controversy. When Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey opened in 2010, it was credited as being one of the most advanced rides ever built. Of course, guests from around the world wanted to ride the state of the art attraction, but the ride's restraint system prevented a good many guests from riding. The ride features a overhead harness system that originally requires a certain number of "clicks" to ride. However, the ride's restraint has very little room for guests with larger chest dimensions. Guests who aren't even considered larger or who had broad shoulders had trouble riding. Outrage came from the theme park community, which prompted a change to the ride. The number of clicks required was reduced, allowing larger guests to ride a bit easier. It's still quite restrictive, but at least it's not as bad.
Universal has been the center of this controversy with it's troubled Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket roller coaster. Due to how the ride is constructed, it has a hight limit and features a very strange lap restraint system. Basically, it's closes from the side, leaving very little room for anyone with larger chest dimensions. The design of this coaster as a whole wasn't great, but the restraint system is an especially poor design that drastically limits the ride's target audience to a specific body type.
Universal isn't the only theme park company getting flack for a restraint system. Historically, Walt Disney World has been pretty forgiving when it comes to ride restrictions. Rockin' Roller Coaster for instance is one of the easiest coasters to ride. If you can pull the overhead restraint down over you, you're good to go! However, the recently opened Seven Dwarves Mine Train is a bit different. The ride is intended as a coaster for children and families, but the seats are very tight, tighter than any other Disney ride. On top of that, it features a lap restraint system similar to Expedition Everest which makes the squeeze into the small seat that much more painful. Need extra leg room? Forget it on this one. If you have bags with you, it's a must to fit them underneath your legs before boarding. Otherwise, it's gonna be a painful ride. I rode the Mine Train 20 and a half times (I was evacuated once) during a soft opening and left with indentations in my legs from squeezing into the small seats.
Now I come to the point. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley just opened at Universal Studios Florida and once again, it features a state of the art E-Ticket attraction in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Like any self respecting Harry Potter fan, I couldn't wait to hop in a tram and explore the vaults of Gringotts and waited in a hour and a half line on opening day to ride. The ride system is very similar to Revenge of the Mummy, which I have no problem riding, so I figured I'd be ok. After climbing up a spiral staircase to the loading station and sitting down in the ride vehicle, I was informed I couldn't ride safely. Yes, the vehicle is set up very similarly to Revenge of the Mummy, but includes an additional shin guard, which the Mummy doesn't have and no modified seating, so therefore I was once again spurned by Universal not accommodating to larger guests. This almost ruined my day at Diagon Alley, but the rest of the land was so good, I couldn't help but leave with a smile.
It seems odd to me that this new trend of overly restrictive restraint systems comes at a time when the government is declaring a war on obesity. It could just be attraction manufacturer oversight, or are theme park companies trying to force guests to lose weight? Today's society is filled with mixed messages. We want to be inclusive and not judge people, but still want everyone to have an "ideal" body type. The truth is yes, people aren't always the healthiest, but theme parks aren't exactly the ideal places to be preachy considering they surround guests in not healthy junk food options. Guests pay almost $100 a day to experience Orlando's theme parks, so restricting them from experiencing attractions unnecessarily hurts the value. Again, safety is always the top priority, but if modifications can be made to allow larger guests to ride, why not?
After my experience in Diagon Alley, I went to Guest Relations at Universal Studios to let them know I was upset and that they should consider adding modified seating to Gringotts. The best way to get the point across is to take the issue to the top, so I plead to you, larger guests, go tell Guest Relations to add modified seating to Gringotts! Let's get the hashtag #gringottsmodifiedseats trending! Together, we can fight for better accommodations for bigger guests!
Written by Chris Coburn