Larger people on rides ?

I’m 5’11” I weigh 300lbs will I have a problem getting on the rides? Should I go or save my money and stay home?

You will probably have difficulty on Wicked Twister, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster.

There are seats that accommodate larger people on Gatekeeper and Valravyn.

You should not have a problem on Maverick, Rougaroo, Steel Vengeance, Gemini, Raptor.

Other people can add their opinions on this, it also depends where you carry your weight with some of the restraints.

raptor and rougaru May pose a problem. They have the thicker restraints that fit tighter. I’m 5’11 and down to around 200 but when I was 250-270 I was pushing the limits of some overhead restraints. Message me for more specifics on rides if you wish.

I’m 6’2” and 300. I’m good on Magnum.

Honestly there is no concrete answer for the 'will I fit on rides' question. Sure there are rides that some larger people may fit on, but not others. I'm personally 5'3" and fit on most rides except for Wicked Twister and Power Tower. I haven't tried Top Thrill Dragster. Anthony, I've got a question for you...Can you get the belt to touch a little bit on the test seat? Like not all the way buckled, but close? Usually if you can do that, they'd let you on. That seems to be the case with me.

If you're over 6'3 and heavy you're screwed.

I’m 6’4” and about 300lbs. The only coaster that’s been a no-go for me is Wicked Twister. I guess I’m screwed?

We don't know what you look like. For all we know you 300 pounds in mostly muscle mass as opposed to fat. So you are most certainly not screwed.

Haha I wish it was muscle mass. But my point was similar to yours... I’m a big guy and can still ride 95% of the coasters out there.

I just came back from a two day trip. I am 5'9" and 280 pounds, large gut but still fairly muscular in chest and shoulders. The only rides I have trouble with are Millennium force and Top Thrill Dragster - although I haven't been able to ride Wicked Twister for years. My tips are:

1. For Gatekeeper, try Row 4, it has always worked for us (wife is large too).

2. Raptor has made some bigger seats, the Ride Ops should help direct you there (rode in 2018, too windy last weekend).

3. Valravn has seats with Red Seatbelts for larger people, and they make a great effort to get you in!

4. This may be gross to some folks, but I wear compression shorts 2 sizes too small because Millennium Force and TTD always are about thigh size. I had to do the "walk of Shame" Sunday 5/19/19 because I wore the wrong shorts on top of the compression shorts, I I changed at the break to super thin gym shorts and it worked. I was able to ride TTD on Monday the 20th once it was up.

5. Don't eat much the day before, and morning, and ride the "risky" rides first.

6. I have no idea how close I am on Steel Vengeance - I bulked up Monday because it was cold and still rode. Use the test seat on ALL rides so you know.

when I rode with my cousin I found that on Magnum and Gemini if I pulled half of the seatbelt for her instead of her pulling it all herself it was easier for her to buckle. If you have a friend do that for you it may help on some rides. I gave her the extra push on Rougarou that some employees will give and others won't before I hopped in my seat.

TMAN264 said:

4. This may be gross to some folks, but I wear compression shorts 2 sizes too small because Millennium Force and TTD always are about thigh size. I had to do the "walk of Shame" Sunday 5/19/19 because I wore the wrong shorts on top of the compression shorts, I I changed at the break to super thin gym shorts and it worked. I was able to ride TTD on Monday the 20th once it was up.

Thigh size, huh? For me, it was always the waistline that proved to be problematic. Yes, I've got large thighs, but that has never posed a problem for me. Usually if you're wearing pants size of 20-18 you can ride. Usually, I just wear hotpants (short shorts) that stretch a little, but they don't get in the way of the seatbelt. Most of the time the reason I don't get on aside from weight is the belt is getting caught on the waistband of my pants.

Skyhawk06 said:

Thigh size, huh? For me, it was always the waistline that proved to be problematic. Yes, I've got large thighs, but that has never posed a problem for me. Usually if you're wearing pants size of 20-18 you can ride. Usually, I just wear hotpants (short shorts) that stretch a little, but they don't get in the way of the seatbelt. Most of the time the reason I don't get on aside from weight is the belt is getting caught on the waistband of my pants.

The compression shorts seem to work for me, and the belt goes right over my thighs. I wish I knew how close SV was for my wife and me for that matter. I can ride, she cannot.

OK, perhaps the height thing was an overgeneralization, but from my experience, heavier people who are short or average tend to have an easier time with over-the-shoulder restraints than tall people. I am 6'6" and am pretty much limited to the Arrow lap bars. I didn't know about the larger seats on Gatekeeper and Valravyn though... have those always been there?

Skyhawk06 said:
Can you get the belt to touch a little bit on the test seat? Like not all the way buckled, but close? Usually if you can do that, they'd let you on. That seems to be the case with me.

The seat belt must be fastened completely. Having it close to buckling but not all the way still defeats the purpose of even having a seat belt policy. No ride operator should be letting any guests on if they cannot fit into the restraints properly. That is the biggest rule of the job.

^Skyhawk is referring to the test seats; their belts tend to be ever-so-slightly shorter than the actual belts on the coasters, so if you can get the buckle to at least touch the clasp, you should likely be able to buckle the seatbelt on the coaster. (After all, a false negative is going to be way less of an inconvenience than a false positive with the test seats.) Of course, YMMV, but this is a decent rule of thumb for taking the chance and waiting in line.

cpteddisciple2- Big Boy seats have always been there on Valravn, GateKeeper, and Rougarou. They added them to Raptor 2(?) years ago. Go to Row 4 on all but Valravn (doesn’t have a Row 4), which has one Big Boy seat in Rows 1 & 3, and two in Row 2. Look for red belts on Valravn and Gatekeeper, double belts on Raptor and Rougarou.

Heads up...the new sensors on Power Tower are a mess. Seems like some seats are more sensitive than others. Seen many folks buckled in WITH slack on the belt still get walked. YMMV.