Oversized Rider Question....

Help! My wifes sister and husband are going to CP on Monday with us. Shall we say they are people of great substance. Based on other threads I have seen in the past I know they are not going to fit into quite a few rides. With that said what rides should I recommend to them? I figure that would be more politically correct than saying "Let's see if you fit" on every ride. The other option is to bring duck tape and strap them in. (Kidding). Based on my Wicked Twister experence where the guy in front of me was told he couldn't ride, I know they will not be able to ride any ride with those type of restraints.....

Any help would be great.

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Get with it or die in the process.....

Everyone is different and there are different kinds of "big" ... so you really don't know until you sit down and try it yourself. There are, though, some guidelines on the park's web site.

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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

Can someone tell me of the ride ops can help with seat belts this year? Like on MF, Raptor, or WT.

From what I hear, they can't help anymore because of an accident with a roller coaster. If you can't strap yourself in, you can't ride. As far as fitting, I am a pretty big guy but I can fit into the coasters (Wicked Twister I will find out in a few days). They do have test seats in front so you can make sure.

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You are the Weakest Link, Goodbye.

I always used to get a chuckle out of the ride op's helping out. I was ridding the mine ride once when some big guy was on it. The ride op's are just trying to get people on and clear the train. This girl was jumping on the restraint. You could hear the guy go 'Huug' every time.. She kept yelling 'Sir please cross your legs.' to make more room. I never have seen a guy more determined to ride a ride. It clicked once and they cleared it........I'm glad they changed the policy..

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Get with it or die in the process.....

Well I'm not glad they changed the policy. I've had to give up a few coaster at the point because of that policy. I only needed a little help. Losing weight is not as easy as most people seem to think. Alot of people on this board are insensitive, probability because they haven't matured yet. Overweight people are still people and they have feelings just like everyone else. I once read either here or on coasterbuzz, that overweight people didn't matter and we could just be forgotten, well I just want to state that we DO MATTER! I'll get off my soapbox now.

CoasterBunny: Alright, fair enough, you can't or won't lose weight for some reason or another. (by the way, this discussion is quite old)

However, you must accept that due to your size there will be limitations on what attractions you can experience at amusement parks. You want to be treated just like other people? Fine, you are, people who can't fit into restraints, for whatever reason (too short, too tall, too wide), can't ride the rides, and it's as easy as that. The parks and employees aren't discriminating against you because you're overweight, don't take it personally. (maybe if you are taking it so personally you DO need to reevaluate your weight for health reasons and mental reasons)

ANYWAY to respond to the original poster, I wouldn't recommend trying out Raptor, Mantis or Wicked Twister for sure. Mine Ride either. The Millennium Force ride ops may or may not try to help buckle the seatbelt. If they can't buckle it, your friends will not be able to ride. Have a good time at the Point and try not to let them get discouraged or anything...there is plenty that everyone can experience!

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99
Thunder Canyon '00
Millennium Force '01

It's not just overweight people that can't ride. it is oversized people. The rides are made for the average type person.

I was on WT and I barely fit due to my chest. The ops were nice enough to snap the seatbelt for me. If I try to do it myself it barely gets there. But if I relax my chest and move my arms out, I fit.

I'm glad they are nice enough to do that. But I am at the threshold of being too big. If you can't get close on the test seat, you should stay off. It's not fair I agree. They should have seats for bigger persons, just a row or two that would accomodate bigger people.

At Busch Gardens Williamsburg, their Raptor like ride is called Alpengeist. In the middle of the train, rows 4 and 5, they have seats that accommodate persons with larger shest sizes. The belts are a little longer.

Maybe CP could consider this without making a major change to the ride or keeping smaller people form using those seats.

Natalie is correct though that it is not discrimination. The rides are made to fit a certain range of body sizes and shapes. They try their best to accommodate without jeopardizing safety.

If you are too short, too tall, too heavy, too big, etc... don't be mad at the park. It certainly isn't personal.
*** This post was edited by Digital Daredevil 5/24/2002 3:05:40 AM ***

My husband has a problem with his height, which is all in the torso (not the legs). His shoulders and chest are broad. He can fit into any ride with a lapbar (although CCMR is cramped), and feels a little tight on Raptor. But on WT there is a 2 inch gap between the latch and the seatbelt. Yes, he's very disappointed about not being able to ride WT, but unlike a heavyset person, he can't do a thing about his height and shoulders. At least most heavyset people have the OPTION of trying to lose weight, as difficult as it can be.

I agree that if it's possible, ride manufacturers should try to incorporate some larger seats for larger people.

I'm sure part of the reason WT's lines have been relatively short is due to people not fitting.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

So if you do not know how to buckle youself in, the ride ops cannot help you? Or is this only for over weight people who need help fitting into the seat belts and such. Sorry, I am just confused...and kindof frightened if you do not have the knowledge of strapping your self in, you are not aloud to ride the coaster or tough out of luck?
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CP is the best!! I will never stop loving it. You gotta, you wanna, you have to hold on Cedar Point HOLD ON!!! :) :) :)
*** This post was edited by MagnumGurlie 5/24/2002 1:39:43 PM ***

If the ride ops see that you are confused about how to strap yourself in, they will help you. However, if you can't strap yourself in because your too big, they won't help you. I think alot of this has to do with what happened on the Perilous Plunge.

Thankfully it only applies to oversized riders or the train would never leave the station because a lot people don't know how to buckle a seat belt ;).

I was just worried, because one of my worst fears would be to ride a coaster not being strapped in. Especiall Raptor or MF.

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CP is the best!! I will never stop loving it. You gotta, you wanna, you have to hold on Cedar Point HOLD ON!!! :) :) :)

They have test seats at CP for Raptor, MF and WT outside the queue line. You can see how everything works (and fits) before you get into line.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Ok, even tho they do have that seat out front, I can fit in it but on the train. I have to relax my whole body and exhale for it to buckle. I have a 55 inch cheast, I work out and U have to be in good shape to be a pro wrestler. I wrestle for the MWF out of toledo, Ohio. I love WT but that seat out front may be alil bit bigger then the ones on the train.

I had an interesting experience on Corkscrew tonight. People who are tall like myself know what the fit is like on Corkscrew. Now, I've ridden Corkscrew more times than I can remember over the years - including just two weeks ago with no problems. Tonight, for the first time ever, the ride op told me the restraint was not down far enough and that new 'safety regulations' said that it had to come down to a certain point. A quick push by the ride op seemed to satisfy his request and I was off on another great, airtime-filled ride.

Have any other tall people run into this new rule at Corkscrew or other rides at the park?

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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

*** This post was edited by Gemini 5/24/2002 10:11:16 PM ***

Gemini, that's news to me. I rode a few days ago with no such mention and the restraint was up a bit too, like at a 45 degree angle compared to the seat back. How far down did it have to go?

Hmm....At SFMM some rides have a minimum number of clicks the restraints must go down. Does CP does this?

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Future CP Ride op?

That's about where my restraint was, too. He measured with his fingers between the top of the restraint and the side of the car at my shoulder. I don't know what the minimum was, but he seemed satisfied with one more click.

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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

I am a pretty big dude (6'4", 240) and I fit on everything at the Point without a problem. It is mostly people with real broad shoulders, or a real big beer belly that can't fit.

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Let's Go Pens!