Tricks for fitting

I have seen things scattered around here about ways to help get yourself in the seat, and thought it might be helpful for us "borderline riders" to get them in one place. Any ideas?

I alaways wait till after I ride TTD and MF to eat or drink anything. Helps me *most* of the time.

I remember one time someone mentioned not wearing any "drawers".

I always feel bad when I have to deny the opportunity to ride to someone who does not fit in the restraints. Although it is for that person's safety and nothing more. There is no trick that can compromise safety, and that is Cedar Point's main concern.

I have been right on the border of fitting the past 2 years, it helps alot when you wear thin shorts, like basketball shorts and go comando it helps too. Also riding first thing in the morning I always seem to fit better. When you get in the seat make sure and relax it helps a lot, and once you get the belt buckeled, if they make you pull the slack, pull side to side as you pull out in a jerking motion, its the only way that belt will budge. Hope this helps some.

Not to be mean or cruel or anything, but the never failing method here if you're "borderline" is lose 10 pounds or so. I'm sure easier said than done, and not as easy for some of us, but losing 10 pounds should get you in all the time if you're borderline. And you don't have to deal with all the tricks and gimmicks to try and fit, and it will be nice knowing you don't have to worry about fitting in after waiting in line!
*** Edited 12/15/2006 7:22:52 PM UTC by pyrocoasterkid***

A couple of tricks that I used at TTD to help people who were close:

1) Pull the slack before you buckle the belt. With the way they fasten, it can be awkward to strain yourself to pull on the strap once fastened.

2) RELAX. When someone doesn't get it right away, their first instinct is to stuggle and strain, which just makes things worse. Stay calm and work at it a bit. Make sure you're sitting all the way back in your seat, hips and shoulders even, torso twisted as little as possible, both feet flat on the floor.

4) Once you have the belt fastened, put your hand fully through the loop and pull firmly (don't jerk) up and across, meanwhile also kind of work the belt forwards and backwards (ie, towards and way from you) gently.

5) BEST TRICK! Listen to this, because if it is at all possible to get you the half inch, this is what can do it: Once you have your belt fastened, put your hand, palm up, underneath the seatbelt on the side opposite the buckle. Keep your other hand in the loop of the belt. As you pull up on the belt loop (as described in #4) use the other hand and pull up gently on the belt and slide your hand towards the buckle. In essence, this moves all the spare room in the belt over towards the buckle. It's not much, but almost always enough. I had a lot of luck using this to get some "borderline" guests the extra bit of room they needed.

Edit: re-wording *** Edited 12/15/2006 7:35:07 PM UTC by HoosierTTD***

Being a girl with a big butt, hips, and gut.. It helps to wear pajama pants, as opposed to jeans or other confining materials.. so you can get the belt under your belly easily..

I attempted to ride millennium twice last summer once in May and once in October.. both times the ride op was wonderful with directing me to get the belt buckled. Both times I did get it buckled, with the ride ops help and was not asked to pull the slack. I tried to pull on the lift hill and couldn't get anything, so I am glad they didn't ask me too.

As a side note, I fit pretty easily in the test seat, and could pull more than an inch, and do it completely by myself, this was obviously not the case in the station.

On Dragster, since it is a little roomier, my boyfriend will just buckle the belt for me, hop over me and take his seat. I know that this is not technically allowed but we figure that the ride ops are not going to make me unbuckle it and rebuckle it.

On Millennium he will push the belt from the middle, pretty much like described in step 5 above, which helps me and the ride op in combination get the belt fastened. Again though, I don't need any help in the test seat to get it buckled or pull the slack, I don't understand this. I guess I am just more nervous and panicked on the actual ride.

As for losing weight, I have lost 40 pounds just to be "borderline". Before the weight loss I couldn't ride MF, Dragster, WT, BS, MS, or Mantis. I could ride Raptor, although it was not always easy. I now have an extra click on Raptor and Mantis, and have no problem on anything except Millennium and slightly Dragster. I hope I lose more weight and yes I am trying but the 10 pounds I lost between May and October did NOTHING to help buckle the belt, I had a harder time in October, and no I was not wearing thick clothes. It was freezing and I still stood in line with thin pajama pants just to maybe get a ride.

The trick to weight loss is consitency. Stick with it all winter, and come May, you'll be surprised at how much room you have.

Excuses will get you nowhere, so just keep at it.

True enough exit. One of the fellows that go with me to CP yearly is " borderline" and he just has to watch his intake and hit the gym a little harder when it gets closer to May.

Can't people just face they can't fit instead of making complaints and trying to fit in something they can't???

Excuse adult people for having a less than petite size.

You should probably stop while you're ahead, Mr. 13 year old.

P.S. I fit just fine if you were wondering.

I'm not trying to be rude . Just wondering why people bother and then make complaints about it. If people had problems send a letter to Intamin if possible...
*** Edited 1/26/2007 2:31:37 AM UTC by First Ride Ever ... Magnum***

Can't kids just face it that they can't hold intelligent adult conversations and stop trying to fit in somewhere that they can't?

I bet you take offense to that comment, don't you?

Now put the shoes on the other feet.

EDIT: Holy crap, what did you do? Read every thread from the past 6 months?

*** Edited 1/26/2007 2:34:16 AM UTC by Loopy***

OK whatever... I can talk fine in adult conversations with intelligence

But can you properly structure sentences, with correct spelling and grammar? That could just be the key!

Anyway...

One tip I would give, is that if your exercising, listen to music. It will help take your mind off of the labor part of it, and keep you going.

I'm with FRE:M...

Lose the weight and quit nagging about the tightness. If you lost the flab, you wouldn't have to worry.

Man, sometimes Americans do fit the stereotype... huge.

As well as ignorant asses.

****DISCLAMER that comment was not directed towards all Americans on this site (which obviously is the vast majority of you), just the ones who choose to be ignorant asses.

Ignorant as in who? Me?

Don't see how I could be. People nag and nag about how the restrictions are getting tighter, maybe its just that their belts are getting looser.

Solution? Do something besides nag. I'll admit, I was a bit of an ass in my last post, but my point still stands. Thats the problem with alot of people. They do nothing but sit on their cheeks and do squat everyday. You wonder why Americans and ACEers alike are stereotyped as fat. Getting out and about can do more then help you fit into Millennium Force... it can make you stay above ground for much longer.

One problem I have with many (stereotypical) Americans of today is how they complain to get what they want, instead of taking action to do something. A comparable example would be how people sue over the littlest things. If you notice that you are too large to ride, say, Dragster or Millennium, then lose the weight. It's that simple, and probably something that you even did to yourself in the first place.

I typically attempt to not use stereotypes, especially where they do not make sense. However, due to known statistics, a wide majority of Americans of today are overweight, many of those to an extreme.