Please Help = too big for the rides ??? About This Page:

[gsleader19]

I'm pooh sized and so is my sis. We can ride any ride at WDW next to each other. AND neither one of us has EVER had any trouble at the water parks. The only issue we had was at AK on Dino-rama (mousetrap rollercoaster). Request 2 seats for yourself! They are on the smaller size and if two poohs attempt to sit together then you will be VERY uncomfortable.

Have fun!!

[msc_idiot]

I hate that I didn't find this thread in time to respond to home4us123's post before your trip (hope you had a great time finding out that you fit on everything!), but I'm going to post this for everyone else who is searching. I'm 5'7", weight 360lbs, and have a 58" chest with a stomach that is slightly bigger, and ofcourse the mandated big butt (solid size 28). I always hated reading reports that gave you no real idea whether or not the writer was bigger than me or not, so I want to make my dimensions clear. Well, here it is my fellow fluffy Disney fans! (Settle in - this is going to take a while.)

When I went to WDW for the first time in 96 with my high school I weighed about 200lbs., so going back last year weighing so much more, I was very concerned about whether or not I'd fit on my favorite ride, Splash Mountain. I read some discouraging things on Allears.net about SM from people smaller than me.... So ofcourse that was the first ride we headed to (I'm big on getting stuff that frightens me out of the way). I literally cried when I fit on it! After that I went on every ride I had time to drag my family on. As far as riding with someone smaller, I rode most rides with my 13 year old brother who has struggled to get up to 100lbs, and the only hint of a problem is that he slid a bit on rides like Big Thunder Mountain but not enough to worry us. I think he thought it was part of the ride... The rest I rode with my Mom that is a size 18-20, so that should help with those questioning riding with two bigger folks.

Anway, here's a list of the rides I went on:

Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (I thought when the gun panel was coming down that it was going to be a problem, but it stopped just before my stomach so it was fine. Just don't freak if it doesn't stop when you think it will.)
Carousel of Progress (for old theater seats these were actually almost roomy. Almost.)
Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management
Hall of Presidents (the seats were comfortable enough that I feel asleep. The animatronics were impressive, but that movie.... zzzzzzzz.......)
Haunted Mansion (even if I had to strap myself to the roof of a doom buggy I would have so I could see the refurbishment - the stair room is SO COOL!)
It's a Small World
Jungle Cruise (no problem fitting, but since everyone sits around the edge of the boat there were times I thought we were going to tip the boat over!)
Liberty Square Riverboat (I know that sounds pretty self explainatory, but when I was researching I knew almost nothing about alot of these rides and wanted to learn everything. I got some great pictures of Big Thunder Mountain and the Haunted Mansion while on this, too.)
Mad Tea Party (Another one that really freaked me out because of discouraging reviews, but I fit fine, though the door to get in is a squeeze if you are on the short side. But I fit behind the wheel just fine and had a great time. It's not a trip to WDW without the Teacups!)
Mickey's Philharmagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (Not even any dividers to the seats, just benches if I'm remembering correctly. If you are shy you might not want to go in. The characters like to play with people.)
Peter Pan's Flight (My mom and I on this one again and we fit just fine, but like another poster said, I was afraid of falling on the streets of London. It would ruin a vaction to squish Tinkerbell....)
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain (this one scared me the most on this last trip because it was my first time riding it. I lucked out and got the front seat. Good thing because if I had to sit in another seat or if I had weighed another couple of pounds - and I do mean only a couple of pounds - there's no way I would have fit. That t-bar barely clicked. Infact the second time I rode it I didn't think it was going to. Scary!)
Splash Mountain (Like I said, it was great! I didn't even need the front seat and my knees didn't touch the back of the seat infront of me!)
Stitch's Great Escape (the seats were a little on the scrunched side, but the harness was nothing.)
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
WDW Railroad (see the Liberty Square Riverboat comment)

Epcot
Spaceship Earth (rode with Mom)
The Seas with Nemo and Friends (rode with Mom and was just brushing up against her there was so much room)
Turtle Talk with Crush
Living with the Land (we fit three of us on one row)
Soarin' (okay, this ride was amazing, but it scared me about to death! We were in the second row, and everytime they shifted us forward like we were going down I felt like I was going to fall out because my butt kept me from feeling like I was sitting all the way back. Good thing I didn't know we were 40 feet or so off the ground... the would have been scraping me - and the people below me - off of the floor)
Honey I Shrunk the Audience (smaller seats, but okay. Worth it)
Mission: Space (Okay, let's talk. I went on the green version twice and loved it. I fit just fine, but I worried about the panel moving too close to me, but it stopped in time so I could still reach the joystick if we needed it. Then we went on the orange version. Nobody told me that the spinning makes you feel like you have freakin' DOUBLED your weight (but the cm did tell my little brother when I was out of earshot). Not cool. I literally couldn't BREATHE. Ofcourse my family got a kick out of it but it sucked. IMHO, stick with the green if you have a lot of stomach on ya'.)
Test Track (a tight squeeze depending who you sit next to, and those blocks on the track made me feel like jello.)
Gran Fiesta Tour
Maelstrom

Animal Kingdom
Dinosaur (a bit awkard if sitting by bigger people, but not really uncomfortable)
Expedition Everest (Not a problem in the world. I think it might be made better by a bigger butt if you are a little afraid of coasters because filling in the space between the high seat dividers makes you feel snug. The individual lap bars are MADE for fluffy folks riding next to scrawny folks.)
Festival of the Lion King (theatre seats, no dividers)
It's Tough to Be a Bug (if I'm remembering right, there is a tiny ridge that is used as a seat divider but it's not big enough to be uncomfortable if you have to sit part way on it.)
Kali River Rapids (one seat belt for two seats. I rode with my brother and it was fine. I don't know if it would have buckled if I rode with an adult, but maybe. And don't believe that the fluffiest person gets spun around to get the most water. Not true.)
Kilimanjaro Safaris (sat four of us aross.)

Hollywood Studios (or MGM Studios for those of us who refuse to change)
Fantasmic! (bench seats)
Great movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Lights, Motors, Action! Ex. Stunt Show (bench seats, but we had to go almost all the way to the top of the stadium. If you have problem climbing stairs, tell the CM or you'll be climbing for a week before you get to your seat if it's crowded.)
Muppet Vision 3D (I just kind of flopped down in the seat without paying attention to the fact that there is arm rests and felt like I had shaved off my hips. PLEASE be careful sitting down here if you have bigger hips. If not, it really hurts.)
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (one of my favorite rides. I did feel a tiny bit cramped when waiting in the car to get going, but once the ride begins you are pressed back into the seat and you feel more settled. The harness was not an issue. It started clicking well before it touched me.)
Star Tours
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (There are very few times in a fluffy girl's life that she gets to feel weightless. Maybe that's why I loved this ride so much. I actually stayed in the air for the majority of the drops! My dad loved the ride because of the looks on my face when I would fly up in the air. But good grief, the picture... )

I know this has already gotten pretty long, but I want to mention Universal real quick. If someone would start an off topic thread talking about their experinces at Universal and Islands of Adventure I'd appreciate it. I've stayed away from IOA because of horrible reviews about the size of the ride seats/harnesses, so please share. I have gone to Universal twice, though, at this size.

Universal Studios
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (I fit in the seat, but when the lap bar came down I had to kind of squish my lower stomach in so it would close. It almost hurt, but not quite. But for those of you that, like me, are... blessed in the chest, strap 'em down any way you can. When the car went into the chicken dance I thought I was going to end up with two black eyes.
Shrek 4-D (I think weight has an effect on how the seats move. It's kind of like Star Tours movement, but our seats seemed to move a lot less than other people's seats.)
Twister... Ride It Out! (Ride it ride it ride it ride it ride it ride it ride it! Been my favorite since 1998 soft openings. The PreShow atmosphere will give you chills!)
**Revenge of the Mummy (I didn't ride it, but my mom and I both tried the seats out front. She JUST got the lap bar down and mine didn't even come close. It would have had to have closed another 4 or 5 inches to get in the red zone to close. And the fact that it's out for EVERYONE to see if you fail that little test sucks.)
Disaster! (Formerly Earthquake - Fit fine, but lots of standing. There are leaning rails so it won't bother most of us, but those of you that have bad knees or anything like that, I would say sit this out, but the remake of this ride is just so cool it's worth the 20 minutes or so that you stand.)
Jaws (No problem)
Men In Black (it can be a bit of a tight squeeze depending on who you are sitting next to. My family took a car for the four of us and sat on the outside four seats to give us more space by not having anyone in the middle seat on each row.)
E.T. Adventure (STAY AWAY! For those of you who are big but not REALLY big like me, you should be fine. I was in pain the whole time and freaking out because I just knew we were going to hit the ground because of me.)
Terminator 2: 3-D (Probably the only attraction in Universal that has a closed space ((armrests)) that is actually comfortable.)

My last word on Unversal is to get the Express Pass, even if the employees say not to. That may sound weird, but we went on Super Bowl Sunday and the employee at the will-call desk said not to bother because the park will be pretty empty. We went on one ride and went straight to get an Express Pass. If you can spare the money, get one! Oh, and see Blue Man Group. That was the coolest show I have EVER seen! (But I may be partial because I come from a family full of percussionists and I'm a music major. Those guys are genius!)

Okay, that's it from me. If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. I know it was incredibly long, but that's all I wanted when I was reading reports - one that really went into detail. Overwhelmingly Disney is very fluffy friendly and Universal is good for the most part because there's not alot that is enclosed. Most rides are bench seats (Pirates of the Caribbean style). I hope this is helpful to anyone worrying about size. Don't let it keep you from living life in Disney. You'll probably never feel as accepted as you do in Disney.

Heather

[BlueCinderellaEyes]

I think you should be ok! Both My Hubby and I were able to get in all the rides! The only issue we had with any was on the rocken roller coaster! The CM pulled on the strap thingy and said "I THINK you will be ok!" You should have seen DH face! He was ok though! Happy riding!

[home4us123]

Thanks for the great information. We just came back. Had a wonderful time and didnt have to squeeze into anything. Seatbelts had plenty of room to spare. Everything was better than I thought it would be. Dumbo even got off the ground. Thanks again and I hope no one else worries.

[BlueCinderellaEyes]

Originally Posted by home4us123

Thanks for the great information. We just came back. Had a wonderful time and didnt have to squeeze into anything. Seatbelts had plenty of room to spare. Everything was better than I thought it would be. Dumbo even got off the ground. Thanks again and I hope no one else worries.

GLAD YOU HAD A GOOD VACTAION!

[msc_idiot]

That's wonderful! I'm glad you had such a great time.

Heather

[alismom]

Thanks msc idiot for the great review of the rides at universal. I was thinking about going on my next trip, but I don't think it would be worth my time since I am probably about the same size as you and one of the reasons to go would be to ride the Mummy ride. I too was very scared the last time I went to Disney after gaining so much weight ( due to illness) and was so impressed and excited that I "fit" on everything. The only ride I had the tiniest problem with was Space Mountain and the was getting out because of an old knee injury, not my size.

[msc_idiot]

It's a shame that Universal is so behind the times because they do have some great rides. I loved the Mummy movie and the thought of a ride is interesting but I guess it's just not in the cards for me just yet. There are plenty of other things to do at Universal, though, but it would take you less than a day to cover it all. Twister alone is worth the cost of admission in my opinion.

That fear that we feel wondering if we will be embarassed by not fitting on a ride makes it so much more emotional when you realize that you'll be fine. It's part of that Disney magic!

Heather

[bitterchickey]

Just a note....the ONE turnstile issue I had the whole trip was getting onto the WD railroad at the Main Street station. There was NO WAY I was getting thru that! CM saw my 1 attempt at it & waved me over to the wheelchair/stroller entrance. It was quick and painless!

[msc_idiot]

Yeah, the turnstiles can be brutal. I pretty much fell through all of them at the MK. But if you stretch really tall on your tiptoes and turn to the side (suck it in!) there'll be less of a chance of a dirtnap. And I started thinking after I got home, if you can reach them around whatever bag you're carrying, you can put your hands on the railing beside you and the top of the box that holds the turnstile's arms and push your self up so your stomach isn't actually going through the enclosed space. That obviously won't work for everyone, but it's worth a try. But it is an unnecessary tip if the CM will let you through the stroller gate.

Heather

[oldmom]

I didn't go through any of the turnstils. it is so much easier and less embarrassing to ask a CM and go through the stroller gate. I'm an apple shape. have lost 10 pounds since Jan 1 but doubt if I will be svelt by Dec.

[msc_idiot]

Congratulations on the weight loss! That's great. As for the stroller gates, the cm's on duty didn't look like they were going to let ANYONE without a stroller or wheel chair pass, so I didn't try. I think asking would have made me feel worse than trying to get through the turnstiles. Maybe it's a pride thing. Who knows. I don't have a problem with anyone else doing it but I just couldn't bring myself to ask.

Heather

[oldmom]

Thank you. It isn't enough to be noticeable to the most of the world yet but maybe soon. I've been lucky, the CM have been very kind (maybe they didn't want to have to help me if I got stuck!)

[msc_idiot]

It is enough to help your health and that's all that matters. The cm's weren't mean or rude, but... busy. I'll have to just suck it up and try it next time. I think I'll be more comfortable that way, and I won't end up with bruises on my hips.

Heather

[GinaButtrfly]

I told one stern-looking CM that my NY-sized Big Apple Butt wasn't making it through the turnstile. He cracked a smile and winked and opened the stroller gate. It was funny. I'm a 22/24 and DH is 6' 6-1/2" about 350. We have never had any problems on the WDW rides with ONE exception - DINOSAUR really banged up DH's knees. That's a tall issue though and not a Pooh one. I wish every person who was just a little intimidated about their size hindering their enjoyment would find these boards.