Plus-Size Friendly Theme Parks

Theme parks are supposed to be exciting, thrill-seeking adventures, but for many of us fat people, it can feel extremely intimidating and disappointing. 

Thankfully many theme parks are starting to take notice and give plenty of information to plus-size guests before and during their trips. 

We pulled together a list of theme parks that are size-inclusive.

Disney Parks

No list would be complete without Disney on it. 

Disney parks are designed to include. At my heaviest (almost 300lbs) I was able to ride every single ride I wanted to in the park and never once be told that I needed to change where I was sitting or that the safety harnesses didn’t fit.

I honestly for a brief moment never once thought about “am I going to fit”. And that is a relief off my shoulders.

Now as a previous Disney employee I will tell you this, you are the main attraction at any Disney park. This motto really makes a difference when building rides and attractions because they don’t want to leave you out of the scene.

At the beginning of each line, there is a Disney cast member who counts the number of guests entering the line. This removes the need for a turnstile allowing heavier rides not to fear getting stuck. It also makes it more enjoyable to experience the scenery that is set for each attraction.

Secondly, the seats of many rides are designed to provide comfort and room while still being safe. While there are some rides that need a smaller seating area such as the Rock n’ Roller coaster and Space Mountain (Disney World) or the Matterhorn (Disneyland), there are very few that have sculpted seating that can be uncomfortable to sit in. 

Many of the ride’s safety harnesses are also designed for larger individuals as well. For example rides like The Little Mermaid in Epcot follows a similar guide with the lap bar as The Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom by having a few levels of locking the bar safely. 

Other rides that may require seat belts or safety harnesses also include a similar design for locking so larger chested or hippy individuals can still experience the joy that is Disney Theme Parks.

And lastly, if you are not a fan of the rides but still love Disney, they do a great job of providing attractions such as shows and interactive experiences that you don’t have to worry about safety harnesses and lap bars for. 

Universal Studios

Ok, ok, ok I know that you might be thinking about how small many of their rides are and the media frenzy that happened with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but just like Disney, Universal Studios doesn’t have weight restrictions.

However, Universal Studios does have dimension restrictions. Unlike Disney, many of the lap bars and safety harnesses have minimal restrictions for the safety of guests. They also like to design their rides with molded seats (whether for safety or esthetic who knows!). 

This can make it embarrassing for many who get in line just to be told at the end they can’t go on the ride.

To help with this Universal Studios has provided safety checkpoints outside of the line where you can sit in the seat and test the safety harness. 

The seat is designed to discreetly tell you whether you can or can’t ride the ride through a series of buttons. Green is go and red is no go.

While not completely ideal and can be intimidating with a bunch of people walking by, this can save you an even more embarrassing experience at the front of the line.

Want to learn more about Universal’s Wizarding World? Check out Adrian’s Crazy Life guide for a great visit to Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Six Flags

I will admit it has been a while since we visited Six Flags and we have one just 20 minutes from where we live.

But when visiting Six Flags you will find that just like Disney and Universal Studios do not have a weight restriction on their rides. 

The downside of Six Flags is that unlike Universal Studios tester seats are not provided. This can make for an embarrassing situation if it turns out you don’t fit and can feel like a large waste of time when lines can get over 60 minutes. 

Many of the rollercoasters are similarly molded which can make it very uncomfortable for larger riders as well. Here is a great read on another plus-size riders experience at Six Flags.

Busch Gardens

Unfortunately with Busch Gardens, you hear many stories of individuals taking the dreaded walk of shame. For me, it was a reality at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, however, in that awkward lesson I learned that Busch Gardens does actually provide riders with many options. 

First, their wider and size-inclusive seats are usually located in the middle of the rollercoaster. 

Second, their seats have a second safety harness.

Otherwise, Busch Gardens follows similar weight restrictions on their rides, but many of their rides seats are molded. This can make a larger person very uncomfortable even if the safety harness can come down and lock.

Conclusion

We have been to many theme parks and while this list can’t cover them all, these are some of the top theme parks throughout the United States. 

If you have had an experience at a smaller theme park, such as Dorney Park in Pennsylvania or Cedar Point in Ohio, let us know in the comments below.