At Large Trip Reports
BarbaraW – 2004
Lisa – 2004
Rose – 2004
Rosie – 2004
Grace – 2004
Sue – 2004
Anthony – 2004
KevenL – July 2003
Lauren – September 2003
Nancy – 2001
This is an "At Large" trip report. My husband and I visited WDW, along with our 3 year old son and another friend, in December 2004. I had read many of the "At Large" reports before I went and was determined to write one myself when I came back! Stats on me: I am 5'4", around 300 lbs, and carry most of my weight in my belly.
Special note about AirTran: I found them to be an *extremely* courteous airline to fly with. Their seats seemed roomier than some other airlines, and the flight attendants had no problem handing me a seat belt extender right when I got on the plane.
I'll list the rides I went on, along with any comments I have about them. (We did not go to Animal Kingdom this trip.)
Disney/MGM Studios:
Great Movie Ride: no problem, had to wiggle a bit to get on the car (I've found this as a consistent problem with some of the ride vehicles; more on that later).
Rock'n'Roller Coaster: no problem at all, felt very secure. The friend I rode with and I said that we couldn't imagine anyone *not* fitting on this ride who would physically fit in the seat. I have no idea why there's a size warning on this ride.
I did not ride Tower of Terror on this trip but have ridden it previously with no problem whatsoever.
WWTBAM-Play It! Got to sit in the Fastest Finger seats by virtue of being the "Phone a Complete Stranger" person for the previous game, and found them much more comfortable than the regular theatre seats. The key seems to be getting there early and getting lucky with what cast member is near you, but it's certainly something to try!
MuppetVision 3-D: seats were small as many have mentioned, I did the "sit on the edge and slide in" trick and didn't feel too cramped.
Epcot:
El Rio de Tiempo: no problem at all
Spaceship Earth: no problem
Ellen's Energy Adventure and Journey Into Imagination: no problem once actually in the ride vehicles, but had to "wiggle" into them. This seems to be a problem with a lot of the vehicles that have a molded "doorway" into the car. The one on Journey was a particular problem because the car is higher, but I made it in finally by standing on my tiptoes. A taller person probably wouldn't have a problem.
Mission: Space: no problem fitting at all and didn't feel claustrophobic.
Magic Kingdom:
No problem at all with most rides in the MK. Had the aforementioned vehicle problem on Winnie the Pooh and Snow White, but it was manageable. On the advice of many here, I did not try to go through the turnstiles at Pirates. A very nice CM opened the gate for me.
I did not ride Space Mountain, but I was a bit worried about fitting on that one.
Astro Orbiter/Dumbo type rides: I chose to ride by myself and let my husband ride with our son in order to avoid having to deal with seat belt problems or car rising problems. My Astro Orbiter did not want to rise, but I couldn't tell if it was broken or I was too heavy. Anyone know if there's a weight limit on those cars?
General tips: be nice to your feet! Mine were shot by about the second day, to the point where I was seriously thinking of renting an ECV (but didn't end up doing so). My experience was that good walking sandals like Birkenstocks were better on my feet than sneakers.
Also: I was introduced to a fabulous product recently that prevents chafing. It's called Mexsana powder, and it's medicated cornstarch. I had an issue with chafing the first day, used it that night, and the chafing was almost completely gone by the next morning and never came back. I feel very lucky my travelling companion introduced me to it.
Hope this helps someone who has worries about fitting on rides or other "big folks" issues at WDW. We had a great time. 🙂
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I recently returned from a fabulous trip to Walt Disney World. I am a person of size 5'7" 360lbs. I was very worried about not fitting into rides and other attraction but was plesantly surprised that I fit into everything comfortably. I rode the Safari Ride and Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom. At MGM I only had a chance to ride The Tower of Terror but had plenty of space. The Tower only had one restraint and that was a lap belt. I could have fit one of my skinny friends in the belt with me. While at Epcot I rode the Test Track and Mission Space. I did not have a problem with either fitting into the space provided. Though I did get sick after riding Mission Space which cut my riding to a minimum. Be sure to listen to the warnings concerning motion sickness. At Magic Kingdom I rode the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. I had not problem with either of these rides either. I hope the updates help!
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Well, my second visit to Disney World and this time my weight didn't keep me sitting on the bench, holding the backpack. Because of your web site, this was the first time I rode some rides. It felt great walking around not feeling worried about "fitting in".
I am 58, weigh 350 and I have problems with leg strength…but I did Animal Kingdom the first day on foot. I am afraid I had to skip the first half of the Magic Kingdom due to my legs, but by that afternoon I was ready to go. I did get a motorized chair the 3rd day, but I don't recommend it for Epcot. I regretted getting it. I recommend it for Magic Kingdom.
I rode Dinosaur – it wasn't as great as I expected, but at least I rode it. In Animal Kingdom I rode Kali River and it was a drenching experience. The Safari Ride was comfortable and relaxing. I also rode Peter Pan and I can't believe I rode the GM Test Track – WOW 67.8 MPH. Everything was so much fun because ALLEars gave me the courage to ride and to have a great time with my grandchildren.
We stayed in the new family suite at Shades Of Green and it was fabulous. I was worried about getting on and off the buses, but even they were easy for my weak legs.
GO! ENJOY! And if you are able, ride it ALL, and have the time of your life.
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I was so grateful to find your WDW at large info before my trip that I vowed to contribute to it upon my return. Here are my thoughts and experiences after one week at WDW. I am 5'11" and about 330 pounds.
* First of all, there are people there of all shapes and sizes. * Secondly, most are so caught up in their own vacations that I did not feel anywhere near as "noticed" as I do on a typical day not in the parks. Here are my observations/suggestions:
Magic Kingdom:
small world: no prob
haunted mansion: no prob
pirates: no problem
splash mountain: tight fit, esp for my legs. Really felt crunched in the seat. Hard get in and out of, but, do-able.
space mountain: I was worried about this one. When I got to the loading point, I asked the CM where were the biggest seats for someone my size. She directed me to rows 5 & 6. Upon looking at those seats, I went back to her and told her they looked small to me. She said: "I have been working her 7 years- trust me". I did and she was right. I fit fine and it was much more comfy then spash mountain.
MGM:
ToT– no problem
rock 'n roller: this is the 1st time I rode in a ride where the restraints come from over your head. Mine did not come as far down as others, but it was still secure. Translated: I did not fly out of the seat like I thought I might! These seats were hard for me to get in/out of. But, put your ego aside and just do it- the ride is fun.
Drew Carey: small theatre seats. Sit on the tip of the seat and slide back in. That worked for me and saved my thighs!
Muppets: After drew carey these seats seemed huge!
Live shows: all bench seats. no problems.
EPCOT:
Test Track: No prob. Pull the seat belts all the way out before sitting down. They are plenty big. I preferred the end seats as opposed to the middle, tho the middle only has a lap seatbelt, not chest/lap.
Maelstrom: no prob
spaceship earth: no prob
Honey I shrunk: theatre seats Again, after Drew Carey these were AOK.
Animal Kingdom:
Safari: no prob
Dinosaur: no prob – pull the seat belts all the way out
Kali River: these are the old fashioned seat belts. I sat on this ride w/ my avg sized 9yo and we had room to spare. If you are worried, sit alone or w/ someone smaller and you will probably be fine.
Bugs life: no prob.
Happy Vacation! Don't put off going to WDW because you are worried about "fitting in" — I was pleasantly surprised and am really happy we went.
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My family of 4 has just returned from a 10 day vacation to WDW. I was so happy to find your web page prior to our trip. I am a 5'4"and 290 lbs. Needless to say I was very nervous about fitting on the rides.I had no trouble fitting through the turnstiles except for Carosel of Progress, that one is SMALL,but the seats were fine, use the wheel chair entrance if you can. Drew Carey seats are very small, also the Little Mermaid seats were small, if you sit sideways it's not too bad. On Thunder Mountain I sat with my very slender daughter who's 10, she didn't have much of a lap bar, so next time I sat with my husband and let her sit with her sister. Everything else we tried I fit just fine.
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We just returned from an incredible WDW trip. I have 4 children under 11, and I was very concerned about my size, and fitting into rides with my kids. I am 5'9 and a size 22 to 24, with a lot of my weight in my hips. I was very reassured by your readers before I went, and just wanted to let future readers know my experience. I went on most rides in all 4 parks and had no problem. This includes Rock and Roller Coaster (It has a sign that certain sizes shouldn't ride it, which really worried me, but it only has a shoulder harness, which came down easily over me), Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Backlot Tour, Star Tours (the belt was plenty big), Kali River Rapids, Pirates of the Car., and Buzz LightYear. Because my child was sleeping, I did not go on Mission Space or Test Track, however, I get the impression that Disney is aware of society's larger sizes, and since they are newer rides, most likely they have accomodated larger riders. However, even the classics were not a problem for me, such as Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo and the Teacups. I did notice a couple of smaller turnstyles in some older spots, which I had read about here before I went, but I simply quickly turned sideways (or went through the gate with the stroller), and had no problem. Literally, my size, which had worried me for months as I tried to diet for the vacation, was not a problem. Just have fun!
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I am about 6'4" and over 350 lbs….the hardest rides for me to ride were splash mountain, buzz lightyear and snow white…my knees were bunched more so then a airplane seat especially buzz lightyear. I accidently moved alittle bit too much and it reset my score. Splash mountain was easy to get into but a little challenge to get out of. Surprisingly enough Star Tours was a good fit and so was the Rockin Roller coaster. Mission Space was also hard due to the fact that i have longer arms then most (it was also harder trying to reach the controls and push the buttons) and the cramp and tight quarters of the ride. Test track I could fit the seat belts.
Keven Lewis writes: At 6' 7" and just back from taking my two-year-old to WDW, I have the following insights.
1) No problem at all fitting in most of the rides – sometimes you have to sit pseudo-Indian Style, but I rode with Robbie on all the kiddie rides (Dumbo, Peter Pan, Tomorrowland Speedway etc.) with no discomfort.
2) Only "shoulder harness" ride I went on was Alien Encounter – the entire assembly lowers to your shoulders, no problem here. (Sometimes shoulder harnesses are hinged, and us taller folks are treated to a spine compression.
3) Biggest surprise was Space Mountain – the only restraint is a T-bar that comes up between your legs and *should* lower to rest on top of your thighs – however, my knees were sticking out of the small cars and the t-bar went between my legs (i.e., I rode with no restraint). Look for the car with finger indentations in the fiberglass sides; that's the one I rode in.
4) You probably know this, but don't hold your hands up on Big Thunder or Splash Mountain either. You'll end up whacking things.
I love this site and especially appreciate the info on the "at Large" page so I wanted to share some info. I just got back on Saturday, September 27th from a week long trip at WDW.
For your reference, let me start by saying I am 31 years old, 5'2" and 271 lbs. My husband is about 5'9" and 245 lbs. I am pretty agile and work out regularly on a stationary bike so I don't have any mobility issues. I do however, like most of us chubby folks, get very stressed out over fitting in airplane seats, rides, turnstiles etc.
Let me start with turnstiles. The turnstiles at the entrances to the parks are all reasonably sized so no problem there. The Magic Kingdom turnstiles however, are ridiculously small. Especially troublesome for me were the turnstiles at the Hall of Presidents, the Country Bear Jamboree and the Haunted Mansion. On a previous trip in 2000 I also had a problem with Alien Encounter and Pirates of the Carribean. Thankfully I didn't get stuck in any of them but I did struggle which is embarrasing in itself. There were other larger folks struggling too so I was not alone. I would have to agree with previous posters and suggest that folks utilize the handicap gates where available.
Rides:
My husband and I fit fine side by side on the Aerosmith Rollercoaster. There is a shoulder harness and I have a 48 DD bust and it fit with no problem. Space Mountain is a different story, luckily the cast member doing the seating was experienced. He asked how many riders, I said two and he put my husband in the back seat of the first car and me in the front seat of the car right behind him. It was obvious to me that he was allowing me more room in the front seat of a car but no one around me suspected a thing. The safety bar on this ride is very snug as it pulls down right into your belly and I didn't think it was going to catch at first but I pulled it down hard and it clicked. The seat itself was wide enough.
No problem at all on Test Track the seat belts are very large, just pull it out as far as it will go and then sit down. My husband had to clip it for me since my butt was sitting on the clip part.
Tower of Terror is now individual seatbelts rather than a lap bar. ! I was most nervous about this ride as I had only ridden it with the lap bar before. No problem here either, the belts are generously sized and it actually felt sort of loose, I rode several times in the isle, middle and next to the wall and had no trouble in any seat.
New ride: Mission Space, this is a very small seating area, you sit four across, the seat itself and shoulder harness are fine but the front of the console tilts towards you when the capsule door shuts so it is a little confining. It is not restricting it just made me a little nervous. Just as a note: I hated this ride. I was sick for two hours afterwards with serious motion sickness. My husband on the other hand loved it and made me stand in line with him a second time and then bail out at the last minute this way he wasn't alone on line for 30 minutes.
Dinousaur, ample enough seat belts but the seats are very uncomfortable and the ride is jerky so my thighs got a little beat up.
Teacups were fine, and all! rides with little cars and a lap bar: Haunted Mansion, Space Ranger Spin, Pooh etc were all fine.
Theater seats: Drew Cary Sounds Dangerous were the smallest seats, Muppets 3D and Honey I Shrunk the Kids were small too. Having said that it is very easy to move down a row and put your backpack or jacket on the seat next to you so no one will sit there. This way you have a little room to "spread out". Who wants to be a Millionaire really packs people in and the seats are small so the second time around I took a seat on the end of the row and was able to do the "one cheek" sit and was fine.
I did pratically every ride so if I didn't mention it that means it was a breeze.
Hope this info helps alleviate some fears. I know how stressful it could be to want to have fun but worry about "fitting".
