I am 5’3 coming in at 280 pounds, so I most definitely fit into the plus-size category. While I can still comfortably fit into airplane seats and various other seats, rollercoasters are a different story. There isn’t really a way to check if you can fit into the rides before going to the park, so you have to just put on your big girl panties and hope for the best.
Let’s be honest here. Not all the rides at Universal are plus-size friendly. In fact, quite a few aren’t. You should also be aware that while you might weigh the same as me, you might have different body dimensions. If you’re taller than me, the ride might fit you since you will look a lot slimmer than I do.
Lose Weight
Yeah, don’t be this person. We all can’t assume that just because a person is fat, that they are not trying to lose weight. Losing weight is a marathon and can take quite awhile. This doesn’t mean that a big, curvy, or fat person shouldn’t be able to enjoy the things that other people can, amusement parks included.
Tester Seats
As soon as you walk into the park, you need to run to the tester seats. No one wants to wait in line for an hour just to be told, you are too big for the ride. Then you have to do the walk of shame in front of all those people. Save yourself the embarrassment and the time.
There is a tester seat for every rollercoaster in Universal. When you sit in a tester seat and pull the latch, a green or red light with turn on. This will indicate whether you can fit the ride or not. A green light means you’re all good and a red light means you are too big.
Islands of Adventure Rides That ARE NOT Plus Size Friendly
Why don’t we get the bad ones out of the way. That way, you can avoid these rides at all cost.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Ride
I couldn’t fit the car seat or the motor bike. I am bottom heavy and carry my weight in my hips and thighs. If you have a more narrow bottom frame, then you might be able to fit this ride.
World VelociCoaster
I was so excited to try this ride, but unfortunately I couldn’t fit in the tester seat. Even when I tried to suck in my stomach.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
This ride is incredibly narrow, so if you have hips forget about it. I had to do the walk of shame when I went some months ago because the bar only clicked once. The bar was supposed to click twice. I had to rush off the ride and wait for my friend at the exit. Super embarrassing, but I just made sure to not make any eye contact as I was walking off.
Islands of Adventure Rides That ARE Plus-Size Friendly
The Incredible Hulk
I fit just right in this roller coaster meaning 2-5 more pounds and that would have been a different story. The ride has a pull down bar with buckles. I couldn’t fit well in the one buckle seat, so I had to sit in the two buckle seat.
Right before the worker navigates you to a certain row, make sure you ask them if you can sit in a two-buckle seat. They have the two buckle seats in every row, so don’t be embarrassed to ask. It will feel more comfortable.
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
This is a motion-based 3D ride and I comfortably fit. You pull down a latch and you can comfortably move in your seat.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
You sit in a bus on this ride, so even if you are bigger than me, you should have no issues with this particular ride.
Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls
I fit nicely into this ride, as well, but I do have to warn that you get pretty wet. If that isn’t your cup of tea, then I would skip this ride. You sit in a log structure that is pretty spacious.
Flight of The Hippogriff
I had absolutely no problems with this ride. I fit nicely in this ride and I most likely would still fit if I was 10-20 pounds heavier. It’s more of a kid ride, but still fun and it goes pretty fast.
Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
This ride has a circular structure where many people can be seated. It fits plus-size people comfortably and you do get drenched from head to toe.
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
This is my favorite ride in the park. I love it so much that my best friend and I rode it twice. I fit just right in this ride, but I definitely wouldn’t have fit if I was 5 pounds heavier. The ride has a pull down bar and you shoot right up into the sky and then get dropped down.
RECAP:
As you can see above, I still fit in most of the rides. I fit in way more than I didn’t and still had a blast. Again, we might weigh the same, but it does not guarantee that you will fit in the rides as we are all different heights and sizes.
Plus-Size friendly Rides at Universal
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
About The Author
