To ask for overweight experiences at alton towers

[Justanothernamechange2]

Supposed to be going to A.T next week but im worried im too fat.

Im aware of the "chest restrictions" noted on the website - im not worried about those, im not exactly top heavy.

My issues are my thighs and tum. I wear a 18 top and a 22jeans. I worry about the bars coming down and my thighs being too chunky for them to close.

Does anyone have any experience to put my mind at rest, or even stories that will make me stay home instead

Soup...in my experience it’s not so much bulk as height that can be tricky. At Alton Towers the problem on Air was getting the shoulder thingy down over OPs shoulders (6’2 and broad), rather than for shorter, chunkier folk (like me!). Again Thorpe Park has practice seats to check in advance, but I really don’t think you need to worry.

Not OPs shoulders!! OH’s! Sorry for casting aspersions on your shoulders OP!

thanks @Whizbang

just one other question the chest restriction of 51 inches. should I be measuring under my armpits all the way round my cheat or with my arms down going round my chest too?

I am a similar size to the OP and I tried out the trial seat for Oblivion by the entrance. It was snug but fine.

I'm glad to hear tester seats are a thing now. I'm about the same size as the op and don't do rides anymore mainly (although not totally) due to having to either do the walk of shame in the past or being so truly wedged in I was worried the mechanism would give way by my weight that I won't go anymore.

I remember years ago going on a ride at flamingo land and not having enough strap - the strap was like a big seatbelt - I was thinking I would have to get off then we noticed my husbands bike had a much bigger strap than mine do we swapped.

Sorry Soup, I don’t know the detailed requirements I’m afraid. If it’s any consolation, we didn’t do any research at all and have only had a problem with the Air ride at Alton Towers. Also worth noting that it wasn’t embarrassing at all...staff were really friendly and nice and we didn’t feel any walk of shame type nonsense.

Well Small, you've been deleted twice on this thread, so far.... Nobody else has, oddly.

The small, narrow minded one seems to have left thank god.

OP please let us know how you got on and what’s there now I haven’t been in years! ☺️

I went when I was a size 18/20 and got on every ride, some felt like a tight squeeze though! You will see plenty of people that size there though, have fun!

I struggled to fit in a lot of them at a size 20/22 @OP (I'm 5ft6) as I have broad shoulders. It's not a very fun experience there when big. The rides can hurt too because of the extra weight.

A friend of mine is pretty big (20 odd stone) he was fine on everything apart from air I think. There was a seat to try before the queue, but I think he was just too embarrassed to see if he would fit in, he then had the embarrassment of having to get off the ride.

but I'm an intellectual, and when an intellectual gets involved they shake things up

That's hilarious! I suggest you use some of your intellect to look up the word "narcissist".

it must be my refreshing wit

Oh we all think you’re an absolutely shining wit.

There are some seats that are wider and have more legroom as me and DTs were asked to swap seats on Galactica for a man who was larger than average earlier this year.

no, but I'm an intellectual, and when an intellectual gets involved they shake things up.

😂 Keep going. You sound so clever ;-)

@JaquesHammer I think her keyboard is playing up and she meant to write that she's a twit.

I'm a 20 and an e cup. I just (and I mean just) about managed to squeeeeeeze in to air. Everything else was fine.

SoupforBrains I’m a size 18-20, 5ft 4, big hips, very big boobs. I go to Thorpe Park a lot and have no trouble. When I was a bit bigger, a size 22, I needed two members of staff to push the harness down on one ride before it would clip in. I can’t remember what ride it was, either Nemesis or Swarm. They didn’t bat an eyelid though and it was all fine once I was buckled in.

Nemesis has an adapted seat for larger chest sizes I think.
Colossus is a bit tight because there’s not much leg room (and it really hurts your head when you get knocked around)
Swarm is a bit tight and I find it quite difficult to get in/ out of because the seats are raised quite high
Zodiac and Samurai can also be a bit difficult to climb into if you’re short like me but the harnesses are fine
Stealth is fine for me
Saw is fine for me
Derren Brown’s Ghost Train has no harnesses so no worries there
Rumba Rapids has very small seats but staff won’t fill it to capacity (my husband and I can’t sit side by side but it’s comfortable to sit over two seats as there’s no divot or raised sections between them)

Those are the main rides I think (except Tidal Wave but I never go on that because I don’t like getting wet!)

I’m an annual pass holder so know the place quite well. Feel free to PM if you have more questions

Erm... loads of you are mentioning rides that are not at Alton Towers!

Huge apologies, I see you're talking about Thorpe Park! Never been there, so that confused the life out of me!

I’d have thought that they’d be restricting their customer base quite significantly if they didn’t cater for bigger people. Many people are your size or bigger. I’m no sylph, by the way.

Good luck OP!

As an aside, has anyone ever noticed how people who are proper genuinely intelligent ever need to tell other people that they are?

I’m a 20. I’ve always fit on all the rides.

I had to do the walk of shame off the Octonauts rollercoaster in Cbeebies Land. High octane thrill seeker ride lover me.

Smallstate if you enjoy debate then don't make your posts so virulent that they get removed.

Regarding tester seats I have always been too embarrassed to try them, they are always so public.