As feared Forbidden Journey is Not for Many

[lildamo]

Can tall people ride...what about those with large chests ....how about bodybuilders....

come on your nitpicking a bit

Just saying that the argument about the height requirement so kids can ride and the argument about body proportions are completely separate issues.

Also, larger seats for FJ are said to be coming - no indication as to when, but Universal seems to recognize that there's a problem and are dealing with it.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Just read another report on Micechat that if a person is taller than 6'7", they may be too big/tall to ride. Hmmmmm, which is it....taller than 6'3" or taller than 6'7"?

Well, I'm not going to get all worked up about it until there are more particulars available about this, hopefully from Universal.

 

[contemporarymom]

Two months ago I warned that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was not a ride a large percentage of people could ride

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435896

After listening to Petes Review Of WWOHP It seem I was right. 5'10 and 230 lbs is too big!

I'm honestly not trying to start anything or be cruel, but you do realize this person and another who was denied (I believe 5'8"/230-240) are considered medically obese. While some might refer to themselves as "shrek sized", barrel chested, big boned etc., the bottom line is these people are to large to safely ride. When designing a ride the engineers need to work with the median, not the extremes to ensure safety.

 

[Magpie]

I am a Universal Hater no more than you are a Universal apologist.

I dont Hate Universal as a matter of fact I love it. Why else would I follow a new attraction so closely..I am just amazed that Universal Management is so short sighted in thier thinking.....I know many say HP is not for all ages ..but many small people (KIDS) love Harry Potter...Why the Height restriction as well...Im sure a Thrilling all inclusive ride could have been made (see Spiderman , probably the greatest theme park ride ever built).

From a Managerial and investment standpoint it just makes sense to build a more accessible ride....Kids/fat/tall/short/old/large chested/muscular/ all cannot ride......DOES THIS MAKE SENSE...Would any of you who designed a ride at a LARGE park (catering to families) do such a thing with MILLIONS of dollars at stake....Would Animal Kingdom open with a safari ride with such restrictions.....would SeaWorld make a Whale show for 3/4 of their Patrons.....Harry Potter appeals to Kids and Families why not make a ride that can accomidate while it thrills. It can be done ...Universal has done it before...Mummy...MIB...SIMPSONS.....SPIDERMAN....CATinHAT...JP...these rides are all much more accessible.

A lot of this is just rumour.

First off...

Kids: Even Spiderman has a height limit, and you can't take your toddler on it no matter how much he or she loves Spidey. Minimum heights are a fact of life in EVERY amusement park, and give kids something to look forward to when they get older. Otherwise all the rides would be like the Land tour, and pretty darn boring to a lot of people. Not to mention, Universal differentiates itself from Disney by having more thrilling rides. They are catering to families with older kids, and adults. Positioning themselves in a different market is a smart business move, on their part.

Fat: Looks like they're still working this one out. But I bet having a seat fail to lock because someone's belly got in the way, and then having that person fall out in the middle of the ride, wouldn't make for a very pretty picture. Hopefully it's true that they're designing special seats for those folks.

Tall: Other than some rumour that people "over 6'3'' " and another about "anyone over 6' 7'' " being pulled out of line, I haven't seen any confirmed reports of your average tall person being banned from riding.

Any tall people here who couldn't ride?

Short: See above about "kids". I'm personally grateful for this as I really wouldn't want parents strapping their young children in to have them permanently traumatized by spiders and dementors.

Believe it or not, my daughter actually read the first book when she was four years old (she claims she was 3, but I'm pretty sure she's wrong), and was a huge fan from the very beginning. I would NOT have been upset that she couldn't ride. The castle by itself would have been more than enough.

Old: Where's this from? There hasn't even been a rumour about the aged being turned away. Unless you mean it wasn't fair of them to make an intense kind of ride at all, because what you wanted was a gentle boat ride.

Large Chested: No one large-chested has reported any problems at all, and there's not even a whisper of any well-endowed women being pulled out of line. All we've got here is worry and speculation.

Muscular: Again, nothing confirmed. The man who was unfortunate enough to be denied a ride never claimed to be muscular. We've yet to hear from anyone matching this description.

Based on the masses and masses of people going through the ride every day, MOST can ride.

Big bellies appear to be an issue. One person was refused a second ride, evidently due to issues with certain riders not fitting on the first day and possibly causing a ride shut down. A barrel chested person was tested by ride operators, but passed, to his great relief.

And that's it!

FWIW - my husband has at his heaviest weight been 5'10'' and 240 lbs. He couldn't ride a bungee ride at Canada's Wonderland because he was too heavy. He chalked it up to life, and was happy to watch the kids and me bouncing around. The last thing any of us would have wanted would be to have have him strap himself in and go flying and kill himself because the elastics broke.

He's much lighter now (under 200!) and he's looking forward to riding FJ.

I really wish the fellow with the heart condition who died on Expedition Everest the day we were there had listened to the warnings posted about riding the coaster. But I'm still glad they didn't make Everest a safe little train through the mountains so he could ride.

 

[minniejack]

As a larger person I'm used to not always fitting everywhere, it sucks but you get used to it. However one member of our party this summer is barely 140lbs and she may not fit in FJ either because she has a large chest. Tiny shoulders but big ****s !

that seriously just made me laugh out loud--I'm picturing swinging ***bies everywhere now...

 

[ear_poppin]

Seriously, You've planned to spend 1000's of $ and set aside whole days of your yearly vacation time for ONE ride only?!!? You didn't plan to do or enjoy ANYTHING else whilst you were there?!

Actually yes. My family travel to Orlando and California 3 to 4 times a year. We spend around $25k a year on holidays. We go to universal maybe every two years as we are bored with it ...but thought maybe this time with the new HP ride we will go back and give it another chance. We have booked to stay a few nights at a Universal hotel. There doesn't seem much point now.. No dramatics, no its not fair, I will simply amend our holiday to stay longer in Disney, and save money on Universal tickets , hotel etc.

Maybe some others will as well....who knows or cares save for Universal. The point is Universal are turning away customers. My husband is too tall, kids too small, and I doubt I would fit. Universal is turning like 6 Flags and Knotts Berry Farm ....the seat sizes over there are very small and designed for teenagers. Yes its about safety etc...but with a ride so eagerly anticipated as this, one would have thought Universal surely would have tried to include as many people as possible whilst keeping the visual thills and excitement of the ride.

 

[Dollyrar]

Actually yes. My family travel to Orlando and California 3 to 4 times a year. We spend around $25k a year on holidays. We go to universal maybe every two years as we are bored with it ...but thought maybe this time with the new HP ride we will go back and give it another chance. We have booked to stay a few nights at a Universal hotel. There doesn't seem much point now.. No dramatics, no its not fair, I will simply amend our holiday to stay longer in Disney, and save money on Universal tickets , hotel etc.

No offence, but I think that booking a 3 day stay (you say you had the hotel booked for a few nights, so I'm guessing it was at least this length) and only planning to go on the same ONE ride every day, the whole time you are there, whilst completely ignoring the other attractions would have been a waste of your time and money anyway. I think you've made the right decision.

 

[nmartin]

It seems to be about more than weight. Height is an issue, very broad shoulders might be an issue, large chest size might be an issue. So it's hard to give a definitive size limit.

My BIL is 6' 4" and muscular, broad shoulders, I don't know if too broad for FJ, but he was planning on taking big fan of HP daughter to Universal specifially for WWofHP and FJ, he says now they won't be going unless knows for sure that he can take her on FJ. He fits fine on every other ride at Universal and Cedar Point, why would it even cross his mind that he wouldnt fit on FJ? He knows now because I mentioned it to him yesterday, he wants to know why he would waste him money just for 2 re-themed rollercoasters and some gift shops?

I realize it's soft opening and every ride has issues, but I also totally understand people who are re-thinking their plans. I know I wouldn't want to find out until I got there whether or not I can ride the coolest new ride that's one of the main reasons for my trip to begin with.

I won't have a problem with fitting on FJ and neither will anybody in my party, but I kind of feel horrible for anyone being pulled out of a line because they are to large. How humiliating! We also have to remember that it is a soft opening for a reason, for the purpose to work out the bugs. Hopefully they can rectify the situation somewhat but restrictions maybe due to safety of the rider as well. We all want to ride but if someone gets hurt they are the first to complain. I guess what I am saying is that I can see US side and also guests in the parks complaints as well.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

No offence, but I think that booking a 3 day stay (you say you had the hotel booked for a few nights, so I'm guessing it was at least this length) and only planning to go on the same ONE ride every day, the whole time you are there, whilst completely ignoring the other attractions would have been a waste of your time and money anyway. I think you've made the right decision.

Oh, come on. It might be a waste of YOUR time and money, but how can you judge how anyone else spends their time or money?

 

[Metro West]

Just a matter of time.....

 

[Claire-Bear]

Just a matter of time.....

I was thinking the same thing

 

[mjohnson96]

From a Managerial and investment standpoint it just makes sense to build a more accessible ride....Kids/fat/tall/short/old/large chested/muscular/ all cannot ride......DOES THIS MAKE SENSE...Would any of you who designed a ride at a LARGE park (catering to families) do such a thing with MILLIONS of dollars at stake....Would Animal Kingdom open with a safari ride with such restrictions.....would SeaWorld make a Whale show for 3/4 of their Patrons.....Harry Potter appeals to Kids and Families why not make a ride that can accomidate while it thrills. It can be done ...Universal has done it before...Mummy...MIB...SIMPSONS.....SPIDERMAN....CATinHAT...JP...these rides are all much more accessible.

Yeah they should have made it like It's a Small World, the boat could have gone around the castle and the dementors could have sung. That would have been great!

I think only 1 or 2 people in our group might have issues. My Dad is pretty tall so he might have an issue with the height and then well if my chest doesn't fit I think I will need to bring some bandages to bound those babies up!

 

[serinlea]

I'm honestly not trying to start anything or be cruel, but you do realize this person and another who was denied (I believe 5'8"/230-240) are considered medically obese. While some might refer to themselves as "shrek sized", barrel chested, big boned etc., the bottom line is these people are to large to safely ride. When designing a ride the engineers need to work with the median, not the extremes to ensure safety.

You do realize that those who are "medically obese" are a third of the US population, right? By and large, obesity at this guy's size is nothing that leads one to encounter size restriction - even on airplanes.

I am 5'6", 220, and my husband is 5'11'', 245 - we have ridden every ride at Disney, our local Six Flags, another Six Flags in upstate NY, and Cedar Point without problems. We have flown at this size and not needed a second seat.

So yes, it is a shock that we probably will not be able to ride FJ. And honestly, why should we deal with the insane crowds if we can't ride the headline attraction? (We'd been planning to be there June 18.)

The most annoying part to me is the fact that we "may" not be able to ride...it's not like Universal's announcing any clear size restrictions so we know whether or not to waste our money. No, we either give up and don't even bother trying...or spend the money, stand in crazy lines, and take the chance that *maybe* we will be allowed on. The test seats are no help, as the guy whose size you reference above TRIED those test seats and fit fine...only to be told at the front he couldn't ride.

 

[Dollyrar]

Oh, come on. It might be a waste of YOUR time and money, but how can you judge how anyone else spends their time or money?

It's just an opinion. I believe that spending thousands of dollars for my family and I to queue up and sit on the same ride for 10 hours a day for 3+ days would be a disappointment to anybody, no matter how good that 4 minute attraction might be. What if you or your someone in your party didn't like it on your first ride, despite reading good things about it on the internet? What if it unexpectedly made you or your party feel unwell on the first ride, which you weren't anticipating? What if that one ride wasn't functioning for a large portion of the time that you were at the park?

As I said, it's just my opinion. You'll find that internet discussion boards are full of them

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

Two months ago I warned that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was not a ride a large percentage of people could ride

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435896

After listening to Petes Review Of WWOHP It seem I was right. 5'10 and 230 lbs is too big! I feel Universal has really made a misstep on this......According to Pete they have a FATPATROL and pull people out of the line...even those who are just Mildly Shrek size......in the words of Pete.......This was an engineering disaster

They are pulling large riders and tall riders out of line after waiting in line...If 6'3 or taller...NO DICE..thier legs will hit the Spiders and Dementors...Word is Universal is freaking out over the restrictions and trying to adjust things, but it may just be too cost prohibative to change it......

As for the heavier riders ...the first day of the ride opening there were several riders who were pushed into the harness by the ride opps...several patrons complained about brusing from the tight harness and the next day no ride opp was allowed to push the harness down on a patron.....it must close by itself..several patron who rode the attraction the day before were all of a sudden denied access.....I hope Univ gets thier act together or this ride will be an opperational nightmare....

If you are overweight you can't ride. It's not an insult nor should Universal feel they need to change anything. It's an eyeopener to those who need to be in better health, i think. Like i said previously FJ is my goal for this summer and it is stopping me form being a totally fatty every night

I want people to be safe and if that mean my fat butt can't ride so be it. I would never want an accident on my conscious.
No personal attack ( i'm overweight myself size 16) to anyone but I HATE the terms pooh sized or Shrek sized. You're overweight deal with it and stop trying to sugar coat it.

 

[ear_poppin]

No offence, but I think that booking a 3 day stay (you say you had the hotel booked for a few nights, so I'm guessing it was at least this length) and only planning to go on the same ONE ride every day, the whole time you are there, whilst completely ignoring the other attractions would have been a waste of your time and money anyway. I think you've made the right decision.

Where did I say we were only going to go on the one ride? Headliners pull in crowds and revitalise the experience. It makes it worth going back to Universal or more particularly Islands which for the last 5 years has been boring as hell...and for me will remain so if we can't ride the one new experience they have added in the last ten years...but I am glad all the normal sized people can ride.

 

[Planogirl]

Remember that this ride is in previews and lots of bugs are still being worked out. More details about size may still be coming once they work out the kinks.

I don't blame people for being unhappy that they might not be able to ride. I would be and I'd probably gripe a little but then I'd move on. This mechanism simply seems to have limits and that's just how it is. Should Universal have used a different technology? That's up for debate but they didn't. Hopefully as they tweak the ride, it will become more and more accessible.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

Remember that this ride is in previews and lots of bugs are still being worked out. More details about size may still be coming once they work out the kinks.

I don't blame people for being unhappy that they might not be able to ride. I would be and I'd probably gripe a little but then I'd move on. This mechanism simply seems to have limits and that's just how it is. Should Universal have used a different technology? That's up for debate but they didn't. Hopefully as they tweak the ride, it will become more and more accessible.

And if they did would that technology have given us the same ride experience or worst?

 

[Magpie]

If you are overweight you can't ride. It's not an insult nor should Universal feel they need to change anything. It's an eyeopener to those who need to be in better health, i think. Like i said previously FJ is my goal for this summer and it is stopping me form being a totally fatty every night

I want people to be safe and if that mean my fat butt can't ride so be it. I would never want an accident on my conscious.
No personal attack ( i'm overweight myself size 16) to anyone but I HATE the terms pooh sized or Shrek sized. You're overweight deal with it and stop trying to sugar coat it.

My husband particularly despises "Pooh sized". He's sort-of okay with "Shrek sized", though. At least Shrek has some mojo.

Our family doctor called me last fall and told me that my husbands test results came back bad, and if he didn't lose some weight, he was going to end up on blood pressure meds. So I changed how I cook and started making lunches for him to take to work. We also started walking every evening, and gradually my husband started adding to that by walking home from work as well. He lost 65 lbs, his blood pressure is down, and he's looking... really sexy, actually.

We're going to be doing lots of travelling this summer and fall, and it's so nice to be fit and have the extra energy to do it. And I've become kind of addicted to the walking. It's wonderful to just spend time together, talking. It reminds me just how much I love this guy.

Good luck with your weight-loss goals!

 

[Dollyrar]

Where did I say we were only going to go on the one ride? Headliners pull in crowds and revitalise the experience. It makes it worth going back to Universal or more particularly Islands which for the last 5 years has been boring as hell...and for me will remain so if we can't ride the one new experience they have added in the last ten years...but I am glad all the normal sized people can ride.

On page 2, post 27 you quoted the only part of my original post that stated this!!!!