Theme parks aren't one-size-fits-all, and larger fans say they're paying the price with their comfort and confidence

• Certain theme-park rides aren't accessible for larger body types, fans say.
• Solutions presented at the parks, like test seats, don't always fix the problem.

When the new Tron coaster opened at Disney World's Magic Kingdom back in April, theme-park reporter Madison Blancafor, couldn't wait for her chance to ride the high-speed coaster, based on the popular sci-fi franchise.

But when her opportunity to test-ride the Florida attraction, renamed Tron Lightcycle / Run, during a preview event finally came, the ride attendants told her she wouldn't be able to sit in the regular seat because of her size. Blancafor wears a US size 20 and identifies as plus-sized.

"The cast member up front was kind and gave me a few tips for how to shimmy my legs deeper into the knee hold for the seat," she told Insider, referring to the ride's bike-style vehicles. "But there was no amount of wiggling my hips or changing the angle of my knee or sucking in my stomach that was going to make that metal bar fit over my calf to lock me into place."

When the ride was still in previews, plus-size — typically size 18 and up in the US — Disney employees and early riders began sharing first-person accounts of not fitting safely on the new attraction because the seat didn't lock into place. Their only alternative was to ride the more accessible bench seat attached to some of the trains, which required waiting in a second line.

"I get a small spike of anxiety every time I step in line for a new coaster these days: Am I going to fit? If I don't, will the other riders in line be rude as I try? Will the ride operators be frustrated that I attempted?" Blancafor said.

Insider spoke to seven other US theme-park fans who said riding roller coasters isn't accessible, let alone comfortable, for every body type.

Theme parks have a size problem, fans say

What started as an innovative way to experience an attraction with bike-style ride vehicles is now causing issues for anyone with a larger body type.

"As I tried to board the bike, the employee who was helping me started pushing the bar near my knees until I felt like I'd get bruises," Molly Kay Nelson, a size-16 content creator who regularly visits Disney World and Disneyland, told Insider of her experience on Tron.

Representatives for Disney did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

The theme-park fan said she eventually asked to ride in one of the more accessible bench seats because she was so uncomfortable.

"It was also embarrassing, and it made my ride experience entirely unenjoyable because of my own mental block," Nelson told Insider.

Animal Kingdom's Flight of Passage, an Avatar-themed flight-simulation ride that opened in 2017, has a similar bike-like ride vehicle with back and leg restraints.

"I waited in the long line with friends and then was the only one who didn't fit and couldn't ride," Erin Leighton-Herrmann, who's a size 20, told Insider. "It's embarrassing as everyone watches you struggle and then be escorted to wait for your party outside."

The problem is not unique to Disney parks or the new wave of bike-like seats. Blancafor has also run into issues on some of the big-ticket classic rides at Universal Orlando in Florida.

"It is still discouraging and disheartening and, frankly, embarrassing every time it happens," she said. "As someone who has always loved roller coasters, it's sad that one of my favorite things is now also a source of insecurity and shame."

Brittany Cannon, who's a size 18, had trouble locking her seat on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a high-speed X-coaster with a thrilling drop at Universal Orlando, and ultimately wasn't able to ride, even after trying two different cars.

"They moved me to another 'more spacious' car and the lap bar still didn't lock," she said. "I heard some negative comments from other guests in line and ran as fast as I could to get away from the ride."

Any attractions with individual seats or lap restraints can be difficult for riders like Melani Avila, who's a size 20 and told Insider she carries most of her weight around her hips and thighs. In particular, she said, SeaWorld's Mako roller coaster, one of the fastest and tallest coasters in Orlando, is her "worst enemy."

"Some days, I can go on it, but I have had times where I've waited in line and gotten up there and the ride attendants weren't able to get the restraint to lock," she told Insider.

Representatives for SeaWorld Orlando did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Other fans say ride vehicles can be uncomfortable for a wide range of body types

Rides like Haunted Mansion at Disney World and Disneyland along with Men in Black Alien Attack at Universal Orlando offer more comfortable seating for a wider range of body types. But even "family-friendly" coasters like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom can be hard for adults to ride because of the smaller seats and the type of restraints used.

This is especially true on kid-targeted rides that require an accompanying adult for children under 7, said Sarah Gilliland, a size-12 theme-park reporter. Even though she's considered a mid-size woman (between size 10 and 16), her 5-foot-7 height can affect her ability to ride with her child.

"Not only are my legs crunched for space in those, but my hips and midsection often make it difficult to lock down the restraints to properly restrain myself and my 3-year-old," she said.

Height can also be a concern for riders like Gavin Doyle, the founder of the popular Disney fan site MickeyVisit.com and the best-selling author of "Disneyland Secrets." He's 6-foot-4 and, due to his height, struggles to fit into attractions at parks around the world.

At Disney World and Disneyland, he said, the Mad Tea Party attraction "always gives me a moment of anxiety" since multiple riders have to sit on a circular bench together. "My legs are just too long to comfortably fit down into the vehicle with multiple people," he added.

At Universal Orlando, the Escape from Gringotts attraction has also caused issues for Doyle because there's an "uncomfortable" shin guard in addition to a lap bar.

"The seat is also low so my legs are really bent out of shape," he told Insider. "This was the closest I was to opting out of a ride at Universal."

Most major US theme parks don't have clear guidelines for people with larger bodies

Although theme-park fans have recently been more open about issues with size-inclusivity on rides, the parks themselves don't currently offer many solutions.

Disney World doesn't have guidelines for those who have difficulty fitting into attraction seats. There's only a height-requirement page on its website and a note about reading the signage at each individual attraction for health and safety advisories along with guidelines for accessibility for those with disabilities. The same goes for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

SeaWorld Orlando has a 21-page PDF safety guide with a section called "Riders of Size" that lists out certain attractions guests might have trouble riding. But there aren't really any guidelines beyond using the test seats — ride vehicles typically located outside an attraction's queue that guests can try out before riding.

Universal Orlando has a 63-page PDF guide for rider safety and accessibility that lists over 20 rides that may not accommodate people who have a waistline of 40 inches or more. According to the guide, guests at the park who think they may not fit "are strongly encouraged to try the test seats provided at the entrance of the attractions to ensure their ability to ride."

But test seats aren't always a one-to-one fit. Cannon told Insider that even though she was able to fit into the test seat on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, once she got on the actual ride, the lap bar didn't close.

A representative from Universal said this can be a result of wear and tear on the test seats, and that they are working to ensure test seats are accurate to the ride vehicles.

In Nelson's experience, test seats are often used by people taking photos. This adds a level of embarrassment for riders, who told Insider they don't always want other fans watching as they test their ability to ride.

Beth Shenker, a size-16 theme-park fan, told Insider, "Seeing people not be able to do rides, or being put in a test seat which is being used as a photo op while everyone watches you, is truly mortifying."

A representative from Universal told Insider the company is experimenting with placing test seats for certain rides in more private locations at the Orlando parks. The representative added that the parks are also looking to improve size accessibility through "a company-wide task force actively working to safely increase access to our experiences."

One of the most inclusive sources Insider found was a blog post written by a plus-size theme-park fan on the official Dollywood website that mentions which rides in the Tennessee park owned by legendary country artist Dolly Parton are the most plus-size-friendly.

Mid- and plus-size fans say theme-park designers and engineers should take their experience into consideration

Ride restraints like lap bars and shin guards are ultimately there to keep riders safe, but if they don't work for a wide range of body types, they may be causing bigger problems.

Theme-park fans Insider spoke with seemed optimistic that, in the future, rides can be built for every body. Attraction designers and engineers would just need to take larger and taller builds into account from the very beginning of the design process.

"Size 16 is what is considered the national average size for women as of 2023 and if an 'average'-sized woman can't fit on a theme-park ride, we've got a lot of work to do," Nelson said.

Cannon explained how "frustrating" it can be to be turned away from a ride on a family vacation because of your size.

"Theme parks have the ability to cater to everyone, they just need to be more mindful about it," she told Insider.

Beyond making the start of the design process more inclusive of size, other fans have suggestions for how rides should be built. Avila, for instance, suggested making seats a little wider or building ride vehicles without rigid seat dividers.

"I understand that safety is a huge factor when making these rides, but I believe there are ways to make it safe while also including more people, especially on mid-thrill rides," she told Insider.

Gabriella Stewart, a former Disney Imagineer who helped design rides for the company from 2011 to 2019, told Insider that "size and inclusivity" is a priority in the US. Part of the process of building and opening a new attraction, specifically at a Disney theme park, includes collaboration between Imagineering and other divisions, including operations and facility-asset management.

But Justin Martin, a themed entertainment art director who worked for the Universal Parks between 2018 and 2019, told Insider that "size-inclusivity was never a conversation point that was made."

He added that safety was much more of a priority when it came to ride-vehicle design. But he's hopeful that recent accessibility features, like the bench seat on Tron, will become the norm.

"We really need to continue to push having vehicles that are sensible for everybody," he said, later adding, "I think diversifying the voices in the room will ultimately help change the trajectory of how these rides are designed."