Any issues for a big guy at Cedar Point?

Traveling to Cedar Point in June. 15 years ago, riding the rides wasn't an issue... However, currently, I'm 5'10" about 300# 56" chest and 44" waist. Wide shoulders but no hidin' the fact I got a gut. Is the day going to be a bust for me? should I stay home or plan on riding the bumper cars all day? Would rather not spend the $$ to watch everyone else ride all the rides.

Thanks for the feedback

The Intamin Rides (MIllennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Wicked Twister) will probably give you trouble, except Maverick, which is more accommodating for larger guests. Don't even count on WT. I'm a 38 waist and can barely fit, although I have lost some weight and can now fit better. The B&M Rides (Gatekeeper, Rougarou, and Raptor) have seats for larger guests, I think they are usually in the 4th row. And Valravn was confirmed to have such seats as well. You may have gotten better responses if you posted this at PointBuzz.

Ya know who I thought this was for a second...

Anyway, what Brian said.

Thanks man. I'll post there too.

With your chest and shoulders, rides with over-the-shoulder restraints (OTSRs) may be a bit of a problem. Rides like Blue Streak, Gemini, Mean Streak and the mine train that have lap bars are more restrictive to those with larger waists and longer legs, but have no relevant constraints on upper-body dimensions.

I'm 5'10 260lbs with broad shoulders and I don't come close to fitting on Wicked Twister - and given my frame I doubt that losing weight would help much. Other B&M rides with OTSRs are a squeeze but I still fit - big boy seats help so if I were you I'd seek those out exclusively.

Otherwise I fit on everything. The belts on MF are a tight squeeze for me and if I get much bigger I probably will not be able to fit. If you carry your weight mostly in your torso you might be ok, but if you're thick in the thighs and booty department it's going to be a struggle. Maybe put on your best pair of Spanx before you get in line for that one.

You have 4 - 5 months before your trip, and one could see this as motivation to drop some pounds and change your body. Sometimes the difference between riding the ride and "taking the walk" is a matter of inches, and sometimes a matter of centimeters, so every bit of change could be significant.

Be like this girl.

Or, roll the dice.

I will second what Ohio Stater said. I dropped over a hundred pounds so a) I will hopefully have more time on this earth to spend with my grandsons and b) to get back on the coasters again (and ride with the grandkids). I did all of that in just over a year. I was sixty pounds heavier than you. If you get started now you can be in a lot better shape for your trip. I still have a lot more weight to lose but I can fit into just about everything at Great America, my home park. Only V2 is a push for me and a lot of that is my broad shoulders. (It's funny because I can fit, every time, on the impulse up at Valleyfair, and am even comfortable, but both Wicked Twister and V2 have always given me problems).

If I were you, if you do lose weight, discount Wicked Twister right now as it probably won't happen. This means the two you are shooting for that are the next most difficult are Millenium Force and Dragster. Both use really tight belts. Figure 38 inch waist and you are in like Flynn. Shoot for that as a goal. The rest of it should be a can of corn if you get the waist down to that size.

Unless it's been changed, Woodstocks Express has teeny tiny seatbelts. I used to ride it all the time, then they changed the belts.

I admit, I am using the same inspiration for me. I couldn't ride with friends in the back row of Great Bear at HP and had to move to the "big boy row" for our final ride of the night. I was 265 on August 8th when this occurred. Today I am 239 and my goal is to get to the "suggested weight" for MF of 225 by my birthday when I go to the park in mid-May.

Besides the obvious health benefit that Kick mentioned, I would like to do what I enjoy doing, which of course is riding coasters, and not just those for "guests of exceptional size".

I hope this thread has given you motivation, as believe me when I say, if I can do it, you can do it.

My friend is the same size.

Things he can't fit on:

MForce, TopThrill, Wicked Twister. Mine Ride. Blue Streak, Mean Streak, Waveswinger, Scrambler, Maverick, Jr. Gemini (yes, I still call it that) Wood stock express.

Some of them are because of the belts, some are because of the way the seats are designed, some are because of both. An example of the seats would be Meanstreak, and Bluestreak, have the stupid seat divider things so it takes his girth and puts more up front, and then the seat belts won't fit around his waste.

A little trick at Cedar Point with the belts is to always pull them wayyyyyyy out first before sitting, then sit, then buckle. A LOT of people get stuck trying to find them once sitted on Mean Streak or Blue Streak...and MForce....and Top Thrill

The monster and a few other things he might have to ride by himself in.

Woodstock did loosen up the belts/lengthen a little bit (before they were REALLY small in the front of the train) this past year, they all seem to be the same length throughout (I use to not be able to ride in the front two cars) I'm 6'2" now I can ride in each.

Cedar Point is HANDS down the worst park for Coasters of people with larger body sizes (I say that, but yes, I realize there are many other rides one can do...and they are starting to make rides that can accommodate them....so their is still plenty to do). I just don't understand (no matter how many times people have said it)....or maybe I just disagree...how park A one state over can have the same type of ride and car, yet said person can fit on it, ride it, and have fun...but Cedar Point they can't? I know A LOT of it has to with safety....but that's a debate for another day. ;-)

Fitting into a roller coaster seat is as good a motivation as any to lose weight, although I feel ambivalent about this. As a formerly obese person and victim of discrimination, I strongly support the National Association to Aid Fat Acceptance and wish that more coasters were more accommodating to larger people. People shouldn't have to conform to a certain standard in order to enjoy theme parks. When I was at my heaviest - 214 lbs., 5'5 1/2 " - I was easily able to fit onto the Coney Island Cyclone. No way would I have been able to fit into my all-time fave, El Toro, which would tend to suggest that the older coasters were more forgiving. But that had nothing to do with my motivation to lose weight; it was more a case of not being able to fit into bus seats, toilet cubicles or subway turnstiles. The Cyclone at the age of about 20 was my last roller coaster ride until El Toro at the age of 57; had simply lost interest. Now, at 126 lbs. I can fit into anything but feel sorry for all the folks who get turned away from Toro b/c of the exceptionally tight restraints. I see all these people in line and can immediately spot someone who won't fit but can't say you're wasting your time, as that would be out of line and too cruel. As to Cedar Point, the fact that that park has 3 Intamin aggressive thrill rides says it all. I love Intamin but have to agree with the overwhelming consensus of opinion that B&M rides are more forgiving.

The general rule is that if it is an Intamin that it is going to be a tight fit for bigger people. They are, by far, the most restrictive of all of the manufacturers. I get it, though. It is all in the name of safety. Besides, if you are that big, your heart is probably not in the best of shape, either, which goes to the whole "you should not ride if you have a heart condition" angle of things. It is amazing how much my blood pressure dropped as I lost weight and exercised more. I still have weight to lose but I am back to a pretty normal blood pressure again. Eating healthier has dropped my cholesterol, too.

I will say this, it has been well worth it for me to lose the weight. Not only do I get to enjoy coasters again, but I am doing it just in time for me to share my ride time with my six year old grandson, too. He is going to have some awesome memories of riding roller coasters with his grandpa long after I am gone.