‘I’m a curvy girl – I could only go on certain rides at Thorpe Park’
A woman who says she is considered ‘big’ has revealed all of the roller coasters she was able to ride at Thorpe Park – but says she forgot one important thing.
It’s no secret that theme parks around the world have height and size requirements in place to ensure the wellbeing of people who want to ride their roller coasters.
Unfortunately there have been many tragic incidents where people have been hurt or even died because the safety rules have not been followed.
Regardless of whether you’re too short, tall, small or big, it can be a little embarrassing when you get to the front of the queue to be told that you don’t meet the entry demands which is why most theme parks list all of their rides’ requirements on their website, and at the front of each piece of equipment.
Giving some insight on the rules to riding some of the roller coasters at UK tourist attraction Thorpe Park, a curvy woman who says she considers herself to be “big” took to social media to share her insight and give people a tip that she forgot.
Describing herself, she wrote on Reddit: “I thought I would share my experience of my last visit to Thorpe Park and the size restrictions, as despite the generic 51-inch chest restrictions for the big thrill rides, I did and did not fit on rides. My very approx measurements: Chest: 48in Tummy: 49in Thigh: 27in.”
Breaking it down by each ride, she revealed she tried out the site’s post-apocalyptic roller coaster ‘The Swarm’ first. With speeds of almost 100 km/h and 4.5 G-force, it demands that riders be at least 1.4 m (4ft 6in) and have a torso no wider than 51 inches. It also states that people must have two full legs and in the event of an evacuation they must be able to pull themselves “up and out of the seat at an inclined angle and make a 180 degree turn onto the walkway with a waist harness”.
The roller coaster fan revealed that although she had to be “pushed in hard” she was able to ride it.
Next up was Colossus, which features 10 inversions, including a vertical loop, cobra roll, double corkscrew and the UK’s only quadruple barrel roll. With speeds of up to 44 mph, there are several rules to follow in order to ride it. Firstly, riders must be 1.4 m (4ft 6in) and have a torso no wider than 51 inches, and they must also have at least three full limbs. Thorpe Park’s website states “missing or amputated arms or legs must be below the elbow or the knee”.
Noting that she wasn’t able to ride Colossus, she added that although she could fit in the seat, the small car pushed her legs up into her tummy area making it very uncomfortable.
The woman went on to reveal that Nemesis Inferno was next, which she was able to ride thanks to the modified big seat in the fourth row. The inverted roller coaster boasts speeds of up to 50 mph and has the same safety restrictions as Colossus.
Undoubtedly one of the most breath-taking rides in the park is the horror film-inspired Saw roller coaster, which features a 100 degree drop, from a height of 100 ft. While the thrill-seeker was able to ride this particular roller coaster but she did mention that she had to be pushed in hard again.
According to the list of entry requirements on Thorpe Park’s website, Saw is perhaps the least accessible of its many rides. In addition to being at least 1.4 m (4ft 6in) tall and having a torso no wider than 51 inches, you also must have “full upper body strength including head and neck control and be able to brace against the forces” and three full limbs, adding “missing/amputated arms or legs must be below the elbow or the knee”.
The site also revealed that the ride is not suitable for non-ambulant riders, as you must be able to walk 25m unaided to the ride. It also listed a rider’s sensory needs, stating that people must be able to handle strobe lighting, loud noises and special effects.
The woman revealed that although she was able to fit in the Hyperia test seat, the ride actually closed down before she was able to have a go. And last but least was the Samurai, which she explained she did not ride as she had not fit in the test seat.
She finished: “Don’t do what I did and forget about the test seats – most of them seem to have a red/green light mechanism so you know if you’re good or not.” Heaping praise on the Thorpe Park employees who helped her, she added: “The ride staff were all so lovely, I really appreciate their professionalism and help getting me on the rides I love. And I now have a small goal to get back to being able to ride the front of nemesis inferno.”
People very much appreciated the woman’s honest account and thanked her in the comments. One user replied: “Thank you for posting! I haven’t been to Thorpe Park in years and I’m a lot bigger than I was then so I’ve wondered if I’ll go again at some point if it’s worth it.”
