Larger, obese, chunky, cuddly, fat, big boy - call it what you will.

I've searched many a thread on various Alton Towers / Non-Alton Towers forums ahead of my visit to AT yesterday on the subject, being in the category myself

It was interesting and somewhat concerning reading different people's experiences, two people I'd find with seemingly very similar measurements had very differing experiences at AT with regards to what they were / weren't able to ride. I didn't find a shed load of recent threads / posts so thought I'd detail my experience for any other people searching for the same as me.

I'm about 5ft 10in tall and weigh approximately 18st 9lb. 2 weeks before the visit it was 6lb more than that but thought I'd better try and shift some weight off. My chest measurement is about 48.5" with a waist of 42" - 44".

I was nervous queuing for some of the rides I have to admit. The problem with me is I tend to bury my head in the sand a bit. Whilst there are test seats for some rides I feel squeezing into one whilst hoards of people walk past is a little embarrassing in itself, so I avoid them. For the same reason I also swerved asking the ride attendants to point me towards the 'big boy seats' if the ride had them because I was too embarrassed. Whilst neither of these are more embarrassing than a 'walk of shame' I did my usual burying of the head in the hope of avoiding all 3 potential blushes.

Anyway onto the rides themselves....

Spinball - I didn't even go there. It was a squeeze when I last went 3 years ago and I know I'm a stone or two heavier than back then so I was satisfied that even attempting this at my size was an absolute non-starter.

Oblivion - This was the first ride of the day for me. My previous research suggested that some (but not all) of the trains had a bigger seat on row 1, but not being sure and not wanting to ask I just had to hope for the best. I was seated on the front row in the nearest seat as you board. I pulled my restraint down as far as you can yourself but the seatbelt was comfortably short of reaching in. The ride attendant got the restraint down 2 more clicks but the belt was only half into the buckle. By placing her foot on the front bar and pushing down she was able to get it down *just* enough to click into place. Phew! If I was literally 1lb heavier I'm convinced I'd have had to get off.

Thirteen - Unfortunately didn't get to go on, I was on pram duty with our little one so sat this one out.

Rita - I have to admit I was a worried for this because having barely got on Oblivion my research had suggested Rita was less forgiving than Oblivion and there are no larger seats on Rita. So having not used the test seat, nor asked an attendant I hoped for the best but expected the worst. To my surprise however I the restraint came down OK and the belt clipped in with room to spare and all was good!

Air / Galactica - Wasn't aware of any larger seats on Air, but not wanting to ask anyway just hoped for the best. Was seated on the front row on one of the middle two seats and got on fine, needed a shove to get the required click on the restraint but was fine.

Nemesis - I'm aware that Nemesis does have some bigger seats but as per just kept my mouth shut and hoped for the best. Was seated on the 7th row, 2nd seat across as you board. This ended up being similar to Oblivion, in that I couldn't clip the belt in without some assistance from an attendant. She had to give it a real good push to get it down enough to clip it into the buckle although probably not as much as was required on Oblivion.

Smiler - All my previous research suggested that Smiler has the largest capacity restraints on the park which proved to be accurate as there was no shoving, shuffling or pushing required. Restraint down and on our way.

Despite it raining for most for the day on all of the rides that we went on I took my coat off so was only wearing a T-shirt. Not sure how much difference this makes but given how close Oblivion was I'd say it might have just made the difference!

Hope someone finds this post useful. Mixing my research and own expereince I'd say there's definitely no hard and fast rule when it comes to weight / chest size and success, I guess it varies on how and where different people carry the weight but having just squeezed on a couple of the rides, some people may be able to use me as a benchmark!

Cheers

Thanks for this it has helped a massive deal! 

Is there any larger women with any tips?

Quick update following another visit this month!

I'm a bit lighter than my visit last year, now exactly 18st, the only ride to update...

Wicker Man - It hadn't even crossed my mind to look into larger riders on this, so I just queued up and went on. Once we were sat down and the restraint locks activated, I pulled mine down and to my slight horror I couldn't get a click. Thought my first ever walk of shame was imminent, however the Ride Op came along and pushed it down without to much force and it clicked in. Phew! Whilst this was going on, there was a woman behind me having far worse problems. They seemed to be using some kind of metal bar to get leverage to push her restraint down? She was so embarrassed and I felt quite sorry for her because she was easily 4st lighter than me but had quite chunky legs.

graeme.mckenna wrote:

They seemed to be using some kind of metal bar to get leverage to push her restraint down?

The metal bars you speak of are used to manually release the restraint on an individual seat in the case of a re-check being needed. This massively aids throughput as it eliminates the need for every restraint on the train to be released and then re-checked.

Ah thanks for the heads up. I heard a clunk and turned round as they'd put the metal bar on the platform, I assumed it was being used to push the restraint and not release it. Cheers

I wanted to thank Graeme above for his post. I found his post very helpful. I am slightly taller then him (6ft) and bigger then him by a little. Currently weighing in at 19.5 stone. I wear size 42/44 waist but I wear them low, not around my belly button as you would measure the waist. So I’m likely officially larger, 50 I’d imagine. I was worried about the rides but was happy to skip some and let the kids enjoy them. I thought I’d update this with my experiences.

First up: Oblivion. The tester seat outside made me believe I’d fit comfortably. Wrong. I couldn’t get it down far enough to get the belt anywhere near the buckle! Fearing oncoming embarrassment I sat and waited. The ride attendant came over, pushed down and got the buckle in. Odd thing is it was tight around my shoulders, not my stomach! I have broad well developed shoulders. I feared the worst as we went off as I’d noticed the belt wasn’t in the best condition and was worried about the extra tension I was putting on it. I survived obviously lol. Least favourite ride as it’s so short.

Nemesis: aware they have ‘big boy’ seats. Was not put in it even when I asked. Ride attendant kinda chuckled as if to say you’ll be fine. Sat in a normal one and got clicked in with little effort.

Galactica: now the tester seat outside I could not get in at all. So I queued up with the kids, saw them on and waited for them by the steps to exit after they get off. Whilst waiting a guy larger in height and stomach then me was asked to get off as he was too big. (He was in the back row). He went up the stairs before coming back kicking up a stink and asking to speak to a supervisor as “the girl barely tried” and “a guy should try” as he big guy and would need “someone stronger”. The girl he spoke to said they could try again. And with no shame the guy got back in his seat and one, then two yes two guys put there all in to getting him clicked in! Now I know he cannot have enjoyed it as he would’ve been uncomfortable l! I speak from experience, let me explain. After he got on, I got talking to the ride attendant at the exit gate and she said they have bigger seats in row 4 for bigger people. She also said Bigger people would probably have a harder time on wicker man and the spinball ride due to the lap bars. So later, just before closing, we went on Galactica. I told the ride attendant putting us at the departure gates that I needed to go on the bigger seats. She just smiled and sent me to a normal seat! I did as a was told, climbed in and pulled the secure shoulder thing down. Clicked once but not in a hole for the bolt. Just past the start of the part it goes past to eventually get to the holes. Fearing the worst I sat and waited cursing the attendant that sent me to a normal seat, in my mind. An attendant came over and pushed down with all her might. Knee on it too. I told her I’d asked for the bigger seat in row 4 but was put here. She told me to pull down whilst she used her knee. Click! I was in. I was super uncomfortable but once we went into flying position I was ok. The other guy, no way did he enjoy that ride! I couldn’t take a full breath. This was just after a meal so that may have made a difference, who knows. Side note, kids say it’s better without the VR.

Wicker Man: after seeing large people in the queue I decided to try my luck. Told the ride attendant I was gonna try but may have to just walk off. She smiled and said she was sure I’d get on fine. Got on and got in. Couldn’t get the click myself. Ride attendant clicked me with little effort. What a ride!

Rita: No problems

Th13teen: No problems. What a ride!

Smiler: No problems. What a ride!

Didn’t try the Spinball ride. I’ve been on the similar one at Chessington when I was slimmer and it was super uncomfortable then. Was happy to skip it as the others were awesome.

I hope the additional info and my experiences helps others.

I'll be back soon enough. Slimmer of course but happy that I was able to go on all the rides I wanted to. Surprised I didn’t have to use a bigger seat on any of the rides!

Wanting to say thank you to the above reviews.

I was so worried about going as I am 6ft and 20st 5ibs. I wear 42 jeans but wear them low. So know my waist size is bigger.
I had read the online chest measurement restrictions and went and got a tape measure the night before to see if I would fit or not. It wasn't looking good let's just say that.

When we got their I was worrying the whole time about whether I would get on the rides or not. But here is a breakdown of how it went, and like the person above, I'm quiet and darent ask for help.

Wicker Man - first ride of the day. Sat in the seat and pulled the bar towards me and it didn't click (damn not a great start). The assistant came over tried pushing and it still wouldn't click. I asked her if I took my wallet and phone out of my pocket if that would help. (I was willing to try anything). To my surprise this actually worked and it clicked and away we went. FYI brilliant ride.

Smiler - next up was smiler and after reading other blogs I knew this had the biggest seats, so I wasn't as worried and yep straight on, problems. I was comfy and really enjoyed it.

Oblivion - I was nervous about this ride. But while waiting to get on a guy similar size to me(in my eyes looked a little smaller than I was) had do the walk of shame. Which did little to calm my nerves. I sat down pulled the harness down. But was struggling to get the seat belt in (I was worried at this point). The assistant came over and literally just clicked it in. She didn't need to push down or anything. (Don't know what I was doing wrong).

Nemesis - after reading reviews and with this being such an old ride I was worried about this one. But since I'd done good so far I wasn't as nervous. However I had no problems what so ever. Got the harness down and seat belt in. (4 from 4 so far)

Galactica - after doing so well I wasn't actually worried for this one. But I sat in the 3rd row on the right side and sat in. Pulled the harness down and it clicked once. I thought brilliant that was easy. But then the assistant came over and said it need to go down another notch. I tried pulling and it wouldn't budge. She asked if I was sat as far back as possible. I managed to move a tiny bit further back and she had to apply some pressure. She eventually got in down and in place. And in all fairness I wasn't uncomfy.
(We didn't do the VR because they said it was an extra hour que time for VR).

We didn't do Rita and Thirteen just because we basically ran out of time as it was school holls and other rides had quite long wait time.

As I am currently losing weight and had already lost 22ibs prior to going, I know next time I will be better position and probably won't need the assistants help.
But all in all if your similar sized to me don't worry too much. They will get you in one way or another.

Hi just thought I would comment on here thanks for the original post it was helpful this weekend. I am 6ft 7inches and 22 Stone with about a 52-54 chest I was very nervous about trying any of the rides and have stayed away from Roller coasters for many years. I went to Euro Disney over the summer and had no issues with rides and after losing over two stone this year after reading this post I thought I would give some of the rides a go I didn’t do many in the end but thought others might find my post useful.

Nemesis: After Reading I went onto Row 4 tried a seat on the outer edge which I was to big for so the attendant moved me to the middle seat on row 4 which had two straps and with little trouble I was in and felt very secure and comfortable and loved the ride I have always wanted to go on it so was delighted.

Thirteen: Apparently there is a height limit at the ride entrance I was two inches over it so didn’t even try

Rita: tried the test seat about 1 inch from closing didn’t wish to try it for real.

Galactica: Tried the test seat with the wife’s help I managed to get it closed so felt confident ride would be ok. Unfortunately I tried one of the back rows with the VR the guy couldn’t get me in to be fair I kind of panicked a bit so perhaps wasn’t sitting as well as I could of done so I had to walk away from the ride. Which was disappointing but I am aiming to lose another stone or two in the next few months so hopefully I can try again next year. Where I aim to get on Rita, Smiler and Wicker Man and give Galactica another go!

I’m 18 1/2 stone and 6’3” tall, no problem getting on any rides in this country, including spinball. Don’t usually need any assistance either, except for on Collosus at Thorpe Park. And that’s more to do with my shoulders. After they force the restraint down on Collosus my shoulders are pinned tightly to the seat, and they hurt for ages after, won’t ride it any more. Also of my 34 rides in Wickerman this season, I’ve had 1 ride where the op made the host push my bar down further. Not sure why it was needed just on that occasion, but there you go. Maybe I ate too much that morning. 

Thanks to everyone for posting this information. It’s really useful for me as I’m running a school trip this Summer and the kids are going to want me to get on all the rides! I’ve got a reconnaissance trip over the Easter hols so I’ll add my own experiences to this thread. I’ll make sure I have no phone/wallet in my pocket on Wicker Man...

This thread was really helpful, I lost a bunch of weight then piled it back on after losing my mum so I'm plodding back down again now as a 5'5 18st 7lb dude. I basically look like when they gave PAC man legs As I'm trying to combat my fear of coasters this has given me a good idea of which ons are going to need to be weight loss and fear goals

Good luck man! I know the struggle well...

Hello,

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone on this thread for their experiences.
I visited Alton Towers today and I was terrified I would not fit into anything and was googling like mad....hence stumbling upon this thread!

Here is my experience....

I'm female, 5ft 8 and weigh 19 stone exactly (I've lost 5 stone since my heaviest but I know I still have a long way to go). I am a pear shape, narrow shoulders and small bust but I carry my weight on my bottom half!!

So, first up, spinball whizzer....i didn't bother. I was over the weight limit anyway and did not want to be embarrassed.

Next was Smiler. I was feeling confident due to it being larger than other rides. I was fine. Pulled down with room to spare. Absolutely brilliant ride (fave of the day).

Then Oblivion, i tried the tester seat and managed to get in and fasten the belt but the seat hurt my outer thighs. The actual ride however didn't? I'm sure the tester seat was different to the ones on the ride. I was comfier and it fit with no issue.

Hex next with my little boy. No issues. Lap bar was tight but not impossible.

We then headed to Rita. Again no issues in test seat and no issues on the ride. Absolutely fab ride.

Then on to Thirteen. I was worried as it was an individual lap bar. I saw a guy have to do the walk of shame as I waited. I could feel my heart racing. I pulled the bar down with all my effort and it was fine. My legs felt very snug but not too uncomfortable. Great ride too!

Next was Galactica. My absolute nightmare!! Where do I start?? Years ago I did the walk of shame off of Air as it was previously known. I was petrified. I saw the tester seat and got in. I asked my other half to shove it to check it would click. It clicked alright. Then I didn't know how to get out!! Omg. The panic set in. How embarrassing??
My son started crying and my OH was in a complete panic. There was a round handle and he pulled it, pushed it, banged it etc. People were walking past and I felt so stupid.
I sent my OH to go get someone. He stopped an unsuspecting couple who stood with me while he went to find some staff. The lady then turned the handle and it opened?! I've never been so relieved and thankful to my hero!
Why didn't we turn the handle?! Why is there no sign on how to escape?! Lol.
After I calmed down I decided to get on the ride. Sat on and my OH clicked it down for me. I felt good. Then the attendant came and said he needed to click it once more. My heart sank. He asked me to scoot back....hmmmm. I breathed in and he pushed it down...it clicked once more. Phew!! I swear if I weighed 1lb more I would not have fit in. Loved the ride but I will never get in the tester seat again!! Plus I'll be slimmer when I next go!

Then on to Nemesis. No issues at all. Comfy like Smiler. Loved it and felt safe.

Next was Dual, Blade and River rapids (no issues on any).

Then last but not least, Wicker man. Omg amazing amazing ride but I did need the assistant to shove the bar down on this one. Bit annoying as I'd been fine on everything else except Galactica! Have a couple of little bruises on my thighs from the bar but so worth it.

So that's my experience!! I would do it all again....minus the tester seat!!

Date: 28 July 2019
Alton Towers

So first things first. I am currently 6ft in height and around 130kg in weight. 20+ stone. I have gained roughly 5 stone within 3 years due to pure laziness, denial and scoffing a lot. My build is fairly round, very chest heavy due to my body frame/structure from training for 3 years. Very broad and have a waist of 38" comfortably. Like I mentioned top heavy. Chest I would say is between 46-50" and wear a XXL t-shirt with man boobs pertruding. I have a decent amount of muscle mass as still training occasional, at least twice a week, but yeah, pretty chunky.

So first Ride was Galatica, was super stoked for this and as we entered the entrance I saw the tester seat outside, not taking it too serious I thought i would try my luck, but deep down I had a bad feeling about the ride. So got put on(not sure where) would of said row 4 or 5 towards the middle. I sat in my seat and surprisingly seemed like I had a lot of room and fitted "Comfortably" but i was wrong, the harness came down and it was a squeeze, like tight squeeze. I sat in my seat after 1 click and thought OK, is this right?, The attendant came over and put his full weight onto it, got another click, then walked off, I thought brill I'm on. after couple of seconds he came back and asked if i could move back anymore. I probably got about 10mm more, was literally that tight and he managed to get it down a notch. Safe to say, right now im start to panic a tad, i held them bars like an absolute maniac, i was scared, The ride itself was pretty decent(No VR) but it was the fact that at any point with 20 stone on this I could pop the latch. But overall a good ride.

Now my fears slightly set in, A walk of shame is not what I want at all. I actually at this point googled bigger rides at Alton towers and fount this thread.

Oblivion was next, Same as before I saw the seat outside and thought, Yeah this aint happening. After getting a locker and seeing a child get off it with little room, I skipped this one. Although a ride attendant was adamant i would of fitted and the seat outside wasn't a 100% replica, It's just a rough guide. So this one could of had potential.

Wicker Man was shut for repairs.

Next was Hex. I know its not a Ride as such but forgot about the end part where the hall spins. Got in the seats and the bar sat "Snug" on my thighs, not uncomfortable but slightly wary of it.

Thirteen up next. After the 100 minute Que, got on and with this one being a lap bar was sort of feeling OK for this one. Bar fitted fine with a little help. Short but quirky ride.

Rita next. This was fine, Apart from catching a few flies going around, It was fun, no issues with securing, apart from the operator doing a standard push down on the bar.

Smiler, At the point of the day, it was 17:06 as we que'd, the park was open until 18:00, after queuing for roughly half an hour, I and another mate noticed that they sent about 7 carts around with no one in, We thought, That's weird, there's a 75 minute Que at gone 17:00 but they aren't sending people round. Then a dreaded announcement happened, Ride is slightly delayed due to maintenance issues, all in all, we got onto the ride at 18:30ish, was stoked they let everyone on and not just shoo'd us all away because of park closure. Best ride by far, easily fit and was super comfy.

Last up was Duel. Simliar to Hex, it was a lap bar ride, but was ground based, so although snug on the thighs, there was no issue of safety and got 33000 points. Sweet.

Wicker Man was shut, as well as Nemesis and the repairs on Smiler.

All in all, i had a amazing day, It was 22 C and not a cloud in the sky. Its a shame though that having a scare on a ride affects your whole day, but hey ho. That scare being a possible removal from the ride. Also top tip, don't be afraid of haggling in and around the carnival games, i managed to get 15 balls on the Golf game for £3 and bit of shrapnel, You have to get a hole in one on a little island. It's meant to be £5 for 10 balls but as i walked over he said as it was later in the day i could have 15. Before walking up to him i put roughly £3 into my wallet and the rest in my pocket without him seeing, i then went over and emptied my wallet onto the desk, kind of playing it off as its my last bit of money, he took the bait and it saved me about £1.70, easy. 

I then went to the Basketball hoop stall to win a Husky teddy. it's 3 balls/shots for £5 or 1 ball for £2. i paid the first £5 for 3 balls and rimmed every shot. She then asked if i wanted another go and as this was on our way out the park i said, Yes for free, She giggled and said no but she could do 4 balls for £5, i said how about 4 balls and a 5th for a trickshot, She agreed to it and i actually got a teddy. Win win. The trickshot would of been facing backwards or further away, something like that but luckily didn't need it. Lastly, was on one of the grabbers and it was 30p per play or 4 plays for £1, i put a 50p coin into the slot and surprisingly got 4 plays, i may have got lucky or fount a "Glitch" as such but i wasn't complaining. 

I know this is long winded but wanted to explain everything as and how it happened, hope this helps my other chunky munky;s out there. Have fun 

First off, this forum was very helpful for me before heading to Alton Towers so thank you to everyone who contributed. I had serious anxiety about my weight being an issue on rides and spent the whole first day in the park worrying before every ride.

I am around 6ft in height and around 270lbs. My build is fairly round, very chest heavy due to my body frame/structure from training for 3 years. Very broad and have a waist of 38" in jeans and usually a 40” in suit trousers. Chest I would is between 48-50" and wear a XXL t-shirt with man boobs and love handles. I have a fair amount of muscle as well.

First ride we went on was Smiler. These seats are a little bigger than others in the park. I got on and the harness clicked in a few notches no bother.

Oblivion was next and from reading on here I knew these seats were tight. We got seated straight away on the front row and I pulled the harness down and got one or two clicks in. The belt case up and over but was a couple mm off of fastening in. When the staff member was checking everyone’s harness before heading off she got it in with no problems - I HAD BEEN TRYING TO PUT IT IN THE WRONG BIT! Granted the belt had a lot of tension on it but I’m still here to write this!
On our second day we came back to this ride and I got it no bother now I knew where to fasten the belt.


Rita next. This was fine, I know this is an older ride and has slightly smaller seats but harness came down with no problem and the belt is adjustable so managed to loosen all the way, clip in and pull tight giving me a good couple inches if I was biggest.

Right next to it was Thirteen. This ride is a lap bar ride and managed to get it locked in no problem. TIP! - If you struggle to get lap bars closed down, cross your feet and spread your knees apart, this will allow for the bar to come down a little further.

We then headed over to Galactica (the ride formerly as AIR). Now again after reading some horror stories I was worried this would be my first walk of shame. We got over and I got in with no problems at all, apart from having to move my feet back a little more for the feet harness to click properly.

Nemesis, I was on a seat with a double belt and only managed the first click on the harness however every seat including mines was a lot more loose than other rides, I could have got another click if I really tried but I was comfortable and secure.

We then left due to weather conditions and went back the next day as we had two day passes staying in the enchanted village.

First ride of the second day was Wickerman, another lap bar ride. Again I managed on no bother at all and if I really needed to could have crossed my feet.

As we were queuing for the Smiler on our second day, a lady who was at least my size and a half again got seated and couldn’t get the harness down. The members of staff tried to push the harness down but no movement. She was then asked to go off and change on to another seat in a different row (I assume one that was a little bigger) but still no luck therefore she had to wait on her partner coming off. I felt so sorry for her because I know how worried I was coming and how upsetting the walk of shame would make me feel.

We then went to Oblivion and the same larger lady from the smiler ride was queuing behind us for this one. I knew these seats were smaller than smilers so she would have no luck. They moved her on to a larger seat and had 2 staff members kneeling on top to try to get it pushed down but no movement. They said to her they would give her a couple fast passes for some lap bar rides as a consolation. Poor lady was heartbroken.

Hex is another lap and was a bit tight as it one lap bar between 4 but was ok as I had crossed my feet over.

Duel again is lap bar and was fine for space.

An overall successful weekend and had no problems on any of the rides. I hope this helps someone else out, I know next time I come I’ll be less chunky and won’t have to worry about any of these. 

Hi all,

I haven’t been to Alton Towers in years. I’ve recently lost 3 stone and I’ve been asked to go here with friends.

I recently visited Oakwood theme park - I fitted on Speed OK (had to have an extra push - and ended up going down around 4/5 clicks) but I had to do the walk of shame on Megaphobia (the seat was very narrow so I couldn’t get my rear in it). Pirate ship was also OK.

Any idea if I’m likely to fit in any ideas in Alton Towers?

Chest side 42DD
Waist 44/45 inches
Hips - May be around 55/56

Thanks for the thread!

Went today and unfortunately had to walk away twice.
Measurment wise, I'm 5 ft 8; chest 48 inches / 18-20 dress size / 36JJ bust; hips 55 inches / 22 dress size.

Air / Galactica: Already knew this was a long shot. Only gave it a go as I am lighter than my last visit in 2013 but in recent months put a lot of weight back on. It was apparent as soon as I sat down, it wasn't going to work so left before the attendant even came round.
Mine train: Sat alone; probably would have been fine sharing with a kid or slimmer friend but my companion for the day is just a much shorter version of me! I've rode alone before when partnered with another tall friend so it's as much for leg room as it is for hips!
Wickerman: No go. Might have worked if I could have crossed my feet but had bulky footwear on (if you know what New Rocks are, you'll understand lol!) and couldn't quite get the click. The attendant really thought we'd manage it but I asked them to stop as it was getting really embarassing. Friend got in fine.
Hex: Why does this ride have an unneccesarily tight lap bar!? I was fine, but never have understood it when the ride only tilts you a little bit.
Nemesis: Almost had it on the single buckle but they swapped us onto the double buckles just to make sure. Glad they did, much more comfortable.

Due to the horrendous weather, we didn't try the others, but from what's been said, I think I'd have been fine on Smiler. Not sure about 13... did manage it last time though with no trouble.

Will be going back next year so will be making a real effort to get my weight down again! The anxious and paranoid wait is almost as bad as the the walk of shame itself.

Found this thread really useful during a recent trip to Alton Towers, following a walk of shame on Wicker Man, so hopefully my contribution will help others too. I am a 5-ft 9 woman that carries my weight around my hips and bum, size 22. Is very obvious that the rides are designed and tested on men (apple shapes), not women (pear shape) who have generally wider hips and carry our excess weight differently. I saw bigger, fatter men (& a much bigger apple-shaped woman) get on rides that I could not fit, because they had narrower bottoms, even though they had much bigger bellies than me.

1. Galactica- yes. Tight seat meant I couldn't sit right back so I couldn't get 2nd click - they used a tool to tighten my seat belt. Convinced I was going to fall out & die meant I didn't fully appreciate the ride, which on reflection was probably my favourite - like flying. Had to wait for them to use same tool-key to loosen my lock & get me out, much to amusement of my sister, as I shouted to her that I was stuck.

2. Nemesis - yes. Knew there was a problem when I couldn't sit back fully in the chair because the seat was too narrow & side too high for my ample thighs. However got the click with a helpful push from the attendant and enjoyed the ride, albeit was very uncomfortable on the top of my 'saddlebag' legs.

3. Wicker Man - no. The one I really wanted to do. As I stepped in the car I knew I wasn't going to fit me - the seat looked too narrow & high sided. Sat down and low and behold could not fit into it. Forced myself in at an angle, but could not sit back far enough because the seat actually narrowed towards the back, guy told me to sit back, but I couldn't - meant there was a good couple of inches spare in seat behind me but I just couldn't fit my thighs back into the seat, so my legs/stomach were way forward. He told me to cross my legs but couldn't do that as was sat so forward, have long legs & large feet. A much bigger man got in the seat in front of me no problem - he sat back ok it was just because the seat was too narrow for my large female bum. Attendance couldn't push the bar down. Got out - walk of shame, gutted.

4. Oblivion - no. Found this thread - yay! Found the test Seat & went to sit in it - exactly the same problem as Wicker Man, the seat was just too narrow & highsided for my bum and hips. Refused to join the queue with my sister who said I should at least have a go, saw a much bigger apple-shaped woman come up after me and fit in the tester seat easily. As she carried her weight around her middle not around her bottom - that seems to be the issue for most of these rides for me - they are not designed for pear-shaped women. I knew I didn't want to humiliate myself again so didn't try.

5. The Smiler - yes. Based on above updates was confident it would be ok.  And absolutely no problem - generous seats got the click easily - great ride too.

6. Thirteen - no. No tester seat outside and was not prepared to take the risk. Didn't try it.

7. Rita - yes. Despite it being a narrow seat the sides are really low so my my thighs could just spill over the tester seat. As such decided to have a go & got in no problem, strapped in no problem too. My bum was bigger than the seat but I could just straddle the edge without an issue. Great ride.

8. River Rapids, free seating, no problem.

Hi!
Just visited Alton Towers yesterday!

Weigh 126kg

Am 176cm tall

Chest about 50”

Waist 44”

So.... much like the above really!
Had a great day, no walks of shame!

Smiler: no dramas

Galactica: no dramas - they very discreetly nudged me towards row 4

Oblivion: head for the centre of the front row, big seat there, no probs

Nemesis: was again diplomatically pointed towards a big seat.

Enterprise: no dramas

Didn’t do any others...


Also theres some data on here:


https://support.altontowers.com/hc/en-u ... the-rides-