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Guest Mortified as She’s Escorted Off Popular Universal Ride

Guest Escorted off Flight of the Hippogriff Universal Japan
Credit: Universal

Traveling to another country and visiting a foreign theme park like Tokyo Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan is a bucket list item for many people. We dream of walking through the gates and feeling something magical that we haven’t experienced before. It is so exciting to board a ride that you’ve seen in photos and take off on an exciting adventure.

Of course, that is assuming that you actually fit on the ride. And, for one woman, her dream became a nightmare when she was told she could not board a ride because she was too large.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Japan

Credit: Universal

Related: VIDEO: Universal Studios Unveils Magical New Entertainment Experience

Yesi Hdez recently visited Universal Studios Japan and headed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There, she and her husband decided to ride Flight of the Hippogriff.

Flight of the Hippogriff takes guests on a thrilling trip around the Hogwarts grounds on the back of a Hippogriff. They will speed past the castle and around Hagrid’s hut in the Harry Potter area.

universal studios japan

Credit: Universal Parks & Experiences

Unfortunately, when she tried to board the ride, Ms. Hdez was told by a Universal team member that she would not be able to ride the Wizarding World attraction because she was too large. She was escorted to the exit, which she said was particularly embarrassing because it was in front of all the other guests who were waiting in line. She was then given a FastPass so she could get on another ride without waiting in line.

Yesi called the experience “humbling”, and did note that the team member was extremely polite. The team member reportedly told her that Japanese people are built smaller, so the rides can’t accommodate a lot of larger, foreign guests.

@yesivhdez

lol the way he was so sweet about it but the rides here are built smaller just fyi 😆😆😆 #universalstudiosjapan #fyp #osaka

♬ original sound – Nintendo – Nintendo

Ms. Hdez then posted a follow-up video, so followers could see how big she was. And, to be honest, she was not that big. She had a very average-looking body type. However, Ms. Hdez explained that, because her thighs are a little larger, the lap bar on Flight of the Hippogriff was not able to come down as far as it needed to.

She also reiterated that the Universal Park team members were very kind to her and apologetic. She acknowledged that there was nothing they could do, and it was not their fault she could not fit.

@yesivhdez

Replying to @ we all carry weight differently and that’s okay ✨ I thought it was humbling more than anything and good to know for future reference lol

♬ original sound – Yesi Hdez

Universal Studios Japan, however, is not the only Universal Resort that cannot accommodate larger guests. In fact, Universal is frequently called out for the size of its attractions. At both Universal Studios Hollywood and the Universal Orlando Resort, many larger guests find themselves unable to ride many of the popular attractions.

Engineers have said that Universal can build rides to accommodate larger guests, but, for whatever reason, they choose not to. However, they are definitely leaving out a big portion of guests who will visit a place like Disney instead, since Universal park rides are much more accommodating for different body types.

Do you think Universal needs to make its rides more accommodating for larger guests? Let us know in the comments!

About Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!

2 comments

  1. I rode the one in Orlando. I admit that it was tight on my legs. I wasn’t told I was too large for it, but I could see how even a tall person would have an issue with comfort on it.

  2. On Orlando you need a kid to ride this attraction. So, as a regular size adult 5’6″, size 10…I’m too big for the ride! It’s just what it is. It’s not disrespectful