
A guest was reportedly kicked off a ride at a popular theme park due to what she claims is “discrimination.”
Theme parks are designed to be enjoyable destinations for all, but sometimes, there are rules in place that mean that not everyone can enjoy certain attractions or experiences. Most of the time, the biggest restriction is a height requirement. For instance, at Universal Orlando Resort, guests wanting to ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster will be rejected from the ride if they don’t meet the minimum height.
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Occasionally, size can also play a role. Multiple theme parks have been criticized in recent years for not providing seats or harnesses that are not inclusive of plus-size guests. Both Universal Studios Hollywood’s Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Tron Lightcycle / Run at Walt Disney World Resort are frequently called out for this reason.
For that reason, several theme park attractions – such as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – boast test seats outside the attraction’s line. This will give you a green light if you’re able to safely fit into the attraction and save you the time and effort of joining the queue and finding out when you board the ride.
Sometimes, there are more specific reasons why guests are rejected from an attraction. In the past, guests have called out the likes of Universal Orlando Resort for not building attractions that are safe for amputees to ride. For example, last year, a 12-year-old boy was told he couldn’t ride Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure due to the fact that one leg was partially amputated.
“The staff said it was because he’s an above-knee amputee,” his mother, Gina Stephens, told Amplitude. “They told us, ‘You have to be a below-knee amputee in order to ride.’ So now my son’s looking at himself like it’s his fault, and having cancer was his fault. It felt very personal. He’s literally crying, he felt so horrible. He went home feeling like there is something wrong with being an above-knee amputee.”
Universal has faced several lawsuits for this very reason. In 2012, two amputees sued Universal Studios Hollywood after they were turned away from Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, which they claimed was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Four years later, Jessica Cox – a bilateral arm amputee who holds a pilot’s license and has a black belt in taekwondo – sued Universal Orlando Resort when she was barred from several rides.
“I feel it’s wrong that I can’t ride the rides,” she said in a now-deleted Facebook video (via Daily Mail). “But more specifically, I feel it is discriminatory that the manufacturer’s restrictions are so broad and not specific.”
Now, a similar case has occurred at a different theme park. A 33-year-old guest at Thorpe Park Resort made headlines after she was removed from a family roller coaster because she had no fingers.
According to National World, Lisa Morrison – who had a double hand amputation after being burned as a child – was visiting the British theme park in Surrey when she tried to ride the Flying Fish roller coaster with her six-year-old son. After spending an hour in line, Morrison was allegedly removed from her seat by a Thorpe Park manager after the ride operators noticed her hands.
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“We queued up for over an hour for the Flying Fish and they’d seen me in the queue and even asked how many people in our party there were too,” Morrison told National World. “We went through the barriers and got into the carriage and put our belts on. They [a Thorpe Park employee] walked up the ride to check everyone had their belts on and we were sitting for a good five minutes.”
She added that two workers kept looking over at her while talking before one asked her to get off the ride so they could talk. After she refused to get off the ride, a manager came over and told her that she “needed full upper body strength to go on the ride.”
Morrison denied that having no fingers means she doesn’t have full upper body strength. “My hands are amputated from just below the wrist,” she said. “That is not an arm, that’s a wrist. I’ve got my full arms. It was really embarrassing to get off, and my son was getting worked up.”
Flying Fish is a family roller coaster described by the park as “the perfect ride for young thrill seekers to earn their adrenaline apprenticeship.”
After being rejected from the ride, Morrison was given a yellow wristband to mark her as a double-arm amputee. Morrison also received a list of attractions that she could ride, which surprisingly included the Hyperia – the park’s newly opened (and mildly troubled) hypercoaster, which is recognized as the tallest and fastest in the country.
While she did manage to ride the teacups (despite being told this was an attraction she wouldn’t be allowed to ride), Morrison has insisted that she wouldn’t return to the park and that she feels this was an act of discrimination.
I understand that there are rules in place for a reason, but somebody not having fingers is not going to mean you’re going to fall out of a rollercoaster if you’re belted into it. I lost my hands and got my burn injuries when I was three months old so I don’t know any difference. I drive a car that is not adapted in any way. There’s nothing that I can’t do.
I do feel discriminated against. I think they [Thorpe Park] have hidden it behind health and safety rules because then by law it’s not classed as discrimination, it’s classed as health and safety. Their rules don’t say anything about someone missing a hand. It’s only about missing arms below the elbow. Someone missing their whole arm would be able to do a lot less than what I can do. I think the rules need to be clearer for a company that makes millions of pounds. They should be able to make the rides adaptable so everyone can ride.
Morrison – who was burned in a house fire when she was three months old, causing her to lose her hands and nose and undergo dozens of surgeries – also added that she had a much more positive experience at Alton Towers Resort. This is owned by the same operator as Thorpe Park, Merlin Entertainments.
Thorpe Park has since released a statement addressing Morrison’s concerns.
At Thorpe Park, we want to be the attraction of choice for visitors with disabilities. We are sorry to hear Lisa’s experience at Thorpe Park didn’t live up to her expectations. The health and safety of our guests is always our top priority. The minimum safety requirements to use certain rides are based upon the guidelines and best practices set by the equipment manufacturers and industry associations, which differ for each attraction. We adhere to their guidelines with the utmost attention and accuracy in order to ensure guest safety in all potential situations, including evacuations where guests may need to climb unaided.
Before visiting, we recommend that all guests with disabilities check our website, so they can best plan their visit. We have a dedicated ‘guide for guests with a disability’, which details ride restrictions that are in place for the safety of guests across all our rides. Within the ‘guide for guests with a disability’, guests are encouraged to pre-register for a Ride Access Pass, which was developed with the involvement and feedback from our disabled guests.
Our team spoke to Lisa on the day to explain the health and safety requirements for this ride and as a gesture of goodwill refunded her tickets and apologised for any confusion or discomfort caused. We have subsequently contacted Lisa again in order to further understand and clarify her concerns and remain willing to engage with her on this issue.
Beyond Flying Fish and Hyperia, Thorpe Park is home to an array of thrilling rides – many of which are record holders. This includes The Swarm, the UK’s first winged coaster, and SAW – The Ride, which was heralded as the world’s first horror movie-themed roller coaster.
Have you ever been turned away from a theme park attraction?