Theme parks strive to be places where everyone can have fun, but when it comes to thrill rides, not every guest is able to participate. Whether it’s due to height, weight, or other accessibility concerns, some attractions simply have physical limitations. And for some guests, that reality is frustrating—especially in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.
A recent online discussion has sparked debate about ride inclusivity, with one guest voicing their frustration over weight restrictions on multiple Harry Potter rides.
The Frustration of Ride Restrictions
The Reddit user shared their experience, stating, “Spent the last two days at Universal/IoA, and while I had a great time, it’s annoying to see (mostly) Wizarding World stuff have such a restrictive weight limit. I’m 5’10, 300lb, but I was significantly bigger years ago. I can fit on most of the rides without issue, but Forbidden Journey, Motorbike, and Gringotts are absolute no-gos for me. It’s beyond frustrating, especially since I feel like my progress doesn’t mean anything when I look like a dope when I can’t fit into the test seats.”
They went on to question why Universal’s designers created ride vehicles that exclude larger guests, saying, “I have to miss out on the Potter stuff because whatever engineering group designed it seemed to have something against larger people.”
Are Ride Designers to Blame?
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Another commenter, who also identifies as a larger guest, defended Universal’s design choices, arguing that the constraints are based on physics, not bias.
“As a fat guy myself, I’m gonna ask you to slow your roll on the ‘engineering designed it against larger people.’ That’s just not true. Physics are what physics are, whether our dietary choices like it or not,” they wrote. “These parks spend billions of dollars designing rides within millimeters of tolerance. And sometimes that means if you want the ride to cost X dollars and be built in Y timeframe and perform to Z specifications, there are body shapes that are not going to fit in those seats.”
The user also pointed out that theme parks have been making efforts to accommodate larger guests in recent years, stating, “Given the annually increasing dimensions of the American population, they seem to be trying harder and harder to make things work for bigger people. TM posts on this sub since EU previews opened seem to indicate they’ve made great strides in making larger fits for Epic.”
Safety First
The heart of the issue comes down to one thing: safety. Thrill rides, especially high-speed and inverted coasters, require restraints that securely hold guests in place. Increasing the size of the ride vehicle even slightly can alter how the ride functions, which means there are unavoidable restrictions in place.
While theme parks continue to explore ways to accommodate a wider range of body types, the reality is that some rides will always have size limitations. And while that can be frustrating, it’s ultimately a matter of ensuring every guest who rides can do so safely.
