I’m plus-sized and it stinks that theme park rides aren’t built for fat people like me

A UK lady has shared her considerations about going to theme parks as a plus-sized buyer, even taking to TikTok about her expertise to assist others.

Heather O’Neill, 26, admitted she was fearful there can be points when she went to Thorpe Park, an amusement vacation spot in Surrey, England, saying that she was so nervous she wouldn’t match on the rides, she nearly canceled.

“The truth that I even have to consider if I'll match the rides is the primary distinction [in being a plus-sized visitor],” the mental-health nursing pupil instructed NeedToKnow.on-line.

O’Neill stated she worries about pushing down experience seats and security bars to shut them, including that she additionally is anxious about security following the dying of a 14-year-old boy who died after falling off a experience at a theme park in Orlando, Florida, in March. An post-mortem subsequently discovered that he was 96 kilos over the burden security restrict.

Deciding she didn’t need different individuals to be in the identical uncomfortable state of affairs, O’Neill — who's a measurement 24 to 26 — made a TikTok video of herself checking seat sizes for every experience.

“I used all of the check seats that I might discover, which most individuals don’t should do,” she defined. “However rides aren’t constructed for plus-size/fats individuals — it’s about accessibility and making areas inclusive for all our bodies and accessibility wants.”

@heatherruby96

My information to the seats at thorpe park for my fellow fats/plus measurement babes! I solely didn’t match on colossus! This can be a fats optimistic web page so no hate! 💖 #fatacceptance#fyp#bodypositive#fatpositive#haes#accessibility#fattok#fatokay

♬ Completely satisfied / Video CM / Ukulele ♬ Cooking / Household(897363) – ImoKenpi-Dou
O'Neill said the staff were 'helpful and kind' when she couldn't fit in a seat.
O’Neill stated park staff had been “useful and type” when she couldn’t slot in a seat.
Heather said she made the TikTok to help other plus-sized customers.
O’Neill stated she made the TikTok to assist different plus-sized prospects.
Jam Press/@heatherruby96

“I really feel just like the employees did every little thing they might, had been useful and type, however Thorpe Park is just not constructed for fats individuals like me,” O’Neill instructed NeedToKnow.on-line. “Theme parks, airplanes, buses — society isn’t constructed for anybody who's exterior of society’s norm of straight, able-bodied and slim.”

The TikToker stated she slot in a lot of the seats, with exceptions together with the Samurai attraction’s check seat — though she nonetheless managed to experience it — and the Colossus coaster.

Her video has been considered nearly 381,000 instances, leaving customers clamoring for extra content material.

Lots of of feedback flooded the video, many thanking O’Neill for her report.

“I’m glad they’re beginning to have check seats. I went to Alton Towers years in the past and it was humiliating having to get off rides as a substitute,” one person wrote.

“First time I ever tried a check seat was Nemesis Inferno and I obtained caught in it for about 20 minutes,” one other shared.

“Getting within the seats have all the time stopped me from going to theme parks, I can’t stand the judgement and prejudice,” a person commented.

O’Neill stated she made the TikTok to assist different plus-sized prospects really feel extra assured, including she was in search of a plus-size information earlier than she went.

“[On] Thorpe Park’s web site [it] was exhausting to search out the burden limits and measurement necessities. Quite a lot of the hyperlinks to the burden limits/accessibility got here up with ‘web page not discovered,’ ” she defined.

“I wished to assist fellow fats individuals out, to present them a optimistic, unfiltered, trustworthy information on what rides they might truly match on, and what rides had check seats, so they might see if they'd match.

“Fats individuals deserve accessibility and to take pleasure in theme parks, too!” she declared.

A spokesperson for Thorpe Park instructed Jam Press: “At Thorpe Park Resort, we care deeply about creating magical experiences which are inclusive for all of our friends.

“We have now all the time strived to create accessible points of interest the place individuals might be themselves and luxuriate in enjoyable experiences collectively.

“From workforce coaching to listening to visitor suggestions, our precedence is all the time centered on guaranteeing each one in all our friends enjoys a magical time out with us on the UK’s most thrilling theme park,” the spokesperson stated.

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