Stuck in the turnstiles

[sandravb79]

While reading the salt-thread and reading the "fat"-posts, and just coming back from Disneyland, I have a question.

At some point in each attraction, you have those turnstiles (is that how they are called??? sorry, I am not a native English speaker). Now, I am not the skinniest person on Earth, but I am certainly not heavily overweighted or so. Nevertheless, I almost don't fit through those turnstiles. What I wondered: did anyone ever get stuck in them? Or what do people do when they don't fit through them?
Or what about the rides themselves? At the Storybook Canal boats, our boat almost flipped over when 4 heavy people of the same party wanted to sit next to each other (the CM asked then if 2 of them could come sit on the other side of the boat) At some attractions, it must be dangerous, no?

(btw, I also wonder what heavier people do in the airplane, I can't imagine they all upgrade to business class. I almost don't fit in those chairs, so how do they do it?)

For those who think I want to make fun out of heavy people, no I don't. This is reality. On the QE2 or QM2, they have problems with the furniture. The chairs don't support the heavier people.
Somewhere a boat sunk. The boat could fit, let's say 20 people, but apparantly, the poeple in the boat were all heavier than the average, causing the boat to sik. Airlines also have problems with this.
I can imagine rides as Peter Pan, where you hang onto a rail, must take this issue into consideration for safety issues.

[hobie16]

In addition to turnstile jamming and boat flipping here's something else to be concerned with if you're carrying a few extra pounds.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/ ... on/tb/2069

[sandravb79]

After having read the article, I am sure I have more chances to die from a Small World boat that sinks because of other guests than from a heart attack.
My waist-hip ratio is good, I don't smoke, I don't have diabetes etc etc

What my mom and I thought while walking through Disney in the morning is that they can serve breakfast, but that they shouldn't serve burgers, fries, ice cream, ... before a certain time. I mean, eating a Dole Whip at 9 am is just making you fat; At that time, you don't need something refreshing or so...

[BRWombat]

While reading the salt-thread and reading the "fat"-posts, and just coming back from Disneyland, I have a question.

At some point in each attraction, you have those turnstiles (is that how they are called??? sorry, I am not a native English speaker). Now, I am not the skinniest person on Earth, but I am certainly not heavily overweighted or so. Nevertheless, I almost don't fit through those turnstiles. What I wondered: did anyone ever get stuck in them? Or what do people do when they don't fit through them?
Or what about the rides themselves? At the Storybook Canal boats, our boat almost flipped over when 4 heavy people of the same party wanted to sit next to each other (the CM asked then if 2 of them could come sit on the other side of the boat) At some attractions, it must be dangerous, no?

(btw, I also wonder what heavier people do in the airplane, I can't imagine they all upgrade to business class. I almost don't fit in those chairs, so how do they do it?)

For those who think I want to make fun out of heavy people, no I don't. This is reality. On the QE2 or QM2, they have problems with the furniture. The chairs don't support the heavier people.
Somewhere a boat sunk. The boat could fit, let's say 20 people, but apparantly, the poeple in the boat were all heavier than the average, causing the boat to sik. Airlines also have problems with this.
I can imagine rides as Peter Pan, where you hang onto a rail, must take this issue into consideration for safety issues.

Thoughtful questions all, and deserving of serious answers. I'm a big guy (6'5" and over 300 lbs), so I'll lend my perspective.

Yes, I do have to be cautious where I sit -- wicker furniture and I do not get along, for example! Never been on a Storybook, so I can't speak to that, but I have never had a problem "fitting" on any Disney ride, including Peter Pan and "small world" and other boat rides (thought I cannot say the same for Six Flags attractions).

On airplanes, the trick is to sit next to a family member and swing the armrest up! (I don't fly much for business purposes, thankfully, so I haven't had to do that with a co-worker. I know one airline -- Southwest -- requires large passengers travelling alone to purchase an extra seat.)

And no, while some sideways maneuvering may be required, I've never gotten stuck in a turnstile.

[Zazu]

While reading the salt-thread and reading the "fat"-posts, and just coming back from Disneyland, I have a question.

At some point in each attraction, you have those turnstiles (is that how they are called??? sorry, I am not a native English speaker).

Yup, that's the word. I wish half my guest handled English as well as you (or I some foreign tongue).

Now, I am not the skinniest person on Earth, but I am certainly not heavily overweighted or so. Nevertheless, I almost don't fit through those turnstiles. What I wondered: did anyone ever get stuck in them?

Yup. See the linked thread above for a story about it.

Or what do people do when they don't fit through them?

So far as I can tell, Disney *always* has a way to bypass turnstiles. Sometimes you have to ask how, and it occasionaly means using the wheelchair entrance, but there's always a way.

Or what about the rides themselves? ... At some attractions, it must be dangerous, no?

Yup. A few attractions just aren't adequate to handle all possible guest shapes, especially the older ones and the coasters (or anything that requires a harness). There are also a couple with maximum weight limits. It's sad, but not everyone can fit, just as not everyone can make it up and down the Treehouse steps.

I also wonder what heavier people do in the airplane, I can't imagine they all upgrade to business class.

Last I checked, Goofy's Barnstormer doesn't have a business class.

For those who think I want to make fun out of heavy people, no I don't. This is reality.

Very true, and occasionally very sad. I tend to laugh only when some guest is oversize and isn't willing to admit it.

I can imagine rides as Peter Pan, where you hang onto a rail, must take this issue into consideration for safety issues.

Yup, but Disney attractions tend to be built with such a huge safety margin that it's hard to overload a vehicle. The guiderail for Peter Pan is a steel pipe about 8" (20cm) in diameter. Should be able to handle anything that can climb aboard.

[sandravb79]

Yup. A few attractions just aren't adequate to handle all possible guest shapes, especially the older ones and the coasters (or anything that requires a harness). There are also a couple with maximum weight limits. It's sad, but not everyone can fit, just as not everyone can make it up and down the Treehouse steps.

I got stuck in Chip and Dale's treehouse, lol! I am just too tall (1m85), had my Minnie ears on (add some cm's), and had my backpack on my back, and at some point, I was more or less stuck! They should put a maximum height on that, lol! (or in case it has one, I didn't see it)
I don't fit in the Haunted Mansion-cars with the ears on... I bump them against the "roof" of the car... You would imagine they keep in mind over-sized ears when designing those cars... I guess Mickey doesn't like the Haunted Mansion

I didn't go on Tarzan's treehouse, because I was too lazy, and my feet hurted too much... :p:

[sandravb79]

It took a little searching, but I found this post from BirdMom, so yep it has happened.

I read the thread, and I must say... I had a good laugh.

I didn't know CMs had to give out those SAPs. Last year, I had a thrombosis in my leg, which has as result that I am not allowed to stand up on my feet (without walking) for longer than about 20 minutes, because then it gets dangerous for me (in the worst case I drop dead on the ground).
As result of that, I can only go on rides that have short waiting lines, that have fastpasses (thank god my mom is too chicken to get on fastpass-rides, so I can always get a second one on her ticket), or stand in lines where you can walk a little (standing in line for a Dole whip, line was up to Jungle Cruise! Can't they put a second CM in that thing to serve the whips????)

Maybe next time I should ask for one. I don't care they have me wait for some time at the loading station, as long as I can walk up and down some steps, I am happy...
Hmm... something to think about...

[Mikey]

It happened. I was in admissions at an unmentioned water park and a large woman got herself wedged in the turnstile. She turned sideways and her stomach set against the side and her behind planted itself against the mechanism housing. A little suntan oil from her family remedied the situation. The admission staff was trying so hard not to laugh.

Also seen a few people try to take handbags, clothing bags and similar items and get them wedged into the turnstile with them, or will have a bag strap lasso the turnstile post and bring them to a sudden stop.

Occasionally seen swimwear get snagged too.

Have a good day.

[BirdMom]

Seeing this new look at the trouble with turnstyles made me think of this movie that 7-ft-tall Steve F. made before he quit. He filmed large guests going through turnstyles, and then had the 60's tune "Baby Elephant Walk" playing as the soundtrack...kind of mean, but evocative.

I'm sorry if there's a larger person reading this - I'm trying to get back into trim shape myself, and I know it's not easy, but my gosh people. It's so unhealthy to allow yourselves to get so big! Back in the day when we were still strict about not letting guests bring food into the attractions, I noticed that thin people just threw away whatever snack they were working on as they approached the interior queue of an attraction, but the large guests would get out of line and finish every last morsel before getting back into the line. I mean, I hate to waste money too, but maybe that sort of behavior needs to be modified.

[saidthekat]

Yup, but Disney attractions tend to be built with such a huge safety margin that it's hard to overload a vehicle. The guiderail for Peter Pan is a steel pipe about 8" (20cm) in diameter. Should be able to handle anything that can climb aboard.

"Should" being the operative word. Unforunately, I've never witnessed this myself, but I have heard of many Pan downtimes in which a boat has failed to stay attached to the track... Luckily the safety wires caught them before they plummeted into Neverland.