Friday, June 25, 2010

Harry Potter Says "You Are Too Fat to Ride this Ride!"

It seems that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando has some pretty strict entry requirements especially to Americans in this day and age.

The ride, "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," employs individual restraints to keep each guest tucked in to his or her seat, but the restraints aren't large enough to accommodate heavier riders.

Universal seems to have anticipated this issue, stationing staff "wizards" and test-seats along the line and at the entrance to Forbidden Journey. Riders test their ability to fit in the seats, as well as the restraint (which must click three times to be deemed safe and for the potential rider to be allowed into the attraction).

One good thing is that it is motivating people to lose some weight.

One Harry Potter fan who was unable to ride "Forbidden Journey" when his seat test yielded only two clicks of the restraint, is turning the incident into a personal motivational challenge. Banks Lee, who says he's 6'2? and approximately 310 lbs, has decided to diet and exercise until he can get on the ride (and hopes to continue his quest even after meeting that goal.) He's even started a blog: Banks Lee and the Three Clicks: My Journey to Fit on an Enchanted Bench, where the Orlando resident is documenting the long walks and sensible diet that he hopes will lead to a ride on "The Forbidden Journey."

Well, I hope he is doing more then walks and a diet since it would be pretty hard to get down from 310 to the normal weight for a 6'2" guy which is 175. I wonder what he needs to weigh to get on the ride though?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Fat patrols, unorganized and insensitive management, poorly designed themes and just to make it more realistic...snow covered rooftops in 100 degree heat with almost nowhere to sit or any shade at all. All lending to an absolutely horrid time in Universals Harry Potters Wizarding Wolrld. Forget the forbidden journey ride anyway, it's a mismash of 1980s animitronics and puppets that are embarrasing to see. The park itself was so cheaply done and is so mismanaged it's a let down for Potter fans everywhere. Universal really did a horrible job on this attraction, being lazy and changing the names on old rides, no concept of visitor comfort and overcharging for everything....$21 for 2 glasses of "Butterbeer" in this economy.....way to use that wand to rape the consumer...."Expecto Give-us-all-your-money-for-this-garbageum!" Save yourself the time and money and just rewatch the films...in the meantime may JK Rowling unleash dementors on all the people responsible for this poorly disguised rip off and ruination of a great concept.