Forbidden Journey ride may not accommodate heavier riders

All rides at an amusement park have size restrictions – usually a minimum height requirement – but there has been a lot of talk lately about the Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and its inability to accommodate heavier riders.

One Yahoo article looks at how Universal is dealing with the fact that some visitors may not be able to ride Forbidden Journey.

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).

A report from Attractions Magazine gives a better idea of the size of the ride’s seats.

I asked a couple of team members working the attraction and they didn’t know what the height limit would be, but I’m 6 foot 1 inches and after sitting down, I have about 6 inches of space above my head. So if you’re 6-foot 7-inches tall or shorter you should be OK.

But another limit I noticed was the width of the space you’re sitting in. If I sit back, my shoulders are barely able to squeeze in the space. But this isn’t a problem for me because I can roll my shoulders forward and grab the bar on the restraint and it feels comfortable. But those with very broad shoulders may have trouble.