A lady from the United Kingdom has expressed her worries about visiting theme parks as a plus-sized consumer, even resorting to TikTok to chronicle her perspective in order to aid others.
Heather O’Neill, 26, claimed she was anxious about problems when she went to Thorpe Park, an amusement park in Surrey, England, stating she was so scared she wouldn’t fit on the rides that she nearly cancelled.
The mental-health nursing student expressed that the first difference in being a plus-sized tourist is that she has to consider whether she can fit the rides.
O’Neill expressed worry about pressing down ride seats and safety bars to close them, as well as regarding safety following the March death of a 14-year-old boy who died after falling from a ride at a theme park in Orlando, Florida. Following an autopsy, it was discovered that he was 96 pounds overweight.
O’Neill, who is a size 24 to 26, decided she didn’t want other individuals to be in the same unpleasant predicament, so she recorded a TikTok video of herself verifying seat sizes for each ride.
She added that she utilised all of the test chairs so she could locate something most individuals don’t have to do. However, rides aren’t designed for plus-size/fat individuals; it’s about accessibility and creating spaces that are welcoming to all bodies and accessibility requirements.
O’Neil stated that she feel like the staff did everything they could to be helpful and courteous, but Thorpe Park is not designed for obese individuals like herself. Theme parks, aircraft, buses – society isn’t structured for anyone who isn’t straight, able-bodied, and skinny.
The TikToker reported she fit in most of the seats, with the exception of the Samurai attraction’s test seat (which she still rode) and the Colossus coaster.
Her video has almost 381,000 views, and people are begging for more footage.
@heatherruby96 My guide to the seats at thorpe park for my fellow fat/plus size babes! I only didn’t fit on colossus! This is a fat positive page so no hate! 💖 #fatacceptance #fyp #bodypositive #fatpositive #haes #accessibility #fattok #fatokay ♬ Happy / Video CM / Ukulele ♬ Cooking / Family(897363) – ImoKenpi-Dou
Tons of comments poured into the video, many of which praised O’Neill’s reporting.
“I’m delighted they’re getting test seats. When she visited Alton Towers years ago, it was embarrassing to have to get off rides instead,” one person remarked.
“The first test seat I ever tried was Nemesis Inferno, and I got trapped in it for approximately 20 minutes,” another said.
“I can’t bear the criticism and bigotry,” one person said.
O’Neill stated that she created the TikTok to assist other plus-sized consumers feel more secure, and that she was seeking for a plus-size guidance before going.
She explained. it was difficult to locate the weight limitations and measurement criteria on Thorpe Park’s website. A lot of the weight limit/accessibility URLs returned ‘page not found.
She tried to help other obese individuals by providing a positive, unvarnished, and truthful guidance on which rides they could really go on and which rides featured test seats so they could see whether they would fit.
She expressed that fat individuals deserve access to theme parks as well.
A Thorpe Park representative stated that at Thorpe Park Resort, they care greatly about providing spectacular moments that are accessible for all of their customers. They’ve always aimed to develop approachable attractions where individuals can be themselves while having fun together. From employee training to visitor feedback, their attention is always centred on ensuring each of their guests has a spectacular day out with us at the UK’s most exhilarating theme park.
