“I Was Too Big”, Mother Goes to the Extreme So Kids Can Ride Attractions at Disneyland

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Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Park

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It is not unusual for Disney fans to go to extreme lengths to make their theme park vacations perfect. But, for one mother, the decision she made in order to get her family to a Disney Park was completely life-altering.

Mickey Mouse character meet and greet at Fantasyland in Disneyland Paris
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Natasha Burt, 36, from the United Kingdom was 303lbs when she decided to opt for a mini gastric bypass surgery in Turkey last year. Saying “it’s the best thing [she’s] ever done,” Ms. Burt is now 153lbs and took her two children to Disneyland Paris for the first time in December 2022.

Mickey's Dazzling Christmas Parade! disneyland paris
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The report acknowledges why Ms. Burt losing weight was so important to her when it came to her children. It says:

Natasha, an administrator and events coordinator, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: “I got to take my kids to Disneyland for the first time and was able to fit on the rides.

“I had to get off a ride before at a little theme park near us because I was too big. I went on all the rides but my heart was still pounding in my chest in case they said to me I can’t get on.”

disneyland paris pirates of the caribbean
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Previously losing weight on a specific diet, Ms. Burt gained weight again after suffering an ectopic pregnancy:

“My diet just went out the window,” she said. “It affected me more than I thought it would.”

While the mum-of-two from Sheffield, England, said she was happy with her wedding photos from years previous, she now wishes she could get married again:

“I walk past a mirror and I can’t believe it is me. I still think of myself as massive. People look through me they don’t recognise me. I lived all my life in maxi dresses and all I wanted was to wear jeans and a T-shirt. Now I can and do.”

disneyland paris parade
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Related: Vacation Disaster Leaves Family’s Disney Dream In Tatters

It is not the first time hearing about how someone’s size affects their theme park experience. Recently, one Guest visiting Thorpe Park Resort in the United Kingdom went viral as she tried out a number of thrill rides for the support of larger users. Likewise, the popular TikTok account Fat Tested Travel regularly creates theme park ride content curated for bigger bodies. The user actually released a video discussing how Disney Parks should allow him to be part of the new TRON Lightcycle / Run testing period; the TRON-themed coaster will open in Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom in Spring 2023.

TRON attraction at night
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For Guests wondering, Disney Parks’ websites have information on riding attractions including all health and safety details. Guests should head to each respective website for more information.

As for Disneyland Paris, the European Disney Resort is currently amid its 30th anniversary celebrations where Guests can enjoy Disney D-light, Disney Illuminations over Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Gardens of Wonder, visit Avengers Campus, and ride attractions like France’s Space Mountain, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain across Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.

Have you ever had to make any drastic changes for your Disney vacation? Let us know in the comments down below!

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