Universal Accused of Penalizing Obese Guests by Refusing Rides on 'Harry Potter' Attractions

Theme parks are designed to provide thrilling experiences for as many guests as possible while maintaining strict safety regulations. However, not every guest is able to ride every attraction due to factors like height, weight, and physical conditions. While some see this as a necessary safety measure, others view it as an issue of inclusivity.

The Debate on Ride Accessibility

For years, the conversation around theme park accessibility has been ongoing, with guests advocating for more inclusive ride designs at destinations like Disney, Universal, and Six Flags.

Some changes have been made in response—such as Disney removing seat dividers on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and offering test seats for rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run—but challenges remain, especially for larger guests.

At Universal Orlando Resort, where thrill rides dominate the landscape, restrictions based on body size are common due to the necessity of tight ride restraints. These limitations have sparked frustration among some guests, particularly when it comes to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions.

One Guest’s Frustration

A recent discussion on Reddit highlighted this frustration, with one user calling out Universal for what they felt was a lack of consideration for larger riders.

“Spent the last two days at Universal/IoA, and while I had a great time, it’s annoying to see (mostly) Wizarding World stuff have such a restrictive weight limit. I’m 5’10, 300lb, but I was significantly bigger years ago.

I can fit on most of the rides without issue, but Forbidden Journey, Motorbike, and Gringotts are absolute no-gos for me. It’s beyond frustrating, especially since I feel like my progress doesn’t mean anything when I look like a dope when I can’t fit into the test seats.

I’m definitely trying to lose more weight, but it’s still a pain that 80% of Universal’s rides are fine for me but I have to miss out on the Potter stuff because whatever engineering group designed it seemed to have something against larger people.”

Are Ride Designers Really to Blame?

Another Reddit user, who also identified as a larger guest, pushed back on the idea that Universal was intentionally excluding certain body types.

“As a fat guy myself, I’m gonna ask you to slow your roll on the ‘engineering designed it against larger people.’

That’s just not true. Physics are what physics are, whether our dietary choices like it or not. You add even one inch to the height or width or depth of a seat on a ride, it literally changes the physics of the ride. These parks spend billions of dollars designing rides within millimeters of tolerance.

And sometimes that means if you want the ride to cost X dollars and be built in Y timeframe and perform to Z specifications, there are body shapes that are not going to fit in those seats.

There’s not a soul in Universal Creative or Walt Disney Imagineering that is intentionally trying to exclude heavy folks from their rides. In fact, given the annually increasing dimensions of the American population, they seem to be trying harder and harder to make things work for bigger people. TM posts on this sub since EU previews opened seem to indicate they’ve made great strides in making larger fits for Epic.

But you and I both know exactly why our waistlines don’t easily fit in these rides and it ain’t CAD software in Orlando. Don’t blame it on the designers.”

Safety Over Comfort

The reality is that roller coasters and other thrill rides must be designed with strict safety constraints.

Attractions in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, such as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, all utilize restraints that ensure riders are securely held in place—something that can only be achieved up to a certain size.

While theme parks continue to explore ways to accommodate a wider range of body types, the primary concern will always be guest safety. Ride restrictions aren’t about excluding guests—they’re about preventing dangerous situations. And as Universal works toward more inclusive designs, one thing remains clear: safety will always be the top priority.