Credit: Video Screenshot, Instagram, @3princeandaprincess; TK Bosacki, Disney FanaticIt’s not often that you hear a guest thank Walt Disney World Resort after waiting in an hours-long line only to be turned away from a ride. But one woman says that moment on Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park inspired her to make her health a priority, changing her entire life for the better.
Avatar Flight of Passage Seat Issues
Avatar Flight of Passage is a flight simulator attraction located in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Guests sit on the ride’s seats as they would on a bicycle, leaning forward toward the handlebars while restraints lock onto their backs and lower legs.
One of the most technically advanced rides at Walt Disney World Resort, it is also notorious for turning guests away. The leg restraints can be particularly challenging for taller or more muscular guests, while the back restraints won’t lock for some guests who carry their weight in their abdomen.
Following guest complaints after the attraction debuted in 2017, Walt Disney World Resort eventually added a test seat outside Avatar Flight of Passage. That way, guests who were worried about the restraints could test the seat and, if the safety light turned green, confirm with a Disney cast member that they were cleared to ride. Guests who couldn’t ride then avoided needlessly waiting two to four hours for the most popular ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Three years ago, one guest, who either visited before the test seat was installed or didn’t use it, was devastated when she was turned away from Avatar Flight of Passage, leaving her son to ride alone. But instead of letting the moment ruin her vacation, the incident motivated the guest to embark on a health journey that would allow her to enjoy not only Avatar Flight of Passage but also the rest of her life to the fullest.
Woman Thanks Disney World For Turning Her Away From Ride
Instagram user Michelle Peterson (@3princeandaprincess) recently shared this video thanking Walt Disney World Resort for turning her away from Avatar Flight of Passage, which ultimately inspired a weight-loss journey.
“Dear Disney, thank you for kicking me off the Avatar ride with my son 3 years ago because I was too fat,” Peterson wrote alongside photos taken throughout her health journey. “Although it was very embarrassing, it changed my life! Proud of myself.”
View this post on Instagram
In the caption, Peterson described the moment as “one of the most embarrassing days of my life.”
“I was at Disney World with my friend and my son and he wanted so badly to go on the Avatar ride. I also wanted to,” she wrote. “We waited in line forever and got on the ride and my legs wouldn’t fit how they were supposed to. I kept trying to adjust my legs to make it work but it wouldn’t close like it was supposed to. So they made me get off the ride and I had to walk away, humiliated, leaving my son to ride without me.”
“At that moment I vowed I’m never, ever going to feel like this again or do this to my son,” Peterson continued. “And as soon as I got home I met with my dr and started my journey to get healthy. Slowly but surely 3 years later I’m down 110 lbs, maybe 35-40 more to go. Labs came back absolutely perfect last month for the first time in years and years. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
The Walt Disney World Resort guest encouraged her followers to turn some of their worst moments into motivation for a better future.
“Believe me when I say your worst days do not define you,” she concluded. “Let them be the moment you pivot and change your next chapter. You are loved.”
Have you ever been on Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? In the comments, share your thoughts on the ride with Inside the Magic!
