9
Credit: Diggerland UKA young child was recently turned away from a theme park attraction, leaving his mother fuming against the theme park workers.
Theme parks worldwide are staples of fun for the whole family, housing fun attractions, thrilling rides, delicious snacks, and different entertainment offerings and interactive activities for Guests of all ages to enjoy. However, a recent visit left a mother with a bitter aftertaste, as her child was decisively turned away from an attraction despite fulfilling the ride’s safety regulations.
Related: Fans Furious After Dangerous TikTok Shows Parents “Hacking” Disney Ride Height Requirement
Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan took to her Instagram stories to slam Diggerland — an excavator-centric theme park with several locations across the United Kingdom — saying that a theme park employee turned her two-year-old son away from a ride after queuing for 25 minutes and ignoring the fact that the child fulfilled the ride’s height requirement.
The comedian referenced Julia Robert’s iconic Pretty Woman quote, saying, “I don’t want to ‘big mistake, huge’ that girl too much because she was just doing her job and there was health and safety. But, big mistake, huge. He was tall enough. It takes a unique skill set that I admire to do a job like that.”
“To be able to look at a two-year-old who has just queued for 25 minutes and be like ‘no.'” Katherine continued to explain that she tried to explain to the theme park worker that her son was tall enough to ride the attraction, but she refused again. “Diggers are the thing he cares about most in the world, and he was queuing up because he wanted to go on a ride and drive one, and she just said no.”
Per a Daily Mail report, a spokesperson for Diggerland responded to the incident by saying, “Customer safety is of the highest priority at Diggerland. As such, all guests are measured for each ride prior to being allowed on, including children. Our Park Marshal was quite rightly trying to measure the child using the measuring pole. When children are on the borderline, as was the case in this instance, the measuring pole must be used as a more accurate measuring tool.”
“Had Katherine Ryan and her family spoken with a manager on the day of their visit, this incident would have been rectified as best as possible, in a very prompt manner. We are very sad to have learnt the news of Katherine’s disappointment via social media instead.” The company added they had reached out to Katherine Ryan, “messaging her personally via her Instagram channel in response to her visit” and offering a complimentary return visit so that she and her family can “enjoy a day at Diggerland to its fullest.” “Katherine thanked us for reaching out and stated, ‘We had a great time otherwise thanks.'” the report added.
While the incident seems to have resolved, hearing Katherine’s story is ironic, as the theme park advertises free entrance for Guests under 100 cm — roughly 39 inches — tall, meaning younger Guests should be able to ride the Park’s attractions.
Additionally, Diggerland’s website states, “What sets Diggerland apart from its competitors is that it truly is a fun day out for all the family – all ages can participate in the day, although for the very young they may have to take control of the digger from the safety of their parents’ laps. Perfect for family days out!” meaning Katherine’s son should’ve been admitted onto the attraction accompanied by his parents.
Height requirements are a divisive topic among parkgoers. Inside the Magic has reported on multiple cases of parents trying to “hack” the height requirement of different attractions, inadvertently endangering their children while not filling safety requirements and breaking theme park rules. And parents seemingly aren’t always the most reasonable regarding their children’s safety, as Inside the Magic also reported on an inebriated parent threatening theme park employees after his daughter was turned away from a roller coaster.