Disney “Prohibits Guests of Certain Body Shapes” From Attraction Following Scandal

Disney World is, for the most part, meant for all guests. Now, that has slightly changed after one attraction’s size requirements sent a lot of tourists out of line.

Lately, we have seen Disney make a huge push in the direction of inclusivity and diversity. The initiative is strung across from their Disney Parks to the Walt Disney Company’s content, from movies to series on Disney+ and theatrical releases.

Disney has indeed taken many steps towards ensuring inclusion is prevalent within the company. The Disney Parks celebrated Pride Month this year larger than ever with murals, merchandise, and more covering Walt Disney World Resort. Disneyland Resort held Pride Nite, and After Hours event. We have even seen many accusing Disney of being “too woke” after finding out the future live-action Snow White film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, will not have a Prince Charming, or the iconic seven dwarfs.

We have already heard of the progress coming along on the new Princess and the Frog attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, that is replacing Splash Mountain’s racist undertone scenes due to the Song of the South IP, as well as changing the storyline on both Walt Disney World Resort’s and Disneyland Resort’s Jungle Cruise attraction to ensure cultural appropriation disappears.

All of these are excellent examples on how the company has looked to increase diversity within the company, to create a more inclusive environment both on screen and in person.

That being said, size inclusivity is not always possible in the parks. Many attractions are plus-size friendly due to their construction, like Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion. These rides do not have specific seats, so the width of the rider is never an issue, and if a lap bar is being used, it is not tight to the rider.

At Universal Orlando Resort, the issue of guest sizing is very prominent as the park has a lot of thrill rides which require more secure restraints. When a restraint has to be tightly locked to the guest for safety, it has a certain limit on how far down it needs to be pushed. Because of this, some rides are much more restrictive. A good example of this would be Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

It is not just weight that can restrict guests from riding some of these attractions, but height as well.

In the past, we have shared that plus-sized riders have been having concerns when it comes to Disney attractions. For the most part, riders need not worry. As we previously mentioned, most rides are size-inclusive. Even Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was recently changed to move the seat dividers off the ride, which previously indicated how wide a person would be. Now, the seats are flat, so size is not an issue.

There is one ride, however, that has had many guests rejected at the loading dock. TRON Lightcycle / Run is the newest attraction at Magic Kingdom. Located in Tomorrowland, the ride is a copy of the popular Shanghai Disneyland coaster. When the coaster was brought to Walt Disney World Resort, the structure and design of the Lightcycle was not conducive to plus-sized riders due to the locking mechanism on the back of the ride.

Most recently, a sign has appeared in front of the attraction warning guests that size does indeed matter on TRON Lightycycle / Run. The language on the signage has been updated to be reflected on the website: “The seating and restraints on this attraction may prohibit Guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding.”

Luckily, there are Lightrunners on two of the seven coasters. A Lightrunner is a normal-style coaster cart with a lap bar, which resembles that of Big Thunder Mountain. It allows for a larger size range to be seated there. So, if guests are unable to ride the forward-leaning motorcycle-style ride vehicle, they can be moved to the Lightrunner.

There are also test models of the Lightcycle out by the front of the ride. Although many have been using this space as a photo-op, it is meant to be a test section where guests can see if they will fit the attraction seat. In the past, however, we have shared that the location of the test seat is too public for some to feel comfortable. One guest said:

“True, but trying the test test in front of all of the people walking into the ride felt embarrassing to me. I’m not saying Disney isn’t accommodating people at all, just that it’s odd and frustrating to me that the way the bikes work excludes more people than the average ride. I feel like there is a better way to secure the legs than what they currently have going on that would accommodate more people being able to ride on the bike and not have to wait for the few seats to sit up instead.”

At Universal Orlando Resort, this issue arises often, but now we are seeing attractions like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure cover their test seat with greenery so that it is a private experience to see if they can fit or not.

Do you find issues with size inclusion when it comes to Walt Disney World Resort attractions? 

If you are looking to visit Walt Disney World Resort for a magical vacation, the Walt Disney World Website can be a great tool to begin planning your trip! You can begin exploring their theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can also take a look at their water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach (alongside new Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff), or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. When you get hungry or want to go shopping, Disney Springs is the place to be, especially with World of Disney there ready to help you pick up some souvenirs! You can also begin looking for your Disney World Resort! If you are looking to stay at a Deluxe monorail Resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa or a Value Resort where you can hop on the Skyliner like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it is always fun to begin looking for a room that would best suit you and your party. Plus, it has all the information you need to know on Disney Genie+ so that you will be ready to go on your My Disney Experience app once you download it! Click here to check it out today.