by Height limits have always been a challenge for some amusement park visitors, as thrill ride safety features are not designed to accommodate all riders. But Mario fans are flocking to Universal Studios Hollywood this month for the opening of Super Nintendo World may find themselves unable to enjoy the park’s most exciting attraction, this time because of their waistlines.
According to a recent report in the the wall street journalUniversal Studios Hollywood has warned that some guests may not be allowed to ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which lets guests hop aboard a go-kart and experience Nintendo’s popular racing game in real life through augmented reality effects and animatronic characters, “if their waistline measures 40 inches or more. “. With the average waistline of men in America now exceeding 40 inches, this limitation will potentially leave many guests very disappointed after enduring what will likely be very long lines at the new attraction.
In recent years, theme parks across the country have become more stringent in the safety and restraints used on ride-on vehicles, and it’s not just for high-speed attractions like roller coasters that can take riders through reverse loops and steep curves. As indoor rides have become more complex and now offer riders highly immersive experiences, the technology they use has also become more complex…and more dangerous.
Trackless vehicles now deftly weave through attractions such as Galaxy’s Edge’s Rise of the Resistance with more speed and agility than the ride-on vehicles used on classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean. Consequently, while pirate does not hold back the horsemen, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge will do so, as there is a serious risk of injury if a passenger exits a vehicle before the ride is complete. On top of that, there is now even more emphasis on safely securing smaller children in the same seats used by adult drivers, contributing to more limitations for taller guests.
Jeff Polk, senior vice president of resort operations at Universal Orlando Resort, say it the wall street journal that many attractions in its parks offer test seats located outside the rides, allowing customers to test the constraints and capacity in advance to avoid being turned away after hours of waiting in line. But at the same time, some park visitors also told the the wall street journal that testing seats in advance can be inconvenient, embarrassing, and not always indicative of the actual build and design of the vehicle.
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Some attractions, such as Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s The Incredible Hulk Coaster in Florida, now offer certain seats specially designed for tall passengers. But as the pandemic-weary population once again embraces travel and vacations, theme parks are teeming with hour-long lines, and parks simply have less incentive to offer rides with seats they may not be able to fill every time. the route is operated.
