overweight issues at BG Europe
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: question regarding the less thrilling rides at BGE and weight restrictions.
I have read several post on this topic but they mainly refer to the coasters. I have lost 55 lbs since planning for this trip but am not nearly where I would like to be. Currently I am 5ft 3 and 250 lbs. I havnt been able to tolerate the fast rides since I was a teenager but I would like to go on some less thrilling rides at BGE , such as the flume, Escape from Pompeii,Corkscrew Hill, the train,Darkastle etc.What are the cars & restraints like for these rides? And anyone with any insight on the subest please post.
No worries, you'll not have a problem with any of those attractions. I just returned from a trip to BGE myself...
Escape from Pompeii has a lap bar that comes down, but an individual's size is not an issue - there are no restrictions or "sit in this specific aisle" requirements. The cars sit about 4 to a row. Corkscrew Hill uses a lap seatbelt that comes across from right to left and buckles in - it extends more than enough to acommodate guests of any size from my experience. This is a large group ride with rows that sit about 10-12 in each row. The trains have no restraining mechanisms, just hop on, have a seat and enjoy the beautiful scenery that this park has to offer! Like the trams, you can probably get 4-5 in a row. Darkastle, like Pompeii, uses a fold-down lap bar, but trust me, you'll be fine here as well. These cars are a bit different - there are two rows with each row sitting 4 people - ample room though. And finally, Le Scoot (the flume) doesn't use restraining lap bars, etc. You just step in the flume and have a seat. These logs are a bit narrow, but can acommodate anyone. Front to back space won't be an issue either, they typically sit 1-3 people.
All in all, you have nothing to worry about except where to go next! And in case you do get a bit froggy, the coasters are more than acommodating as well. Some, such as Alpengeist, do have specific rows for persons with chest sizes of 52 inches or greater though - just FYI.
Enjoy the trip, BGE is as beautiful as ever and the staff are in high spirits despite the recent InBev takeover. Check out Roman Rapids too, no size restrictions, the seatbelts hae plenty of give, and the ride staff were a hoot all weekend! Cheers!
You rock! Thanks for the quick and detailed response!
Awesome response, Justin! Beat me to it. Everything is spot on, I was going to mention that the Alpengeist is the one that may have posed a problem if you were not aware of the custom row.
A consistent 'theme' if you will about BG Williamsburg is that they seem to have thought of everything when making this park. This was one of those feature where when I heard that it existed, I was quite impressed.
Hope you have a great time when you visit, Suzanne!
I am sure we will have a great time no matter what. I did book the middle of August which I assume will be extremely hot. On a good note we are at a hotel with a pool . I havnt been to BG in 17 years so were looking forward to going and so are my kids.
I hope you have fun! I go every mid-late October, in Howl-o-Scream. For any first timers out there for HoS, I'm warning you, DON'T GO ON A SATURDAY. I went last year, and the lines were SO much longer! Unlike SF parks, Busch parks are actually open on Fridays (in october), so that's the best time to go.
My husband is a large guy and has had very few problems on rides at BG. The wirbelwind (waveswinger) seat is bit narrow for him to be comfortable (he is very broad, and has large, muscular thighs). The catapult bar is tight on him as well, he has to suck it in to bring the bar down all the way! He doesn't require the big boy seats on the major coasters, but he doesn't like the tight, constricted feeling he gets in the Loch Ness Monster seat. But he has never had a problem getting a seat belt to fit around him or anything like that.
All of the other responses have been spot on...there is truly something for everyone. If you don't ride the coasters, Curse of DarKastle, Corkscrew Hill, and Escape from Pompeii are a must! And you definitely should not have any problem fitting into the seats on those rides. I hope that you enjoy your trip! Have fun!
From Jason A
Posted August 5, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Thanks for all of the discussion on this topic. This helps me out as well as we are getting ready to go to BGE in another week and I was concerned about rides I may or may not fit on. Are the rows with the larger seats marked anywhere on the rides? From past experiences at other parks I cannot use the regular sized leg strap on the B&M's.
I read somewhere that there are Blue diamonds, when you get to the front of the line, were the boarding platform is, that mark the larger sized cars/restraints for the coasters. Dont quote meon that tho.
I know this is totally off subject, but does anyone know how Griffon is running? I am going Monday and taking a friend that has never been and would hate if he missed it.
well, I MIGHT be going sometime next week, probably after you go. Was it down the time before you went, Christy?
From Tyler S.
Posted August 14, 2008 at 5:51 PM
Griffon is up and running.
From MW CAVA
Posted August 26, 2008 at 6:06 AM
Thank you so much for this kind of info. Armed with the knowledge about the "big folks" seats, I had the confidence to try Griffon and AlpenGeist, and because Mom was game to try, my daughters went along too -- and we were all quite proud of ourselves, as we "Defied the 5" and had a great day! My eldest daughter and I even rode in the front row. Girl power!
I'm a woman in the 2x top range, 1x/XL bottoms. I just fit onto Apollo's Chariot. The regular seats at Griffon were too small for me -- because of my bust -- and the split-belt seats were actually too big by more than an inch, although in retrospect, if I were willing to push "my girls" up to my chin, I would probably fit into the regular seats of Griffon and Alpengeist. But honestly, who wants to see that?
The 52" chest measurement is a good guideline. There were quite a few folks with big pot bellies who got onto Griffon and Alpengeist in the split-belt seats; and the ride operators are really nice about helping you in without being judgemental or making you feel otherwise uncomfortable. I also asked a ride operator, and was told that the actual seats on Griffon are a little bit roomier than the try-out seat at the entrance.
Griffon was awesome. That drop is breath-taking, but it's actually the smoothest, least bone-jarring ride in the entire park.
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