No one wants to wait in line for a theme park attraction only to find out that they cannot ride.
That is why parks long have posted height sticks and warning signs at the front of their queues. People - at least those who can be bothered to read - should know what requirements they are getting into before they commit to waiting for a theme park ride.
Parents should not be caught out with too-short children on the load platform, for example. Ideally, parks would staff greeter positions at the front of the queue to screen guests visually, asking those who might not meet the ride's boarding requirements to step aside for a measurement or consultation.
But sometimes, a height stick and a warning sign are not enough. For some guests, especially larger ones, only having an actual ride seat to test is enough for them to know if the ride will be able to safely and comfortably accommodate them.
Test seats should be industry standard on thrill rides. However, where a park puts those test seats goes a long way in helping to ensure that guests have a comfortable as well as safe experience with the attraction.
It's not enough to put test seats at a ride's entrance. While that's fine for guests who try the test seat and discover that they are good to go, consider the experience of someone who tries the test seat and discovers that they simply do not fit.
All guests deserve a welcoming experience when visiting a theme park. That is why some parks are now placing their test seats out of public view, in shielded areas where guests trying the seats may enjoy some privacy while doing so.
Consider this set-up at Universal Studios Hollywood's The Secret Life of Pets ride.
A picture delivers the message that test seats are available, then directs guests around the corner, where they may try the seats, outside the view of passing guests.
That's a welcome accommodation and something that I believe should become the new industry standard. I would like to see more parks with test seats move them to more private settings such as this. Moving the test seats also removes what can become a bottleneck at a queue entrance, as people take the time the need to try the seats, potentially blocking a clear path into the queue for others.
Where have you seen this set-up for test seats?
To keep up to date with more theme park news and commentary, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
Russell pretty much sums it up and it should be a regular thing. Last Disneyland visit had us figuring out the seating on some rides, especially with my young nephew and mom needing a wheelchair and "testing" them first would have been good.
I agree with Russell about the ideal location for test seats. The biggest problem, however, is that most riders don't bother to use the test seats. My favorite coaster, El Toro, has very tight restraints and will not accommodate riders with a lot of girth in the midsection. I've seen so many people do the walk of shame that I wish I could tell them that they're wasting their time standing in the queue but that would be cruel.
Universal Studios Japan uses this exact same set-up on their test seats. The seats are not right next to the entrance, but either around a corner from it or across the plaza where guests are likely to just walk past. They staff 4+ greeters at all their attractions, and if you're larger sized one of them will escort you over to the seat and verify you fit so you don't waste over an hour in line. I've heard some complain about the mandatory "safety check," but as someone who had to do it on three attractions there (and fit all three fine) I personally thought it was extremely well organized.
A lot of parks unfortunately like to stick the test seat right in front of the entrance, and especially at parks without greeters to ensure the seats don't become a bench it can render them nearly useless. Like others are echoing, Russell's idea in my mind is the best option...have it past the actual entrance but off to the side before the queue splits, and have an employee staffed there to suggest larger guests use it and verify whether or not they pass. If space accommodates, having a side exit so said guests don't walk right back out the entrance is the way to go to avoid guests having to walk against the flow of traffic. As for which rides should have them, I don't think they're necessary on every attraction, but if there's a specified maximum size there should probably be one present.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
I think the biggest issue with test seats is when they're located near the entrance of an attraction and guests use it as a place to sit and relax while they're waiting for their family or use the seat as a photo op because parks rarely remove the theming from the seats or sometimes position them with a backdrop that allows for a picture that looks similar to an on-ride photo.
I think the best spot for a test seat is near the attraction entrance, but in an area where it's not tempting to use as a rest stop. Ideally an attraction can have a main entrance area with columns or a door leading to a small atrium/courtyard before guests select their queue (Express/LL, single rider, or standby). The test seat can ben stationed right next to the entrance to this open area off to the side but still visible to the employees staged at individual queue entrances. It's important that test seats be in range of employees so they can help guests understand how to tell whether or not they're good to ride. While this situation still creates a potential "walk of shame" situation since guests not being able to fit into the test seat would need to leave through the main attraction entrance, it makes the test seats far more accessible to guests who need to use them and close to employees who may be needed for assistance.
Another big thing with test seats is that they need to be clear in their operation and either as restrictive or slightly more restrictive than a seat on the actual ride. It should also be very clear whether a guest fits on the ride - I've seen some test seats with red, yellow, and green lights, but it's not clear what a guest is supposed to do if they can only get yellow (usually means you have to go to a special seat/row on the ride, but not always). It's also really important that if seats in different parts of the attraction have more tolerance, they should be clearly marked in the station and guests should know from sitting in the test seat if they need to go to a special row/seat in the station.
Finally, test seats should be identical in dimensions and all restraint systems to the actual seats on the attraction. If a ride has a seat belt in addition to a lab bar, the test seat should have the same seat belt/lap bar combo.