Are the WDW theme parks morbid obesity friendly?

[Disneyland1084]

I know this is a touchy subject. We're going to WDW next summer for the first time and my DH's sister is coming with us. She's over 300 pounds, and on top of that, she has a REALLY bad hip. Is she going to be able to fit on any rides? I don't think she'd be able to handle any really bumpy rides either.

 

[Deb & Bill]

How tall is she? That will make a difference.

 

[Disneyland1084]

How tall is she? That will make a difference.

Around 5 foot 7.

 

[alliecat523]

I believe there is a thread (disabilities board?) called Pooh Sized which addresses this.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I would say the extreme amount of walking and heat may be of a bigger concern than what rides she will fit in.

Anything that doesn't have an individual seat should be okay, for example Splash Mountain has a bench seat for two vs Space Mtn. Where you are in one small seat alone.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving to the Theme Parks board.

 

[lbv7]

How tall is she? That will make a difference.

Are you serious with this question? The height restriction for most of
the rides range from 3 feet 2 inches to 4 feet at all of the parks. Do you really know anybody in this height range who weighs over 300 lbs.? I don't think so.

 

[DisneyOma]

Are you serious with this question? The height restriction for most of
the rides range from 3 feet 2 inches to 4 feet at all of the parks. Do you really know anybody in this height range who weighs over 300 lbs.? I don't think so.

Think the other way - how tall is the person and how the weight is carried makes a huge difference. A 5'4" 300 lb person is different from a 5'10" 300 lb person.

 

[bumbershoot]

Around 5 foot 7.

Makes it easier than if she were my height!

I think she'll be fine. Disney is size friendly.

The bad hip, however, makes it tougher because many rides involve stepping up or down.

Are you serious with this question? The height restriction for most of
the rides range from 3 feet 2 inches to 4 feet at all of the parks. Do you really know anybody in this height range who weighs over 300 lbs.? I don't think so.

A 5' tall 300 lb woman will have a harder time fitting things than a 5'7" 300 woman. It's a totally righteous question/concern.

DH is 5'11" and about 350, and he would fit more rides at universal if he were 6'2". Spreading out the weight makes you overall smaller.

 

[wilkeliza]

Are you serious with this question? The height restriction for most of
the rides range from 3 feet 2 inches to 4 feet at all of the parks. Do you really know anybody in this height range who weighs over 300 lbs.? I don't think so.

It is an honest question. 300 pounds and 6 feet tall and you probably won't have issues on any current Disney attraction except maybe 7DMT. 300 pounds and 5 ft tall and you can have problems on many rides because of the distribution of the pounds.

 

[wilkeliza]

OP I think the bad hip is going to be a harder problem then the weight. When you say bad hip does it inpeed her ability to bend and sit or just make a lot of walking hard? Most rides do require you to be able to sit and stand so you may have to request omnimover rides be slowed down or stopped. I'm not sure if Peter Pan can be stopped or slowed yet but all others can be. If walking is hard then she may need an ecv. Walking long distances is not always an issue for people of that size so ask her if she thinks she can do 10+ miles a day with her hip or if she thinks she'd enjoy her time better with some assistance.

 

[Biff13]

She will fit in nicely here.

 

[Jen_G]

I'm 5'8" and somewhere around 330-340 pounds. I fit on every ride I wanted to go on at Disney back in May (I wasn't interested in most of the kids rides such as Winnie-the-Pooh or the Dumbo flyers). I would check out http://allears.net/tp/ridsiz.htm if you're looking for more information about specific rides. In general though, I would be more concerned about your sister-in-laws hip rather than her size - my mom has trouble with her knees, and getting on the boat rides like Small World and PotC was a nightmare for her just because the seats are very low and there's not a lot of room between rows.

 

[Selket]

I suggest reposting this on the disAbilities board here as well. The bad hip may end up being more of an issue than anything else because of all the walking she'll need to do.

 

[Babsy]

I know this is a touchy subject. We're going to WDW next summer for the first time and my DH's sister is coming with us. She's over 300 pounds, and on top of that, she has a REALLY bad hip. Is she going to be able to fit on any rides? I don't think she'd be able to handle any really bumpy rides either.

The good news is that Disney does a really good job of being accessible and fun for pretty much everyone regardless of size or disabilities.

How is she in the heat? Going in the summer with a lot of weight can be really uncomfortable if you are not used to the heat, especially with the large amounts of walking in the theme parks. She will need to drink lots of water to stay hydrated.

She will fit on most rides easily. There are lots that are fun, comfortable regardless of size and not too bumpy. If the hip is an issue an ECV can be a big help getting around all day. She might want to plan early mornings and later in the day for theme parks with a nice rest in air conditioning or a swim break in the heat of mid day. Just take it slow and easy and don't worry about getting it all done.

You can also split up for a while if you want to keep going and she needs to rest. This is easiest if you stay in a resort onsite, but doable either way. She could bring an ebook on her phone to read in the lobby of a nearby resort while you all finish up in the park, for example. Or, while you are on Space Mountain, she might enjoy a break in the Carousel of Progress.

Bring really comfortable footwear and clothes, be reasonable in expectations, do your homework planning and relax when you get there. You will all be able to have a great time!

Enjoy!

 

[Tomh]

I have done disney at 5'9" and very close to 300 lbs, and was able to ride everything I wanted to. Some rides were less comfortable than others, but none were terrible.

 

[Disneyland1084]

OP I think the bad hip is going to be a harder problem then the weight. When you say bad hip does it inpeed her ability to bend and sit or just make a lot of walking hard? Most rides do require you to be able to sit and stand so you may have to request omnimover rides be slowed down or stopped. I'm not sure if Peter Pan can be stopped or slowed yet but all others can be. If walking is hard then she may need an ecv. Walking long distances is not always an issue for people of that size so ask her if she thinks she can do 10+ miles a day with her hip or if she thinks she'plays enjoy her time better with some assistance.

At times, yes. Truthfully, I don't think she has a clue what she's in for walking wise. She's in denial about how serious her health issues are.

 

[Disneyland1084]

The good news is that Disney does a really good job of being accessible and fun for pretty much everyone regardless of size or disabilities.

How is she in the heat? Going in the summer with a lot of weight can be really uncomfortable if you are not used to the heat, especially with the large amounts of walking in the theme parks. She will need to drink lots of water to stay hydrated.

We're all nervous about going to WDW in the summer because of the heat. But we've been told June isn't nearly as bad as July and August. We'll manage. I hope......

 

[wilkeliza]

We're all nervous about going to WDW in the summer because of the heat. But we've been told June isn't nearly as bad as July and August. We'll manage. I hope......

June will be in the 80s if not 90s already. So it'll still be hot and humid. It doesn't stay as hot as long as it does in August and September but it still get incredibly hot.

If she is in denial about her health conditions it may be time to sit and really let her know how much a trip involves. We walked over 15,000 steps a day which is about 7 miles. Our busiest day we did close to 22,000 steps which is over 10 miles. There are reports here of people how have done 30,000 in one full day at the parks. So maybe talking to her about the number of miles you walk and the severe lack of benches and seats out of the heat will help her realize. In some of the busier months you can't sit at the quick service places unless you order food so it is even hard to find a place to just take a quick rest off your feet.

 

[bumbershoot]

At times, yes. Truthfully, I don't think she has a clue what she's in for walking wise. She's in denial about how serious her health issues are.

Well, among many other reasons Disney can be a good trip, it can really pinpoint problems like that.

On the trip when we went from Disneyland out to Orlando, and my pants rubbed against each other on our lobby travel day, and as we walked into out WDW resort they just shredded because of the friction, that gave me a clue that I needed to do something. I also *had to* take an Epsom salt bath especially for my feet and calves, rub my feet with arnica, and by the end of the trip take pain relievers, just to be able to get out of bed the next day. The physical problems on that trip pointed me to the problem more than any glimpse of a quickly deleted picture of me had done. Got home and joined weight watchers.

This trio might show her that she has real hip problems as well.

Disney rents scooters, and there are offsite rental places she can contact that will be cheaper. She might find that she will need that help for her hip.