Modfied Seating on FJ

[Phoenix41]

I was just at Banks Lee's Blog. He said they inserted modified seating on Forbidden Journey. I didn't see it posted yet so I figured I'd let everyone know. Here's what he had to say..

"I got word from a comment posted on one of my previous entries that Forbidden Journey has finally added modified seating to its ride vehicles! Only a handful of vehicles have added these seats, and the modified seats are on the far right & left of the vehicle. The test seats have also been modified to display a color when trying them out. After pulling the restraint down, if you get a red light, that means you cannot ride. If you get a yellow light, that means you can fit into the modified seat. Green light means you can ride in any seat.

To me, this is fantastic news! Even though I have lost the weight to get the three clicks in a regular seat, I'm still at a size where it depends on how hard the ride attendant pushes the restraint. There can be times where I can ride it, and then I'll get back in line and not be able to ride. These new modified seats, I'm hoping, will guarantee that I will ride everytime. Also, for a lot of guests who couldn't fit before, this gives them a reason to come back and try again, and hopefully be able to ride!

I am going to go to Potter tomorrow to test out these modified seats myself, and will update this entry tomorrow night with information on how the seats worked out.

Question of the day: Now that modified seating has been added to Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey, will those of you who have tried in the past come back and try again? "

http://banksleethethreeclicks.blogspot.com/2010/09/fantastic-news.html

He also went and tried the ride and was able to get all 3 clicks by himself Good news yay!!

 

[DisneyForLife]

That gives me hope, looking forward to hearing how it worked out. I had resigned myself to just walking through next month. Maybe now there is hope. I may have fit in the regular seats but so many have not that I was hesitant on trying it. Now I can.
Thanks

 

[OrlandoUnited]

I was at Potter this morning and seen no mention of/modified seats themselves. I tried the test seats and there was only red or green.

I call shenanigans.

 

[Returning DisFan]

lease do let us know, my husband is rather tall (6'8'') and not obese or rounded but big boned, a lean 300lbs, I would love to go to Universal but concerned about him fitting on HP ride. He has never had an issue before at the studios or Disney parks, so maybe this would be the answer a modified seat! Thanks so much for giving other people some hope for that one.

 

[grittyreid]

We just got back and my hubby is 6'5" 300 lbs and as hard as the attendant tried; I mean she was really pushing there was no way. He was waiting for me when I got off ride and one of the workers told us that there are modified seats in the works but not real soon. Also talked to worker outside who said she wasn't allowed to say anything but nodded her head yes and smiled. If there were modified seats, my husband would be prime candidate so I doubt there are any yet. We go back in march and fingers crossed.

 

[damo]

There is no modified seating. Thierry Coup (Head of Universal Creative) was just interviewed and said they had no immediate plans for modified seating.

 

[bouncy54]

There's no reason for Banks Lee to lie about this. Wonder what is really going on.

 

[JenM]

Banks is confirming it on his Twitter page - he tried it today and said he got a yellow light on the test seat:

http://twitter.com/BanksLee/status/24217217245

CONFIRMED: Modified seats added to some ride vehicles at Forbidden Journey! Waiting in line to test it out, got yellow on test seat.

They're reporting at MuggleNet now too, although they're just reporting what they read on Banks' page.

Hope it's true. They should have had them in the first place.

 

[WWEDUDE]

There is no modified seating. Thierry Coup (Head of Universal Creative) was just interviewed and said they had no immediate plans for modified seating.

I thought of this as well. And if OrlandoUnited was there this morning and saw no yellow light, or any mention.. it seems fishing to me.

 

[Gryffindor_Mouse]

That is odd. I mean, we have OrlandoUnited saying they were there this morning and there is no modified seat, but what purpose would it serve for Banks to lie about something like that?

 

[Phoenix41]

Now it's sounding fishy to me too. I don't see why Banks would lie though. That could get him in a lot of junk since a lot of people follow his blogs and things. If anyone goes in the next few days maybe they can find out too.

Banks updated with this:

"Edit: Decided to head out there today and test out the modified seats, and let me tell you, they are a much needed addition to Forbidden Journey! Let me explain the process of riding in a test seat. At the entrance to the ride, and right before the loading area, there are test seats. Used to be every person had to get three clicks in order to ride, and the restraint was not very forgiving for larger guests.

Now, with the addition of the modified seats, the test seat process has changed. When you sit down, there are three lights next to you; red, yellow, and green. As I stated earlier in the post, red=no ride, yellow=modified seat, and green=sit anywhere. If you get yellow and need a modified seat, once you get to the part before the loading platform where the second test seat is, the attendant will put you in the middle line, which is reserved for guests needing the modified seat.

Since there are only around 8 vehicles that currently have modified seating, you have to wait for one to come around. Once it does come you go to the loading platform, and choose either of the outside seats. The two middle seats are not modified. You still need three clicks to be able to ride, but they are now much easier to get, especially with the little extra room you have in the seat.

For the first time since the ride opened, I was able to get three clicks by myself. Granted, it was a modified seat, but it still felt good to not have to ask the attendant to push as hard as they can to make me fit. I'm actually very glad I was able to achieve my weight loss goal of fitting into a regular seat before they added modified seats. I may have stopped dieting if they had them to begin with. Luckily, though, since I've been losing weight for three months I can continue to lose weight. I will not stop!

The best part about the modified seats is how successful they are! Since they started using them yesterday, September 10, only 1 guests has been told they couldn't ride because of size, when a week ago maybe 50 or 60 guests in the same timespan would be turned away! I honestly believe that if you have tried riding Forbidden Journey and couldn't fit this summer, you should plan on coming back and trying again, because chances are that you will be able to experience Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey!"

I also just read this on mugglenet - "They have actually had these seats for over 2 weeks now cause when i went to the theme park they had lights on the test seats and i went less then two weeks ago." IDK, how reliable that is but who knows.

 

[JenM]

Attractions Magazine is also reporting the story - and it has a picture of red, yellow, and green lights:

http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog...ney-ride-seats-modified-to-fit-larger-guests/

The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal’s Islands of Adventure just became a lot more accommodating. As of Sept. 10, 2010, many of the seats on the ride have been modified to fit larger guests who had previously been turned away.

Since the feature ride in The Wizarding World of Harry Poter opened in May, many guests have been complaining that they can’t ride because they weren’t getting three clicks. As the safety restraint is locked down over the guest, it clicks three times. If a guest couldn’t get it the third click, they were told they couldn’t ride. For many guests, this was the only ride at Universal they couldn’t fit on.

The new test seats, which are outside the attraction and just before you get on the ride, feature three lights, a red one, yellow one and a green one. As the guest pulls the restraint down, the lights go from red to green. If a guest gets yellow, they’re asked to go in a special line with their riding party and are directed to the modified seats.

So far, some of the ride vehicles (or benches as they’re called in the ride) have the modified seats on the each end of the four seats per bench. The benches with the modified seats are spaced out along the track so there isn’t a long wait. A team member working at the attraction said they’d eventually add the modified seats to each bench. The modified seats aren’t any larger, but the locking mechanism has been modified to safely secure larger riders. Smaller riders can also safely ride in the modified seats.

Team members we talked to said the modified seats have helped tremendously. They said before they had to turn away hundreds of guests, but over the two days since the modified seats have been in place, they’ve only had to turn away one guest.

We previously wrote about the issue and featured Banks Lee (pictured above). Banks was one of the ones who couldn’t fit, so he made it his goal to lose enough weight so he could ride. We then wrote about Banks again recently when he made that goal.

Banks said he’s happy they didn’t modify the seats before he lost the weight or he might have lost his motivation, but he’s still glad to have the modified seats available. Banks posted on his blog, “Even though I have lost the weight to get the three clicks in a regular seat, I was still at a size where it dependws on how hard the ride attendant pushed the restraint. There would be times where I could ride it, and then I’ll get back in line and not be able to ride.” Banks said he plans to continue his weight loss to get to a more healthy size.

So, if you’ve tried to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey before and were turned away, give it another try. Whether you lost weight or gained some, you still may not be too big to ride.

Apparently it's the restraint that's been modified, not the seats themselves.

 

[Gryffindor_Mouse]

O_O!!! Ok...if there are pictures then that kind of clears it up.

*BOUNCES AROUND* I may actually get to ride now!

 

[JenM]

It kind of makes everyone right - there's no modified seats, just modified restraints.

And that's good news!

 

[Phoenix41]

I was just about to post that article. Haha. I'm so happy it's cleared up. I was getting confused. LOL.

 

[WWEDUDE]

They said before they had to turn away hundreds of guests, but over the two days since the modified seats have been in place, they’ve only had to turn away one guest.

Awesome news!

 

[TLinden16]

This is great news! I was worried about fitting into the seats (as I've read about other's experiences, some days I'd think it wouldn't be a problem, and the next day I'd think there would be no chance). Now at least I know that there is an option for me.

 

[OrlandoUnited]

I still didn't see the lights, but I could have missed them.

I was coming back to this thread expecting to defend what I saw, but if it's just the restraint, that does, surprisingly, clear everything up.

 

[damo]

That's great to hear that they really have put in modified seating.

I wonder about this interview: http://www.disunplugged.com/2010/09/07/interview-with-thierry-coup-vp-of-universal-creative-part-3/ and if it was just the interviewer who came to the conclusion that there weren't any modified seats coming or if Thierry actually said so.

 

[JenM]

That's great to hear that they really have put in modified seating.

I wonder about this interview: http://www.disunplugged.com/2010/09/07/interview-with-thierry-coup-vp-of-universal-creative-part-3/ and if it was just the interviewer who came to the conclusion that there weren't any modified seats coming or if Thierry actually said so.

And that was a terrible answer he gave. Clearly, the restrictions have been an issue beyond normal ride size restrictions, and it needed to be addressed. I can understand for PR reasons not wanting to outright say they'd screwed this up (which they did)...but he could have at least could have acknowledged that this was being dealt with somehow.