Complaint Review: Cedar Point

The main reason Disney is able to let larger guests on their rides is due to the fact that most of their rides are not incredibly powerful. No 0-120 mph happens at Disney. The rides are designed to operate within limits, designing a ride to allow heavier individuals makes the ride less fun for everyone. They put an exact copy of the seat at the entrance of the line.

The same problem exists on a plane. The forces are gentler, and the engines can always go faster. If a car on a ride is affected to the point where the ability to make it over a hill is compromised, then a lot of people get hurt.

Bottom line, you want to go to a park where you can ride any ride, stick with Disney. The folks at CP are not trying to be mean, they want to keep you and everyone else safe.

Ohio also has strict laws for rides. We are one of the only states (if not the only) that prohibit video recording on ride. In addition, all around CP there are signs saying that "any person who disobeys posted ride signs is committing a misdemeanor" This is because Ohio has CP, Kings Island and (RIP) Geauga Lake, all real roller coaster parks.

Bottom line - CP is trying to help, don't bother with empty threats or comparing them to a completely different type of park.

Ride On!

-G>T<R

So you didn't spend any money, what exactly is your "rip off"?  Cedar Point is up front about it and even if you do manage to ignore what they have put out there, they put seats in front of the major rides so you can test to see if you'll fit, they're really proactive about it.  Your weight issues, whether it be laziness or genetic, are really not their concern; and they won't be Cedar Fair's concern until there aren't enough "normal" people to keep their revenue up.  An airplane is a mode of transportation, not a thrill ride, and if you are exceptionally sized most airplanes require you to purchase two tickets.  Please keep your venomous comments off of this site unless you actually were harmed in some way.

I go to cedar point all the time and I am not a small person. I can however fit on all the coasters because my weight is not all around my middle area. If you are taller yet weigh over 200 lbs but it's distributed evenly and not all around your stomach/seatbelt area then you should fit. Try the tester seats. They are the same size as the ride seats.

The reason they can't accomodate larger guests is because they are safety conscious. I know for a fact that on Millennium Force the seatbelt has to have 2 finger widths of black strap showing when they tighten it other wise it is not tight enough. The reason for this is just in case that the lap bar comes loose they want to make sure that the riders are going to be safe when they make an emergency stop and that they won't be able to fly out of their seats and hurt themselves on the seats/car in front of them.

They aren't doing it because they hate guests of exceptional sizes. Its because they value the safety of all their riders and want to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

As for the smaller seatbelts. They aren't smaller....sometimes (I am a good example of this) we put on weight/water but don't notice. You might have lost weight but had some of your other weight redistribute itself so that it made the belt feel smaller.

I go to Cedar Point from time to time. A few years ago I rode Millennium Force with no problem. The following year I went back and noticed that the seat belts were now 6 inches shorter. What was an easy fit for me suddenly became a lot more troublesome to get the belt to click. I doubt that the state of Ohio came in and made them do this.

I have held season passes to Cedar Point for most of my 40 years. We visit 4-5 times a year for 1-3 days per visit. If you are significantly overweight, you will NOT fit into or onto many rides. Rules banning you from a ride do not show discrimination, they are RULES. These rules are for your safety and the safety of other riders. If you can't lower the restraint over your huge belly or can't buckle the safety belt because of your girth, you shouldn't ride! It isn't up to Cedar Point to give you a larger lap belt or re-design a ride to fit your extra weight!

Here are the regulations right off Cedar Point's web site. Seems reasonable to me, but judge for yourself. There are other parks...

"RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Safety is number one at Cedar Point. All passenger restraint systems, including lap bars, shoulder harnesses and seatbelts, must be positioned, fastened and tightened to allow guests to ride. We are required by the State of Ohio to enforce all manufacturer requirements.

Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, men who exceed 6'2, or those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40 waistline or 52 chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger. Each person has different body proportions so it is not possible to list exact size and weight.

Our larger guests may experience difficulty on Blue Streak, Chaos, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Mantis, Maverick, maXair, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Mine Ride, Power Tower, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster, Wave Swinger, Wicked Twister.

Maximum recommended weight limits are posted on many rides including Camp Snoopy rides, Chaos, Monster, Planet Snoopy rides, Scrambler, Skyscraper, Super Himalaya, Troika, Wave Swinger, RipCord and most Soak City attractions.

You may enter the ride via the exit to ensure the restraints function properly prior to waiting in line. We have test seats at Maverick, maXair, Millennium Force, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister."

Here are the regulations right off Cedar Point's web site. Seems reasonable to me, but judge for yourself. There are other parks...

"RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Safety is number one at Cedar Point. All passenger restraint systems, including lap bars, shoulder harnesses and seatbelts, must be positioned, fastened and tightened to allow guests to ride. We are required by the State of Ohio to enforce all manufacturer requirements.

Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, men who exceed 6'2, or those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40 waistline or 52 chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger. Each person has different body proportions so it is not possible to list exact size and weight.

Our larger guests may experience difficulty on Blue Streak, Chaos, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Mantis, Maverick, maXair, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Mine Ride, Power Tower, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster, Wave Swinger, Wicked Twister.

Maximum recommended weight limits are posted on many rides including Camp Snoopy rides, Chaos, Monster, Planet Snoopy rides, Scrambler, Skyscraper, Super Himalaya, Troika, Wave Swinger, RipCord and most Soak City attractions.

You may enter the ride via the exit to ensure the restraints function properly prior to waiting in line. We have test seats at Maverick, maXair, Millennium Force, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister."

Here are the regulations right off Cedar Point's web site. Seems reasonable to me, but judge for yourself. There are other parks...

"RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Safety is number one at Cedar Point. All passenger restraint systems, including lap bars, shoulder harnesses and seatbelts, must be positioned, fastened and tightened to allow guests to ride. We are required by the State of Ohio to enforce all manufacturer requirements.

Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, men who exceed 6'2, or those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40 waistline or 52 chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger. Each person has different body proportions so it is not possible to list exact size and weight.

Our larger guests may experience difficulty on Blue Streak, Chaos, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Mantis, Maverick, maXair, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Mine Ride, Power Tower, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster, Wave Swinger, Wicked Twister.

Maximum recommended weight limits are posted on many rides including Camp Snoopy rides, Chaos, Monster, Planet Snoopy rides, Scrambler, Skyscraper, Super Himalaya, Troika, Wave Swinger, RipCord and most Soak City attractions.

You may enter the ride via the exit to ensure the restraints function properly prior to waiting in line. We have test seats at Maverick, maXair, Millennium Force, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister."

Having worked for one of the largest Amusement park chains in the USA, I can tell you that to say Cedar Point can't accomodate the plus sized individual due to safety issues is completely incorrect. They choose not to set their rides up to allow patrons of a larger size, ride them. I'm a large guy and our parks had their rides set up to allow bigger people to ride. I too was turned away from rides at Cedar Point which was a real downer for the day.

If you cannot naturally fit into the seat, then it is not safe for you to ride. This prevents the restraint and/or seat belt from doing it's job of protecting you. No one is discriminating anyone. I do understand the nature of your complaint, although this is not Cedar Point's fault.

"Funny, though, how airplanes are able to accomodate larger individuals but not Cedar Point?"

That's not always true. They cram exceptionally sized people into seats in which they spill over the armrests in to the seats next to them. They used to give these folks two seats to occupy. That's no longer the case since all planes are filled up. It is supremely unfair to the person who has to sit in a seat partially occupied by someone else's excess.

"Funny, though, how airplanes are able to accomodate larger individuals but not Cedar Point?"

That's not always true. They cram exceptionally sized people into seats in which they spill over the armrests in to the seats next to them. They used to give these folks two seats to occupy. That's no longer the case since all planes are filled up. It is supremely unfair to the person who has to sit in a seat partially occupied by someone else's excess.

"Funny, though, how airplanes are able to accomodate larger individuals but not Cedar Point?"

That's not always true. They cram exceptionally sized people into seats in which they spill over the armrests in to the seats next to them. They used to give these folks two seats to occupy. That's no longer the case since all planes are filled up. It is supremely unfair to the person who has to sit in a seat partially occupied by someone else's excess.

"Funny, though, how airplanes are able to accomodate larger individuals but not Cedar Point?"

That's not always true. They cram exceptionally sized people into seats in which they spill over the armrests in to the seats next to them. They used to give these folks two seats to occupy. That's no longer the case since all planes are filled up. It is supremely unfair to the person who has to sit in a seat partially occupied by someone else's excess.