ValleyFair: Does Size Matter?

Well, I made a change of plans and delayed my Northern MN wedding trip to today and took my kids and some friends to ValleyFair yesterday.  It was a beautiful day.  I have used ValleyFair (see my profile) as a historical milemarker for weightloss.  Two summers ago I was at my lowest before starting to gain back.  That summer I was able to fit on EVERYTHING I wanted to. I know that some folks here are hesitant to go to valleyfair because they are wondering it they will fit on the rides, and the risk of not fitting along with embarassment trumps the thrill that they would get on the ride.  I have been there and still am there.  And right now my body is on the threshold of both fitting and not fitting depending on the ride.  So I am going to tell you my experience and it may make your realize you will fit (or almost fit...just give me another month).  We've talked about going in late October for Valley Scare.  I may be up for that, but only if I can lose another 20 lbs before then. I know that a woman's body measures different than a man's.  I cannot offer you a "conversion" but all I can say is that I measured my chest and my gut yesterday.  My chest is about 54 inches.  The widest part of my gut is about 57 inches.  I am about 5'8 and about 289 lbs.  Here is my expeience on some of the rides. The NEW RIDE (Renegade Roller Coaster) Restraint: Seatbelt for each individual.  No difficulty clipping it.  Then a Lap Restraint T-bar comes down on each rider indpendently.  This was a difficult one.  The design of this made it so that it needed to reach a click point which was inside my gut.  The operator said it must click at least once. So with all my might, sucking it in, I forced it into the first click.  Now the whole ride I worried that it would have to be pushed in a tiny bit to unrelease, not to mention that I was really in uncomfortably tight.  But the ride was fun and I made it through.  I only did this ride once.  I need to lose 20lbs before I try that one again.  Lots of twists on this ride. WildThing: No problems.  Seat belt.  I found it easier to grab the seat belt BEFORE sitting down and then pull it across me as I sat.  The bar pulls back over your legs but there are multiple click points and the first one was not in my gut.  This was by far my favorite ride.  No problems getting in or out. Excalibur Virtually the exact same restraint as Wild Thing.  No problems.  But this ride ALWAYS give me a headache so I only went on it once. High Roller: One seat belt for both riders, one bar that comes down for both riders.  I avoid this ride because even when I was at 255 a couple of years ago, I barely fit on it.  It's not a big person friendly ride.  If you do go on it, I suggest considering riding alone in your car.  Power Tower: I fit comfortably on this ride.  This has an over the head restraint that must be buckled with a seatbelt between your legs.  This is much like a car seat for adults.  I was never able to buckle the ride by myself.  The VF staff would lay his arm across the restraint and buckle.  My second favorite ride. Big Swing, Steel Venom, RipTide... Last year I fit on the Big Swing, but it was uncomfortable.  I avoided it this year.  I tried to get on Steel Venom but the seatbelt gap was about an inch.  RipTide...don't like it.  But these three rides all have "sample" chairs before you get in line.  If you can fit in the sample, you will be fine.  This is a great feature of the park and will guarentee you won't have to be embarassed on the ride itself. I didn't ride the corkscrew because the last time I did it almost gave me a black eye.  Just not my thing, but I don't remember ever having a problem not fitting. Hydroblaster: This is a water ride through the big black tubes next to the Flume.  It is the only ride with a weight rescriction....350lbs per boat. VIking ship....never done it, probably never will. Flume....easy, no problems I don't know if this helps anyone, but it would have helped me if someone else had written it and I had the info.  I will say that VF staff are VERY respectful.  They will not contribute towards furthering embarassment.  On the powertower they always had to press down a bit, but not one staff ever made a comment, or sigh or showed any angnst whatsoever. So there you have it.  Add your own comments of your experience...and if you want, your measurments to help other people.  Every BODY is different.  I can't tell you that you would fit based on my measurments.  All I can say is that size DOES matter. Paul

Thanks for the in-depth info, Paul!  Sounds like you had a good time, regardless. Enjoy what's left of summer! **SUE**

Paul, this was great!  Thanks for the run down.  Sounds like you had a blast! 

I LOVE going to ValleyFair!  I haven't been there in a few years tho... I'm way up near Duluth.  I LOVE Rollercoasters!  The last time I went to ValleyFair was back when I was a size 22/24... almost 26/28 at that point (right before my highest weight).. and I had a hard time on the Power Tower.  A VF Staff guy had to push really hard on the restraint to secure it.. and I thought my 'girls' were going to pop out the top.. LOL.  I had a hard time on High Roller too.  Wild Thing was perfect.   The past few years I knew I'd probably have a hard time going and of course being plain ole uncomfortable on some of the rides, even the newer ones.   Now that I'm reaching the 100 lb loss mark (woohoo) I've been antsy to go down to VF by the end of the summer/beginning of the fall. I'm about a size 20 now.. so I'm sure things will be great for me (in comparison to when I was around a size 24). Someday I will splurge and travel to Sundusky, OH to visit Cedar Park and ride ALL their rollercoasters!   I can't wait!

Thanks for the info. I'm still a little scared about fitting. I guess I'll have to measure my waist (or biggest part of my tummy). I hope you'll be able to join in October. It wouldn't be fun without you. Hugs, Lori

I have been to Valley Fair a couple of times but due to my extremely low blood pressure, I stay off of the rides so I don't have anything to share.  I did have a WOW moment though...Being able to fit into an airline seat without being uncomfortable and being able to buckle the seatbelt without an extension!  That's my biggest feat! Congrats!  Sounds like you had a fantastic time!

Paul, your timing on this post could NOT have been more perfect!!!  My daughter has had the most amazing 6 months (Hawaii, Valleyfair, California with all it's attractions...), so I told Travis to decide where he wanted to go for an end-of-the-summer fling next weekend, and GUESS what he picked??? VALLEYFAIR!   Okay, so I fit on everything at Disney and Seaworld without any problems, but I'm still nervous.  I read through the extensive ride descriptions on their website, but this is the information they provide on their FAQ:

For safety reasons, all passenger restraint systems, including our lap bars, shoulder harnesses and seatbelts, must fasten securely in order to allow guests to ride. Since rides vary and each person is built differently, it is not possible to provide specific dimensions that will preclude riding. However, in general, guests who are tall (over 6'4"), have a chest size of 52 inches or more, have a waistline over 40 inches, or women size 20 and over may have difficulty securing our safety devices. If you have concerns about your ability to fit comfortably and safely in a ride unit, please stop into our Guest Services Office for assistance.

So, I'm still a little nervous.  But your descriptions helped a great deal!  And I LOVE the idea that they provide a sample seat so you can try it out before actually getting on the ride!  Way to be considerate of a lot of people!