Big People Need Coasters Too!

Thirty-three. That number, according to the CDC, is the percentage of adults twenty years old and older that are overweight in the United States. That is over one third of the population.

Since Millennium Force opened in 2000, many Cedar Point guests have had trouble fitting on the park’s most popular ride. Millennium, built by Intamin, has been known for having seatbelts that are not the most accommodating. This unfortunate trend continued when Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2003. A majority of park guests can fit just fine, but what about those who are “guests of exceptional size?”

Annie Zelm, a park representative, released new information that will make larger park goers happy. Zelm reveals that Gatekeeper will have “Big Boy Seats.” A feature on newer B&M coasters, “Big Boy Seats” are seats on the trains that are designed to be more accommodating to larger riders. Zelm claims that only one train will have these seats. This feature is a first for Cedar Point.

B&M has other coasters with larger seats. Coasters like Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Oblivion at Alton Towers, and Dragon Challenge at Islands of Adventure all have these seats available. These seats are a great addition to Gatekeeper. I know plenty of larger people who have been scared away from the park because of being embarrassed when told they cannot ride.

These seats will stop that from happening, thus making the park friendlier for everyone.

-Zach Clapper