A traveler of larger size, Jason Vaughn, divulges his journey of visiting theme parks across the US to assess his fit on various rides. Known as @fattestedtravel on TikTok, he’s garnered over 118,300 followers.
In a recent video, he ‘fat tested’ the Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios, Florida, which amassed over 69,200 views. Vaughn, 40, shares, “I test everything I’m allowed to.”
The 40-year-old content creator, hailing from Orlando, Florida, shared his insights with NeedToKnow.co.uk.
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“[I test] adult rides and kids rides, which always feels weird but I know some parents want to be able to ride with their kids and know if they can fit, so I always make sure to test those,” explained Jason, who stands at five foot eight inches tall and weighs 370 lbs, with a waist measuring 54 inches wide.
Throughout his travels, he has discovered that each park has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. “One of the things I have found out is that some theme parks don’t make it easy to know if there are special seating or extension belts,” he noted.
“I’ve also found that there are some rides that could easily be helped with extensions belts, and not hinder safety. But the theme parks have not made the effort to keep them on hand.”
He further elaborated on the positive aspects, emphasizing the importance of well-trained team members who handle such situations with sensitivity. “One of the reasons Disney World is my favourite park is because Disney typically takes a very accessibility-first mindset with their rides,” he shared.
“For instance, they added an accessible seat onto the back of some of the trains for Tron, which are some of the best seats I’ve ever seen.”
Jason expressed his desire to see more roller coasters adopt similar accessibility features, enabling everyone to enjoy the rides without significant extra cost. In a video posted on TikTok, he can be seen standing in front of the Revenge of the Mummy rollercoaster at Universal Studios.
He began by trying out the test seats near the building entrance, which didn’t lock. However, a team member directed him to attempt the corner seat in the fourth row. Climbing a large set of stairs, he located the seat but struggled to secure the bar. Fortunately, a team member offered an ADA cart with larger seats, which he easily accessed.
After enjoying the ride, Jason concluded, “It passed the fat test.” Despite the seat being slightly tight and requiring him to lift his gut to fit, he found it functional. He also mentioned the importance of ensuring leg space, which caused some discomfort. Nevertheless, he confirmed that the Revenge of the Mummy now meets the fat test criteria.
The post, titled “Fat Testing Revenge of the Mummy Rollercoaster at Universal Studios Orlando Florida for Plus Size Guests,” has garnered over 2,800 likes and numerous comments.
David’s comment highlighted his empathy, recalling his own experience of being denied at Universal and feeling upset.
He said, “Man, I give so much props to you man, I remember the first time I was denied at universal for a ride, I was so upset and embarrassed.”
Barry found Jason’s information about the ADA vehicle valuable, mentioning, “Good to know. As a fellow large person I tried the 4th row corner seat and never was able to fit. But now knowing that they have an ADA vehicle.”
Jason shared his gratitude for the positive feedback he often receives in person at theme parks, saying, “I remember the first time someone came up to me and said they actually travelled to Disney World because they watched my videos.”
However, some individuals had less positive reactions. Parrotta suggested weight loss as a solution, asking, “Have you tried losing weight?” While Cat expressed concern about earthquakes, stating, “I’m more worried about an earthquake.”
