Disneyland Paris is one of the most magical places you can visit, but is it plus size friendly? If you are plus size, or pooh size as they say at Disney, then visiting theme parks can cause a bit of anxiety. Particularly if you're used to visiting UK theme parks, where some of them are notoriously not very accommodating for plus size people!
So today I'm going to give you a rundown of my experience as a plus size person in Disneyland Paris. I'll let you know if the rides are plus size friendly, what type of harnesses they have and any issues you may encounter, including one unexpected barrier that I found!
I am five foot three and a half, (the half is a very important thing to note!) and I am a UK size 20, so I'm kind of short and stout like a teapot. So I'm going to give you a rundown of my experience at Disneyland Paris.
It is worth noting that because I'm very short, some things that would impact very tall people didn't impact me. But I will try and highlight things that I'm aware of that can be issues for taller people.
So let's dive in to see how plus size friendly Disneyland Paris really is!
I am a frequent visitor to Disneyland Paris and I am super happy to report that I had no issues whatsoever! Every single ride I am able to go on!
It is always slightly a worry when you go to a theme park and think am I going to fit on the ride? Or will they say I don't fit and I have to get off? But I've been super impressed at how accommodating Disneyland Paris is! In fact, there wasn't even a time where I was struggling or hoping if we just push harder the harness is going to go down!
So let's do a rundown of the different rides you're going to encounter at Disneyland Paris, and what they're like for sizing and for harnesses.
Something that I would say is probably a bigger concern that I found at Disneyland Paris was more to do with the getting in and out of some of the rides. Some of the rides have a very deep drop to get into them, or the seats are very low, and that could be an issue if mobility is a bit difficult.
One of the first rides that when I was on that I thought this could be a problem is Orbitron. Orbitron is quite deep to get down into and the rockets are slanted, so the angle can also be difficult to get into. This is a rides where you put your legs out in front of you and put your bags in the foot well, but you are sitting flat on the base of the rocket.
This ride has little rockets you sit in and I went in on my own rocket and was fine. I think two adults of any size, regardless of if you are plus size or not, would struggle to fit into these rockets. So if you're an adult with a child, that's probably fine. If you're two adults, it's gonna be a tight squeeze regardless of your body shape.
Other rides that have quite low drops to get into are things like Pirates of the Caribbean. Storybook Boats and 'it's a small world', where you're in a boat and you have to step down into it to get in.
And then rides like Autopia, where you are in these cool little retro cars. Again, you have to get very, very low. The seat was much lower than I was expecting, so I kind of got to the point where I thought it's going to sit down and then I ended up falling into the seat because it was much lower than I was anticipating! This ride can also be a bit difficult to get out of because of this.
The good news is I fitted into all of those rides absolutely fine! There's no kind of restraint on sizing. Whatever size you are, you will be able to fit in those rides. It's just more of an issue with mobility, of getting up and down from very low seating.
I would say a ride that is notoriously the most difficult for plus size people at Disneyland Paris is Crush's Coaster. Now, full disclosure, this is a ride I do not go on anymore because of motion sickness, but I have previously gone on when I was a similar size, and I did get on absolutely fine.
Crush's Coaster has a lap bar that comes down across your thighs and waist, and this seems to be where the issue lies for plus size people. Fitting in the seat is not the issue, it is just the harness fitting and going down so it clicks over the thighs. This is also an issue that impacts tall people.
I would say that if you manage to fit on Crush's Coaster, you'll have no problems on any other rides at Disneyland Paris, as Crush is the one that's notoriously the least accommodating for plus size people.
Other roller coasters at Disneyland Paris may have overhead restraints, rides such as Space Mountain, RC Racers and Indiana Jones, and this can be problematic for people with larger chests, men with broader chests, or people that are very tall, because the harness might not come down. I've personally not had any issues and was absolutely fine, so for the majority of people there would be no problem at all with these coaster.
There has been a time on RC Racer where the cast member has assisted me, and that's because where I am very short, I have short arms, and on this ride you have the overhead harness and then there's a little seat belt that goes in between your legs. Once the overhead harness is down, you can't move your arms as much, so sometimes I find it a struggle to clip the seat belt, so I have had cast members hand that to me so I can plug it in. I've also had them push down on the overhead harness so that they get the click and I'm all secure.
The great news with RC Racer is it does have a seat specifically for plus size people. What's really nice about this is the cast members do not make a big fuss. If they see someone who they think could benefit from using this seat, they will just direct them to that row. So it's not anything you need to worry about. You're not gonna be singled out or be made an example of, they will very, very discreetly just say, please sit in the front row, and then it's all sorted and you have the better seat that is more accommodating for different body types. Space Mountain is another ride that offers this.
If you are worried about a ride please speak to a cast member. They will be able to answer any questions you have and are there to help.
Other rollercoasters at Disneyland Paris are rides such as Big Thunder Mountain, and these types of coaster have a lap bar. I've never had any problems again, and this lap bar seems to be seems very, very accommodating! This is a ride that most people would be able to enjoy.
The one thing I would say about Big Thunder Mountain is there is very little legroom and I do find getting on and off a bit difficult. Just because it's trying to work out how to get your bag out and manoeuvre your legs, particularly if you are taller. But to be honest everyone seems to have the same issue, regardless of their body shape! It's just the fact that it's very narrow for anyone's legs.
One thing I would note about Big Thunder Mountain is that the bar goes across two seats, so whoever you're sitting with, it will only come down as far as the largest person in your party. Some people therefore are a bit uncomfortable if they are riding with young or small children, because the bar could be quite far away from the child.
One ride that can be a bit unaccommodating is the Mad Tea Party, also known as the Tea Cups. And that's mostly because the door that you enter into the teacup in is very, very small and narrow. To get in you do have to kind of manoeuvre your body. And in the middle there is a big metal wheel that you can turn to make your tea cup spin. This could be problematic depending on where you hold your weight, and this is something to be aware of if you are going on the Tea Cups. The good news is the wheel has never been an issue for me. Once you are in the tea cup there is a lot of room between my body and the wheel, so it is very comfortable. For me, it's more the door and getting in and out of the tea cup that is an issue.
If you're wanting to ride some of the classic dark rides, such as Snow White, Pinocchio and Peter Pan, these rides have bench seating and then a lap bar that comes towards you. Again, getting in and out can be a bit bothersome because there's not much leg room. This does seem to be a running theme, but again that seems to impact all adults, regardless of body shape.
Because these rides have bench seating it's very comfortable once you are in. You can decide if you want to sit with another person or sit in your own row.
In Walt Disney Studios Park, you have a super fun spinning Cars ride called Cars Quatres Roues Rallye. It has bench seating and there are two rows in each car. Now, what I would say with this ride is that it's not really possible to fit two adults sat next to each other. When I've been on it with adults before, we've had one in the front and one in the back. You could possibly fit with a child but it could be a tight squeeze. So definitely make sure you have your own row because for two adults, regardless of your body size, it's a very, very tight squeeze.
This ride has a seat belt that goes across the whole of the bench. So if there are two people sat on the bench, they will go across both of you. The first time I went on this ride I sat in the back row and I could only just do up the belt. I don't know if maybe it needed more adjustment but it was a very tight fit and I could literally only just clip it.
The second time I went on this ride I sat in the front row, and I had loads of room! So it might be worth noting if you are plus size maybe try and sit in the front row as it's a little bit more accommodating.
If you are a thrill seeker and you love rides such as the Tower of Terror, you're in good luck, because this ride has a stretchy seat belt! It is one that you pull out from one side and then stretch it across you and clip it in on the other side so it's very, very accommodating.
The seats are similar to bench seats, although there is a slight scoop either side where the seatbelts go. So if you do have wider hips it could be a little uncomfortable. This is a ride where your hips may be touching other people.
If you'd like a gentler version of Tower of Terror then Toy Story Parachute Drop is the one for you! This ride isn't as high and the drops are controlled as it is a family friendly ride. The great news is this ride is very accommodating! Each parachute has six seats, three in each row. These are little scoop seats, but they are quite wide so are comfortable. Again, this ride has a stretchy seat belt, which is great because they are super accommodating. You also have a bar that comes down in front of the parachute. This is set at a specific distance and is quite far out. It is more there to hold on to, rather than a safety feature, so this will never be an issue.
If you want to go on the classic Dumbo ride, I would absolutely recommend getting your own elephant. I've been before with other adults, and it is a very tight squeeze and not comfortable. But having your own elephant is great! Plus you can also get some really cute photos, one behind each other this way!
Everyone can fit on this ride. It's very, very accommodating. There's a little step to get into the elephant itself, but then there's lots of leg room inside, loads of space to put your bags, and a really long seatbelt that would fit anyone.
Casey Jr is a kids roller coaster. I personally love it because I was not expecting it to go very fast. I literally thought it was a train, like the train you get to go round the park. I didn't know it was a roller coaster at all! (In fact it doesn't go fast really at all, but it was faster than I was expecting!)
What's really cool is that it's designed like the actual Casey Jr train. So the ride vehicles are all fun different shapes! Because of this they have different accessibility. This ride has a lap bar, so is super comfortable and very accommodating. The one thing I would say about this ride is, depending on which ride vehicle you go in, depends on the amount of leg room you get. I've been in some that have had loads of leg room, and others where it is very small leg room. If this is something you're concerned about, when you get to the front just ask the cast member to sit you in one of the rows with more leg room.
Prince Charming Carousel is a classic ride in Fantasyland and is just so iconic and really reminiscent of when the parks would have first opened. And it's also the ride that inspired Walt to create the Disney Parks, so it's a really nice way to kind of pay tribute to Walt by going on the carousel!
Like a normal carousel, there are lots of different horses and there are also some stationary carriages. The horses can be quite difficult to get on and off depending on the final position the horse ended it's last ride in. If you are short like me and the horse you choose is one that has finished its last journey up high in the air, it can be difficult to get your leg high up. But luckily the horses all have their final positions at different heights, and you can select your own horse, so you can find one that is easier to get on to.
There are seat belts on the carousel that you clip around your waist but luckily these are only for children, adults do not need to use them! (I did not realise this and struggled to clip the seatbelt made for a child around me!) .
If getting onto one of the horses could be an issue for you with regards to mobility, then you always have the option of going in one of the carriages. These are very easy to get in. They just have bench seating. And then you get to experience the carousel without having to get on and off the horse!
If you do want to take a journey around the whole of the park, then the Disneyland railway is a really nice way to experience this. It's also a good way to get from different lands, because there are four stops around the park. (Currently two station are closed by you can still ride the train the whole way around the park and get on and off at either Main Street or Frontierland).
The Disneyland Railroad is an old fashioned steam train and it has bench seating in it. There are a few steps that you need to get into the carriage itself. But apart from that, it's very accommodating and everyone will be able to ride this.
Disneyland Paris is famous for it's amazing, Broadway level shows! They are a fantastic way to take a break, be entertained and see some of your favourite Disney characters. Some shows have bench seating, such as Rhythm of the Pride Lands, and others have actual seats, such as Mickey and the Magician. The seats are like what you would find in a regular theatre, and because of this they can be a little bit tight. This could be an issue for some plus size people. The shows this may impact are Mickey and the Magician, Together: A Pixar Musical and Philharmagique.
Other shows such as Lion King Rhythm of the Pride Lands, Alice & The Queen of Hearts: Back To Wonderland and Frozen A Musical Invitation have bench seating, so are suitable for everyone.
One thing that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog is an unexpected barrier I found and it is something that nearly all the rides have! And that is a turnstile in the queue. I have no idea why they have this (apart from maybe to count how many people ride an attraction). It seems a bit bizarre to me! But it is worth mentioning as they are quite narrow.
So for me to go through the turnstiles I have to turn sideways and squeeze through. I am able to get through, although I do brush the sides of the turnstile so these can be quite restrictive.
If this is something you're worried about before entering the ride, you can explain to the cast member that the turnstiles could be an issue for you or you're concerned about it, and they should be able to let you through the accessibility queue.
Another thing that is important when you visit Disneyland Paris is merchandise, and for me particularly clothing. Now I'm really happy to report that I'm able to purchase clothing at Disneyland Paris and it fits! I do get the largest size, which typically is an XXL. I'm a UK 20, that might give you an idea of what that's comparable to.
I would say that women's fit clothing is tighter, so I don't always get that. But a lot of the T-shirts and sweatshirts are unisex so I've always been able to buy these.
I would say that if you are looking for sizes larger than a UK 20 or an XXL, that it can be problematic, because that is where it tends to end. But all the t-shirts will have a different fit, so some will be larger than other, so if you see something you like do try it on to see.
So that is what it is like to be plus size at Disneyland Paris! I've been so lucky that I've had no issues whatsoever, which is really, really great to know! I also know other plus size people who are maybe taller than me, or have a different body shape to me, or maybe they are a larger dress size than me and they've also found Disneyland Paris to be very accommodating.
There are a few rides that, if you are slightly more plus size than me, could be problematic such as Crush's Coaster. But generally Disneyland Paris is a very welcoming and accommodating theme park for plus size people.
If you do have any concerns or worries ahead of getting on the ride, definitely speak to the cast members. They'll be there to assist you and answer any questions you have, so never fear about talking to them!
So that is everything you need to know about being plus sized at Disneyland Paris. I hope this rundown has been helpful and given you some idea about the harness types, how easy it is to get in and out of the rides, and what kind of rides are suitable for plus size people, which tend to be most of them, which is very, very good news!
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