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Great! Then visit a different channel other than TPR. That's not the kind of video we make. I'll visit the channels I choose to visit, thanks. I enjoy TPR videos as well as others. We ARE allowed to have our own thoughts and opinions... amiright?

Are you seriously suggesting that parks deliberately have tight restraints in order to rip off fat people? Most new B&Ms are fitted with bigger seats in at least one row, which seems to indicate the complete opposite to me. I've never been to a park where there weren't at least a couple of rides that would accommodate the average biggest loser contestant. From a personal perspective, getting kicked off a ride for the first time was a good thing! It might have only been a kiddie coaster but the reality check inspired me to get serious about making some healthy lifestyle changes. So I absolutely don't agree that parks need to make special concessions to fat people, at any level. NO, I wasn't suggesting that parks were deliberately trying to rip people off at all. It was just a thought. After all, if you keep your size restriction information vague, you're more likely to get people coming in who just "want to see" if they can fit on rides. The more specific you are about who CAN'T fit, the more visitors you're likely to miss out on. I'm not saying that's how it IS... just that it's a thought that popped into my mind. I don't think parks should make special concessions, either (other than what I said above - being as specific as possible about the height/size/weight limits so people can make informed decisions and not waste time/money). Like you, my upcoming vacation and trip to a park has motivated me to make some major lifestyle changes, and I'm currently about 5 1/2 weeks into it, and I'm VERY glad I started it. It is a little nerve-wracking though, constantly wondering "will I be OK? will I still be too big?" It's a risk I'm willing to take, and that's on me, not on the park. Dollywood is one of the parks that has really good size/weight information on their site, which I greatly appreciate.

Or maybe if you're fat and have issues fitting on rides, you should just lose weight? A park shouldn't have to cater to fat people. Same way the airlines shouldn't either. if you have problems fitting in a seat that millions of other riders can fit in, that's NOT THE PARK'S FAULT!!! And parks already go OUT OF THEIR WAY ON SO MANY RIDES ALREADY to make "fat seats" for gigantic riders. If this isn't enough, check out your local 24 Hour Fitness. --Robb "It's absurd for fat people to complain about not fitting on a ride when they are the ones that are fat." Alvey That's.... really, really rude... My point wasn't that parks should "cater" to fat people, it's just asking that they have clearer information about size restrictions on their rides. That way, if someone knows beforehand that they're too big, they can save themselves the trouble of going OR make changes to lose weight first. Dang... that's all I was saying... the whole fat-bashing rant was totally uncalled for.

Love the window cling!

Start em young! It helps if you have a naturally rambunctious, adventurous kid, of course. I was a very shy, quiet little thing, and the noise and movements of rides literally scared me, and I wouldn't go near them. But I started taking my son to amusement parks when he was very little, so he could get used to the motions, sounds, crowds, etc. I gradually introduced him to bigger and faster rides, and never forced him on anything (NEVER EVER force a kid on a ride) or made him feel guilty or ashamed if he didn't ride something. By the time he was 10 we were riding big wooden coasters together, and "mild" steel ones (Wild Mouse, etc). Then last year, on a school trip (he was 12), he shocked me by coming home and telling me he'd ridden Hydra!! I was so proud! It scared him quite a bit, and it'll probably take some cajoling to get him on another big steel coaster, but I'm sure we'll get there We're heading to Dollywood next month, and we plan to start on Blazing Fury (easy peasy) and then maybe move to Thunderhead, and I'm HOPING he'll try Wild Eagle with me, but we'll see! I think the key is patience, don't force, don't scold if they're scared, try to find something you can do together (even if it's bumper cars or a carousel) and just have fun. Keep introducing the idea of a small coaster, one of those little "family" coasters or something, and just leave the invitation open.

Chris - I feel your frustration. I understand that you can't determine if someone will fit based on their weight because it's more about your size/shape, but I wish parks would at least give us a clue about waist size, height, etc. Some parks give more info than others, some will list height, waist, even weight, and others just say "riders of "size"" or some other vague nonsense that nobody can guess at. You're right, it's absurd to expect people to spend a huge amount of money at a park and then not be able to ride anything! Of course, that may be what they're banking on; you'll come in and then leave frustrated, and for all they care, they still got your $$. I hope parks don't think that way, though.

I don't like "silent" POV videos (they're sort of creepy... like everyone on the ride just died suddenly and it's running with a train full of corpses). But neither do I want to listen to someone yell and shout through the whole thing. I like hearing 1) the sound of the coaster and 2) the sounds of ALL the people on the ride (the background screams, laughs, random comments, etc). So ideally, I'd love POV videos with no commentary, just the normal, everyday sounds of the ride.

I'm not new anymore, but I don't pop in often, so HELLO to everyone

True! I'll have to see how far apart the parks are... ...and if all else fails, you cannot go wrong with a return trip to Knoebels Thanks for the input everyone!

My son and I have gone to DW a bazillion times, and for good reason! It's close to us, it's a beautiful park, and it has a great mix of tiny-tot rides and big-kid/family rides (I could ride the Kingdom Coaster all day!). Trimper's? Never heard of that one...I'm not a fan of boardwalk/beach parks because they tend to be super-crowded, and obviously lack shade/trees. I hate being hot, so shady parks are a must!

The four parks I suggested have fun coasters that are not extremely tall (except for Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood). They also all have family friendly atmospheres. Kennywood and Morey Piers have extensive flat ride packages. Idlewild with less flat has some interesting ones. Hope that helps. Kennywood and Morey Piers also have tasty food options. Add'l info can be found in TPR's Park Index http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/ You might find the Park Guides and Park Notes handy. Thanks for the suggestions, Larry! People in central/western PA really have it made, I tell ya. All of those parks (Great Escape, Kennywood, Idlewild) all look great!! Looks like Idlewild is the closest, then Kennywood. If only I didn't have to drive 5-6 hours to get there! Even Knoebels is almost 4 hours away. I need to move lol.

Can you guys explain WHY you like those parks? Pro's and con's?

Hey David! Yeah, Knoebels is really hard to beat as far as just plain ol' fun rides and relaxed family atmosphere. I'm mainly interested in parks that I haven't been to yet though, but feel free to comment on any park if you loved it! ~Vicky

Is there a thread anywhere that says exactly HOW this all works? Logistically? What do people need to do, where do they go, how do you maneuver a huge group of people through the park and on the rides, etc? ~Ignorant but Interested

With more and more parks going into the "young adult thrill ride" mode, and pretty much ignoring everyone else, it's getting harder to find a park that's really fit for the whole family, and still has a good variety of rides. With a 10 year old son, one of my favorite things in the world is visiting a good amusement park and sharing a few shrieks and laughs on the rides with him, without scaring the crap out of him or having my spine ripped out. So tell me, TPR experts. If you had to recommend one (or two!) FAMILY parks, with a good assortment of non-face-squashing rides, what would your choice be? I live in Delaware, so I'm limited to the following states: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Parks I've been to: Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Knoebels, Six Flags (GAdv and GAm), Dutch Wonderland, Busch Gardens (VA). Favorites so far are Dutch Wonderland and Knoebels!