A plus-size traveller has shared how he travels to theme parks all over the US to see which rides he can fit into.
Jason Vaughn has earned a name online by ‘fat testing’ rollercoaster rides, as well as sharing travel hacks and recommendations for plus-size people.
Known on TikTok as @?fattestedtravel, he has amassed over 118,300 followers
In a recent video, he ‘fat tested’ the Revenge of the Mummy, located in Universal Studios, Florida, which has so far gained over 69,200 views.
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“I test everything I’m allowed to,” the 40-year-old content creator, from Orlando, Florida, told What’sTheJam.com.
READ MORE: ‘I get fat shamed on flights and people refuse to sit by me – but I won’t let the trolls win’
“[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.”
Measuring five foot, eight inches tall, Jason weighs 370 lbs, with his waist measuring 54 inches wide.
Along the way, he has found that every park has its own pros and cons.
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He said: “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.
“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.
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“When it comes to positives, I appreciate the team members who are trained to understand how to handle the situation and not cause embarrassment for someone if they’re not able to fit.
“That can make things so much worse when a team member is yelling at someone to get off a ride when they are trying to fit.
“One of the reasons Disney World is my favourite park is because Disney typically takes a very accessibility-first mindset with their rides.
“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.
“This allows them to keep the ride open to everyone, without extreme extra cost.
“This is the sort of thing I would love to see a lot more roller coasters.”
In the video, shared on TikTok, Jason can be seen standing in front of the Revenge of the Mummy rollercoaster at Universal Studios.
He starts by testing out the test seats located in front of the building, which didn’t lock, but was assured by a team member to continue and try the corner seat in the fourth row.
Making his way up a large set of stairs he finds the seat but struggles to lock in the bar.
A team member then comes and tells him they have an ADA (accessibility to amusement) – a cart with bigger seats, which he gets into with ease.
Jason enjoys the ride, comes off and says: “It passed the fat test.
“Even though the seat was still a little tight, and I had to lift up my gut to make it fit – it worked.
“You also need to make sure your legs fit in, which hurt a little.
“But, Revenge of the Mummy does now pass the fat test.”
The post, captioned: “Fat Testing Revenge of the Mummy Rollercoaster at Universal Studios Orlando Florida for Plus Size Guests,” has gathered over 2,800 likes, as well as hundreds of comments.
David 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.”
Brittany commented: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Barry wrote: “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.”
Mizz added: “Really appreciate these videos!”
Alex said: “Yep! I do not fit in the test seat, but I am able to ride in the back row.”
However, some people were not as appreciative of Jason’s adventures.
“This should be a wake up call,” Aaron said.
“Have you tried losing weight?” commented Parrotta.
“I’m more worried about an earthquake,” wrote Cat.
“So freaking sad,” added someone else.
Jason added: “As for the reaction, I can’t say that I’ve ever had a bad or negative reaction in person.
“I remember the first time someone came up to me and said they actually travelled to Disney World because they watched my videos.
“I’m very blessed that that happens almost daily when I am at the theme park.”
