I'm a "Pott-head" and have been jacked up about checking out the "Harry Potter and the Wizarding World" attraction at Universal Orlando since the second I got wind of it. My sister (and sister Pott-head) and I even tentatively planned to go check it out this December, when the weather sucks in coastal California and rules in Florida.
Well... looks like I probably won't fit on one of the rides.
Correction: I probably won't fit on the most super awesome ride of the whole place.
Ugh!!
Of course, having seen my eldest sister ejected from a ride at Disneyland for being too fat - this was when I was a teenager - I'm keenly aware of the size and weight limitations that can come with theme park rides. Honey Bunny and I went to Disneyland for part of our honeymoon and I spent the days leading up to our visit fretting away, wringing hands, rending garments and all. I remember being in queue for Space Mountain and telling Honey Bunny, "If I can't fit, I'll jump out and you should just go without me!" I didn't want him to miss the fun of a ride he'd never been on before, even if I was crying my eyes out in embarassment in the nearest bathroom. It didn't turn out that way, thankfully... I fit in all but one of the rides at both Disneyland and California Adventure. (It was the orange-themed wave swinger that seems to no longer exist at CA, in case you were wondering.)
Not fitting in the seats at Universal Orlando has definitely crossed my mind, but I still found the news about Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey's size limitations a bit shocking. More shocking still is some of the response from fans. Pott-heads are so desperate to get on this ride that they're willing to mount personal weight loss goals! Check out one Banks Lee.
I have to admit that when I started reading his blog I was fully against the notion of losing weight for the sole reason of fitting on a theme park ride. Where are all my brothers and sisters calling out the Universal sizeists here??
Banks Lee is an affable character, though, and quickly won me over. His motivation is pure and simple... and therein lies the (hor)crux of a big issue for me.
Motivation. It's something I can't easily identify and never think to use as a true aid for myself. I've talked previously about wanting (and needing) to lose weight (and having really conflicted feelings about it). I've tried to set a goal and stick to it, to no avail. Whatever temporary motivation I use to start working towards the goal eventually leaves me, and thus leaves me feeling purposeless. Needing to shift one's motivation over time to suit on-going and changing needs is natural, actually, but doesn't come naturally to me. I have to applaud Banks for setting a measurable and attainable goal of losing enough weight to get on the ride. He has a sense of purpose with a cool reward waiting for him at the finish line.
It had me wondering if I should keep the penciled-in date of December with my sis, and also work towards losing some weight to get on what's sure to be a really kick-ass ride (and hell, make the plane ride from CA to FL more endurable). Honestly I wanted to have a knee-jerk reaction to that thought but I couldn't think of a good enough reason to be so reactionary...
