Rant Alert - Disabled assistance in UK Theme Parks

FabSascha

darkpool wrote: »

i think able bodied people treat disabled people with a certain amount of scepticism. when you go to the shops and see the disabled parking spaces with brand new cars and the drivers have no obvious disability it makes me think that a lot of them are milking the system

i honestly don't mind paying tax/ making allowances for genuinely disabled, however i think a lot of "disabled" are just skivers.

It's very easy to jump to conclusions. I have a fairly nice car so I'm pretty much used to getting dirty looks when I pull into blue bays and so many times people have waited around my car ready to try and have a go at me right up until they see me walk. Then it's a double wammy as I feel obligated to somehow force my disability in their faces to prove that I'm well within my right to be there. I still continue to harp on about the fact that I feel that if we had a more diverse representation of disabled people in the media then people wouldn't so easily jump to conclusions because you're not in a wheelchair or screamingly obviously 'disabled looking'. Sorry, gone slightly off topic there.....can't believe they stamp disabled people with a 'disabled' stamp; that's horrific! Can't they just give you a coloured wrist band? That's what they used to do when I used to visit theme parks. Although it was completely different then as the last time I visited Alton Towers (at least ten years ago) I was told to enter at the exit, I could go on a ride straight away, if I wanted to go again I'd have to miss one and then go on the one after and I could have up to three friends with me. I couldn't believe it at the time!

bluebluecow

We have a child with autism, and at drayton manor and Legoland found the staff and park very helpful. Yes at legoland they stamp the arm, not hand, the disabled has a red stamp and other member have a black stamp, its a duplo elephant, so actually looks like you are vips, and doesnt say disabled on it. They also do a card for busy times, you turn up at the ride, and the ride operator, looks at how long the queue is and using the time of queue writes a time on the card, you cannot go on any of the popular rides until that time. Also you only have to show a letter from your dr once a yr, they log that they have seen it for next time. The disabled entrances are with the fast pass entrances so you dont get funny looks, apart from the fact you are usually seated on a ride before a fasttrack person.
At drayton manor they only need dr letter, and it is wristbands, but dont say disabled, usually events that have finished, we had a party one last time. The staff again are brilliant with him, and he loves running up and flashing his wristband.
I wouldnt dream of taking him to a big park yet, as he wont go on fast rides, he is 6 and at drayton manor its basically 4 rides he will do over and over again (train, thomas train, cars and bertie bus). We split in 2 and one of us goes with the other kids to queue for the rides they want to do, and 1 stays with him, then we swap over lol.
For us its a god send, as Jake doesnt understand waiting, and will have a moment, I also think it must be nice for other people not to have a child in the queue screaming, hitting and kicking becuase they have to wait.

elff

Would recomend chessington - my brother is 34 with servere learning diffuculties - staff are helpfull and do require a doctors letter (although they let you off' if its the first time you are there?) Even arranged for my brother to feed the penguins (he LOVES penguins) which was really special to him!!

What i get annoyed about is the number of people that 'try' it on with the disabled wristbands for themselves and friends especially at thorpe park!! People with a 'broken leg' who jumps out of the wheelchair they obviousley borrowed for the occasion so them and there mates can avoid the 90+minute queues.... Also and i will prob get flames but there is also an incresing amount of kids with 'add, adhd, ect.. that are getting thease bands as well.

At chessington we waited for 10min+ in the disabled queue as they only let on so many per ride.

Legoland is fab my nephew has quadaplegic cerabl palsy and there were lots of rides he could do the staff were really helpfull as well -OP i would try legoland as there is lots to see and Do -lots of hills though!!

GemJar_2

pimento wrote: »

Well, I've learned something. I always thought Cerebral Palsy was a physical disability. I never knew it also affected temperament.

Yes, it can do, Cerebral Palsy is, as I understand it (or it is in my sisters case anyway), basically a scar on the brain, my little sister has it and not only does it effect her physically but she doesn't learn at the same rate as other kids her age and she gets upset very easily and very quickly, even for a 5 year old. It also has an affect on her communication and her ability to communicate with others which she can be frustraited by.

Although, personally I don't think my mum would expect special treatment in a theme park save for maybe a special enterance to a ride if the cue space wasn't wide enough for my sisters wheelchair. As the OP said, my mum doesn't want my sister to feel any different from other children and this would generally include doing things like learning to wait her turn!

Edited to add that the OP talks about an everyday struggle which I'm sure a lot of people are faced with but my sister has had fantastic treatment, help at school, speach therapy, physical therapy and the council even came to fit a mini handrail in my mums garden so that she can climb the steps herself (she only uses the wheelchair when she gets too tired)

johnnyboyrebel

nomoneytoday wrote: »

IMHO you have to balance the rights of everyone at the parks.
If one person gets to enjoy the same busy ride multiple times, how is that fair on the others in the queue?

darkpool wrote: »

You honestly think it reasonable for other members of the family to use the "quicker entrances" when the disabled perso doesn't want to go on the ride?

ThumbRemote wrote: »

You seem to be quite happy for discrimination to take place when it's to your daughters benefit.

Why on earth do you expect her to pay less and get more than anyone else?

All of these opinions are absolutely disgusting. Would it really affect you or others if one child who was disabled got onto a ride 10 minutes before you did?

Absolutely disgusting comments.

barbiedoll

I can vouch for the staff at Legoland, also at the theme park in Southend, "Adventure Island"
I don't have disabled kids but I have been on outings to both places with a disabled child and they were terrific there, couldn't have been more helpful.

We tend to go to theme parks out of season anyway. I'm not big on queuing myself and I hate having to pay huge amounts of money to stand around watching other people having fun. We always go in October/November, we have a day out of school (I know, I know, but we don't go on holiday in term time and my kid is never off "sick" unless he is ill!) and we go when the parks are quiet. The queues are minimal, we go early to get in first and we stay late so that we can go on the same rides time and again if we want to. If your child is unhappy in queues and can't walk/stand for long periods, it's much easier to find a seat, get a drink or ice-cream and find a quiet loo during the off-peak season. It's often cheaper too and we always use vouchers which let a kid in free with a paying adult.

I hope you have a good time at whichever park you go to. I personally wouldn't be happy having my child "branded" though, it's a bit insensitive to say the least!

Caz2000_2

I don't see the issue with fast-tracking people with real disabilities - after all the VIPs get priority passes and get to queue jump (if you pay for them) - it would just be like another VIP wanted to ride wouldn't exactly kill you to wait. Its not like thousands of disabled people will descend on one ride meaning no one else gets to ride.

Caz

ThumbRemote

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

All of these opinions are absolutely disgusting. Would it really affect you or others if one child who was disabled got onto a ride 10 minutes before you did?

Absolutely disgusting comments.

No, it wouldn't really affect people if one person got to queue jump. But that's not the issue. There are potentially many people who can jump the queue, and they can go round and round without waiting in between rides. That does affect people.

johnnyboyrebel

ThumbRemote wrote: »

No, it wouldn't really affect people if one person got to queue jump. But that's not the issue. There are potentially many people who can jump the queue, and they can go round and round without waiting in between rides. That does affect people.

We are talking about disabled people here. You are not seriously suggesting that you have a problem with people with disabilities (be it children or adults) not being able to queue jump or get early access to rides etc. are you???????

So lets say 10 disabled people got priority on your day out at the fair, how does this affect you in any way other than having to wait slightly longer to get on the ride?

Get a grip and some morals!!

mumps

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

We are talking about disabled people here. You are not seriously suggesting that you have a problem with people with disabilities (be it children or adults) not being able to queue jump or get early access to rides etc. are you???????

So lets say 10 disabled people got priority on your day out at the fair, how does this affect you in any way other than having to wait slightly longer to get on the ride?

Get a grip and some morals!!

I can see it from both sides, my DH is disabled and blue badge, disabled rail card etc are a god send. However, some people do take advantage and if you have to queue for two hours at a big ride but see other people going on half a dozen times then it is a bit much. To be fair no child likes standing in a queue like that do they and we are all entitled to a treat at times. I think it is fine to let disabled people have some advantages but I don't think it is fair for them to be able to just stay on a popular ride or ride multiple times as it is unfair to ther children waiting. I certainly don't think other members of the family should be able to queue jump when they want to go on a ride and the child doesn't and I think that is queue jumping.