Theme park & carer & young child- please advise

Mickeymoo

Hi all,

I am new here and would like some advise please if you can help.

I am disabled and have a 5 year old child. I would like to take my daughter to a theme park but am not sure how it can work.

The trip would be for me, my husband ( carer ) and daughter. What I can't get my head around is this. On there site it says for ride access the carer must sit in the same carriage. This is fair enough but my dilemma is what about my daughter? Would my carer be expected to sit with me and my young child be expected to sit by herself? Obviously I am not happy with this and wouldn't do it. Or could my carer help me on and me sit with my daughter? And he sit in front.

Sorry if this sounds stupid but I am newly disabled and don't understand how it works.

Thankyou

pinksk8

Would you be physically able to sit by yourself, if so you be not have to tell the ride operator your husband is your carer? If not, would it be worth asking another teen or adult along with you to sit with your daughter?

Hope you do have a great day when you get there! x x

Lum

Have a look at the rides at whichever park you're going to go to. A lot of modern coasters have 4 seats in each row instead of the usual two.

In any case, chances are, they say that on their website to cover themselves but the bored and underpaid staff wont give a damn where you sit.

Do you use a wheelchair? If you don't they probably wont even realise you're disabled.

Soapn

I'd do what we always do when we go to theme parks, Dad takes the kids on the rides, I watch.

dave030445

Chessington is the strictest out of all the theme parks. If you use the disabled queue passes (so you get on the ride at the exit) then you carer/husband would have to sit next to you no question. your best bet is to take another adult with you but some rides only allow 2 helpers. this is a real pain when we go because there are 5 2 adult and 3 children of us so this means that we can not spend a family day out and enjoy all the rides together.

dave030445

Lum wrote: »

Have a look at the rides at whichever park you're going to go to. A lot of modern coasters have 4 seats in each row instead of the usual two.

In any case, chances are, they say that on their website to cover themselves but the bored and underpaid staff wont give a damn where you sit.

Do you use a wheelchair? If you don't they probably wont even realise you're disabled.

Oh yes they do. Or the bored and underpaid staff will be looking for another job.

bestpud

I'm guessing it is so they can help you out if the ride stopped or you needed some assistance, so it's there for your benefit really.

I'd do as others say and offer to take someone else along to sit with your daughter.

Station

My wife is a lifelong wheelchair user and we have 2 daughters of 5 & 8. I've been with her 15 years so have probably encountered most problems by now ! As has been mentioned above, for some rides you may be able to be independant and so your husband can look after your daughter. However, if the park are strict this may mean that you access the ride via the disabled access but then have to wait for your husband & daughter to queue normally and then ride together.

For my family, for some rides there is a small amount of assistance required (e.g. I need to lift my wife from wheelchair into water rapids rides or small coasters, etc). I dont think we've ever been challenged if I sit in the next carriage/compartment with one of our kids but thats not to say it couldn't happen.

I guess it may come down to the definition of carer and your particular circumstances - neither my wife or I would particularly think of my as her 'carer', I'm just her husband and if I happen to push the wheelchair for a bit, well thats no different to offering to carry the bags and if I give her a quick lift onto a ride thats no different to offering a hand on. If she just has to go the long way round to get onto the ride bcause of steps, thats neither here nor there.

We're off to Disneyland Paris this year because we enjoyed it so much when we went two years ago, it'll be a hoot ! I hope you enjoy your trip too.

warehouse

OP, tell us the theme park you're going to and we can tell you which rides will mean you can sit together and which you can't. That way you can at least plan the day well.

skipsmum

As Warehouse says, tell us which parks and we will try and help! I have good experience of Chessington and legoland