Those with disabilities

I remember before the lame (although more fair) disability agreement when you could go to the front of the line and ride twice with up to four people when with a handicapped person the line for MF was 4 hours.

Oh and just an FYI I think reregistering for a time to ride is more fair to others but at the same time my mom is in a wheelchair, paralyzed I think it was nice for CP to let the few who were handicapped yet still able to ride cut to the front because the extra 35 second wait for you is nothing in comparison of what my mom has gone through for 30 years.

Anyone agree if they were having people fake it or something just have proof of whatever.

Have I read this somewhere else?

Yeah it was a subtopic in another one of my post but I decided to make a post for it because it's very personal with me

Except that the way they do it now means everyone has to wait "in line". It's just you don't have to actually stand in line and can go see a show, play some games or ride something else while you "wait".

I have to keep walking by the smelly guy in the neon shirt who doesn't seem to know how soap or deodorant work.

lol yeah that seems nicer when put that wat

Isn't that how the policy has always been? You wait however long the line is, just not in the line. I thought the only thing that changed in recent years was the number of people allowed to ride with the disabled guest.

nope

^ I think that has always been the policy.

Ralph Wiggum said:Isn't that how the policy has always been? You wait however long the line is, just not in the line. I thought the only thing that changed in recent years was the number of people allowed to ride with the disabled guest.

Unless it changed in the past two years, this IS the policy.

I'm been an amputee for 10 years so I have to get the "pass" first thing so I can even ride the Intamin coasters in the early morning since you have to have permission to ride (unless I sneak on in jeans).

Usually I only have to use that when it's really crowded, or later in the day when I'm worn out. If the wait is 45min+ I usually sign up for a time and go relax elsewhere, grab food, or ride something that's a walk on/flat ride or the train.

Last I was at CP was 3 years ago, and I think that was when they changed the rules to allow only one person plus the disabled person to go through the exit (after waiting for their "come back" time or whatever) and extra party members would have to wait in line like regular (like child swap)

I think their current system is more fair, although I miss the +3 rule they had. I remember seeing people abuse the crap out of the disability system back when it was easier to do so. Now, I get questioned if I'm even disabled (at least at KI) since I can walk up to the counter first thing in the morning "just fine." Usually showing them my metal leg makes them hand over the pass with an embarrassed look on their face. haha.

I guess I'd rather jump through hoops and bring a dr. note with me to prove disability (well, for me it's a manufactorer's note that says my leg won't fly off on TTD or Millie) than have a bunch of people who are "normal" abusing the system. It's not really a "bonus," it's just the only way I can comfortably enjoy the park!

^Kings Island actually does not accept doctor's notes. The people standing there at the Customer Service counter are all licensed doctors and/or god, so they get to decide whether you are "disabled enough" to get a pass. I have a family member whose problems are not as visible, and even though she has a wheelchair cannot stand up in line for more than 10 minutes, she was denied handicap access. This occurred last year, and I took a quick trip to the park to ask them today, and it has not changed.
It's discriminatory and completely unfair - we don't want to cut in line, we just want to be enjoy the rides too. So instead of buying 3 Kings Island platinum passes each year like we used to, we plan on buying 3 1-day Cedar Point tickets and that will be the extent of our Cedar Fair patronage.

Does anybody know if they also have this policy of "mobility evaluation" at Cedar Point?

^ I agree but they don't want someone who has a family member doctor to write them a little note saying they can't stand for more than 3 minutes. Maybe have her stand or walk to show that she is disabled.

They won't believe she's handicapped because she can stand up and walk around. I mean, people could just pretend they can't get up (and we've met some people who did), but that just seems wrong to us.
But would the few people who have a doctor willing to make up a story for someone who isn't disabled really cause that huge of a problem?
Well, it is what it is, there's not really anything we can do about it except file some sort of formal complaint and spend our cash somewhere else.

I'd still like to know if anyone has noticed this at Cedar Point though, I wouldn't have brought it up on a CP forum if it weren't for that question.

Yeah Kings Island was weird with me until I showed the manager my fake leg. If I didn't have that, there wouldn't be a way of anyone knowing. I would suggest calling in advance or asking for the manager when you get there if they deny a pass, or threaten American Disabilities Act on them. Dunno how, but you might be able to pull a passage from there. Or wait a couple hours and come back? I dunno. KI bothers me.

I think it's bull that they can look at someone and say "Nah you aren't disabled." Like disabled people are supposed to look weird or something. I get enough discrimination anyway, I don't want it on vacation because I look like I'm moving around fine.

I haven't had issues at Cedar Point, but I haven't been in a few years and I'm going again next week. I figure I'll let you all know how it goes.

It's definitely a fine line. There are many disabilities that aren't visibly evident (at least not at first glance) but there are also lots of people out there looking to scam the system. I'm not sure how KI does things, but if the disabled guests are still "waiting" like the system at CP has them do, I don't see an issue with giving the benefit of the doubt. If KI's system is essentially an instant boarding pass, then I can see the need to be vigilant against abuse of the system, although I would then argue a change in the system is needed to be more fair to everyone.

At KI it's basically the same as CP, you sign up for a time and wait. However, some ride ops will let you on after a couple cycles if the wait is a half hour or less, or if they're trying to flirt with you... or both.

I usually wait in line if it's less than an hour, since I know I can stand for that long. But by the end of the day I start signing up for times on rides with a half hour wait just becuase I get so SORE and have to sit down a lot. And at CP I always have my wheelchair in my car/hotel room so if I need to I can use it.

I wish the scammers would just go away so those of us with REAL problems can get what we need, haha! This goes for more than just amusement park issues too.

I would like it best if the queues were handicap accessible because no one would complain about the disabled people getting an advantage. The only thing is, there might have to be a merge point because the disabled would need more time. Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens was one of these rides that had disabled use the same entrance. Part of the reason being the exit was a nightmare for disabled people. Millennium could probably have a handicap accessible queue. There would have to be a merge point on the ramp to the exit (accessible station).

Well you don't have to be in a wheelchair to be disabled. Many disabled people can walk short distances or stand for a short amount of time, but simply cannot stand/walk for an hour or more.

Honestly I'm kind of sick of everyone assuming you must wheelchair bound or look cripled in order to be disabled.

It really is disgusting. My wife looks perfectly able-bodied. But after 3 to 5 minutes of standing or walking, her pain level begins to shoot up out of control. Still, you should see the looks she gets when she gets up out of the wheelchair. Seriously, people are morons.

...And that's one of the problems. Making the queue "accessible" doesn't solve the problem. It makes it so that someone in a standard wheelchair can navigate the queue. It does nothing for a whole spectrum of disabilities which may not even involve total mobility problems, but may affect a person's ability to wait in a long line. Making the queue "accessible" is really only half of a solution. In fact, it makes things more difficult for some people...

--Dave Althoff, Jr. (can I have a stairway, please?)