Two-day trip with a child with a disability

All my son wants for his birthday is a two-day trip to Cedar Point. He wants to bring his very best friend, a 12 year old who happens to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. He is on medications, has occasional flareups of severe pain, but he wants to go too, so badly.

My question is, I am sure there are wheelchairs for rent/loan, and we may need to get one at some point if he develops severe pain from walking and standing. Will first aid be able to bring one to us in the park if we need it suddenly? And also, if he is in a wheelchair, how are the rides wheelchair accessible?

His rheumatologist specialist has cleared him to ride on coasters, btw. The concern is the walking and standing for great lengths of time (two days back-to-back, we're leaving the day after Little League playoffs)

This kid is awesome, funny, and doesn't like to be seen as "different" or "disabled" so I am planning to treat him just like my son, but I do want to be fully prepared in case of a flareup.

Many rides have wheel chair access through their exits. For the coasters you may want to asked the employee at the line entrance for the locations. Wheel chairs are available near the front entrance. Electric ones are limited in number and rent out quickly. The regular push wheel chairs are in better supply.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/visit/special_needs.cfm

I would definitely suggest getting a wheelchair from the get go. Cedar Point is a huge park for people who don't have disabilities. If I were in the situation, I wouldn't want to do all the walking and standing in line and everything and risk the flare-up. I'd rather just start with the wheelchair and hopefully reduce the chances.

I'd definitely suggest calling the park and asking how you should proceed. Usually parks are pretty accommodating about wheelchairs and let them go in a different entrance or go up the exit ramp into a special access queue. If the kids are 12, then they may have you go through the normal line while the kids wait at the special access ramp. I think only one other person can accompany a guest in a wheelchair.

I'd talk to his parents. If they say that a wheelchair is a good idea, then be firm with him and tell him that you all want to have a good time and that a wheelchair will just have to be part of the plan. If he has a hard time with that and is willing to put up a fuss and not go, then he must not really want to go that badly.

I would take a look at the Ride Safety Guide for ride procedures! I would probably print it out to take with, but I think they are avalible at Park Op.