Living in the Central Florida area, I tend to visit theme parks very frequently. My favorite theme park to visit is Islands of adventure and Universal Studios because of the theme of the parks which are Marvel heroes and classic Universal movies.
My recent favorite add-on to the parks would have to be the Whizzing World of Harry Potter since I am a huge Harry Potter fan.
However, the one thing I liked when attending Universal for many, many years before moving to Central Florida was the fact that they made people with disabilities have an excellent experience when it comes to making sure we were comfortable and felt welcome there.
In the recent years, things have changed in the theme parks. For example, when I used to go to the theme parks when I was a kid, park guests were able to have a lot more accommodations.
However, of course, overtime things had to change because people were taking advantage of those parts of commendations for people with disabilities, which is very upsetting for people like myself who genuinely have a disability and can’t be in the theme parks all day long. Quick piece of advice, don’t be a jerk!
Now, with summer coming up, here are some tips on how to visit the theme parks successfully when you have a disability:
1. Bring a doctor’s note explaining the in and outs of your disability, so they have an idea what it is for you to have that disability. This note can also make it so that they can help you with navigating through the parks. Most employee’s, unless they’re new, have a good idea of the layout of the park. It can also make it easier for you if you struggle to explain, or have issues with anxiety too!
2. Always have your prescribed medicines hand when you plan to spend the whole day at a theme park. Why? Because you never know when your disability will decide to act up or for an example, in my case, when my cerebral palsy wants to have a party at the parks. Along with your doctor note, keeping a note about your medication can be a huge help if you ever need assistance, especially if you’re having issues due to your disability.
3. Analyze the roller coasters, or assimilators you can get on that is comfortable for you and your disability. I know for me, I mostly enjoy the ride that has a screen in front of them. It’s like you are in a movie, but you are sitting down with minimal movement compared to the roller coasters with the big drops. It’s always good to understand what you can and cannot handle, there’s nothing wrong with knowing your comfort zone and what limits you can push outside of it if you’re feeling bolder!
4. Take your time and don’t stress about what you can or can’t do while you are at a theme park since you are to be there for a short period of time. This short period of time is meant for you to enjoy yourself and what the park offers. A helpful tip to follow is you can make notes of what activities/rides, you want to do for another date if you can’t make them this time around. It gives you something to look forward too as well!
5. Bring your own drinks and food if you can since sometimes the parks food could be high in the price range and or, due to our disability, we can’t eat certain things. It’s very important that you bring your own food if possible, if you’re unsure call the park ahead of time and explain your situation and why bringing your own food is vital to you enjoying and going to their park.
So here are my tips for making the most of your theme park adventures this upcoming summer. A little planning and preparation can make a great difference in your time at a park after all. What kind of tips or tricks do you have that aren’t on this list? I’d love to read them so share below in the comments!
Photo by Matt Bowden on Unsplash
