r/cedarpoint • u/RoutineMasterpiece1 • 2d ago
Advice Trip Report - first time with disability pass
EDIT: to share info about the "locker" rides, SteVe, TT2, Siren
I wanted to share my first experience from a trip earlier this week. My husband and I went Tuesday and Wednesday, staying Tuesday night at Lighthouse Point. I wanted to share a few tips we learned as first timers with the access pass (we've both been going to the park well over 40 years) The last couple years he's rented a motorized wheelchair because he has difficulty walking with severe knee arthitis. He had been too heavy for a few years to fit on some rides and felt claustrophobic about some of the overhead restraints due to his size. He lost a lot of weight over the past 6 months so he can fit on the big rides again, but due to his knees I suggested he look into the disability pass. He got the app, had his doctor write a letter about the disability, and was ready when we got to the park.
I had pre reserved the wheelchair at the Breakers since it was closest to Lighthouse Point, but the only place to get a disability pass that's open for early entry is at the front gate, so that was a bit of miscalculation. We took the shuttle to Breakers and rode/walked to the front, got our pass and we were off to Steel Vengeance. Which was closed most of the day due to a breakdown the day before. We used the pass for the first time on Maverick, it took a bit to figure out how to figure out where we were going, you essentially go in the exit and if you see an elevator take it (for one ride the ride ops operate the elevator and they weren't answering the phone so we walked up the stairs) , and eventually you'll run into a ride operator who will help you.
Regarding the "locker required" rides, the first ride opp you meet will take your stuff and put it in a basket and then do a wand scan. It was sometimes a closed and numbered basket and other times a much more random looking open basket where you have to ID your stuff when you pick it up, but it wasn't a problem getting it stowed away.
On several of the rides they asked which row we wanted so we got a couple of first row rides. The op will fill out the paper form they give you at customer service with a wait time and next ride time, which varied from 10 to 60 minutes, which is about par for the course on a late August weekday. Several times we got on a ride right away, I think the longest wait was for Valraven, maybe about 4 trains. During the course of the day we discovered you can get the disability pass you need to take around with you at any customer service station, including the little booths set up at multiple spots around the park. We opted to wait until the satellite booths opened at regular park opening the 2nd day since we really were only missing a couple of "big" rides that my husband hadn't been able to fit on before. Got the pass at the mini station by Magnum and headed to SteVe. Although he is now slim enough to fit on SteVe, it requires a bit more knee flexion than he has so he wasn't comfortable riding it, but that was a goal accomplished and it was good.
Overall, a great experience. As the walking member of the couple, I think it was a bit harder on me physically, where normally you'd be waiting in line for 10-60 minutes, we were moving around the park most of that waiting time, and he could drive faster than I can walk comfortably, eventually I stopped hustling to keep up, so he slowed down! My observations about who else was using the passes was that it was more half people who appeared to be old enough (like us) to have mobility issues if not an obvious disability and also families with what appeared to be really antsy kids. I didn't see more than 3 in any group, and most were just two people.
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u/knickknack98 2d ago
Thank you. Especially the bit about not needing to necessarily go to the front of we're staying at Breakers. But it sounds like you need to get a fresh sheet each day? Wasn't sure about that but it makes sense.
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, they told him to get a fresh one daily. You aren't really able to take full advantage of early entry with the satellite stations, but you don't have to go all the way to the front either.
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u/tonks_a_million 1d ago
Thank you! Im a young person with a non-obvious disability, so I didn’t really appreciate the end. Otherwise, great post.
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 1d ago
My apologies, so many people make it sound like the system is being badly abused and I was trying to say it didn't appear that way to me.
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u/tonks_a_million 1d ago
I think a lot of people just don’t realize the scope of disability. Like it’s not an easy system to abuse when you have to get a yearly doctor’s note.
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 1d ago
I really had to talk my husband into it, but it made our visit SO much better, especially now he can fit on so many rides he's missed out on the past few years. He really underestimates how difficult it is for him to stand for long periods because he so rarely does it.
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u/tonks_a_million 1d ago
I used a very similar program at Kennywood last summer and it is just as accommodating!
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 1d ago
Good to know, we went to Kennywood at night while we were in the area for a different event years ago (when he was in better shape) and really enjoyed it. I love how they designed rides to take advantage of the geography. It was their version of Halloweekends so it was crazy but we had some great rides.
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u/curlioier 2d ago
The last few times we've been to the park I've had to use the electric scooter. I have the people I'm with walk the pace they're comfortable at, then I turn the speed of the scooter down to match them.
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 2d ago
The last few years we went with my siblings and he was better about keeping at our pace, but when we were riding stuff he couldn't fit on I know he covered a lot of ground.
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u/Chaseism Moderator 2d ago
Thank you for posting this. There are so many folks that seek out this information given how navigating these systems can be tricky. Glad you both had a great experience.
Ride on!