to think attitudes to disabilities in a themepark should be better...

[LunarRose]

We have exit passes for DS with ASD.

AIBU that "I'm going to kick their head in" cos they're "queue jumping", was neither clever nor original (especially after the third time my DP heard it during the day)

AIBU that pushing DS out the way (in the chest with some force) because he failed to respond instantly to your demand he "get out of your way" (whist waiting at the disabled exit) was just plain unpleasant (I was bending down to move him at the time)

So many more similar incidents through the day.

I normal circumstances I wouldn't want to wish my son's disability on anyone, nor the days over backache that a themepark trip entitled before we knew about exit passes (from carrying DS through Queuelines kicking and screaming) however....

We shall retreat to Chessington where we have always found people lovely!!!

[SpamMarie]

I'm not aware of what ASD is, but I can only assume it's something that isn't physically obvious. That is still no excuse. Clearly if you have the relevant passes, you should be entitled to use the disabled facilities, be that seperate queues or whatever. Some people are too wrapped up in their own little worlds to realise there might be something going on with other people that they hadn't thought of. Short of sending that type of person on an educational course called 'living with disability and learning empathy' I don't know how we can solve this.

Sorry your day was spoilt and hope you have fun at Chessinton!

[KittyFane]

People are pissed off that you have passes and are showing their true colours by being vile beyond belief.
How people can be jealous I don't know but they are

I've actually had the opposite- I was at the gate and a man with a boy in a wheelchair said angrily 'you know that this is the queue for PASSES don't you - you need a PASS' he then waved his pass at me... I was so shocked (neither me or DD show any outward sign of SN or disability)... I just said 'Yes, we know' ...

In conclusion, if the theme park sees fit to issue you with a pass for SN or disability, you are not a queue jumper.

[slavetofilofax]

ASD is autistic spectrum disorder.

Yes, attitudes should be better. Unfortunately theme parks bring out the worst in people. The extortionate prices they pay to get in, combined with long queues, combined with children moaning about said queues, combined with too many people all rushing to do the same thing, often after a long drive, does not make for nice reasonable people who can think beyond their own circumstances.

Ignore these people OP, I know it hurts, but they are small minded, ignorant, selfish people, who are really not worth your brain space.

[elliejjtiny]

I think pushing someone when they are standing in your way is extremely rude, even if the person standing in your way doesn't have special needs. I agree with slavetofilofax theme parks bring out the worst in people. I think it's fairly obvious when a child has ASD badly enough to need an exit pass just by looking at them but maybe that's just me.

[worraliberty]

Queue jumpers piss everyone off so if your son's disability is not obvious, I suppose it's par for the course.

Perhaps passes in the form of visible badges is the way to go?

[KittyFane]

Worral - yes, in our case it was lack of visible disability definatly.
As for the badges... we could all have different ones so everyone is clear... For example.. 'I've got cancer' , 'I am blind' 'I have got ASD' !!
I am not serious BTW!
Sometimes people just need to mind their own business!
Fortunately, we don't need a pass now but It's good not to judge from appearances whether people have a right to this and that or not.

[2shoes]

what a good idea, disabled people can wear badges, so the ignorant will be able to tell they are disabled

hasn't that been done before?? now where was that.....

[worraliberty]

My point is, the badges need only say 'Pass' or something similar to stop any distress caused to the pass holder and their families.

Some themparks give passes to competition winners so they don't have to queue...therefore it wouldn't necessarily tell everyone that person has a disability.

[aliceliddell]

yy 2shoes
We must justify our existence by public humiliation in case someone gets a parking space they're not entitled to.

[LunarRose]

Legoland, it is our second attempt. Didn't like the attitudes the first time round, liked them even less this time.

Worral - I actually partially agree with your post, chessington have the yellow wristbands, Legoland have much less obvious stamps, I do think it helps, certainly staff. Although Disneyland Paris have neither and attitudes there were superb at least from the staff.

however as the disabled entrance is always separate or it's the exit of the ride, regardless of the lack of visible disability, I can't believe that it isn't obvious that there is a disability cos the staff wouldn't let everyone in that way

I actually don't think it helps that they lump the q-bot people in with the disabled entrance

Incidentally DS disability can be very hidden, although at other times it's more obvious when he's rolling round the floor in anticipation,or screaming cos he doesn't want to get off the ride and doesn't understand why it has to end.

[2shoes]

I think that all disabled people should be made to wear a big blue badge
perhaps then the jealous people would back off..... oh no hang on they would want one too

[worraliberty]

Worral - I actually partially agree with your post, chessington have the yellow wristbands, Legoland have much less obvious stamps, I do think it helps, certainly staff. Although Disneyland Paris have neither and attitudes there were superb at least from the staff

I think they should at least be offered as a choice.

Everyone knows their own kids so they'd know whether a badge would make the day easier/more enjoyable or not.

As for the shoving out of the way, well that's just plain rude no matter who was being shoved.

[Marne]

There are some ignorant c*nts out there

I do think part of it is the fact that members of the public do not know what the passes are for, in some theme parls (lego land for one) anyone can pay exra for a quee skipping pass which i think is very wrong. Theres no exscuse for the behaviour op expereanced, it is hard when you have a child (or children) on the autistic spectrum as the disability is ivisable to others but there is still no exscuse. Both my DD's have ASD, we have not been anywhere where you get a pass, we did go to small theme park last week where they had no passes and it was a nightmare, we had to quee for several rides and dd2 got very upset . Maybe if the public were more aware of why some people have passes to quess skip they would be more understanding (this is down to the park).

[Marne]

oh and my dd2 got punched in the face by onother child at Crealy park a few months ago because she accidently walked into him (she doesn't look where she's going and is non verbal, couldn't say sorry to him, ignored him so got a punch), she was wearing a badge (saying she has Autism and does not talk), the mother of the child just grabbed him and pulled him away from my dd (didn't tell the little sh*t off).

[tallulah]

I'm surprised you found Chessington lovely- I hate it with a passion. usual loads of (non-passholder) queue jumpers and the staff do FA to stop it.

We went to paulton's/peppa pig world last week. The queues in PPW were horrendous. I understand the reasons for passes but do think that sometimes the staff could apply commonsense. We were waiting for the helicopters and a family came to the disabled entrance with mother in a wheelchair. To accommodate them, the staff split up a large party at the front of the queue. They needed 2 compartments but they let the other family into one. So one half of the party had to wait for the next go, instead of all going on together so that they could move off together.

It didn't affect us because we were further back, but surely the other family could have waited for the next go?

I think when you are somewhere like that and you've been queuing for a ridiculous amount of time with your very small children it does get frustrating when people are allowed to "push in", so I can see why people get stroppy, even tho realistically we should all be more tolerant.

Having said that, there is no excuse for pushing people or punching people That is not the behaviour of civilised people.

[Hulababy]

The Disney Parks and Universal ones too are excellent for disabilities generally. They have different queues on the whole as those with disabilities use the fast pass or single rider queues so doesn't really interfere with anyone else.

[Andrewofgg]

Can't blame staff because other customers are rude.

[spottymoo]

we have done all the merlin groups attractions with disabled dd and have had no problems at all with either staff or the general public, dd's disablilty is obvious as she is in a wheelchair but non the less all staff couldn't have been more helpful.

so sorry to hear you've had bad experinces.

[LunarRose]

andrewofgg - I would agree, however i've mentioned the customers because the above was the worst of it yesterday

However I haven't mentioned the staff member who saw me wrestling my son off the ride and commented "can you get off the ride now please".
Or the staff member who after seeing us lift and settle DS onto a ride carriage and accidentally started to load another family into the same carriage, who then asked us to move and resettle DS as opposed to the perfectly able bodied other family.
Or the fact that the 3D effects in the 4D theatre don't work terribly well for the for the wheelchair space, or the lack of warning that a massive wall of fire was going to appear not 4 feet from where DS was sat in his SN buggy

Last time it was the staff and park full stop.

Not being able to find the disabled entrances easily, in the end we just followed the Q-bot entrances because they were signed up perfectly

Boat ride - waiting to get off, the operator unloaded all the boats in the queue channel other than the one DP and DS was in, DS getting distressed cos the boat was "stuck". Ended up having to lift DS up sideways out of the boat over the barrier, leaving only DP to get out of the boat the proper way.

Atlantis: asking the queue host where the disabled entrance was. he pointed out to join the queue just before it goes inside,
Me:"hang on a minute it looks like that's just part of the queue line, DS has an exit pass, DS won't cope with queuing in the dark"
Staff: "no it's the pre-show,"
Oh wait it's a queue line in the dark with a couple of TV sets. By the time we got the 10 mins to the front of the queue, DS had got distressed, wholloped out at DD and at DP and me when we restrained him. He was way too distressed to enjoy the ride by the time we got there.

Actually at the time I thought about putting in a complaint, I'm wondering now why I didn't.

Contrast with chessington where staff grab your buggy to help you off the ride and other 100 small things that really make a difference

[Spinkle]

Merkin kindly gave us free passes to Legoland because of DS disability (he is ASD) We haven't been brave enough to use them yet as he cannot do more than 30 mind in the car without a meltdown.

We got to Thomas Land last year though and the staff were brilliant and yes I did feel a massive sense of smugness as we walked past long queues and straight onto the rides. Without the exit passes we couldn't have a day out. It was such a relief to feel like a 'normal' family I actually cried with happiness.

[Spinkle]

Ooops not Merkin (google it) I meant Merlin

[worraliberty]

I can't stop laughing here!

Isn't a Merkin a fanny wig?

[LunarRose]

Without the exit passes we couldn't have a day out. It was such a relief to feel like a 'normal' family I actually cried with happiness.

I so know this feeling, it was exactly how I felt the first time we did chessington with the exit passes!!! The time before we'd got DS on a grand total of two rides

[LunarRose]

Merkin - yes yes it is