Discrimination at a theme park

[Lovemyones]

Ok, so I literally am the least likely person to complain ever. I have however, started feeling as if I need to speak out more since having disabled children and/or being peri-menopause.

At the start of the festive season we booked a theme park visit at a theme park that our kids love. There's usually a land train that's part of the entry fee, but this had been given a bit of festive razzle dazzle and was now a chargeable extra with specific booking times.

It's worth mentioning at this point that I have 2 Neurodiverse children, one is on the AuDHD pathway and the younger is 6 and is diagnosed ASD, has developmental delays and is completely non-verbal, and is also still in a pushchair due to walk refusal and unawareness of danger. As such she finds it difficult amongst crowds and in queues, and has an access card with the queuing symbol.

Sorry if this is droning on.

Anyway, so I try not to use the access card as I'm quite shy and hate to think that people feel we"re pushing in but will use it as and when.

Because the land train had specific timeslots I assumed I wouldn't need to use it and went to the train 5 minutes prior to the departure time to find the biggest queue ever, but also noticed the train still had seats available on it so I asked the nearest staff member if it was the particular timed train I had booked, he said it is.

I said that we had tickets to that train to which he said that was fine and that this was our train, and to go to the girl on the opposite side of the queue to get the ticket scanned, and then to go back to him so he could get us on the train.

So I went to her and stated what had been said, and she said no.

I asked why and she said that as people who booked the whole package never picked a train time, that they took precedence because they had arrived first. I explained that I had booked only because there was spaces available on that particular train, and that our daughter would not be able to wait in the queue and has an access card to show this......she said "we don't accept the access card on the train"
So I said no problem I will go and get a refund.

I went to guest services and explained what had happened, and they stated that they do take the access card and that as we've booked the specific 5.15pm train that the train waiting there was Indeed ours and to go back and tell the train staff this, and that we'd be able to get on the next train.

I went back to the same girl I had originally spoke to and told her what guest services had said. She was fine about it at this point, and asked that we meet her by the train station as when the train is arriving back she can tell the train staff.

She came over to meet us next to the station to await the train. I didnt want to push past everyone with the pushchair so stood away from the queue a bit and the train arrived back, so she spoke to a different man through the window than the one that I had originally spoke to.

She explained what had happened and that we've booked a timeslot and that guest services had said to get on the next train. He didn't even look over, and pulled a disgusted face the whole time she was talking to him and said to her "no they can't get on the train, why would guest services even say that, they're not getting on, they can wait"

Obviously I'm standing right next to them and feeling my cheeks burn, the man then turns towards me not at all even acknowledging my daughter.

He said "get in the queue you will get on the train, but go to the back of the queue and wait your turn"

I just felt completely humiliated.
I felt terrible that my daughter wasn't acknowledged and could feel my eyes stinging and so I said I'll get a refund and went rushing past the huge queue of people who were all staring at us.

By the time that I got to guest services I was so upset I could barely get out what had happened. The girls in there were nice and would have undoubtedly at this point gone round with us, but I have never felt so humiliated or upset and just wanted out of there. So I said could I please just get a refund on the train, which they gave alongside a doughnut voucher which I declined but they said take anyway, I just wanted to leave as guest services was full and everyone was staring.

I then tried to find where our son was with his dad as I just wanted to leave but as I couldn't find them I didn't want to go anywhere near to the train and sat in the freezing cold in an area right at the top of the park. They then found us upset and became upset themselves.

I wrote an email when I got back and just felt totally dismissed, they said they would internally investigate and if I want half price tickets I can have some as long as they're used by march, which is insulting since you can basically pay that anyway in winter with the offers they have on.

I spoke to the equality advisory service and they have stated that it's probable they have broke the law and advised to send a letter stating this because no reasonable adjustment was made.

The access card is thorough enough when providing them details without being made to feel like you're pushing in ESPECIALLY when it was something booked at a specific time anyway to avoid these issues.

I'd 1 million percent prefer my child was able to communicate with me, and would know it's even Christmas and to wait in a queue, than not.

Had I known that anyone was able to get on at anytime we could have gone on earlier as I never saw any other queues that day. My daughter had to be pushed past all the other kids, away from the train that she would have loved to go on, and now I feel absolutely terrible.

I'm not sure where to go from here so I wondered what others would do? I have twice asked to get the CEOs email address and they have ignored the request and basically said take the half price tickets or the case is closed as far as they're concerned. I don't really know where to go from there as I'm just disgusted with them at this point after going several times a year from the opposite side of the country every year it's totally ruined our memories of this place.

its often possible to find ceo contact details just by googling. Alternatively the companies house website can help.

I have done this, and found the name of the CEO but I can't find any contact details at all anywhere.

@Lovemyones I'm not going to comment on this specific experience because it was obviously completely unacceptable. However, more generally:
Disabled concessions such as access cards are being totally abused because the definition of disability has become so broad. One parent I know got a 3 year access pass for her child's constipation on the basis of a GP letter and was shameless about continuing to use it despite the constipation resolving after a few months
People are just plain selfish. If they can find a way not to queue or make life easier for themselves they will take it without a second thought for those who really need it.
Those of us dealing with our kind of situation as with your 6 year old have to develop hide of rhinoceros. Sod what anyone thinks, call out people who are being awkward or discriminatory, and just remember that advocacy for your child always trumps ignorance.
Every time you stand your ground you make those people accountable. Make them call their manager there and then. Trying to address it afterwards never has the same impact as the here and now.

This sounds like terrible treatment. Disability discrimination for sure, by failing to make reasonable adjustments. But also a plain old violation of the terms under which you booked, given that you were promised access to a particular train time.

I'd keep hammering whatever contact details they provide on their website. If that failed I would ask for advice from the Equality Advisory and Support Service. You could also contact the trading standards dept of the relevant local authority -- the theme park seems to have sold you the ticket based on a misrepresentation of the service you would receive (ie by promising a specific train time and then telling you this wasn't possible).

I'm really sorry your day was spoilt like this. It is horrible to think that you have to be tough and pushy to get your children's needs respected.

@Seelybe yes that's totally ridiculous and completely unfair, what benefit was the access pass with regards to the constipation? Was it to get a toilet pass as surely the other signs wouldn't be beneficial in that case (wheelchair/queuing etc)
With temporary things they could possibly have a shorter time period as it seems all of them give 3 years.
I agree that trying to address things afterwards never has the same effect (I once saw a man get a thousand pound 3 hotel room refund just because he hasn't been informed there was a free mini golf onsite 🙈)
I'm just not that way inclined and tend to get very emotional. I wish that I could call.thungs out there and then because as you say I'm her advocate, that's why I feel as if I can't just let this go

As a parent of a disabled child with high care needs, I’ve found that her Access Card is becoming increasingly more useless. It’s often not accepted or limited Access tickets available.

Then if it is available/accept then I often have similar experiences to you where the staff have an undertone of inconvenience or rudeness, almost like ‘not another one’… I’ve written one email to raise this to a venue before, and got a pretty generic ‘we’ll look into this and make sure all staff have correct training’, I’ve not bothered again since. I don’t think you’d get far with legal action unless you got a solicitor involved, possibly through a charity?

As @Seelybe said, they are increasingly giving Access Cards out for any and every health ailment—especially the queue symbol. Then people share this as a ‘hack’ on social media groups as a tip to queue skip at theme parks. And it’s snowballing to the point where no one takes the card seriously anymore.

This feels like something MN should campaign about. I'm really shocked to read how bad things have got. My only experience of this is taking my son's friend with us on a trip to a theme park 20 years ago. I found that staff were helpful and appropriate but some people in the queues were rude and resentful. Clearly things are way worse now.

You see evidence of the inappropriate inflation of the category of disabled on MN too. Any voices of concern about this are treated as being hostile to people with disabilities. But actually the core group of people who bear the costs of the category inflation are people with disabilities.

@Lovemyones the constipation argument was to do with long queues being too unpredictable if she needed the toilet. Not really sure how or why but it was accepted, ridiculous as it is.
I totally understand being emotional and not wanting to make a scene. But I look at it as education - if people and bystanders are ignorant enough not to see or want to see the issues then they are going to hear it anyway! My mantra is iron fist in a velvet glove....

I witnessed something like this at a Butlins resort, a family had an access card for one of their children and we were que’ing up for the circus, the staff said if they’d wanted to Que jump they needed the VIP passes for the whole party and the smaller Que was to the right, the man actually said we get so many of these waved at us we are told not to accept them, as we have no idea if they’re genuine as easy to obtain - which is awful for people who genuinely need them. I felt for them. Then he also said “people have paid extra for their VIP passes and so we can’t then allow people who haven’t paid for this to Que jump it’s not fair” which is another issue for resorts/venues/attractions I suppose.

I’m sorry you had this experience - hopefully not to be repeated this year! I think moving forward, I would phone places up when you book and speak to them to explain the situation and hopefully this won’t occur again, ask for an email to confirm the arrangements and print it out and take it with you, don’t let it spoil things tho just put it down to experience x