MarketingExpress Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Article from the Cincinnati Enquirer that was posted earlier this morning. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20130613/NEWS01/306130041/Kings-Island-angers-special-needs-parents?odyssey=obinsite I have my own opinion on this matter, but I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 “When I told her, ‘No, we’re not getting on right now, we have to wait,’ we had a meltdown,” said Yuskewich, of his autistic daughter, Kendall, 10, who began kicking, screaming and pushing. This sounds like something my autistic brother would do. Hence why he never goes anywhere these days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I respect the difficulties with the unexpected change; and I've never had to deal directly with an autistic child/adult so I can't say I've been in their shoes. However, with that said, I would think (correct me if I'm wrong) that as long as you know the current policy, you should be able to work around it as a parent. If its a 15 minute wait for The Racer, you go and get your pass, have your child do something for 15 minutes, then board the ride. I can see several difficulties with that, namely I imagine for people with severe cases, you'd have to have one parent go up and get the passes, while the other parent was with the kid doing something different. Its not always possible for both parents, or multiple people to be there w/ the autistic child. Its a no win situation for the park, as soon as you make accomidations for one person, you have to start making accomidations for everyone. Where do you draw the line? You change your accomidations from what people are used to from the past, and people complain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 If its a 15 minute wait for The Racer, you go and get your pass, have your child do something for 15 minutes, then board the ride. Very severe cases, like my brother, have no concept of time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 This change is not new. The park did this a couple of years ago. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stashua123 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I could sort of see why they where angry. I'm one of those very lucky cases where my autism gets better and better and turns into aspergers. But about 90% of all other autisitcs are like this which sort of makes me sad . Prayers. I also can wait in lines so no worries for me. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milesharrison Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 It might be time for the park to actually add this page to the "Plan a Visit" menu... (right now its just in the sitemap)https://www.visitkingsisland.com/plan-a-visit/tips-for-guests-with-autism-spectrum-disorder EDIT: Nevermind...it's actually front and center on the Guests with Disabilities page... https://www.visitkingsisland.com/plan-a-visit/guests-with-disabilities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VortexBFForever Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I also can wait in lines so no worries for me. Same here; I also have Asperger's, and I've waited in lines with no problem (and I'm thankful.). - Topically speaking, I wonder what it is like to be autistic and suddenly be faced with a fact that you have to wait longer for a ride than you're used to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 It's a no win for the park. After seeing what some people have been doing at Disneyland and Disney World. I am happy Kings Island has something in place to stop that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 If its a 15 minute wait for The Racer, you go and get your pass, have your child do something for 15 minutes, then board the ride. Very severe cases, like my brother, have no concept of time. I guess I'll have to ask, since you said you had a brother, what do you do b/w rides? My thought, if I was in that situation, that I'd go up to the ride, get the pass, while my wife did whatever was readily available with an autistic child, then we'd all go up together in the 15 minutes or hour or whatever. Of course then again, an autistic child may want to do The Racer now, and there is no diversion good enough to satisify them for however long the wait is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I agree with Vortex that the park is in a no win situation. Those families with mentally challenged members do not want special treatment, yet do not want to wait for a ride like everyone else? That is a bit contradictory. My daughter was diagnosed with autism, and I have not & have vehemently refused "special" treatment. Now she does have a mild case, which makes it much easier for us to deal with, but I want to press her into knowing how to deal with it as opposed to using it as a crutch (I understand many are not in the same situation). That said, I am confused as to why this is an issue. If there is a set ride time, why would anyone have to wait more than 10 minutes? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB1 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 In all honesty, this is a plan im on the fence about. Yes there are those with a disability, and their reactions can be unwanted and that doesn't make a great trip, as well there may be a certain time for certain medical purposes as well. While on the other hand it is not fair to those in line to wait an extra 5 minutes. Kings Island strives to be an accommodable place for any park guest not based on any physical or ethical conditions with the guest. Therefore, if a rule is in place it is for everyone to have a FUN experience at Kings Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 If its a 15 minute wait for The Racer, you go and get your pass, have your child do something for 15 minutes, then board the ride. Very severe cases, like my brother, have no concept of time. I guess I'll have to ask, since you said you had a brother, what do you do b/w rides? My thought, if I was in that situation, that I'd go up to the ride, get the pass, while my wife did whatever was readily available with an autistic child, then we'd all go up together in the 15 minutes or hour or whatever. Of course then again, an autistic child may want to do The Racer now, and there is no diversion good enough to satisify them for however long the wait is. I bolded the part of the quote that definitely fits my brother. It was always complicated. We were still visiting CP with the RVs regularly when they decided they wanted to try the new boarding pass out. It was a disaster so we were still given passes to allow immediate boarding even while the brand new boarding pass thing was in effect. (still have a pile of "Sorry for Interrupting your day" passes from CP kept just for nostalgia I suppose) Back then it was a routine to him to follow my dad to the coasters (in particular Mine Ride, Iron Dragon and WildCat, as far as coasters go he didn't bother with the others), he liked the kiddie rides, his preferences though was the train and Paddlewheel Excursions. Every trip to CP was heavily structured cause of the routine he liked to follow. As an example once we entered the park and after me and my dad did Magnum it was always off to Paddlewheel Excursions because if we didn't then he be demanding for the "boats". When we did try the new system briefly, we tried to use the shows to keep him busy (because he also liked the shows as well), and he did end up having quite a bit of outbursts in the park. It clearly confused him and the more you'd tell him that we be going back to that ride "in a few minutes", the more impatient and agitated he got. With all the changes at CP, I don't think my brother will ever see the park again in all honesty. Over the years my brother has gotten much taller than my parents, and a lot more stronger which means if he has an outburst...it doesn't end well. When we went to Dollywood in 2005, he had an outburst there, which was really caused by him being tired and ready to go back to the hotel. What happened as a result of the outburst I am sending you in a PM and Dollywood as a response when they found out he was autistic sent us a written apology and free tickets. I never been comfortable posting about the experiences publicly so yeah check the PM. Apparently he had massive outburst at Disney World too in 2010 (and in 2008) but I didn't witness those because I spent pretty much the entire time during those trips at SeaWorld. Living with an autistic person with the severity as him is not easy. Its definitely put a huge strain my parents (and my dad is a cardiac patient so I worry about him a lot), they don't get along well anymore, and I am hands off when it does come to my brother because I don't want to be attached really. Why I prefer to travel solo most of the time. We can't even take him to Walmart anymore. Everytime my mom would take him shopping only thing he wanted was Reese cups, which always causes him to have a headache and since he can't tell us he has a headache, he throws a fit. So we have to keep large quantities of candy and such away from him. He hasn't been to KI in almost a decade, don't think he'll be going anytime soon cause the Antique Cars are gone. (again, he liked those) He never forgets so yeah... The last time he visited KI, he almost had a massive outburst but several round trips on the train soothed him. Mind you, he is very tall (slightly over 6 feet tall) and he WANTED to ride the kiddie rides. Obviously couldn't...so we tried to divert his attention to other stuff quickly before it could get out of hand. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 thanks for sharing; I can't imagine how difficult that situation is, how fustrating it is, how much strain it puts on your family. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 ^^ Did you have issues at different parks because he thought the park was CP and did not have PE? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faeriewench Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 ^ Did you have issues at different parks because he thought the park was CP and did not have PE? That's actually very possible. Like me, he was raised on CP so it was the most familiar to him. The Dollywood incident though, he was clearly done for the day, he started to say "home" which in that particular case was the hotel, during the time it took to go from one end of the park to the other it escalated and really didn't end well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 That's actually very possible. Like me, he was raised on CP so it was the most familiar to him. The Dollywood incident though, he was clearly done for the day, he started to say "home" which in that particular case was the hotel, during the time it took to go from one end of the park to the other it escalated and really didn't end well. Kudos to your family for the effort to make him happy. Many do not. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 So.... we've had a lot of good conversation on this topic, but haven't gotten to the matter at hand... Those of you who are directly affected from things such as Autism: what are your thoughts on the policy? Is it simply being fair, or does it need to be refined for those who simply can not wait in line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 The policy is as fair as it can be for everyone. With the risk of sounding insensitive (and I truly am not), if a guest has a severe enough case that a set time to ride still cannot be followed due to the possible reaction, I'm not sure they would/ should be able to ride to begin with. What if the ride stops due to a malfunction (as had made news at KI twice this season)? Will the guest be able to evacuate the ride safely without a reaction that could possibly hurt themselves or someone else? It is both an unfortunate situation & decision, but IMO as fair as it can get. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharleyTheDinosaur Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I figured they would do something about this policy when I saw the story about people hiring "tour guides" with disability passes at Disney. Just like everything else in life one group of selfish idiots takes advantage and ruins it for those actually needing the program. Unfortunate but I think Cedar Fair did the best they could in a no win situation. The only other thing they could maybe do is actually have times that you can sign up for to walk on to the ride so that there are no surprises of long waits and families can plan out their visit better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 This is difficult for all involved but I believe the park is doing the fairest thing they can for everyone. I think if I were planing a trip for someone with these issues I would try and make it a day where there would not be much of a crowd. I typically do this for myself anyway. Browntggrr's point about the evac is also very valid and something I had not considered before reading his post. I really feel that no matter what parks try to do in this situation it is going to upset someone. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 The policy is as fair as it can be for everyone. With the risk of sounding insensitive (and I truly am not), if a guest has a severe enough case that a set time to ride still cannot be followed due to the possible reaction, I'm not sure they would/ should be able to ride to begin with. What if the ride stops due to a malfunction (as had made news at KI twice this season)? Will the guest be able to evacuate the ride safely without a reaction that could possibly hurt themselves or someone else? It is both an unfortunate situation & decision, but IMO as fair as it can get. I think that is a fair question. I don't know what rides are involved here, but what if we're talking the mid course break run on Diamondback, having to get a distraught, unconsoulable guest down that flight of stairs? or having to get them back to the park from the 2nd lift hill on The Beast? As has been mentioned several times, KI is in a no win policy on this regard, I can see why they've gone the direction they've gone as it makes it the most fair for everyone involved. They are an amusement park, they can't be, nor should be everything to everyone. Reasonable accomidations, absolutely 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 We had to stop taking my brother(severely autistic)after they implemented the wait policy. During Paramount era, you could just get a handicap card(it looked sorta liked a business card) and walk right up to the exit and the the ride attendant would either wait 1 train ride or ask people in line if they would give up their seat for us. 99% of the time, we got right on or just waited 1 train ride. It was perfect, my little brother would be happy and we would have no melt downs. then the change came to wait(this was still in paramount era aswell). Our first trip, it was explained to us how the new policy works, if the wait is under 15mins you'll get right on, If the wait is over 15mins you'll be given a boarding time to come back. ALL HELL broke loose when we were given a boarding time. My little brother, if something was slightly out of his routine or he knew something was different, it was war world. I think we only spent 45minutes in the park before leaving. We knew we could never go back there again because it upsets him way too much. Needless to say I haven't been able to go to Kings Island with my brother for over 10 years now, which is very sad, because I love my little brother and I cant enjoy one of our favorite places on earth with each other anymore. I think the policy should be tweaked, I think the ride attendant should ask if anyone wants to volunteer their seats to the handicap person, or if the wait is less than 15mins, just get them right on. edit: spelling errors 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I figured they would do something about this policy when I saw the story about people hiring "tour guides" with disability passes at Disney. Just like everything else in life one group of selfish idiots takes advantage and ruins it for those actually needing the program. Unfortunate but I think Cedar Fair did the best they could in a no win situation. The only other thing they could maybe do is actually have times that you can sign up for to walk on to the ride so that there are no surprises of long waits and families can plan out their visit better. which may serve to inadvertently discriminate against those people who dont feel like special treatment is warranted. I suppose an alternate solution would be for those whose kids are autistic and can't stand waiting, that a fastlane wristband be purchased (if it's within their budget), thus eliminating that aspect of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06jds377 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 We dont want preferential treatment, we want equal access. Say what? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I don't believe in special privelages for anyone for any reason. If your child is in that bad of shape it seems to me you should have bigger problems than worrying about a ride at Kings Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dms94 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Enough about the rule... What's done is done. Now lets get back to decoding 2014!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoChickens Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I had almost posted a long drawn out solution to this, but Mrs.NoChickens pointed out the obvious. Why couldn't the park give out discounted Fast Lane passes for autistic persons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I had almost posted a long drawn out solution to this, but Mrs.NoChickens pointed out the obvious. Why couldn't the park give out discounted Fast Lane passes for autistic persons? My guess why not, is the obvious question of how long would it take for someone to bring someone with an "alleged" disability to get discounted fast pass lanes? As we've seen in Florida, how long would it take a group of 8 to pay a handicapped person $30 to come to the park with them for 30 minutes, get everyone a discounted fast pass ticket, then head back home while the other 8 proceed on their way of fast passing? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoChickens Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I.D. Required, limit of x times per year. x number of specified care givers, max care givers 4 per visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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