Access pass

[math13uk]

I understand it possible to get a letter from your GP (Type 1) in order to obtain an access pass at Theme parks in order to avoid queuing, has anyone done this ?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Gosh, I have never heard of that! Sounds rather odd but interesting! Do you know what the logic behind it is? Does it apply to anywhere you might need to queue rather than just theme parks?

 

[helli]

My DSN told me about this when I got an insulin pump.
I am not sure if it is available for non-pumpers but worthwhile asking.

As an aside (I don't mean to derail the conversation), if you are managing your T1 with a pump, you should remove it before boarding a rollercoaster as the strong magnets can affect the pump action.

 

[math13uk]

Hi and welcome.

Gosh, I have never heard of that! Sounds rather odd but interesting! Do you know what the logic behind it is? Does it apply to anywhere you might need to queue rather than just theme parks?

Its something to do with not being able to q for long periods.

 

[Robin]

Its something to do with not being able to q for long periods.

Is it because you might go hypo while queueing? I think it might be possible to shoot yourself in the foot here, as if you’re likely to hypo in the queue, the theme park might argue you’re likely to hypo on the ride, so it’s not safe to let you on at all.

 

[math13uk]

My DSN told me about this when I got an insulin pump.
I am not sure if it is available for non-pumpers but worthwhile asking.

As an aside (I don't mean to derail the conversation), if you are managing your T1 with a pump, you should remove it before boarding a rollercoaster as the strong magnets can affect the pump action.

Not on a pump

 

[grovesy]

I don't know the answer to your question, but just to warn you many GP practices charge a fee for letters.

 

[helli]

I don't know the answer to your question, but just to warn you many GP practices charge a fee for letters.

But hospital based diabetes teams (the ones who should know about what is appropriate for T1s) don't seem to.
At least they don't charge for the letter for travel - the one that says to let me carry my diabetes stuff (including needles) on a plane

 

[rebrascora]

Have to be honest. I see no reason why we can't queue like everyone else and just monitor our BG levels and take some carbs on board if we need to. No different to walking around the site between rides. I agree with @Robin that we are no more at risk in the queue than on the ride and indeed probably much less so. I would have difficulty taking carbs on board whilst on the ride and nigh on impossible to test, so it would make sense to be testing regularly whilst in the queue and using that time to ensure levels are high enough and stable before boarding the ride.
Just my thoughts

 

[helli]

Have to be honest. I see no reason why we can't queue like everyone else and just monitor our BG levels and take some carbs on board if we need to.

Reading around, I think the issue is related to having a pump and needing to disconnect.
By having priority access, we do not have to disconnect for as long. Being disconnected from a pump (and having no background insulin) for a prolonged period of time can be dangerous.
If we are queuing close to the ride, the magnets may affect the pump so we cannot remove our pump just before getting on.

 

[Sally71]

Yes it’s because you can’t take your pump on the big roller coasters because of electromagnetism which would kill your pump. Therefore you have to take it off and leave it with someone who isn’t going on the ride, but at the likes of Alton Towers you can easily be queuing for 2+ hours for the big rides and you aren’t supposed to be off your pump for that long. There has been much debate about this, I suppose there’s no reason why you couldn’t have a pen with you and do top up injections where needed, and if you’re not on a pump then absolutely no reason why you can’t queue with anyone else. Someone once tested this and took a Combo pump on all the big rides at Alton Towers and their pump came to no harm so a lot of people think it’s a load of rubbish that diabetics can get queue jump passes, we were definitely told when we got our first pump though that it should not go on roller coasters!

We did it once at Alton Towers, and to be a bit fairer to people who do have to queue they give you a card which gets stamped on the most popular rides then you aren’t allowed to go on that one again for at least half an hour. I heard that Alton Towers don’t give queue jump passes just for diabetes any more though, you’ll have to ask. You find the customer services building. My daughter has now decided that she hates theme parks so it isn’t an issue for us any more!

 

[Leadinglights]

The OP implied it was not necessarily a diabetes related reason as she said
'Its something to do with not being able to q for long periods'.

 

[Lucyr]

Can you not just take the pump off when you get towards the front of the queue? I don’t use one so may have misunderstood but I thought you could take it off for an hour?

 

[Robin]

Can you not just take the pump off when you get towards the front of the queue? I don’t use one so may have misunderstood but I thought you could take it off for an hour?

I assume that once you join the queue you are cut off from any non-riding companion who is going to be able to look after the pump for you.

 

[helli]

Can you not just take the pump off when you get towards the front of the queue? I don’t use one so may have misunderstood but I thought you could take it off for an hour?

It depends where you are queuing. Often the queues are right next to the rides close to the magnets which can cause a risk to the pump.
Therefore, we need to remove the pump whilst we are queuing.
As @Sally71 mentioned, queues can be 2 hours long and you are likely to be going form one ride to the next so not just spending one period of 2 hours disconnected but multiple throughout the day.

Furthermore, the (fun) stress/adrenaline of the rides is more likely to raise blood sugars so it is key not to be disconnected for too long.

 

[Christy]

The original poster later stated that they're not on a pump.

 

[Sally71]

Can you not just take the pump off when you get towards the front of the queue? I don’t use one so may have misunderstood but I thought you could take it off for an hour?

No because there isn’t anywhere to put it, and the way they shuffle the queues is hidden away from the main paths so you have no contact at all with your non-riding friends until you’ve had the ride and come out the other side. That’s at Alton Towers anyway, I don’t know so much about other places.

 

[Sally71]

Not on a pump

Probably not then from what I understand, although the actual letter we got from our DSN didn’t really mention the pump if I remember rightly, it said something about blood sugars dropping low if standing too long, which sounded like a bit of a fabrication to me! But we took advantage of it anyway, there have to be some perks... So it might be worth asking just in case, if you can get away with it have fun!

 

[Sally71]

The OP implied it was not necessarily a diabetes related reason as she said
'Its something to do with not being able to q for long periods'.

You can certainly get an access pass if you have mobility issues and can’t stand for that long

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I understand it possible to get a letter from your GP (Type 1) in order to obtain an access pass at Theme parks in order to avoid queuing, has anyone done this ?

Diabetes it's self is not a disability, personally I can see no reason for que jumping.