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Diabetes and fast tracking rides at theme parks…and free tickets

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We did that at Alton Towers last year :D:D

It was explained to me that the problem is pumps - the very fastest roller coasters use powerful electro magnetics to power them which would kill all switched on electrical equipment in the vicinity, including insulin pumps. So the pump has to be removed and left with someone who is not going on the ride, but the pump user can't then stand in a queue for 2+ hours without their pump. So you get a queue jump pass and then only wait max a few minutes each time!

I think for the most popular rides they have a half hour time limit between them, so that you can't have 10 goes before all those poor people queuing have even had one. Daughter isn't big enough for the really fun stuff yet (can't wait until she is :D) but once you've got the red armband the ride operators aren't going to ask why you've got it, they just let you on. So all the stuff we went on was probably pump safe and had smaller queues but it still saved us some time. We had about 4 goes on the runaway train back to back :D

To get the pass we have a letter from our DSN that we show at guest services. That states that standing in queues for long periods can cause blood sugars to drop dangerously low, which is clearly rubbish but I guess the average Joe wouldn't understand all the pump stuff - and when we went we were with a group of other D kids so they hardly bothered reading it at all, having already seen several!

We used it at EuroDisney as well. Can't wait until daughter is big enough to go on the really fast roller coasters as well, then we can jump the really big queues!
 
Well I am big enough to go on the 'big' rides - but I STILL think the Runaway Train is the most fun !

Anyone need to adopt a (pumping) Granny for the day ?
 
Sally71 said:
It was explained to me that the problem is pumps - the very fastest roller coasters use powerful electro magnetics to power them which would kill all switched on electrical equipment in the vicinity, including insulin pumps. So the pump has to be removed and left with someone who is not going on the ride, but the pump user can't then stand in a queue for 2+ hours without their pump. So you get a queue jump pass and then only wait max a few minutes each time!

I think for the most popular rides they have a half hour time limit between them, so that you can't have 10 goes before all those poor people queuing have even had one. Daughter isn't big enough for the really fun stuff yet (can't wait until she is :D) but once you've got the red armband the ride operators aren't going to ask why you've got it, they just let you on. So all the stuff we went on was probably pump safe and had smaller queues but it still saved us some time. We had about 4 goes on the runaway train back to back :D

To get the pass we have a letter from our DSN that we show at guest services. That states that standing in queues for long periods can cause blood sugars to drop dangerously low, which is clearly rubbish but I guess the average Joe wouldn't understand all the pump stuff - and when we went we were with a group of other D kids so they hardly bothered reading it at all, having already seen several!

We used it at EuroDisney as well. Can't wait until daughter is big enough to go on the really fast roller coasters as well, then we can jump the really big queues!
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Hi Sally,

My son went to the air tatto and because of the security there I rang Medtronic to ask about magnets and such like. It seems there is absolutely no reason to worry about a pump being affected unless it goes near an MRI scanning machine. Medtronic confirmed that they can also be used on all fairground rides and roller coasters so try not to worry and keep the pump on😉🙂Bev
 
You daft bugger - there won't be a pump ban on any of the little rides at LEGOLAND and you'd qualify under the 'could have seizures' bit anyway without me!

I really want to go to Diggerland with 3 yo great grandson Caleb as my excuse, anyway! (or go on our own to test it out before taking him LOL)
 
Hi Bev, does that mean the pump won't be affected by any of the rides at Thorpe Park, Chessington, Alton Towers etc? I always thought Medtronic cautioned against it? It would make a huge difference if the pump could just stay on - we have effectively avoided going to theme parks because of the hassle :(
 
Redkite said:
Hi Bev, does that mean the pump won't be affected by any of the rides at Thorpe Park, Chessington, Alton Towers etc? I always thought Medtronic cautioned against it? It would make a huge difference if the pump could just stay on - we have effectively avoided going to theme parks because of the hassle :(
Click to expand...

Hi Redkite,

Yes!:D Alex has also been to the bigger theme parks and kept the pump on which was much better for him as the teacher refused to hold it! The chap at the air tattoo was a friend of the head of Medtronic and was told that although we are all told to keep away from magnets they dont mean the type used at theme parks as they arent strong enough to affect anything - only MRI scanners and bigger magnets can affect the pump. I think there was a scare story a couple of years ago about someone in America using their pump on a ride and the pressure of the ride pushed insulin into them but not sure if this was true and havent heard of anything similar since. Luckily Alex isnt keen on the more scary fast rides so dont think he will be testing that!🙂Bev
 
That's very interesting, thank you Bev. Actually it was a Roche pump rep who told me all this (as well as all the DSNs who are probably just repeating what the pump rep told them). I wonder if she wasn't well clued up on all the whys and wherefores, or whether the company are just being over cautious so that you can't sue them if anything does go wrong!

We liked getting the queue jump pass though, there have to be some perks of having to put up with this rotten condition!
 
Diggerland is good Tw. You get to drive mini Jcb & bobcats. Have been twice. I have a Cherry picker licence & used to some of the controls but not all. 6 wheel bobcats are my fav. spin on there own axis Kids with toys 😎
 
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