Theme Parks

[Carynb]

I know this has been a thread before but I thought I would let you know How Thorpe Park stands in terms of being able to skip the queue if you have Type 1 Diabetes.
This is their reply to my email:
Thank you for your email. We do have a disabled policy at THORPE PARK. We offer this to individuals who are physically unable to stand, or due to the nature of the disability have difficulty in understanding the concept of queuing. In order for us to offer it to those who disability does not fall into one of these two categories we require an NHS/Doctor/Specialist letter specifically stating that it is advised the individual does not use the main queue line. If you are able to provide this on the day, please proceed to Guest Services where we will be able to assist you further.
They also phoned me( good customer service) and said that if J's diabetes meant he couldn't stand in a queue for a long period of time we would just need a letter from the DSN/Dr to say so and it wouldn't be a problem.

C 🙂

 

[Lizzie]

But why would type 1 diabetes mean you couldn't queue? Maybe if you were having a hypo you might need to step away until you recovered. But in general if your blood sugars were stable, why would it be necessary to jump the queue? I am genuinely curious since I have never considered this.

 

[Caroline]

It's not something I had thought that much about either. Good customer service on the part of Thorpe Park thoe.

 

[bev]

But why would type 1 diabetes mean you couldn't queue? Maybe if you were having a hypo you might need to step away until you recovered. But in general if your blood sugars were stable, why would it be necessary to jump the queue? I am genuinely curious since I have never considered this.

We have had this thread before and it has all been explained. For a child - going to a theme park is very exciting. Excitement can mean either hypo or hyper. If hyper then a visit to the loo is normally needed - so they lose their place in the queue. If hypo - they need to treat and stay still for 15 minutes - you cant do that in a queue. Also, dont forget children dont always like to be looked at - so if they need any treatment they might want to leave the queue to do this. Hot weather brings levels down so standing in the sun will nearly always make them hypo. If they need to eat a sandwich etc - most children would rather leave a queue and eat at a table etc..

Lots of children dont like to test in front of other children as they can get embarrased - so leaving a queue to do this means have to start all over again.

For lots of children - even travelling in a car to the theme park can create lots of hypos - so the day is already set that hypo's will be on the cards - so having an 'exit pass' makes life easier for both the child and the carer of the child so they dont have to queue.

Children dont do 'stable' - so the idea that if their levels are 8 on entering the park - they will stay that way - is completely unrealistic.

I realise that for lots of adults - their levels can remain fairly stable for a whole day - but its a completely different senario for children.

By the way, DUK have been instrumental in creating this problem with theme parks and type 1 children. It used to be that all diabetic children could get the 'exit pass' - but DUK were asked about the effect of hypos etc on children and they replied saying that there was no need for special treatment etc......But the 'standard letter' they sent back was about type 2 adults! So naturally the theme parks have assumed that all diabetics are the same and unless you have a letter from your DSN then children wont be allowed any special treatment.😱🙂Bev

 

[Hev]

Hello all,

How do the children in question feel about it? I would have been mortified as a child being made to feel different at a theme park just because of the diabetes. I get the point that excitement + queing in the hot sun may bring on hypos, but surely so does playing sports in the sun - and you are not going to stop them doing that?

Can their friends and family also push to the front of the queue? I always used to hate to be made to feel different as a child because of the diabetes - surely learning to deal with different situations as a child is how we learn to control our diabetes? And is being given 'special treatment' giving the message to the world that diabetics need special treatment? I for one am not sure I want it!

This is only my opinion, but I hate being made to feel different and refuse to believe I cant do anything because of the diabetes.

Although - I am sure it is totally different thing being a parent though, and can understand why you would want every bit of help you can get, this is just from my point of view . x

 

[bev]

Alex got the 'exit pass' at legoland and he loved it! Yes we all get to go with him as we are his carers.

Of course - there may be children who would hate to use this system - its each to their own!

I dont think he felt any different at all. He would feel very different from everyone else though if he had to miss out on such treats just because he cant queue for ages due to hypo's! The point about playing outside bringing on hypo's - yes your right - but you dont have to queue to play outside and you wont lose your place if you need to stop for 15 minutes whilst hypo - and thats the point! This is about inclusion and all diabetic should have the right to experience treats like all other children of their age - it is called 'making reasonable adjustments' and it is laid down in the DDA. Letting a child 'jump' the queue is hardly likely to incur any consequences for anyone else so not sure why this is a problem for people to understand.🙂Bev

p.s You say you would hate 'diabetes to stop you doing anything' and I couldnt agree more - this is why I will try to include Alex in every single experience he wants to and if that means making some adjustments then so be it.

 

[Hev]

Fair point - I understand what you are saying. It just sits a bit uneasily with me, as I think we all get most upset when we are stopped from doing anything because of the diabetes, and I think you cant have it both ways.

 

[Carynb]

Alex got the 'exit pass' at legoland and he loved it! Yes we all get to go with him as we are his carers.

Of course - there may be children who would hate to use this system - its each to their own!

I dont think he felt any different at all. He would feel very different from everyone else though if he had to miss out on such treats just because he cant queue for ages due to hypo's! The point about playing outside bringing on hypo's - yes your right - but you dont have to queue to play outside and you wont lose your place if you need to stop for 15 minutes whilst hypo - and thats the point! This is about inclusion and all diabetic should have the right to experience treats like all other children of their age - it is called 'making reasonable adjustments' and it is laid down in the DDA. Letting a child 'jump' the queue is hardly likely to incur any consequences for anyone else so not sure why this is a problem for people to understand.🙂Bev

p.s You say you would hate 'diabetes to stop you doing anything' and I couldnt agree more - this is why I will try to include Alex in every single experience he wants to and if that means making some adjustments then so be it.

Well said Bev, my intention in posting this hadn't been to open up the whole theme park debate again I just thought people might want to know they can get an exit pass if they want to!
C 🙂

 

[Hev]

Sorry I did not see the debate about it previously. And thinking about it maybe if all my friends were also allowed to push in with me (when a child) I wouldnt mind using the d to my advantage!

Sorry if I am repeating what has been previously said - but I just think it is a bit of a mixed message to tell a child that they can grow up to do everything anyone else can - despite the diabetes for example - hiking across mountains / scuba diving / be an olympic athlete etc etc, yet it is not safe for them to stand in a queue at a theme park!!

 

[bev]

Sorry I did not see the debate about it previously. And thinking about it maybe if all my friends were also allowed to push in with me (when a child) I wouldnt mind using the d to my advantage!

Sorry if I am repeating what has been previously said - but I just think it is a bit of a mixed message to tell a child that they can grow up to do everything anyone else can - despite the diabetes for example - hiking across mountains / scuba diving / be an olympic athlete etc etc, yet it is not safe for them to stand in a queue at a theme park!!

Your coming from a very different perspective than I am. As a parent it is the most heartbreaking thing to witness your child singled out and made to feel different because they want to be like their friends - but cant - because they have to leave a queue! All they want to do is to go on the rides at a theme park - and diabetes still sticks its nose in and makes them leave a queue - so I am at a loss to understand why this can be viewed as anything other than accomodating.

And believe me when I say this - I would give ANYTHING to see Alex queue up with all the other 'normal' children and not have to worry about his levels, or the heat, or whether he has a hypo treatment with him, or whether he needs a wee because he is high etc etc etc etc etc etc etc...........

If it was your own child who was diabetic, then I can guarantee that you would have a very different viewpoint than the one you have now.

It gets very weary 'fighting' people like schools, doctors, DSN's etc trying to get the best possible care for our children, so it does feel odd that another diabetic is the one who is doubting parents best intentions and questioning whether we are trying to get something that we are not entitled to. All we want is for our children to have a nice, stress free, healthy and happy day out at a theme park - not causing anyone any bother or taking any liberties. Is that really too much to ask?😱🙂Bev

 

[Hev]

Bev,

Believe me I do not want to fight with you, and I certainly do not question your intentions for the well being of your son. You obviously think the world of him and are a great Mum.

You are right in that we just come from completely different perspectives - which is what makes this web site brilliant as you have so many different points of view and different ways of looking at things. After reading your last post I had to call my Mum and Dad to see what they thought, and had a really interesting chat with them! When I was out and about as a child on my bike / at a theme park / in the swimming pool / whatever of course I had the odd hypo - but unfortunately that is part of life as a diabetic and you have to learn to deal with it, as well as learn to prevent them. So while although its great that you didnt have to queue at the theme park preventing the possible hypo from standing in the sun, to me it just seems a bit unnecessary. Why not just have an ice cream instead and queue up with all the other children?!

It really is not my intension to cause offence Bev, just, as you said - I see it from a different perspective.

 

[bev]

Bev,

Believe me I do not want to fight with you, and I certainly do not question your intentions for the well being of your son. You obviously think the world of him and are a great Mum.

You are right in that we just come from completely different perspectives - which is what makes this web site brilliant as you have so many different points of view and different ways of looking at things. After reading your last post I had to call my Mum and Dad to see what they thought, and had a really interesting chat with them! When I was out and about as a child on my bike / at a theme park / in the swimming pool / whatever of course I had the odd hypo - but unfortunately that is part of life as a diabetic and you have to learn to deal with it, as well as learn to prevent them. So while although its great that you didnt have to queue at the theme park preventing the possible hypo from standing in the sun, to me it just seems a bit unnecessary. Why not just have an ice cream instead and queue up with all the other children?!

It really is not my intension to cause offence Bev, just, as you said - I see it from a different perspective.

I realise you dont want to cause offence and neither do I.🙂

The difficulty with comparing Alex with someone who has had diabetes a long time ago is the huge difference in how regimes have changed. Judging by your age I would suspect that you were on 'mixed insulins' when you were a little one. The upside of this regime is that you dont suffer as many hypo's as the regimes of today. But the downside of them was that you had to 'eat to the clock' and to 'feed the insulin' and were possibly high for a lot of the time.

Diabetes care has moved on quite considerably over the past 20 years and where in the past it was deemed absolutely fine to give a snack of toast and milk before bed so as to avoid a hypo (for example) - it is now widely recognised that this practice is not what should be done. We have the ability to test our children and get the results in seconds - but in the past it could take a few hours for a result, by which time you could have been 'hi' and not know about it. As you obviously know, high levels equal complications. Speaking to the Consultant at the JDRF conference we went to, he said that he is seeing the effects of these sorts of regimes even now (keeping levels too high to avoid hypo's) in hospitals with people having amputations or having lost their eyesight. He said that if ever there *was* a time to be a diabetic child - then it is NOW. Our children have *the* best possible chances of avoiding complications than ever before.

Luckily we have the technology to be able to keep levels very tight and this takes constant testing and monitoring. I would give Alex an ice-cream in the queue - but I would also have to bolus for it as he is very sensitive and cant even eat 5 carbs without it having an effect! If I gave him an ice-cream of 25 carbs without insulin - he would be in double figures. Whilst this would mean that he wouldnt hypo whilst queuing - I would ask myself 'at what cost' to his health? Sorry, but I am not prepared to let him damage his eyesight for the sake of over-feeding him with an ice-cream in order to queue! It only takes a total of 2 years worth of high levels over a lifetime to cause complications. Alex will go through teenage years of rebellion and if I can help to reduce the amount of times he is high - then I will.

I appreciate that your parents brought up a diabetic child and did the best they could with the tools they were given, so I am not dismissing their experiences at all. But if they were parents of a newly diagnosed child now, then they would be dealing with a whole different ballgame. Alex is on a pump and he is able to have 1/40th of a unit of insulin which means that we can get very tight control - but the cost of doing this is lots and lots of testing and monitoring - much more than was practised in years gone by.🙂Bev

I am certain that this is the sort of thing that was practiced many years ago and I make no judgement about that. But things have moved on and we *know* that this just isnt good diabetes management.

 

[Vicsetter]

This debate does raise the question in my mind - How many carers can a diabetic child have before it causes inconvenience to the other people in the queue? I fully appreciate the points raised and some people should be allowed this privilege but please don't jump on the band wagon and 'take a diabetic child' so you can jump the queue.

P.S. bev, I find fast car driving drops my BG very quickly, does this not happen to Alex on some of the more exiting rides?

 

[Hev]

Hi Bev,

You are totally right about how much things have changed - that is one of the things I was just talking to my Mum and Dad about. For example we never knew that the heat effected insulin absorbtion. I cant remember what age I was when I got my first blood testing kit and for years it took a lot at least a minute to get the result (cant remember maybe longer) Anyway I digress! - yes you are right your son is very lucky in that if he absolutely has to get this horrible disease, he has got the best chance ever at this time in history to live a long and healthy happy life.

I was being a bit flippant about the ice cream - all I meant was that if you knew your sons bs was falling because of standing in the sun / excitement, surely you would just give him something to eat - (whatever appropriate for his regime).

But I am afraid that we will have to agree to disagree on the theme park pass. I just dont get it.

Maybe I am being totally unreasonable (it has been known!), I would be really interested to hear if I am alone on this one or if anyone agrees with me x

 

[bev]

Hi Bev,

You are totally right about how much things have changed - that is one of the things I was just talking to my Mum and Dad about. For example we never knew that the heat effected insulin absorbtion. I cant remember what age I was when I got my first blood testing kit and for years it took a lot at least a minute to get the result (cant remember maybe longer) Anyway I digress! - yes you are right your son is very lucky in that if he absolutely has to get this horrible disease, he has got the best chance ever at this time in history to live a long and healthy happy life.

I was being a bit flippant about the ice cream - all I meant was that if you knew your sons bs was falling because of standing in the sun / excitement, surely you would just give him something to eat - (whatever appropriate for his regime).

But I am afraid that we will have to agree to disagree on the theme park pass. I just dont get it.

Maybe I am being totally unreasonable (it has been known!), I would be really interested to hear if I am alone on this one or if anyone agrees with me x

If there was only 1 ride at the theme park - then it would make life so much easier!😉But there are sometimes 20 or more - so trying to get your head around making sure he is on target for every single time he wants to go on a ride isnt an easy task! Add into that the excitement factor and you dont know your backside from your elbow half the time.🙂Then add into that the running around etc and the idea of taking him to a theme park becomes more of a nightmare. lol. Yes, I think your right, we should agree to disagree as it takes all sorts and we all do things differently in life and shouldnt compare ones life to another.🙂Bev

 

[bev]

This debate does raise the question in my mind - How many carers can a diabetic child have before it causes inconvenience to the other people in the queue? I fully appreciate the points raised and some people should be allowed this privilege but please don't jump on the band wagon and 'take a diabetic child' so you can jump the queue.

P.S. bev, I find fast car driving drops my BG very quickly, does this not happen to Alex on some of the more exiting rides?

I am often found scouring the local streets looking for a diabetic child and shouting 'anyone want a day at a theme park'!😉

Yes - sometimes the rides make his levels drop - but he always has his hypo treatment with him just in case.🙂Bev

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

bev i wish i had something like that when I was little, huge kudos to you that's for sure!!!

Re the running high debate, let me add my two penneth in. I grew up with mixed insulins and ran high a lot of the time and you all know about my rebellion and I'm now suffering with the consequences of it. My mum used to give me snacks without injecting because of the fear of hypos, and I hate to think what that has done to me In the 14.5 years I've had this, things have come so far and I wish I was a child growing up with the D now instead of back then.

Alex is so lucky to have a mum like you 🙂

 

[bev]

bev i wish i had something like that when I was little, huge kudos to you that's for sure!!!

Re the running high debate, let me add my two penneth in. I grew up with mixed insulins and ran high a lot of the time and you all know about my rebellion and I'm now suffering with the consequences of it. My mum used to give me snacks without injecting because of the fear of hypos, and I hate to think what that has done to me In the 14.5 years I've had this, things have come so far and I wish I was a child growing up with the D now instead of back then.

Alex is so lucky to have a mum like you 🙂

Aah thanks Sam - thats lovely of you to say.🙂

Just a point about your parents though, if they were given the same tools that we have now, I am certain that they would have taken it all on board. Its not their fault (or anyones) that things were different a few years back, they did the absolute best they could with the information they had at hand. They didnt have the luxury of the internet etc - and I dont know how they coped. I find most of my information from this place and from the other list I am on. If I just relied on the diabetes team, we would still be on MDI no doubt and wouldnt be as pro-active. I am sure then when you get your pump you will be able to fine-tune things and get that tight control that you deserve.🙂Bev

 

[Adrienne]

Bev, just wanted to say 'damn you're good'.

I agree with all you have said totally.

Type 1 diabetes is still type 1 diabetes but the difference is the tools given today than years ago.

Hev - I can completely understand how you feel about being singled out. However, obviously I agree with Bev.

Some children don't want to be singled out but ask any child if they want to queue at a theme park and they will say no which is fantastic for us parents. If not queuing helps us make the day easier then that is a huge weight of our shoulders.

They don't let all the party through though. You have to juggle it. They generally give the 'disabled' person say a red stamp and all the rest of the party a black stamp. However they will only generally allow a maximum of 4 people per ride including the disabled person who HAS to go on each ride. If the disabled person doesn't go on a ride, then the rest of the party queue as normal.

On the quieter days or quieter rides they may allow 5, at a push 6 depending on the ride.

I know some people who now won't go to theme parks purely due to the diabetes as it has proved too hard with constant hypos etc and the parks (especially Chessington) do nothing to help. Where is the reasonable adjustment there I wonder !

🙂

 

[Steff]

Not alot to say apart from helllloooooooo Adrienne lovely to see you on the board x