I’ve been to several different amusement parks over the years on school trips, family outings, and trips with friends. As my vision has changed over years, I have learned more about going to amusement parks with low vision and learned a lot about amusement park accessibility in general. Here are my tips for going to amusement parks with low vision. This is not a specific guide for any particular park, rather it is a general resource for going to amusement parks with low vision in the United States.
Check out park accessibility guides
Amusement parks are required to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and be accessible to people with disabilities. Many amusement parks have park accessibility guides available on their websites for guests with various disabilities, including visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, and neurological/cognitive impairment. These guides give information about accessing rides, accessible routes, and any other guidelines to ensure a great park experience. They can be found on the amusement park website or by searching the park name and “accessibility guide.” Guides may also be available in accessible formats at the park.
Another option for getting information about a specific ride experience that goes beyond physical accessibility is to search for on-ride videos at specific parks, which provide a first-person POV of the ride experience and visuals from beginning to end. These may be posted by the park as an official video, or by guests who have special cameras that they use to film their experience. These videos can provide information not only about the physical ride experience, but also other sensory characteristics like lighting, sound, and other ride equipment that may be used.
Related links
Bring handicap parking placard, if applicable
For amusement parks that have paid parking, it is illegal to be charged an additional fee for using accessible/handicap parking placards or parking areas. I recommend showing the handicap placard at the parking entrance, as parks may have a designated area for accessible parking or shuttle service to get from the parking lot to the main park area.
Download a high resolution copy of the map
Since I can’t read the small print on many traditional park maps, I download a high-resolution copy of the park map so that I can orient myself to where rides are located and zoom in without compromising on image quality. Some parks also have an accessibility map available on their website or at the park that lists information such as accessible entrances- Guest Services also usually has a copy of this map available. Large parks like Disney World/Disneyland also have large print and braille maps available at Guest Services, though these may require a refundable deposit.
Related links
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
Ask about descriptive audio/audio description for shows
Some parks offer audio description (sometimes referred to as descriptive audio) for shows or rides that have lots of visual elements. Audio description is different than captioning and typically requires a device that can be provided at the Guest Services desk or at the entrance to a show. Other parks may offer audio description within an app— I recommend checking the park website for additional information.
Related links
- How To Use Audio Description Devices at Disney World and Disneyland
- Fast Facts About Audio Description
Use a human guide when possible
While visitors may be able to use a white cane/blindness cane or guide dog in some areas of the park, visitors with visual impairments who don’t regularly use mobility aids may find it more challenging than usual to use their vision effectively. This can be due to extended time in the bright sun, not being able to wear glasses on a ride, or competing sensory input in the form of rushing water/ride cars or people talking loudly. In these situations, it’s important to have access to a human guide that can help someone navigate their surroundings and that is within arm’s reach in case of unexpected obstacles.
I have an entire post about how to be an effective human guide, but some of the most important points include:
- Announce potential obstacles such as a curb, open body of water, low hanging branches, or a pothole
- Use terms such as turn left/right, straight ahead, or clock faces (e.g. 3 o’clock) instead of terms like right here, over there, etc
- Do not grab onto a person with vision loss without their consent unless they are in immediate danger (like falling into a pool)
- Allow a person to hold onto an arm instead of a hand when walking, as it is easier to grip
Related links
- How To Be An Effective Human Guide For People With Vision Loss
- Seven Places I Don’t Take My Blindness Cane
Read all safety information for rides
Some amusement rides may incorporate strobe or flashing lights as part of the ride experience, while others rides may not specifically have strobe or flashing lights, but there are areas where there are flickering, flashing, or strobing light effects due to other environmental factors. This may include but is not limited to:
- Small slits or gaps in a slide or top of the ride that mimic a flashing effect due to the speed of the ride
- Fast moving images that can trigger motion sickness or vertigo
- Glare or flickering effects on the surface of water
- LED lights that can appear flashing due to ride speed
- Camera flashes/ride photography
- Firework or light shows that are visible from where the ride is
In many cases, information on flashing lights or effects will be posted alongside ride safety information in the park or online so visitors can make informed decisions about what rides or park areas they want to visit.
How to ask about flashing lights
When determining if a ride or show is safe for someone with light sensitivity to bright and/or flashing lights, it helps to get information on characteristics of the lights, such as:
- Light color
- Strobing intensity
- Location
- What times the lights start and stop (visual cues or auditory cues are helpful here, e.g. after lines of dialogue in a show or when the ride passes the blue track)
As an example, one of the rides at the amusement park my friend worked at featured three quick flashes of white light at the beginning of the ride, and another two flashes of red light after the second left turn on the cart.
Related links
- How To Check Videos For Flashing Lights
- Visiting Holiday Lights With Photosensitivity
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- Flashing Lights and Photosensitivity in the Classroom
Storing a blindness cane
For rides that aren’t rollercoasters, I typically store my blindness cane folded in my lap or on the floor of the ride when I am going on a ride so that I can enter/exit rides without assistance. I prefer this to storing the cane in a backpack or on the ride platform, as it is easier for me to access my cane if it’s with me, and it could also be a tripping hazard for other guests if I left it on the platform.
While I can’t ride rollercoasters, my friends who use blindness canes and go on rollercoasters typically leave their cane with a non-rider or in the ride storage area and ask a friend or staff member to grab their cane after the ride.
Related links
A note on removing glasses
Some visitors may prefer to keep glasses on at all times, including on rides, by securing them with a sports strap or having prescription goggles. I find these uncomfortable, so I prefer to keep my glasses on until the last possible moment before the ride begins, and then store them in a sports floating bag with neon colors that attaches to my waist or that fits in a larger pocket. I keep my glasses on for slow-moving rides like It’s A Small World, but I take them off for many other rides because I don’t want them to get damaged.
While I might remove my glasses for fast moving rides, standing in line or going long periods of time without my glasses is disorienting and my eyes start to hurt pretty quickly or I have trouble standing/balancing. For that reason, I keep my glasses on my face until we are about to get on the ride, and then I put them in the waterproof bag. If someone asks me to take off my glasses while we are in line, I show them the pouch and say that I’ll be taking them off before the ride but need to keep them on for the time being.
Related links
Other tips for going to amusement parks with low vision
- Blindness canes with large rolling ball tips are my favorite for navigating uneven terrain or for walking long distances in the park— learn more about them in Decoding The Tips of Blindness Canes
- Wear protective clothing to help protect against sunburn— since I have trouble seeing/feeling if I have applied enough sunscreen, I prefer to wear items that provide more coverage and protection against the sun.
- Some amusement parks will have light-themed events at night, which may have strobing or flickering effects. I talk more about screening for flashing lights in Visiting Holiday Lights With Light Sensitivity
Published June 1, 2018. Updated May 2022