July is Disability Pride Month, chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every week this month, I’ll have a different post on something disability-related. You can read the first week’s post here and the second week’s post here.

I spent the end of last week in Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. My dad spent a summer when he was in college working there are really loved it, so in my childhood we used to go back every summer. We took a break for about 10 years, but have started going back every year again since 2021. I always enjoy my time there, but I think a really valid question is “what do you do there?” Because for the most part, I don’t ride the rides anymore! But here is what I can do at an amusement park.

First, for a little bit of background – two things I want to mention. when I was younger, I was physically stronger, and getting in and out of my wheelchair was easier for me. So when I was younger, I actually did ride some rides – I’d have to get lifted out of my wheelchair and carried on to the ride, but I still could sit on the ride once I was there and enjoy the experience. And very rarely – I think only at Disney, actually – I can stay in my wheelchair and go on a ride, which is great! But that’s definitely not the norm.

Also – most parks do have some sort of disability access program. Since I don’t want to transfer out of my chair to ride a ride, I mostly don’t use the program. And honestly, how helpful they actually are varies from park to park and person to person. But I do want to mention they exist, without going into the details of each. Basically, for me, outside of Disney, rides are out. Here’s what I do instead.

Eat and Drink

I know that everyone eats and drinks at the park, but I do my best to make an event out of it! I try to look for fun, different food – though I am also required to get Dippin’ Dots if I see a stand – and I am so happy that more and more parks have Starbucks and other coffee shops inside them! So I’ll pick up my drink and my snack and set up camp at a table with my sister. We’ll actually even bring something to read into the park and enjoy our books and our coffee while our parents go on a ride or two and stop back. It’s a nice way to spend some time and just soak in the park vibes.

Do What Attractions I Can

This, of course, varies a lot from park to park! At Cedar Point, there’s a train that makes a loop around the park, and there’s a ramp with an accessible car, so we took that for a ride. There’s also a candle shop in their Frontier Trail where you can dip candles into colored wax to create your own design, and it’s accessible for me with a little help. They also have singing / dancing shows throughout the park, too. It’s not a long day filled with back-to-back rides on coasters, but there are still things to do! I really appreciate when parks do their best to mix their attractions between thrill rides and non-ride attractions – it’s a way to give everyone who goes to the park something to do.

Visit the Gift Shops

I love a gift shop! If it’s really hot, it’s the perfect way to take advantage of the AC; if it’s rainy, it’s a great way to stay dry… basically, there’s always a weather-related reason to pop into a gift shop for a minute or two or ten! It’s fun to see the different souvenirs sold at different parts of the park, and fun to see what unique souvenir you can bring home to commemorate the trip! This time, I found a mini shot-glassed size faux Stanley cup (straw included!) with the Cedar Point logo – obviously, it had to come home with me. Last year, I brought home a tumbler from the glassblowing shop at the park. It’s a fun to way to spend some time and just browse, no rushing required.

Enjoy the Atmosphere

Honestly, this is probably the most important part of going to a park. Maybe this is kind of one of the things I’ve had to learn to be good at because I’m disabled, but I go into the day with low expectations of things I “have” to do while there. I’ve learned to just be okay with doing whatever I’m able to do while there, rather than being disappointed about the things I’m not able to do. This might mean that I focus on enjoying the day roaming the park, sipping my coffee (or frozen margarita) and just taking in the sights and the atmosphere. I get that it might not be what you think of when you think of a day at the amusement park, but it’s what works for me.