The roller coaster capital of the world. The World’s Best Amusement Park. Where are you? Cedar Point, located in Sandusky, Ohio right on Lake Erie! And if you’ve got mobility problems or other disabilities, you can definitely enjoy yourself at Cedar Point. For, you see, the good folks there have an eye for disability access. And as a person with a mobility disability for 27+ years, I have to say, I’m impressed. I didn’t have one problem – and I hope that with these tips, you, too, can enjoy your time at Cedar Point with your family. Because my disabilities are mobility-related, that is what I will focus on. Cedar Point’s website (listed below) also has tips for guests on these topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Assistive Listening Devices, Sign Language Interpretation, Prosthetic Devices, Casts and Braces, Service Animals, and more.

It starts with the parking lot. If you have disability plates or a hang tag, head right up front and park near the entrance gate.

Head to guest services if you need to rent a wheelchair or scooter (I brought my own). It is to the right of the main entrance gates.

Main entrance to Cedar Point. Gatekeeper rollercoaster above! Guest services to the right

If you can’t stand much, you can request a Boarding Pass. Now, this is a piece of pure genius. You can get one at Guest Services or at Town Hall in Frontiertown.

What does the boarding pass do?

It allows a certified holder, and up to three guests, to not wait in line for rides. Here’s how it works:

• Go to the ride you’d like to enjoy.
• Present your disability boarding pass to the gate attendant. They will mark on the pass a time for you to come back – usually the time that there is a wait for a ride. So if the ride shows a 15 minute wait, the attendant will write for you to come back in 15 minutes. When you come back, you can take an elevator up, or a side gate to the ride, and board quickly and easily. While you still have to wait for rides (which is fair), you can do so seated. Please note that you can only get one ride time at a time – so any plans you might have had to go around and line rides up? No deal. Each guest is treated the same here.

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• The boarding pass is stapled into a guest assistance guide. This guide is a wonderful resource – it tells the ride rating system, keys to symbols around the park, and many helpful tips. To receive the boarding pass, Cedar Point will ask you several questions, including how mobile you are, if you have casts, braces, or prosthetic devices, if you’ve had recent surgery, heart, back, or neck problems, etc. This program is designed to help you have the best time possible at Cedar Point.

Now – not all rides will be accessible to you. If you cannot walk, then obviously you won’t be able to hop from your wheelchair into a rollercoaster car. If you can walk a bit (like I can), and bend your knees, then most rides will be available to you. In the middle of the Guest Assistance Guide is a whole chart of each ride and physical requirements. And, each ride has a sign that shows the requirements.

Part of the ride requirement guide, in the middle of the Guest Assistance Guide

Safety and accommodations sign at Cedar Point. This one is for the Monster Ride

For several of the rides I chose, there was an elevator that held both myself and my scooter. I pushed the button to ride up to the platform. I then left the scooter near the elevator, walked to the ride, and got in. It was VERY easy. For the record, I rode the Iron Dragon, Mine Ride, Windseeker, and Corkscrew. Not bad!

Disability access elevator at Cedar Point for rollercoasters

Inside the disability access elevator for rollercoasters

Not interested in rides?

Never fear – Cedar Point has a plethora of things to see and do, including musical shows, restaurants galore, shopping, and more. The bathrooms have wide entrances and at least one handicap stall in each bathroom. The sinks and dryers are accessible. The restaurants are accessible - in fact, every possible aspect of Cedar Point is accessible. LOVE THIS.

Note – the walkways in Cedar Point are very wide and accommodate a lot of people.
 

I never had a problem inmy wheelchair scooter, unless someone was looking up and not paying attention and backed into me. I can’t blame them – some of those coasters are extraordinary!

For more information:
https://www.cedarpoint.com/plan-a-visit/guests-with-disabilities

Look for more articles coming soon about Cedar Point - we love it there.

Do you have a tip for disability access at Cedar Point? Please share!

Note: Big thanks to Cedar Point for media access - we appreciate it!