Far behind others

Iwannabeindisney89

Member
Original Poster
This post isn't intended to bash sea world, simply to say they are far behind other parks in servicing handicapped guests. On my latest trip to sea world I encountered a very uncomfortable situation. I have a prosthetic left arm from my elbow down. I got in my seat for kraken, was fastened in and then sat on the ride for about 15 minutes. I waited in line and also sat in the chair, all while the workers were talking amongst themselves chatting. It wasn't until I was all set to go, when a worker came over and told myself and my friend that we had to leave the ride. It was very embarrassing. We had to walk off as everyone else watched, obviously knowing why we had to go. The worker said prosthetics were a risk and we should contact guest services. I wouldn't have an issue with this if they told us right away when standing in line. (The worker said "row 3 seats 1&2 enjoy!")This was the last park we traveled to, includingDisney's 4 parks, universal, and bush gardens. We had been on every type of extreme "attraction" and never had a ride stop for us. We went to guest services and only got a "sorry" that workers hadn't picked it up sooner. Sea world needs to realize their status as a major Orlando attraction and step their game up! Anyone else experience hardships at universal when it comes to handicapped guests?
 
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Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Not to cast aspirations at OP, but does anyone have a recent Seaworld guidemap? Does it include specific information about prosethetic limb limitations on the coasters?

I ask because I remember going to Six Flags after the Thomas Hackemer incident and noticing that there was suddenly restriction information all over the place.
 

919Florida

Well-Known Member
Not to cast aspirations at OP, but does anyone have a recent Seaworld guidemap? Does it include specific information about prosethetic limb limitations on the coasters?

I ask because I remember going to Six Flags after the Thomas Hackemer incident and noticing that there was suddenly restriction information all over the place.

I don't have a park gudiemap with me here at work but here is the ride restrictions that are posted on the sign in front of Kraken

Physical Restrictions: Each rider must be able to remain seated upright, keeping their head upright, their back and shoulders against the seat back and their hands, arms, legs and feet down and inside the ride at all times. Guests with a cervical collar, neck brace, broken collarbone or any arm or leg cast will not be permitted to ride. Guests with any type of arm or hand prosthesis should ensure that it is properly secured and will remain in place in spite of forces experienced during the ride. Prosthetic legs are not permitted. Guest with any amputation should see a team member for assistance and may be required to wear a separate harness. Guest with a double leg amputation above the knee shall not ride.
Guests with chest dimensions 52” or greater may not be able to fit the seat restraint system. Please see a team member at the ride entrance for assistance.

And here is a link to SeaWorld's 32 page complete Accessibility guide that can be provided at guest relations or online at anytime.
http://seaworldparks.com/~/media/seaworld_orlando_com_bak/park info/accessibility-guide-2014.ashx
 

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
Prosthetics and ride requirement enforcements are such an all over the place situation, partly because of how good-looking prosthetic attachments can be made these days, as well as clothing sometimes hiding enough that it isn't noticeable with a quick glance. I know it isn't what a lot of people want to hear, but people with prosthetics should ask about/let a worker know about a prosthetic, particularly if it is designed to not be visually intrusive or otherwise partly obscured by clothing. If an employee notices it and knows it would impact a person's ability to ride, obviously they should approach the guest immediately and inform them. That is, of course, if the prosthetic is noticed. The focus of most attendants in line positions is on small kids, and adults generally are only given a cursory look as to loose items/bags and physical size, so if it isn't noticeable/obscured by clothing, it is likely going to be missed.

Of course, another point in the OP's post is a constant source of aggravation for me whenever I visit ANY SeaWorld park, and the issue behind it probably leads to the unfortunate situation the OP encountered more than a prosthetic being well-disguised. Still, a prosthetic is generally considered a "loose article," and requirements for a specific ride regarding them are generally set by the ride manufacturer according to industry safety standards, and are not adjustable by the park, except to be more strict than the standards. Because of all of the above, riders should generally approach an employee about a prosthetic prior to entering the line or boarding the ride.
 

Iwannabeindisney89

Member
Original Poster
We were very aware of the rules before entering the park we always do our research. Like the above poster said the rules are all over the place and we've had different experiences all over. When we went on Manta the worker that was strapping us in said as long as the prosthetic was secure we were fine. We went on it multiple times. We didn't have an issue with being asked not to ride kraken it's happened before (on other rides/parks) many times and it's understandable. What was infuriating/embarrassing was because of the workers. The day we went I had a normal tank top on so the prosthesis is very visible. There was practically no line. While we waited for the next seats to come around there were employees standing In front of us talking. We were then told what row and had a worker standing right next to us. We then had MULTIPLE people buckle us in/check our restraint. We then sat for so long, we and the people around us thought there were technical difficulties. It had to be at least 10-15minutes we seriously thought the ride had broken down. That's when a worker came over and said we had to get off. My issue is not with rules regarding prosthetics we get them, it's with the sea world employees who were too busy chatting rather then taking care of any issue right away. The situation could've been different had they been doing there jobs. We could've been told while waiting at the front of the que, on the allotted spaces, or while being secured in. Instead we were ready to go, sat for 15 minutes and then were the only ones asked to leave the ride while everyone else looked on.
 

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
...The situation could've been different had they been doing there jobs. We could've been told while waiting at the front of the que, on the allotted spaces, or while being secured in. Instead we were ready to go, sat for 15 minutes and then were the only ones asked to leave the ride while everyone else looked on.

Quoted the pertinent part of your post, and is exactly what I'm talking about in the first sentence of my second paragraph. SEAS operations staff have driven me absolutely batty every time I visit one of their parks. I have a feeling the delay was caused by the person in controls actually caring about the prosthetic probably being an issue and calling someone/looking it up in the ride manual to double check. Leaning on structures, lazy signaling, checking restraints one per minute (an exaggeration, but man they typically move slow), all things that drive the operations nerd in me absolutely crazy. If operations management at all levels actually cared, that kind of stuff can be fixed, but the atmosphere among the employees obviously has no intention of changing.

To be clear, there are some great ops employees at SeaWorld, most of whom I know personally, but man, that department is seriously lacking overall.
 

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