Going to an amusement park and having CP can be challenging at times. There aren’t many attractions that I am incapable of riding. I love to have fun like everyone else, but I can’t last as long at an amusement park because of how much walking there usually is.
In bigger theme parks like Disney World, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens, there are passes for people with physical and intellectual disabilities so that we don’t have to wait in line. Standing for an extended amount of time can be difficult, and it is. I don’t like taking advantage of the pass because I feel like there are so many people more deserving than me to use it. I do have cerebral palsy, but it is mild and I don’t like drawing attention to myself, so there are some times I may make having CP in an amusement park more difficult than it has to be.
Sometimes, my family brings a wheelchair so that I don’t have to walk around the park and my energy is conserved. However, I get stared at so much that sometimes I don’t like bringing a wheelchair. I know that might sound petty because people who use wheelchairs on a daily basis don’t have the choice to leave their wheelchairs at home, but I digress.
Anyway, I didn’t feel like being stared at on this vacation and there wasn’t enough room in the car to bring the wheelchair anyway, so I walked. For the first few hours, I was running on adrenaline. Many times, on fun outings, I am in pain, but I am so looking forward to the outing that I just ignore the pain. This was the case for this amusement park. I was so excited to go on the rides that I forgot to pace myself.
I was having so much fun when I was actually on the rides, but when I got off I had to walk. I didn’t mind because I was so excited, but after a while my legs got so tired that I couldn’t hide it anymore. When I start to get fatigued, my feet drag and catch on the ground.
I never want to say that I’m tired because I feel like such a party-pooper. And though my physical health should come first, I love having fun so much that I don’t want to take a break and sit down.
It is hard for me to balance what I want to do and what I should do where my legs are concerned. My body doesn’t feel like it is built to handle being a kid sometimes. I want to keep going and keep walking but the reality is, I can’t. I have to sit down.
I have to learn at some point that my physical health is the priority, and there is still a way to have fun and pace myself at the same time. It is a bit hard for me because I see kids running around and walking for hours on end, their adrenaline ensuring they never tire out. I am a young teenager and my endurance is that of an elderly woman. It is certainly frustrating.
That being said, going to an amusement park with my family is such a fun experience that I would never trade for anything. Though I do get frustrated when my legs give out early, I love having the opportunity of being able to go to a theme park. I am grateful that I am able to ride most attractions and truly do not take the ability for granted.