[gdum-l] Amusement Parks

[Jennifer Harnish]

Thanks for these ideas DeAnn. I do have the option of a relative to enjoy a
day at their home with Isaac while I practice my cane skills at the park, so
that is a good option especially for hot days. Many parks on rough rides
have bins you store your sunglasses and items in so I put my cane in there
during the ride then ask the attendant for it back once I climb off the
vomit comet in a daze. Perhaps trading dog sitting favors with my neighbor
would work too for long day trips to an amusement park. The on the road
trips are the hard ones when no family or friends are around.

Jen

 

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From: gdum-l-bounces at acb.org [mailto:gdum-l-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of
DeAnn Elliott
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 9:17 PM
To: Guide Dog Users of Massachusetts
Subject: [gdum-l] Amusement Parks

 

I've taken my daughter to Canobie Lake and 6 Flags, and if you get the pass
for people with disabilities, the good thing is that they'll let you go to
the head of the line with your entire group in tow, and (depending on the
park's policies) let you ride the ride twice, which makes you a really cool
mom and gives you a chance to be a hero with your kids.  Of course, you have
to actually go on the vomit comet with them, which is the down side, but
we've all done worse.

 

I asked my trainer at the Seeing Eye about something similar, which was
going through a Halloween haunted house.  She said I shouldn't bring the
dog, even though it was just a straight path we were walking with no
obstacles, because if I was acting scared or if things were jumping out at
us, (even if I knew nothing would actually touch us), it might arouse a dogs
protective instincts and scare them in a way that wasn't good, so  she
recommended that they be outside with someone.

 

Riding with the kids is fun, and necessary sometimes if the kids are small.
If there's not someone to hold the dog (and this is probably a whole-day
affair, so it could be a long time to crate a dog at home) I think I'd be
tempted to recruit someone like a friend or babysitter to come along or look
into finding someone who might watch my dog for the day. You could do it
with a cane, which has the advantage of folding up neatly, but then again,
I've ridden on some crazy rides with a cane tucked under my knee and I
always wonder what would happen if it fell out and conked somebody on the
head down below.  And then there's the issue of how I'd get around after
that.  But a dog could go wild sniffing all the popcorn and licking all the
snow cone junk on the ground, and the pavement could be hot if you go late
in the summer, and there might not be tons of places to park them if they
like grass. 

 

I think it's good that you're thinking ahead about your options, because
it's not an easy call. I guess it mostly depends on what would make you the
happiest mom, because if you're feeling not stressed, then the kids will be
happier and it will be a better day.  If the dog is liberating and gives you
the ability to go and feel you have more time to focus on the kids, then it
might be good to bring the dog.  If the dog would be a distraction or if it
would limit what you could do there, then it might make sense to consider
what other arrangements might be better. 

 

Hope this helps.

 

DeAnn and Emmy

 

 

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