Five Important Steps to Safely Enjoy More Thrilling Rides

Most theme parks around the world offer great opportunities for the whole family to have fun together, creating amazing memories that will last forever. That said, it does not always mean that everyone is going to be able to experience all the rides and attractions in a park. If a family member in your party has health issues, he or she may not be able to enjoy certian rides that could be too thrilling. Here you are some steps that can be taken to see if you can ride safely:

1) Monitor Your Health - This is a step you have to personally take BEFORE getting to the parks (and that should actually be taken regardless of the fact that you are planning a vacation). It is imperative to constantly keep healthy and check with your doctor if everything is fine. This is also true for people that "feel" healthy. Certain sicknesses do not show symptoms at first.

2) Know your limits - Even though some people know about their current health issues, they may still choose to ride certain attractions that could definitely be considered to extreme for them. If you have back or neck pains, you may want to skip the intense roller coasters and simulator rides. Trust us: it is better to miss the chance to ride a certain attraction than to have to deal with much worse consequences by being exposed to forces that your body cannot stand.

3) Get Acquainted With Ride Restrictions - You can get a general overview of all the warnings for different attractions around the parks by picking up a map for Guests with disabilities. In addition to that, you should always and warning signs located in front of the entrance of every attraction if you are unfamiliar with them. Also, do not hesitate to ask a Cast Member at the attraction if you have any doubts or if you would like to know more about the attraction itself.

4) Have Someone in Your Party to "Test" the Ride - In many parks (including at the Walt Disney World Resort), Cast Members will allow a member of your party to ride alone and see how intense a certain ride is. After the family member is back, he or she will be allowed to re-ride with the entire family (including the Guest with the disability, IF the ride is considered "safe").

5) WATCH YOUR CHILDREN and Your Own Behavior - Even though this may not be health-related, many theme park accidents result from wrong actions on the part of Guests. Remember to ALWAYS remain seated, keeping all your body parts inside the ride vehicle. This is not just a catchphrase that theme parks use to be free from any liability they may have in case of an accident; it is a reminder for Guests, so that they can SAFELY enjoy their visit. Also, make sure to always watch your children. They are curious by nature, but this can lead to terrible results if they are unsupervised.

Have you ever had (or witnessed) a bad experience resulting from the nonobservance of any of these steps? If so, make sure to share your comments with us! Thank you very much in advance.