When Deborah Gibson's brother from California brought his two children for a Cincinnati visit last month, one of the local attractions she wanted to share was Kings Island. Her brother, Ernie Padget, had his ankle shattered in an accident years ago, and cannot stand for long periods of time without severe pain.

        Mrs. Gibson called the park to ask about accommodations to guests with disabilities — and learned there was no problem. Disabled guests were given the option of avoiding the line, entering rides from a special entrance and take family members with them.

        Mr. Padget, his two daughters, and Mrs. Gibson's son headed off one morning for a day of fun. They learned, however, that only one family member, not three, could accompany the guest with a disability. The choice, in other words, was for Mr. Padget to stand in line with three family members and experience pain or celebrate the family outing by going their separate ways, two and two.

        “I think this two-person rule is ridiculous,” Mrs. Gibson said. “Most people I know, disabled or otherwise, have at least two children and want to ride with their entire family.” At Disneyland in Anaheim, she pointed out, the accommodation for disabled guests invited all members of a family to accompany the disabled person on the ride.

        David Mandt, Kings Island spokesman, said that the effort is to provide a positive experience at the park for all guests, with and without disabilities. A guidebook, available upon request at guest relations or through the mail by calling 754-5800, provides a brief description of each ride and recommendations for restrictions. Some rides are not advisable for pregnant women, some not for heart patients, and so on. “The book also provides the number of family members who can accompany the guest with a disability to the special entrance,” Mr. Mandt said. For some rides, up to three family members can accompany the disabled guest; for others the numberis only one.

        “The number was determined by the seating on the ride,” Mr. Mandt said. “Roller coasters, for example, seat people two by two. Antique cars can seat people in groups of four.”

        Standing for long periods of time can cause intolerable pain in many conditions, such as Padget's, or for those with crutches, walkers, or arthritic knees. Sitting for long periods in the sun can trigger or exacerbate other health problems for people who use wheelchairs — pressure sores, bladder problems, or respiratory difficulties. For some guests with disabilities, the privilege is of greatest benefit to their service animals. (Mine once burned a paw standing on 100-plus degree asphalt for too long atDisneyworld.)

        The issues range from fatigue to extra time needed for transfering from chair to ride.Generally, the individual with the disability knows best what his or her limitations are, and the privilege of moving to the head of the line can make all the difference in being able to take advantage of the attraction at all.

        Mrs. Gibson maintains that rollercoasters are a main attraction, and should not divide a family in this manner. Her brother was so discouraged by the choice of having to separate his children, she said, or standing in line and enduring pain, that the party returned home early.

        So why does Kings Island limit the number of guests who can accompany the disabled person in bypassing the wait in line? The answer is simple and sad.

        “Our policy has evolved over time,” Mr. Mandt explains. Recognizing that many disabilities are not visible, the policy has been to take people at their word if they identify themselves as disabled. “But there have been abuses. ”

        Marilyn Fischer, with park operations at Cedar Point in Sandusky is more explicit. “We have a lot of teen-agers coming here without adults,” she said. “They would see that they could spend $10 to rent a wheelchair, and take their whole group to the entrance marked for disabled guests.” Like King Island, Cedar Point has tightened its policy in response to such abuses of the accommodations.

        At Cedar Point, a person with a disability reports to guest relations and is given a card indicating which rides he or she can appreciate. Based on the duration of each ride, scheduled appointment times are stamped on the card, indicating an “appointment” of sorts for the disabled guest and up to four family members. Clearly, being told which rides are appropriate may strike a few people with disabilities as less than amusing in the amusement park, but Ms. Fischer says that most guests have appreciated the scheduling procedure.

        Pleasing everyone is never easy. Waiting in line on an injured leg or in a wheelchair in the sun isn't easy either. Feedback from guests, with and without disabilities, has been responsible for the policies at both Kings Island and Cedar Point, and both parks welcome additional input. Maybe one solution would be to develop a meaningful consequence for those who think feigning a physical disability is a lark.

        E-mail dkkendrick@earthlink.net. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/kendrick

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