A guide to Europe's top theme parks for people who have additional needs

Planning a family holiday to a theme park which involves a person with additional needs? Deirdre McArdle runs the rule over four attractions and explains what you need to know to be well prepared and avoid any real-life scares

The Roses of Tralee ride the Cú Chulainn rollercoaster at Emerald Park last year. Picture: Domnick Walsh

Theme parks are stimulating, busy, thrilling, and scary. When a member of your family has additional needs, the theme park can be daunting.

We’ve compiled the accessibility policies of some of Ireland’s and Europe’s most popular theme parks to give you a heads-up on what you can expect at Emerald Park, Efteling, Port Aventura, and Disneyland Paris this summer.

PortAventura World, Spain

Close to Barcelona and with direct flights, Salou, on Spain’s Costa Daurada, is one of the most popular summer destinations for Irish holidaymakers.

Visiting families will often plan a day trip to the nearby PortAventura World. One of Europe’s top theme park resorts and Spain’s largest, it’s renowned for record-breaking rollercoasters, like Shambhala (the continent’s tallest hypercoaster), Dragon Dhan, and the adjoining Ferrari Land.

There are six themed worlds, a water park, and Mediterranean, Polynesia, China, Mexico, and Far West areas. And, for children, there’s Sesame Street Land, complete with character shows.

“At PortAventura World,” the website states, “we are firmly committed to providing an accessible, safe, and comfortable experience for all our visitors.”

A ride at Portaventura World theme park in Spain. Last year, the park introduced a new character with autism to its children's section.

That experience matches the promise. At entry, guests queue at the guest service office for visitors with special needs, located just after the ticket booths. A medical certificate from a doctor, or identity card from an organisation like AsIAm, is required for a child or adult on the autism spectrum. A wristband will be provided and a maximum of four companions are allowed, but one must be an adult.

The wristband allows the holders to enter each ride via the express option, meaning queues will be at a minimum. There are also discounted rates.

Last year, the park introduced Julia — Sesame Street’s first character with autism — to the family-friendly SésamoAventura area. She appears in a special performance in SésamoAventura to “normalise, through entertainment, different ways of communicating, feeling, and interacting with the world”.

PortAventura World also introduced accessible signage with pictograms to enhance the experience for visitors with autism and promote greater visibility of neurodiversity.

There are also hearing loops for the deaf and adapted virtual reality experiences in the ride Uncharted: The Enigma Of Penitence.

www.portaventuraworld.com/en/about-us/park-services

Disneyland Paris

This sits 32km outside of Paris in the town of Chessy. It is easily accessible from Paris by train, car, or bus, and there are daily flights from Ireland to the city, making it a popular option for Irish families looking for a short break.

Disneyland Paris is split into two parks: Disneyland Park (with its five ‘lands’, including Frontierland and Discoveryland); and Disneyland Adventure World, which highlights Disney movie franchises, with its Marvel Avengers Campus and Worlds of Pixar.

If you’re visiting the theme park, guests with a disability are entitled to a reduced-price ticket for themselves and one companion, provided they can show supporting documentation.

There are two passes for people with additional needs: The priority card for guests with recognised disabilities (must have official documentation); and the easy access card for people with long-term chronic diseases (the list on the Disneyland Paris website is comprehensive). These cards will give you faster, but not immediate, access to attractions.

The famed theme park takes a different approach to accessibility than others. Its MagicALL policy focuses on guests’ autonomy “to determine which attractions they can experience”. So, it has expanded access to attractions for guests with disabilities.

The resort includes audio descriptions for various experiences, induction loops for guests with hearing impairments, and tactile park maps for visually impaired people. Priority card holders can access designated areas for shows and parades.

www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/guest-services/accessibility-at-disneylandparis

Emerald Park, Ireland

Emerald Park (some of us will still call it Tayto Park) in Ashbourne, Co Meath, is about a 30-minute drive from Dublin.

It’s Ireland’s only theme park and has more than 45 attractions, including the wooden rollercoaster, Cú Chulainn, and the suspended Fianna Force.

There’s also a section with rides for younger visitors, including the Ladybird Loop rollercoaster.

Guests with additional needs are offered a reduced ticket price of €27, because they may not be able to access all the rides. 

To get this discount, they will need to present supporting documents, such as photo ID, from an additional needs organisation, a letter from a GP with your name on it, or a JAM card or similar. A designated carer can gain free entry to the park, provided they supply supporting documentation.

The Queue Assist Pass (QAP) is available to a person with additional needs who can’t wait in line. You’ll need to show supporting documentation that “clearly states the guest’s inability to queue”. The pass covers an eligible additional needs guest, a named companion or carer, and up to two additional guests, and it means holders can expect a reduced wait time on up to 10 rides during a park visit.

For the 2026 season, Emerald Park has introduced two updates to the QAP on a trial basis. The number of rides available through QAP has increased from eight to 10, and they are trialling an independent access QAP, which allows guests aged 16 and over to use attractions without a named companion, provided they meet the required safety criteria, which the park says are the standard guidelines outlined by the rides’ manufacturers: https://www.emeraldpark.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ride-Access-Guide-26.pdf

www.emeraldpark.ie/plan-your-visit/park-accessibility/

Efteling, the Netherlands

The largest theme park in the Netherlands, Efteling is often described as a European Disneyland. It’s about 90 minutes from Amsterdam, making it a good option for families flying on the many daily flights from Irish airports to Schipol.

The park’s signature attraction is The Fairytale Forest, which leans heavily in to classic fairytales, like Hansel And Gretel and Sleeping Beauty. Efteling is in a large forest and has a natural and relaxing vibe. While it may be best suited to families with younger children, it does also boast high-octane rollercoasters, like Baron 1898, the Python, and the water-coaster, De Vliegende Hollander, as well as immersive dark rides, Droomylucht and Fata Morgana.

You can apply for an Efteling facility card if you have a “visible or invisible” disability or medical condition that prevents you from waiting in regular queues.

Python rollercoaster at Eftleling in the Netherlands — with a double loop and corkscrew.

To do that, you need to book your entry ticket first and then apply for the facility card, which you can do online by filling in a questionnaire, or in person when you arrive at the park.

You are not typically required to provide medical documentation, but Efteling says employees reserve the right to ask for proof (like an Autipas or doctor’s note).

A facility card does not enable a person to skip the line. It means they can access alternative, often quieter queuing areas or special attraction entrances.

Some reviews of Efteling have been critical of this approach, saying the waiting times in these alternative queues can often be as long as the regular queue.

If you are unable to visit an attraction independently, the park says you must have at least one companion with you who is 16 years of age or older.

If you are using the facility card, you can bring a maximum of three people with you to the alternative queues, although this can vary at certain rides.

Earlier this year, Efteling introduced subtitles to “most of the narrated stories in the park” via the Efteling app. This, it says, “enables visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow the stories”. It also has plans to introduce audio descriptions at some of its attractions.

www.efteling.com/en/park/information/disabled-visitors/plan-your-visit

General advice for families

John Fulham, who is a wheelchair user and also a member of the advocacy team at the Irish Wheelchair Association, has just returned from a family holiday in Disneyland Paris. He says he had “a great time” at the theme park, but he had done his research before going and that made all the difference.

For families looking at a theme park holiday, he says planning ahead is essential.

Take the time to read the information about disability access before you spend any money. Do your homework, but think about it in a couple of ways: These days, all the theme parks will have accessible facilities, but it’s actually the experiences and the attractions you need to understand.

He cautions people to familiarise themselves with each ride’s safety requirements.

Some wheelchair users, for example those who are quadriplegic, may only be able to access a small number of rides.

“Find out what it means in reality. For anybody who’s a major user, like me, don’t take for granted that you’ll be able to use every ride,” Fulham says.

“A holiday like this is a financial investment, and the last thing you want to do is book it before really looking in to it and understanding what you can and can’t do.”