Accessibility
First and foremost, Great America is about fun. Fun for everyone. Here you'll find everything you need to know about navigating and enjoying the park and all of its experiences for those with disabililities. And if you can't find the answers here, feel free to download our Guest Assistance Guide, contact us or stop by any of our Guest Services areas at the front gate or throughout the park.
At California’s Great America we are proud of our reputation for accommodating guests with disabilities through our Ride Admission Policy. To provide equal access for all guests, we have developed a program which allows guests with mobility restrictions or cognitive impairment to access attractions.
Information about where guests access the ride is posted on each attraction's Safety Guide sign. All guests are required to meet all riding requirements for every attraction, including height and health restrictions in order to safely ride/participate.
The guest with a mobility restriction or cognitive impairment should visit Guest Services upon their arrival at the park to express their inability to wait in the regular line. Some questions are asked to ensure that the rider has the required physical criteria in order to safely experience attractions. Following that conversation, the Guest Services Associate will provide the details needed to participate in the program.
For a complete listing of guidelines please download our Guest Assistance Guide.
When you arrive at the park, please proceed to Guest Services located at the Main Gate.
- Please have your party—including the individual requiring accommodation--accompany you to Guest Services.
- A pass may be issued depending on the needs of your group, including a boarding pass used for scheduling times to ride attractions.
- At Guest Services we offer KidTrack, a wrist band program, which will assist you and park personnel in reuniting your group should you become separated.
- We also offer Rider Swap. This allows one guest to ride while another guest waits with the guest who did not ride. When the ride is complete, the guests swap responsibility at the exit. Rider Swap is not available at South Bay Shores waterpark.
- Additionally, if you need to rent a stroller or wheelchair, proceed to Stroller Rental inside the front gate.
- Please re-visit Guest Services or Town Hall located near Maggie Brown’s if you need any additional help with your day.
- We also recommend that as an added safety measure you take a photo of members of your party (especially if you have a member in your party who tends to dart away or wander off).This photo can be of great assistance to quickly reunite your party if you are separated.
During your visit:
- Guests who wear headphones will not be able to wear them while riding many of our attractions. We have available disposable ear protection for use at Guest Services.
- If you are separated during your visit, please contact any park employee for assistance.
- Ride delays may occur while riding and members of your party may be required to sit quietly until the ride is restarted or guests are escorted off the ride.
- Please be aware, if an evacuation is required, guests may need to maneuver across catwalks from the highest point of the ride and down steeply inclined steps.
- If you have any doubts whatsoever about an attraction’s appropriateness for the individual with Autism, please have someone in your party ride it first to make an informed determination.
California’s Great America offers our guests several restful attractions and quiet places that your party can enjoy during the day. The park has a first aid station near Railblazer and a Family Care Center in Planet Snoopy. Additionally, air-conditioned restaurants provide a nice break from the sensory stimulation.
California’s Great America t is a wonderful destination for families and friends to visit. Our goal is to make your experience at the park both smooth and full of family-fun. Please let us know if you have any further questions by contacting (408) 988-1776 or by talking to a Guest Services representative at the park.
Service animals are welcome at California’s Great America. A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to perform tasks for a person with disabilities. Service animals must be controlled with a restraining device and must display appropriate behavior at all times while on our property. There is a limit of one service animal per guest. A relief area is located behind Delirium to the left of the restrooms
Due to the nature of most rides, service animals must remain with a non-riding member of your party. We are not permitted to take control of your service animal. Guests may take advantage of our Rider Swap policy for staying with the service animal. Service animals are permitted on the Carousel Columbia, Character Carousel, Delta Flyer/Eagle’s Flight, Flying Ace, Star Tower, and the Pumpkin Patch. Service animals must be leashed, under the owner's control, fit on the floor of the ride vehicle, and seated on the floor, not the ride seat. Service animals are not permitted in water attractions, wet decks, wading pools, or lazy rivers. Please stop by Town Hall or Guest Services for more details.
Single strollers, double-seat strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, and electric convenience vehicles (ECVs) may be used during your visit to California’s Great America, and you are encouraged to bring your own. They are available for rent at Stroller Rental to the right of the main entrance, on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of vehicles may also be rented in advance on our website. Along with the rental fee, a deposit will be charged at the park which will be returned at the end of your day when you return the vehicle.
Wheelchairs can be accommodated in all restaurants, gift shops, theaters, games, arcades, and restrooms. ECVs with canopies or other attachments are not permitted on lifts to attractions. A wheelchair will be provided at those locations.
For those guests who choose to use an ECV, we require that a safe speed be maintained while traveling in the park.
Park wheelchairs, ECVs, and strollers may not be taken out of the park gates or to the parking lot. However, a park associate will be happy to provide any assistance you may need at that time.
For any guest using a personal Segway, please stop by Guest Services
A pool lift is available at Rushin’ River and Tide Pool. A water wheelchair is available for guests participating in waterpark attractions. The water wheelchair may be used by multiple guests on the same day. While in the wave pool, the water level may not exceed the height of the seat on the chair. During your visit, please speak to a member of our Aquatics Supervisory team to obtain access to the water wheelchair and for further accessibility information
Assistive listening systems utilize a lightweight wireless device that aids in the amplification of sound at our stage shows. These are recommended for guests with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. To use the system, guests should obtain a receiver at Townhall. For show venues where this system is not available, please inquire to venue staff for assistance in prioritizing your seating location.
If requested at least 1 week in advance, California's Great America will provide American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation for live shows featured at our live entertainment venues.
To request ASL Interpretation services, please complete the request form. Upon arrival at the park, please check in with Guest Services to review our show schedule and determine your preferred showtimes and selections.