The Happiest Place on Earth

Disney World
      I was just reminiscing and writing about our family trip to Disney and the idea to start this blog entered my brain.  Because the idea was after the trip,  this first post is lacking a lot of specific detail.  I would love to go back and pay more attention and ask more questions regarding accessibility, but this was a brief write up on suggestions and observations that I sent to the travel agency that I worked with.  Disney has really considered and anticipated so much for a variety of disabilities and they really set the bar high for other travel destinations!  There is so much information on their website, app, and through Disney agents, these were just some personal observations.

Lodging:

      If at all possible, staying at a resort that has everything in one building would be preferable.  Port Orleans was so fun and the bus stop was very close to the rooms, but going to the lobby, on site restaurants and other resort amenities was a bit of a because they were so spread out.  We got caught in the rain and we are a bit slow moving, at least we were nice and cooled off when we got to our room!  I know there are many considerations when picking a resort, budget, availability etc, if there is a choice this would be a consideration.


Restaurants:

              We greatly enjoyed the character meals, but the buffet can be difficult from a scooter/wheelchair. Some things are hard to reach and it’s a bit cramped in the restaurants since they are trying to accommodate so many people.  It was easier for someone else to make a plate of food at the buffet.  I would just bring this to a client’s attention in case that may bother them.  I also noticed it is important to tell the restaurants as soon as you check in for a reservation that someone in your party is in a scooter.  At one restaurant they tried to seat us at a high top table, and another restaurant had to shuffle us around a couple times due to not being able to transfer out of a scooter.  I would just advise clients that when they check in for their reservations to make it known someone is in a scooter so that they can prepare or adjust their table selections.  


Activities:

              All of the shows are fantastic for those in scooters and they have seating for the family members right with them.  The safari at Animal Kingdom also was able to accommodate someone who is unable to transfer.  I am sure there are more things that I would love to investigate further and of course they tell you on the app which rides are accessible, which require a transfer out of a wheelchair and which do not.  In regards to tackling the parks, I would recommend being strategic with picking fast pass rides by park route.  What we found helpful was just tackling one section of the park at a time, especially with Magic Kingdom, we were there all day but could only get to about 2-3 areas of the park.  Focusing on one section at a time is helpful and maximizes what you can see when you can't hustle around the park.  If booking a meal reservation or suggesting eating somewhere outside of the park, I would recommend doing it prior to entering the park for the day or after.  Leaving the park midday to go to an outside restaurant took a bit off time both leaving and getting back because we had to wait on transport.   It is definitely easy, but you lose some time in the park.   It also may be great for someone who would prefer to go in the morning, take a long break and go back later in the day.  Again, it all comes down to personal preference.

Transportation:

Disney is exceptional with transportation, the bus system, boat transport and monorail are all super easy on those in scooter/wheelchairs.   They also make sure to prioritize those needing assistance and their family members as well. 

For further information or if you have additional questions that I did not address call guest services at 407.939.5277 or disneyworld.disney.go.com.  And of course, check out their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and their App.