Traveling to Disney World is an amazing opportunity to see
new things and make new discoveries but it is not always easy. Maneuvering your luggage, the crowds, the
long waits at the airport, and the hours spent en route are the most difficult
parts of traveling. If a loved one that
you're traveling with has a disability, it can add an additional layer of
planning to your travels.
I have twin boys
and my son was diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (his right arm and leg
are affected) when he was about 2 years old and both of my sons appear to have
sensory discomfort to sudden loud noises (such as fireworks or balloons
popping). He was delayed in his crawling
and walking and we were lucky enough to have early intervention services in
place for him by his 1st birthday. He
still continues to receive physical therapy and occupational therapy
weekly. While his disability is on the
mild side, it is still at the forefront of our minds when we are planning our
vacations, especially Disney vacations, due to the large amounts of walking and
crowds.
I feel that
Disney and its properties are very accommodating to people with
disabilities. You can request/pay for
preferred rooms which offers a closer location to the dining areas and buses at
your hotel. We often do this when we
plan our trip. The cost is a little bit
higher, but the freedom this affords my son to walk to our hotel room is worth it. They offer stroller and wheelchair rentals to
assist with the many miles of walking that are accumulated during your days at
the parks. Their park transportation is
wheelchair accessible. Finally, Disney
offers a Disability Access Services (DAS) pass.
When you arrive at the parks, you head to guest relations where a cast
member will assess your loved one and issue the DAS. When we first applied for the pass, I came
prepared with his diagnosis from the neurologist and written statements from
our physical and occupational therapists, however, the cast member never asked
for it. Upon asking some questions regarding
my son, they quickly issued the pass to the 4 of us, took our pictures, scanned
our magic bands and we were on our way to enjoy the park. On one of our vacations to WDW, my sister and
her family and our parents joined us on the trip. We were able to add them to my son's
disability pass as well so that we could enjoy the parks together. Everyone had to be present to scan the magic
bands, but again, this was a quick procedure and we were off and having fun. What the disability pass offers my son and
our family is time and rest. Having
cerebral palsy can wear him out quicker than his twin, so by using his
disability pass we don't have to waste his energy standing in long lines. Instead, we arrive at the attraction and if
the wait is longer than 30 minutes we are issued a return time for that
attraction (similar to a fast pass) and when we return our wait may only be 10
minutes instead of the initial 30 min.
With that additional time, we can sit down and rest nearby or get a
snack. My boys eat constantly! Since my boys are still young (age 4), we
have not used the disability pass on the larger, more popular rides at the
parks yet, however, I assume the pass would work the same way.
In addition to
the disability pass, we always have a stroller for the boys. While they are able to walk around stores and
parks when we are at home with little trouble or fatigue, walking around the
Disney parks you can anticipate about 10-15 miles A DAY! With that amount of walking and miles I
prefer to have an option for the kids to rest, especially on those hot days,
which allows us to enjoy the parks for longer periods of time and over multiple
days. You should assess where your loved
ones are at physically to determine if bringing or renting strollers or wheelchairs
is something to consider.
Since the days at
the parks can be long and have so much to see, we often choose to take a break
in the middle of the day to head back to our hotel room and take a nap. This allows us to enjoy the parks in the
evening and to be refreshed when doing so.
Taking a hotel break might be something to consider as well for those
with disabilities or sensory sensitivities.
Having a loved
one with a disability does not have to deter you from going to Disney
World. While it may take a little bit
more planning and thought, it is definitely doable. Let's face it. If you have a loved one with a disability,
you already plan out every new situation anyway. Disney is no different.
I would be happy
to offer my free services to help you and your family plan your next Disney
vacation. Disney truly is an amazing
place to vacation and there is nothing like it.
No matter how big or small, old or young, it truly is a magical
experience and transports you to a place of wonder and excitement.
Feel free to
contact me for a free quote regarding your next Disney vacation and I would be
happy to help you plan a fantastic vacation for everyone to enjoy.
