Accessible Travel

Travel can at times be a challenge when you have a special needs child. There are several favorite travel spots that do take the time to make traveling with all of your children a wonderful experience. On this page we will give information and links that hopefully can help you plan your next family vacation.

Most families who have vacationed in these parks have only good things to say about their experiences. I have heard that Disneyland is a little more disability friendly. Both parks will help you get seated at shows but at Disney World it has been most families experiences that they do not help you get out at the end of the show but that Disney Land does. You can rent wheelchairs at both parks on a first come first serve basis. Most rides are accessible either with the main entrance being wheelchair accessible or by entering at the exit. Your special needs child and 5 other members of your party are allowed to use the special entrances. The rest of the party is asked to use the main entrance to all rides. They suggest that you ask at each ride where you are supposed to enter. You can request that they send you Guidebooks for Guests With Disability for each of the Walt Disney theme parks including Animal Kingdome, Epcot, and MGM Studios. These guides detail what rides are accessible, those that are not and those that require someone to transfer out of a wheelchair. If you have to transfer for a ride you need to make sure that someone in your party can help with the transfer. Disney employees are not allowed to help with transfers. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Disney Guidebooks.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Guidebook for Guests With Disabilities
Disney-MGM Studios Guidebook for Guests With Disabilities
Epcot Guidebook For Guests With Disabilities
Magic Kingdom Guidebook For Guests With Disabilities
Plan Your Disney World Vacation
Plan you Disneyland Vacation
Walt Disney World Guidebook for Guests With Disabilities

Parent's Thoughts
First off, airport! Do take your jogging stroller and wheel him right to your terminal. AT the terminal, Get a *gate check* (official term) from the attendant to allow you to wheel him right down the runway to your plane. You'll fold your strol ler there and set it by the door at the end of the runway. When you get off the plane (don't hurry as it may take them a few mins. to get your stroller up), your stroller will be in the same spot just different state/runway (LOL!). If your jog stroll er doesn't fold or stay folded, take a bungee cord for it. Some airlines aren't particular about the damage they cause. I always had an extra pad for our tri-stroller and had a backpack I stashed it in for the overhead. If you have anything removable on the stroller chances are it will be removed so take it with you. (the McClaren stroller we borrowed had a removable foot rest and we always put that in the backpack too!)
The wheelchairs at Disney are huge, you'll want your jog stroller instead. As mentioned earlier. First thing, head to town hall (ramp is beside it in front of the restrooms) and get your wheelchair pass. (pass to use your stroller as a wheelchai r). This is an exhausting day for our kids so don't hesitate to find a cast member at every ride and show them the pass. You'll see blue wheelchair signs. Most rides bring you up the exit (tricky at goofy's barn stormer coaster) Everyone will tell you "this is the exit!!!!!!!!!"
Tell them it is also the handicapped entrance as marked! Keep the pass handy and show it at toontown at the character meetings FIRST THING- don't wait in line! A cast member will take you right back to see the characters with minimal wait. Several times, they took us in privately. We have pictures with all the pooh characters at once! They really doted on Jake. However, this doesn't happen every time. It depends on who takes you back, etc. Don't leave after one set of characters, they'll take you to all while you are back there. (one building has 3 groups of characters). Mickey is by himself so you can leave after his. Now, the character place outside the pooh ride is different. You will probably wait in line there. It is set up different, more open so they don't usually do the extra treatment there. DO get a time pass at the pooh ride because it is brand new and the lines are wide enough to make you wait in line with everyone else. (not to sound snobish here, he he) The time passes are gotten at machines to the left of the li ne. Believe me! It will save you time to get these. Just remember to come back at your time, then they take you up another line to the right of the reg. line.
Don't wait in line at the turnpike cars, either, they can take you in the exit door right to the cars. If you take the train, they have a place for wheelchairs so you don't have to fold the stroller. They did request Jake stay in his there as the othe r parents tend to raise a fuss because they have to fold their strollers. DUH, why not have one WHOLE CAR for people with strollers! Of course, everyone else doesn't have to carry their child and the stroller like we did the first few times on the tr ain! Don't go to the first aid station for ear plugs, they don't have any! Better remember your own!
You can show up for the parade later than everyone else as they have a spot reserved for you just show your pass!
The buses from the All-Star Resort have lifts if you don't want to fold the stroller there either. Just tell the driver you can't carry both the kid and the stroller and they will take it up and strap it in the back. We did both and it is very di fficult to keep the stroller out of everyone's way. One driver told us to not fold it next time that it should go in the back, so the next bus we asked for the lift and the guy was tiffed that he had to do it!! GO figure!! Wrong job for that man!
You can go early to the parks while staying at the Disney resorts. Certain days for different parks open early for resort guests. Ask at the front desk for early open times for the park you want. They should have maps there so you can check out what to do prior to getting there.
Jake's advice for Justin is to zap all the alien's he can at the BUZZ LIGHTYEAR ride! He says he MUST do that one! We spend a lot of time at the characters.
Buy your autograph book at the hotel (same price as the park) or right when you go into the park. Get a giant pen without a cap! Easier for the characters to sign with. (put his name in the front of the book as some characters look and put TO J USTIN on the signature) Sometimes, I mention his name to the character hoping they will do it anyway. Minnie and Mickey are usually veteran cast members and tend to do that.
NOTE: DONALD IS NOT AT EVERY PARK EVERY DAY! ASK AT THE TOWN HALL IF THEY KNOW WHERE HE IS OR CHECK AT THE HOTEL TO SEE IF THERE IS A WAY TO FIND OUT WHICH PARK HE IS AT WHICH DAY! Then ask specifically where to find him in the park. We've only seen Daisy 2 or 3 times also. SO if you see her, get her autograph! Apparently, you have to be at a height dis-advantage to be Donald and Daisy.
OK, I think that covers it for the Magic Kingdom. If you want tips on Animal Kingdom or the others, just let me know!
Oh, and we always do a character dinner at the tavern in the colonial part (brain pooh, I can't think of the name of the place now!) It's near the bear jamboree. They have all you can eat roast beef, ham, and turkey plus homemade mashed potatoes (very yum!) biscuits, etc, etc, etc, You have to call for a reservation time and they have phones throughout the park to do it or stop in. The characters are dressed in colonial garb and they include Goofy, Minnie, chip and dale and pluto, I believe.
No discount that I know of. They do have earplanes and they have them at K-mart or anywhere. Jake didn't seem to think they helped but who knows. I give him a sucker or tootsie rolls, anything chewy. Sippy cup would be great!!! I have never taken a booster seat as we just have SO much baggage as it is! We just rented them with the rental car.
Dotty, mom to Jake

We went to Disney World this past August(99) with our kids -- Alyssa, 3 years (spastic diplegia) and Zac, 5&1/2 years. Alyssa uses a walker, but only for short distances. The first thing we did was go to "Guest Services." They gave us a pass that allowed us to use her stroller as a wheelchair. This was very helpful since most of the rides don't allow you to use a stroller in line. Many of the lines were to long for Alyssa to stand with her walker the whole time and she is to heavy to carry (40 lbs). Most of the "cast members" were very helpful and didn't question us once they saw the pass (some just saw her AFO's and didn't even ask to see the pass). They even let us take the stroller on the rides that are built to accommodate wheelchairs (a gentleman on the Rail Road gave us a bit of a hard time, but we stood our ground because Alyssa was sleeping). Epcot center even had "companion restrooms" that I could wheel the whole stroller into, this was very helpful when we split up and Alyssa and I were on our own. We were with a fairly large group of people and most of the rides let us go over the 5 person limit for the wheelchair entrance. Especially for shows, so we could all sit together. Overall, all of the parks were very accommodating. The characters were also very good with Alyssa. I would take her out of the stroller and let her use her walker. Most of them were very taken with her --and were also sure not to leave her brother out. We saw Tigger at Epcot, Alyssa started to hurry over to him and tripped on a curb, he came over and helped her up -- it was very sweet. The whole trip was a very positive experience. Disney definitely works to make it fun for all kids.
Joyce, disneyfayn@yahoo.com

We have "done" Disney several times with our kids (Grandparents live in Fla.), Megan (5, spastic quad cp) and Graham (15, nda). They have very different interests and abilites, so we sometimes split up so Graham can ride the more "terrifying" rides and Megan (and I, I'm not big on terror) can do the tame ones. The first thing to know is that there are special entrances at each ride for persons in wheelchairs. Go to the entrance with your entire party and they will assist you and you won't have to wait in line! Go even if your disabled child isn't riding (Star Wars, for ex.) since you will be trading off riding and staying with the child. Meg is still small enough for me to lift, but the attendant will also help you lift your child into the seat of the ride and out again. Megan's faves were Dumbo (she could use the joystick to raise and lower our flight), Cinderella's carousel (need good head control and some balance, then we hold her on the seat), Peter Pan's flight, the small rollercoaster in the back of the Magic Kingdom, and the racetrack where she could "drive" in Tomorrowland (she sat in the car in her stroller insert, I sat next to her to stabilize her and press the gas pedal). She is into movement rather than watching shows, so the Magic Kingdom was what she preferred. Disney really is very wheelchair accessible and accomodating. Check when you enter the park for info on assistance for persons with disabilities. Have a great time, we have always enjoyed ourselves there. Margaret

I live an hour away from Disneyland. We have season passes. For most of the rides the handicapped entrance is the exit. There are four rides that chairs will fit through the line. They are Roger Rabit, Indiana Jones, the Jungle Cruise, and one more I forget the name. So no disabled entrance to these rides. My daughter is in a wheelchair. She can take up to five people with her to ride the rides. My daughter loves the carosel. Some things they let her ride a few times in a row. Christine mom to Haley CP, boobookai@earthlink.net

Disney does an excellent job meeting the needs of handicapped children. My son is 13 and has cerbral palsy. We took him to Disney twice. Both times we stayed at Disney hotels. The hotel restaurants asked about any special requirements for him and provided what he needed. The transportation system is wonderful. The bus drivers will put handicapped persons and their families on before anyone else gets on the bus. Every other bus is a handicapped accessible one. They run about every ten minutes. The monorail is also handicap accessible but it is difficult to get on and off at the Contempory Hotel. Boats are also accessible. The various parks do a great job. Be sure to visit Guest Relations and get a Special Assistance pass. With this pass your family will not have to wait in line for any of the rides. Most rides have a handicap entrance. If you do not see a sign, ask an employee or go to the exit of the ride. Our son cannot support himself but had a great time. In the Magic Kingdom he was able to ride everything but Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain. There is a special place in Magic Kingdom that you can meet the characters. Go to the Toon Time Village and speak to one of the employees. You will get to meet all of the characters. In some cases we were able to meet them privately.
Epcot is another good place for the handicapped. Our son was able to ride everything including Test Track. Again you should not have to wait in lines.
Animal Kingdom is good also. Our son was able to ride everything. Our son was able to ride or participate in everything at MGM also but there is not much there to keep his attention (Universal is much better than MGM).
Each park has parades and fireworks. There are special seating arrangements for the handicapped. They are good seats too. I recommend the Light Parade at Magic Kingdom and the Light Show and Fireworks at Epcot.
Mark & Sheryl, mevans@gakm.com

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Accessible San Diego
Cloud 9 Shuttle
Historic Tours of America--San Diego
LegoLand--California
San Diego Convention and Visitors' Bureau
San Diego Harbor Excursion
San Diego Maritime Museum
The San Diego Zoo
SeaWorld Adventure Park

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION

Access-Able Travel Source
Access Northern California
Accessible Journeys
Emerging Horizons
Everybody's Airline, Hotel & Service Directory
Gimp On The Go
Global Access
Golden Access Passport National Park Passports
Moss Rehab ResourceNet Accessible Travel
Society for the Advancement for Travel for the Handicapped

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