Disabled in Florida

[Maxi]

[msnsmile2]Hello, I am new so please be patient. My son Benn, has Cerebal Palsy. Benn is 10 now and we have been visiting Orlando for the past 6 years. I just wanted people to know what we have experienced at the parks in Orlando. Busch gardens is NO GOOD at all if you are unable to walk. The rides they have, you need to be able to transfer from the wheelchair. If you can't do this then DONT GO TO BUSCH[msncry]. There is nothing there for you and you still have to pay the full entry ticket price. For children UNIVERSAL is best, they have wheelchair rides, and you can stay on the ride for as long as you want. SEAWORLD, you ask at the ticket office for a disabled ticket, you pay half the price and the carer pays half price too, so you get one free really. They do not advertise this so ASK. No rides though for wheelchair users. DISNEY parks are the same, no rides at all, except, you can ask at the Guest relations, for a pass which will allow your party to get on the rides first, to avoid the lines. This pass means the wheelchair user does not have to wait too long for the other party guests to wait in line, whilst they are in the hot sun. This pass is valid for the whole of your holiday and for ALL the Disney parks. AQUATICA, amazing place, staff so helpful, disabled people are allowed on the lazy river ride if they wear a life jacket and are accompanied. From the airport going out, to the parks, shops, people and airport coming home. Our experiences with Orlando have been wonderful, we go back again year after year, and for us, seeing the smile on our sons face is worth the money, again and again. I hope this information is of help to someone, just one person is enough. Enjoys your holidays...

[erowlands]

Thanks for all the information Maxine, our friend is disabled and needs her wheel chair at all times, I will e mail her all the details for her to prepare for her visit later this year
Thanks again
Eric

[steph_goodrum]

Maxine
I'm surprised you say there are no rides at Disney for wheelchair users as I have seen many people on the "It's a Small World ride" and others. They stop the boats so the chair can be put on. I'm sure there are others but will have to check.

Liberty Square Riverboat
Walt Disney World Railroad
Backlot Tour
Wildlife Express Train
Are some of the ones I have found. All the theatres are wheelchair accessible and th ewalk through exhibits and trails in Animal Kingdom etc.

[Newhomebuyer]

It is great to hear that your son has some wonderful holidays in Florida Mxine but I am really surprised about the comment on Disney rides.

I know that they produce a special guide book and that the rides are coded. As you didn't mention this I thought it might be helpful to others to know.

[steph_goodrum]

Looking at the list I can certainly see how many more rides there are at Universal. I would imagine because many of them are newer and have been built to comply with th ADA.

I was interested reading about the facilities for service animals as well, although I've never seen any animals in the park, they provide portable keenels for the rides the animals cant go on etc.

It seems as though Benn is still having a wonderful time when you go (otherwise you wouldnt keep going back). I know our friends daughter who is now 21 has had many happy holidays in Florida although it is a little easier for her parents in that she can walk a short distance with sticks so is able to transfer to most of the rides.

If you think of any other tips it is always appreciated as one person can discover something quite by chance that is of benefit to others.

[caroline]

I've seen wheelchairs being pushed onto the cars on the Buzz Lightyear ride at Magic Kingdom, I think Spaceship Earth also has wheelchair access to it's cars.

[mizzy]

Maxine i'm sorry your information regarding disney and guests with diabilities is incorrect and possibly misleading

disney have fantastic system in place for those with disabilities and almost all rides are accessible as are the lines, sometimes you need to be able to transfer from the wheelchair to ride and some rides have cars that are wheelchair adapted so you wheel straight on, they DO NOT offer a pass that allows a disabled person to get on the rides first, often there is a seperate wait area or you will use the fast pass entrance as it's more wheelchair friendly (without steps) often that wait can be longer if you require the adapted car on the ride

disney offer a guest assistance card for Guests who require extra assistance if the needs are above that of requiring accessible lines and access, it is not a front of line pass and disney policy is that it is intended for the person needing the assistance and should not be used by other family members on a ride if the person the card is issued for is not riding

[florida4sun]

They do offer a front of the line pass but it is not easy to get, we had one while we lived there. It entitled Alex and his party (up to 6 members) priority access to all rides. They are generally given to families who have children who qualify through the likes of the Make a Wish Foundation.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by mizzy
Maxine i'm sorry your information regarding disney and guests with diabilities is incorrect and possibly misleading

disney have fantastic system in place for those with disabilities and almost all rides are accessible as are the lines, sometimes you need to be able to transfer from the wheelchair to ride and some rides have cars that are wheelchair adapted so you wheel straight on, they DO NOT offer a pass that allows a disabled person to get on the rides first, often there is a seperate wait area or you will use the fast pass entrance as it's more wheelchair friendly (without steps) often that wait can be longer if you require the adapted car on the ride

disney offer a guest assistance card for Guests who require extra assistance if the needs are above that of requiring accessible lines and access, it is not a front of line pass and disney policy is that it is intended for the person needing the assistance and should not be used by other family members on a ride if the person the card is issued for is not riding



[/quote]

[thornton]

When we were at Blizzard Beach we saw a wheelchair and their party being put in the chair lift. Then the wheelchair was brought down by the lift, presumable the wheelchair user had been transferred to a ride. The wheelchair was left wheeled by one of the Disney staff to the end of the ride.

[mizzy]

Martin i am aware of the pass for make a wish children, those are very exceptional circumstances but the OP is referring to a guest assistance card (as a pass) and gave the impression that by having this card you do not have to wait which is incorrect

the guest assistance card is a card that offers assistance to a guest who's needs are above those than disney already meet by mainstreaming lines and making the park more accessible, it does not allow you to avoid lines or get on rides first as the original post states

there are many cases were a person in a wheelchair will wait longer in another area until a certain accessible ride car becomes available or they will be directed to the fastpass queue because of steps or their needs require this accomodation to be so

and i repeat again disneys policy on this card is that it should only be used for the person who needs it when they are riding, it's intention is to enable the disabled person to ride or to access a attraction where extra assistance is needed, it is most certainly not intended to bypass lines and it should never be used if the disabled person is not riding