Disabled in Florida

[blott]

My Dad was a double above knee amputee and permanently in a wheelchair and I know I remember that he went on some rides in all the parks in his wheelchair, although there were some where he had to transfer onto the rides.

Spaceship Earth was his favourite and the ride stops whilst wheelchair users transfer to the ride (in case anyone else who's not disabled wondered why it stopped every so often).

The entire Mystic Sheiks of Morocco marching band at Busch Gardens stopped to say 'hello' to him, with which he was well impressed.

Florida is far ahead of the UK in their facilities and mindset for people with disabilities and this made my Dad's one and only visit there in his wheelchair truly the holiday of a lifetime.

[florida4sun]

Correct but.... The assistance pass comes in varying degrees, depending on what the issuer writes on it. We did have a 'run in' with Disney management over this pass because with most of the rides they will send you through a regular queue. We had such a pass when Alex was younger. However while going through the regular queues we found small children were fascinated by Alex's golf ball controller on his power chair. So much so that they would grab it and send him hurtling off into some poor person in the queue. Disney fully understand our concerns and issued a new pass with pretty much the same access as the 'make a wish pass' pretty much whatever we asked for they would do.
To be honest there were only a few rides Alex would go on so it never got its full use, but if you have need Disney will help you but you will need to be polite but firm when requesting such assistance.
I do agree that the passes do not get you into the ride any quicker (often it will take longer) but they can make life a little more stress free for kiddies in power chairs.<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by 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[/quote]

[mizzy]

i totally agree with you Martin that in certain circumstances like the one you described with your son different accomodations have to be made for you to be able to access wdw comfortably and you do have to be polite but firm, i know this only too well as my children have an invisible disability

however i am well aware that there is a some who abuse this card system that was set up to help the most vulnerable and needy access walt disney world and posts stating that you can avoid lines and not have to wait only serve to fuel a common misconception around the card, that it's a "pass" and there are those who will abuse just by reading such statements, it's a sad world we live in when people attempt to buy and sell cards like these on internet auction sites just to avoid a line on holiday when there are some of us who would give everything to not have to need such a card in the first place

[Maxi]

Hi Thank you to everyone who commented on my "remarks" in my first file. I have to say how differnt they all were. I also have to say that Benn was not allowed on many rides as he CANNOT transfer at all, as he is wheelchair bound and is unable to get out of his chair to get onto a ride that is not adapted for his chair. I am sorry if this was not clear in the first file. We found the parks in Orlando amazing and the staff very very helpful. The Disney ticket I mentioned about Benn not having to wait inline was true. We have had this pass given to us each year and we got it again last November08. The pass in question allowed my other sons and husband a faster entry onto the rides so that Benn did not have to wait outside for too long. We did not abuse the lines in any way, but unless you have a wheelchair bound person you would not know how it feels waiting for the other people in your party to get back from a ride when all you have to do is just sit and wait. The rides Benn was allowed onto IN his wheelchair at Disney were great and the help he recieved was amazing. My boss has since bought a 6 bed villa in Davenport which has been made for wheelchair users, it has a disabled bedroom and bathroom downstairs along with a masterbedroom downstairs also. The house has a ramped area to get out tothe pool and the whole downstairs of the house is accessable. [edited out]. thanks again for the replys but there was never an inkling to offend anyone just to say what we experienced.

[florida4sun]

We never had problems getting on wheelchair adapton rides and Alex has a large Balder Wheelchair. He used to love Buzz light year in particular.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Maxi
Hi Thank you to everyone who commented on my "remarks" in my first file. I have to say how differnt they all were. I also have to say that Benn was not allowed on many rides as he CANNOT transfer at all, as he is wheelchair bound and is unable to get out of his chair to get onto a ride that is not adapted for his chair. I am sorry if this was not clear in the first file. We found the parks in Orlando amazing and the staff very very helpful. The Disney ticket I mentioned about Benn not having to wait inline was true. We have had this pass given to us each year and we got it again last November08. The pass in question allowed my other sons and husband a faster entry onto the rides so that Benn did not have to wait outside for too long. We did not abuse the lines in any way, but unless you have a wheelchair bound person you would not know how it feels waiting for the other people in your party to get back from a ride when all you have to do is just sit and wait. The rides Benn was allowed onto IN his wheelchair at Disney were great and the help he recieved was amazing. My boss has since bought a 6 bed villa in Davenport which has been made for wheelchair users, it has a disabled bedroom and bathroom downstairs along with a masterbedroom downstairs also. The house has a ramped area to get out tothe pool and the whole downstairs of the house is accessable. [edited out]. thanks again for the replys but there was never an inkling to offend anyone just to say what we experienced. regards Maxine
[/quote]

[shamu99]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Maxi
Hi Thank you to everyone who commented on my "remarks" in my first file. I have to say how differnt they all were. I also have to say that Benn was not allowed on many rides as he CANNOT transfer at all, as he is wheelchair bound and is unable to get out of his chair to get onto a ride that is not adapted for his chair. I am sorry if this was not clear in the first file. We found the parks in Orlando amazing and the staff very very helpful. The Disney ticket I mentioned about Benn not having to wait inline was true. We have had this pass given to us each year and we got it again last November08. The pass in question allowed my other sons and husband a faster entry onto the rides so that Benn did not have to wait outside for too long. We did not abuse the lines in any way, but unless you have a wheelchair bound person you would not know how it feels waiting for the other people in your party to get back from a ride when all you have to do is just sit and wait. The rides Benn was allowed onto IN his wheelchair at Disney were great and the help he recieved was amazing. My boss has since bought a 6 bed villa in Davenport which has been made for wheelchair users, it has a disabled bedroom and bathroom downstairs along with a masterbedroom downstairs also. The house has a ramped area to get out tothe pool and the whole downstairs of the house is accessable. [edited out]. thanks again for the replys but there was never an inkling to offend anyone just to say what we experienced.
[/quote]

Hi Maxi, I have sent you a PM, I hope you don't mind, I am after some info on travelling with a family member with CP.