Anyone who knows me, knows that if I could pick my family’s vacation destination every year, it would be Walt Disney World. There’s just something about it that I’ve always loved, cherished, and missed terribly. As a wheelchair user, and as someone who has other medical issues besides CP, I found that Disney World has been the most accommodating theme park I’ve ever been to. This blog post isn’t going to cover accessibility alone (even though that’s a significant part of my life), it’s going to also cover how Disney accommodated some of my other medical issues.
I haven’t been back to Disney World since 2016, and I miss it every day. This post will not touch on the DAS pass because, we went when it was brand new and I know it has changed a lot over the years, so I will wait to cover that until I am able to experience it first hand again in 2021.
When I was thinking about what to write for this particular post, a lot of thoughts ran through my mind. I could talk about Disney all day. However, one of the biggest things I wanted to speak about is how I transferred on and off attractions, and which ones I could stay in my wheelchair for! Back in 2016, most attraction lines were handicap accessible and those who weren’t (yet), would have you enter the attraction through the exit when it was your turn to return to the attraction. Even though I use a wheelchair for long distances, I can walk some with assistance. For example, transferring to and from rides such as “The Haunted Mansion” and “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” proved to be a little more challenging than others due to the moving conveyer belts guests must walk on in order to get on the ride. The cast members were always incredibly kind and would ask how they could help make transferring on and off said rides easier. Other rides, such as Rockin’ Rollercoaster, I got transferred from “ backstage” (the exit).
The rides/entertainment I could stay in my wheelchairs for varied by park, and sometimes, I would have to transfer for all rides, but not entertainment. A brief summary of what rides/entertainment I could stay in my wheelchair for are broken down by park below!
Magic Kingdom:
1) Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
2) Jungle Cruise
3) The Hall of Presidents
4) Mickey’s PhilharMagic
5) Haunted Mansion
Animal Kingdom:
1) Finding Nemo — The Musical
2) It’s Tough to be a Bug!
3) Festival of The Lion King
4) The Conservation Station
5) Wildlife Express Train
Hollywood Studios:
1) Muppet Vision 3-D
2) Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage
3) The Fantasmic!
4) Voyage of the Little Mermaid
5) Indiana Jones: Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Epcot:
1) Innovations
2) The Seas with Nemo & Friends
3) Journey into Imagination with Figment
4) ImageWorks — The “What Ifs” Labs
5) Advanced Training Lab
Besides transferring on and off rides, and in and out of all the entertainment Walt Disney theme parks have to offer, another way they were extremely accommodating is restaurants. In conjunction with being wheelchair dependent, I also have an eating disorder (sensory/texture, aspiration with certain foods, etc), and am tube feed supplemental nutrition to help make sure I get all the nutrients I need. The cast members were absolutely amazing and so incredibly kind at each restaurant we visited. Even though I only eat a very, very small variety of food by mouth (probably less than 12), we never felt uncomfortable while asking for a “special request” if I ordered anything, which we appreciated so much.
One last complex medical issue of mine that I felt that Disney accommodated wonderfully is my lack of vision. Due to my extreme prematurity, I have no peripheral vision and cannot see anything unless it’s five feet in front of me (or less). Cast members often helped me get to and from attractions and rides, and made sure my chair was waiting after the ride was over, and personally helped me on and off rides, something that we haven’t yet experienced at other theme parks. Maybe one day!
Conclusion:
My family and I love Walt Disney World for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest one is how amazingly accommodating it is! From the moment we arrive to the moment we leave (I always cry), the cast members and everyone in between always go out of their way to show kindness, and to ask if there was anything they can do to help, no matter what the situation is involving, and it is because of that, and the overall Disney Magic, that we are booked to go again, after postponing our trip this year.
Walt Disney World handled my complex medical issues so well and I cannot thank them enough. If you had questions about whether or not Disney is the place to go if you (or your child) have a disability or complex medical issues such as mine, I say go for it! Some of our best memories as a family have came from the place known as The Happiest Place on Earth!