Navigating Walt Disney World with Special Needs
Walt Disney World has services available for a myriad of special needs…
you just have to know where to look.
Walt Disney World is a place to let go of your worries and experience your days with childlike excitement, filled with attractions, characters, world-class dining and immersive resorts.
But what happens when an obstacle like mobility or other disability threatens your way of getting around and enjoying the parks to their full potential?
Luckily, accessibility is one of many feathers in Disney’s hat.
Across properties, Disney has accounted for guests with accessibility needs spanning mobility, hearing and vision, light sensitivity, cognition, sensory disabilities and more.
We sat down with MVT Agent Carol L. to discuss her experiences navigating Walt Disney World with limited mobility and an electric conveyance vehicle (ECV).
“Disney world is extremely accessible.” – MVT Agent Carol L.
A New Jersey native, Carol has been with Magical Vacations Travel since 2012, and has been using Disney’s disability services for more than 30 years.
“Disney is almost the only place I will go on vacation alone and not be worried about it,” she said, adding that some other destinations consider accessibility as an afterthought.
Her medical history limits air travel to around two hours, so Walt Disney World is an ideal fit for her getaways. When asked how she approaches booking vacations with a disability, Carol told us that her first step is to find a resort that can accommodate your needs.
For Carol, this means limiting obstacles to get around and perform daily tasks, such as rooms with roll-in showers and fewer curbs around the property.
“I usually book pretty far out because of the availability of accessible rooms,” she said. “I also look for resorts with only one bus stop. It’s something to be aware of, because buses can usually only take two ECVs. Sometimes, the next bus can’t take you, either.”
With her extensive Disney experience, Carol has found resorts across all tiers that suit her needs, including favorites like the BoardWalk, Port Orleans French Quarter, Pop Century and All Star Movies. She says an ideal experience for her is a resort where she can take a scooter from her room to the lobby, grab a cup of coffee and head out to a single bus stop out front.
The BoardWalk and All Star Movies are two of Carol’s favorite resorts
for getting around and enjoying her WDW routines.
“Once you book your room, it’s time to book the ECV,” Carol said. She currently recommends ScooterBug, which is an authorized dealer for Disney that delivers your scooter right to your resort.
While you’re able to rent Disney ECVs in the parks, you can’t take those scooters back with you to the resort. This can create more hurdles if you’re reliant on Disney transportation and can’t maneuver your way in and out of a boat, bus, monorail or Skyliner car without assistance. Carol suggests renting your own ahead of time if you need mobility assistance beyond park time.
As an added tip, Carol highly suggests getting some practice before your vacation if this is the first time you’ll be using an ECV. She’s recommended clients go for a test run using scooters at Home Depot, Loews, ShopRite or even Walmart for some experience maneuvering and parking.
“After a little while, it just kind of becomes part of you,” she said.
In the parks, you’ll quickly notice the services that Disney offers. For instance, Carol noted how the Magic Kingdom has fewer curbs to navigate than other parks, and how the new TRON ride features cars specifically geared towards accessibility needs.
“They need to do that kind of thing more,” Carol said. “It would make rides like Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean so much easier if we didn’t have to climb over the side of the ride to get in.”
Many attractions also offer ride queues for guests who can’t easily navigate stairs, or options to drive an ECV right up and into the ride.
Disney even has a program specifically designed for those with a disability that makes waiting in queue lines difficult. Disability Access Service (DAS) lets you request return times to rides so that you can explore the parks at your own pace and come back to ride attractions without an uncomfortable wait time. Remember to pre-register for DAS ahead of time, or stop by Guest Relations once you get to the park.
Lastly, consider dining options when planning your Walt Disney World vacation with an ECV or other mobility limitation. Disney is full of excellent dining options to suit every need, but not every restaurant is best suited for those with a scooter or walker, etc.
Carol recommends eateries that offer more space, outdoor seating, or handicapped areas closer to the entrance.
“It makes my life a whole lot easier,” she said, “when a restaurant has an area that you can get to without having to squeeze and navigate through a minefield of tables and chairs.”
When in doubt, make a note on your reservation or call ahead to learn more about the restaurant’s layout, or to request accommodation for your needs. You can also ask your agent for more help or recommendations.
We’ve focused on Carol’s story here, but know that there are more services like assistive listening and sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired, audio guidebooks and braille maps for the visually disabled, break areas for Guests on the Autism spectrum and dietary accommodations, among others.
If you’re concerned or curious about being able to experience Walt Disney World with a disability, you can find out more from the Disney website or ask an agent for more assistance. Several of our agents cater to guests with various needs or disabilities and are happy to help craft the right vacation for you.
