http://www.disboards.com/ Share tips and information on touring Disney World with any disabilities, including minor or temporary ones. en Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:22 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.disboards.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.disboards.com/ http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114935&goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 17:18:01 GMT Just recently booked trip for Sept. This is our first time at CBR and my
second time GF at Disney. Can anyone tell me if they have Babycakes snacks at the food court or what other GF snacks they have? It would be much appreciated. Just in case I don't have time to go to Babycakes myself.

Looking for quick breakfast ideas, like GF muffins or donuts or such.

Thanks everyone. Can't wait to go.

Girls only trip just me and my DD this time!:)

Thanks in advance! ]]> disABILITIES! davebon23 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114935 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114864&goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 15:06:29 GMT I dislocated my patella on may 6th. It wasn't too bad, as I don't need surgery. But still now I'm not walking without crutches. The most disappointing thing is we leave for the World in 2 weeks- June 4th! I was sure in the beginning that I would totally be fine for our trip but reality has now set in. I have gone ahead and reserved a scooter from Apple scooters. I figure even if I'm walking by then, it would be a lot of stress I shouldn't put on my knee.

My only big concern now is on one of the mornings I will be on my own with my two kids ages 5 & 3. I had planned to take the kids to animal kingdom and Hubby would meet up with us later. But now I don't know if I can handle them on my own. We are getting a double stroller for the kids so obviously I can't push that or even take it if I've got a scooter. The only thing I can think of is to stay at the hotel & swim until Hubby gets back from his thing. I'm sure the kids won't mind but this was the only time we had to get to AK. :/

If anyone has any experience and advice I would sooooo appreciate! I'm struggling so hard with my knee situation and to have it effect our trip makes it even harder. :sad: ]]> disABILITIES! valpss http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114864 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114690&goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 02:36:45 GMT Can you rent a scooter for just the day at the parks? If so do you know the cost? I would imagine it's first come first serve so we'd have to be there early "should we need" one.

Thanks for any advice! ]]> disABILITIES! Ms. WDW http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114690 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114623&goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 00:08:30 GMT I am finally taking my family to disney for the first time. I am the only one who has been but it has been 10 years at least. My husband is disabled from his tours in Iraq. He has severe PTSD and can't handle overwhelming crowds and fireworks...any suggestions as to where he can "duck and hide" during the firework shows that he won't hear the fireworks? Any places he can go if he gets too overwhelmed by the crowds that is not crowded and is quiet? Any other advice for a PTSD Army vet touring Disney for the first time? ]]> disABILITIES! DisneyDreamer0610 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114623 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114596&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 22:46:21 GMT This time around DH has decided a scooter is in order; he simply can't walk that far anymore. I have a couple of questions that I didn't see covered in the main thread ;)

Do I have to be present when the ECV is dropped off/picked up by the rental company at the resort? We are staying at the Dolphin.

Is the daily fee charged by the night or like a rental car (24 hour period)?

I was considering either BuenaVista or Apple, would anyone recommend one over the other?

Thanks so much!:thumbsup2 ]]> disABILITIES! drgnfly30 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114596 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114474&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 19:11:32 GMT Some really good friends will be traveling to WDW in December. There will be 4 adults and an almost 3 year old girl. One of the adults, grandmother of the toddler, has some serious health issues and while there may need to use a wheelchair. She literally cannot walk at times due to issues with... Some really good friends will be traveling to WDW in December. There will be 4 adults and an almost 3 year old girl. One of the adults, grandmother of the toddler, has some serious health issues and while there may need to use a wheelchair. She literally cannot walk at times due to issues with her feet. Since they don't know when it will raise it's ugly head I suggested they go ahead and bring a wheelchair with them. Fortunately they have one. I told them it would come in handy because she can use it from the car to the airport, airplaine to car at the airport, parking to the resort (they are staying at the Contemporary), etc.

Do you think there will be any problems with them bringing their own wheelchair with them? Can you take it on the plane or will it have to be checked baggage? That would be okay I believe. They could make do for a little while at the airport if need be. ]]> disABILITIES! jjarman http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114474 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114357&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 16:47:21 GMT Ok so my DW and DD and I are going to WDW next January. My wife and I have talked it over and we want to invite our DD best friend to come with us. Our daughter has only been to the parks with us and it would be great for her to be able to bring a friend along, we get along with this girl great and... Ok so my DW and DD and I are going to WDW next January. My wife and I have talked it over and we want to invite our DD best friend to come with us. Our daughter has only been to the parks with us and it would be great for her to be able to bring a friend along, we get along with this girl great and always tell her she is like a daughter to us. We are friends with her parents and her younger sister. This is where it gets difficult her younger sister as autism spectrum disorder / Aspergers and the parents are afraid how the younger sister will react if the older sister gets to go to WDW. I was talking to the dad yesterday after church and he said that he just doesn’t know what to do. Does not want to stop the older from the experience but does not want the younger to go sideways for a week or longer. He said if I could find any advice to please share it with him. Even if I thought the younger could handle it and we could afford to pay for both of them to go the dynamic would be off, on 2 person rides there would always be the odd person out, there is 3 years age difference between siblings so our daughter would not hang out with her anyway in most normal circumstances.
They know because of their financial and health conditions (dad has MS) that most likely they wil not be able to bring the kids in the future. I would never second guess their decision as they know their family and situation the best, they are feeling stuck on how to make a decision.
Anybody have any ideas or incite?
Thanks for reading this and any advice you may be able give
Dave Goofydad Dionne ]]> disABILITIES! goofydad621 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114357 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114203&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 12:20:46 GMT Hello!

I'm going to Disney World in 3 days for 42 hours, to do the Monstrous Summer thing at Magic Kingdom. (I live in Canada. Yes, this is a crazy idea. I'm super excited).

Except that since the last time I was in Disney World (January), I developed acute pancreatitis which is now Ideopathic Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis and Chronic Pancreatitis. Whoo hoo.

I take enzymes before I eat anything that I need to digest (so, anything except Sprite or ginger ale), I take gravol and/or zofran every day, and I'm still throwing up every day. I eat low-fat and no dairy.

But I'm still really new at taking these meds, so I don't really know what to do with them in the parks, or what effects they might have with different temperatures. And it's supposed to be super hot and humid. Help!

Do people keep their enzymes with them? Do you keep them in first aid? How do you manage before eating? What about dissolvable gravol? Is it easy to throw up in the garbage cans? Are there good places to go when you need a bathroom in the next five minutes? Do the restaurants have easy access to fat content information? How do you feel the heat affects your pancreas? How do you deal with the temptation to eat "just one more" bite?

Thank you so much for any help you can give!!! ]]> disABILITIES! Cassandy http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114203 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114192&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 11:49:08 GMT I will be going back to DW in Sept with my DS. He has high functioning ASD. He has does very well with the queues in the past few trips, so I don't think I will need to use a GAC for that.
My question is, does WDW have non-ride related quiet areas in case of a melt-down with my son? We had a problem last trip (I didn't know about the GAC) where my husband had to carry him out of Epcot from Great Britain. If we can't get him to a quiet spot quickly, he winds up having issue for the entire day.
If there had been a quiet spot I could have taken him until he calmed down, it would have avoided the trauma for my son. I could have calmed him down, and left the park without incident to take him back to the hotel. ]]> disABILITIES! Junipergk http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114192 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114137&goto=newpost Mon, 20 May 2013 03:41:03 GMT We just got back from a week at wdw. We had a fabulous trip. Our two year old is allergic to peanut and dairy. At every single restaurant the chef or manager came and personally took our order and I was given a pager or delivered the food directly from the chef/manager... Except for Sunshine... We just got back from a week at wdw. We had a fabulous trip. Our two year old is allergic to peanut and dairy. At every single restaurant the chef or manager came and personally took our order and I was given a pager or delivered the food directly from the chef/manager... Except for Sunshine Seasons. I told the cast member at the station about ds allergies and she plated his meal. Very confused. He later broke out in hives :( after two doses of Benadryl it cleared. Did the cast member drop the ball or does every restaurant not have that policy? Pop food court gave me a pager and the chef spoke with me directly as well so I don't think it was just bc it was a food court. Confused. ]]> disABILITIES! mommieto3 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3114137 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113945&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 20:56:40 GMT Does anybody know the all handicap viewing areas in all 4 parks.(for the fireworks and parades)?:happytv:: Does anybody know the all handicap viewing areas in all 4 parks.(for the fireworks and parades)?:happytv:: ]]> disABILITIES! rtilner http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113945 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113853&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 17:53:00 GMT My mom (who is 67) has a lot of pain in her knees. She had knee surgery several years ago, but it didn't last long. We are going to WDW in August (we've been many times) and although walking isn't generally a problem, stairs are. I know there are not A LOT of rides with stairs, but Splash and Toy Story Mania are two I can think of. Has anyone found ANYTHING that works for this type of pain? She's been to the doctor and was told other than knee replacement, he didn't think there was anything more he could do for her. I told her "time to find a new doctor". She's not looking for meds, she is just looking for a way to do stairs without pain. Any suggestions? ]]> disABILITIES! joshsmom http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113853 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113626&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 04:05:33 GMT The Disney website recently made some really nice changes to their resort room reservation website. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/ You can make reservations on-line, using a search engine to find whether your resort has any accessible rooms of the type you need, in the... The Disney website recently made some really nice changes to their resort room reservation website.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/

You can make reservations on-line, using a search engine to find whether your resort has any accessible rooms of the type you need, in the view/location you want for the dates and number of people you want.
It also has pictures of every room type, which includes all parts of the room. So you can actually see what the roll in shower looks like, where a wheelchair could be parked in the bathroom and whether the room with a tub with bars would work for you at that resort.:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

Some people may still need or prefer to talk to a human, but at very least, you will have more information before you call.
(And, keep in mind that the accessible room only shows one room, there may be other rooms that are set up as a mirror image to the picture.

The changes to the website put it in compliance with new ADA requirements for hotels and places of lodging. The update took effect starting on March 15, 2011 with requirements for compliance as of March 15, 2012 (at least to have started compliance). The new rules require that:
1) Guests needing reservations for accessible guest rooms are able to make reservations in the same manner (telephone, in-person, website) and during the same hours as guests who don't need accessible rooms.

2) The reservation system gives enough detail about accessible features in the hotels and guest rooms to reasonably permit individuals with disabilities to assess independently whether a given hotel or guest room meets his/her accessibility needs.

3) Accessible guest rooms are held for use by individuals with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented and the accessible room requested is the only remaining room of that type.

4) When a guest makes reservations for accessible guest rooms or specific types of guest rooms, the guest rooms requested are blocked and removed from all reservations systems.

5) Guarantee that the specific accessible guest room reserved through its reservations service is held for the reserving customer.

You can find the whole regulation here:
http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleIII...tions.htm#a302
(scroll down a bit; it is in section e) ]]> disABILITIES! SueM in MN http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113626 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113592&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 02:35:57 GMT DW and I are currently at Aulani and having a great time. They have some several lift chairs at various water attractions (including rainbow reef for snorkeling). Both the pool and lazy river have zero entry. Everything is ramped but you have to live and learn a bit with it (We have rolled into... DW and I are currently at Aulani and having a great time. They have some several lift chairs at various water attractions (including rainbow reef for snorkeling). Both the pool and lazy river have zero entry. Everything is ramped but you have to live and learn a bit with it (We have rolled into closeouts twice).

The sand chair at the beach is a great addition. I would suggest bringing an extra towel to sit on as when we got it the seat was pretty well covered with sand. DW is very light weight. I am not sure how it would be pushing someone heavier. . . I also wouldn't expect the person in the chair to be able to roll it on their own.

We have taken a couple of the guided tours of the grounds and both were accessible. There are some bumpy paths made of flagstone that can jostle a chair rider (sort of like AK). There are great viewing areas for seeing the fish at rainbow reef even if you don't want to snorkel.

All of the eateries are great and we have been seated at nice tables. We rolled to the shopping area across the street which was an easy push. There is a flatter way to go if you follow the signs (the main drive is a significant hill).

Our room has a roll in shower. There is a raised rubber curb to keep the water in the shower which smashes flat when you roll over it. You may use either the rain head of hand held which ever works. The only issue we have is that the curtain is hung outside of the little rubber curb so the water drips down and onto the floor. Easy to mop up but could be an unpleasant surprise.

There are three things I would change. The wheelchair seating at the Starlit Hui (the hula show) is off to one side and all the way at the back. It is hard to figure an answer for this one as folks are supposed to sit on the ground.

There is a lack of automatic doors. There is one that goes out to the lawn where the Hui is and the main door form the valet stand to the lobby but that is it. The rest of them need to be opened manually.

There are no companion bathrooms. (We have neither found one nor be pointed to one when we asked) I guess one is expected to go back to the room but that is a long haul especially form the beach (the ramp has 4 or 5 switchbacks). We just go into the closest together and that is that. There is also no first aid station. All life guards have kits and there are trained responders but no central place to go if you have to.

It really is a beautiful resort and compared to most non Disney places the access is top notch. It is very clear (in most cases) that they thought the access through. ]]> disABILITIES! scroot http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113592 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113468&goto=newpost Sat, 18 May 2013 21:00:51 GMT I posted a few months ago about if WDW was possible after total knee replacement. You guys were so encouraging but we decided to wait - it has been 7 months and I'm not sure about the strength in my new joint. Well my husbands employer is now sending us for three days at the Yacht and Beach Club. (:woohoo:) Who can pass up a free trip to WDW? The problem is I would be left alone to tour during part of the day while he is in meetings. This would also be a first trip without my college age daughters since they have summer job commitments. I could see me being pushed in a wheelchair but I could not trust my ability in an ECV. I feel sure that I would run into people in a crowd. My question is if I try to walk in the parks, do you think a CM would help me find a seat until I could call for my husband to come rescue me? I know I am responsible for myself, WDW isn't responsible for my well being, and ideally I will be fine but I am just worried about what if. Anyone ever get stranded alone in a park? ]]> disABILITIES! asta http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3113468