Orlando or Sandford airport for severely disabled brother

K

Katie85

Earning My Ears
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Hello all, here is a question for you. My brother is mentally and physically disabled and has had problems with immigration/security in the past, shouting at him and demanding him to walk out of his wheelchair. He obviously can't do this. I completely understand that these people have a job to do, but there is a way of going about doing a security check on someone who is mentally and physically disabled.

So my question is, which airport has the more understanding security/immigration departments, as we don't want a repeat of what happened in the past (in Las Vegas) as it does actually ruin part/all of the holiday.

Please give your honest opinion, as my mother and father are very concerned about this issue as they were so terribly upset and mortified that their son was basically, victimised and they couldn't do anything as the security officers were so incredibly rude they were bordering on aggressive. Eventually another security officer stepped in and calmed the situation and was gentle and understanding with my brother. This is an experience that we understandably don't want to repeat.

We would just like to hear about people experiences/opinions so we can see what the general consensus says.

Thank you,
Katie and family
 
I think the OP is more concerned with going thru the security check rather than customs/immigration, which normally does not do the security checks. In other words, dealing with TSA officers, not border security.

I can't see how one airpirt would be measurably different than another. All TSA officers receive the same training. Some are demonstrably better at dealing with the public than others. Perhaps the OPs parents could forestall problems in the future by quietly informing the officers immediately on entering the security line that your brother is unable to get out of the chair and is mentally handicapped. With that clearly understood by all, hopefully a repeat of their bad experience can be avoided.
 
I don't think you will have any difference at one airport than the other. We travel to WDW using the Orlando airport at least 2, sometimes 3 times a year. We have not had any issues with the security screeners.
They WILL ask if the person can get out of their wheelchair and walk thru the scanner because it will be faster if they are able to. My daughter can't walk and can't stand unless someone holds her up.
We tell the people doing the screening that she can't walk and needs one of us to be with her at all times. They have been very responsive to us and very helpful in terms of making sure one of us is screened before they start doing her.
 
Thank you all, I saw the TSA Care line info last night and will phone them, to disulcuss this matter. I am after reviews of both immigration AND security, obviously anybody flying from an american state to florida wont go thru immigration! I have been asking about immigration as i have had an extremely rude immigration officer at Sandford airport who also was then horrible to my friend I was travelling with. She can't use her left hand at all (Due to a stroke in childhood) and they needed fingerprints from both hands, they were yelling at her to put her left for finger on the scanner. After a few times of yelling and my friend feeling mortified, the officer could finally see that she was handicapped (she had already told him twice).
I have been reading reviews and googling both airports - I have found a couple of negative news articles about disabled children going thru TSA at orlando airport and staff being horrible, rude and nasty to them and this is what we are afraid of happening. Some reviews online i have read are swaying more to sanford airport as people are generally saying the TSA staff are friendlier and more understanding (alongside doing their very important job).

So if anyone has had an experience, wether it be negative or positive I would like to hear from you.

Thank you,
Katie
 
Keep in mind that people are more likely to report a negative experience then a positive one (I've often read that on average, people will tell one person about a positive reaction and 15 about a negative one).
Also, since Orlando Airport handles more passengers per day/year, just the number of people traveling thru there is likely to mean more negative reports. But, because of the larger number of passengers, the percentage may be less.

Orlando is an International Airport and Sanford apparently is not, so if coming directly from overseas, they won't have a choice anyway according to what disneydavid posted.
 


I know that you are worried and concerned about this, but you are overthinking this. I'm sorry for what happened to your brother last time, as that should never happen, but the reality is is that it does happen, and can happen at any airport no matter how much you research.

You'll find good reviews and bad reviews for just about everything in life.

See which airport is most convenient for the flights you are looking for and go from there. Take the advice everyone has given and go in prepared, and if the TSA/customs agents aren't nice, well you know what they say about karma ;) Don't let it ruin your trip as hard as it may be.

Remember if want to use Magical Express it only operates out of MCO.
 
Yes I am over thinking it! But I just want the least amount of stress and worry. Thank you all for your advice and help.
Just one note - I am from the UK and we can fly into Orlando and Sanford airport. Sanford is the airport that I have flown into all 4 times I have visited ☺
Thanks again
Katie
 
Wow. You have been the brunt of a lot of shouting and yelling. I have never has a TSA agent or customs/immigration agent anywhere shout or yell at me and I am a seasoned international traveller.

Katie85 said:
Yes I am over thinking it! But I just want the least amount of stress and worry. Thank you all for your advice and help.
Just one note - I am from the UK and we can fly into Orlando and Sanford airport. Sanford is the airport that I have flown into all 4 times I have visited ☺
Thanks again
Katie
Click to expand...
In that case, I think you should fly into Sanford since you are familiar with the airport.
 
TSA agents are human, just like the rest of us. We fly often; my husband works for a major airline. We fly into and out of MCO frequently. Never have had a single issue there, before or since I started using my personal ECV.

Since 9/11, I have a personal rule that I arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure. This gives us plenty of time to check bags, get through security, find the gate, work with gate agents regarding the ECV (here's a tip: always approach them between flights, or at a time when they aren't busy. Wait for them to acknowledge you - they are working on getting your flight out on time! And be sure to use the Magic Words: Please & Thank You. They are humans too, and all too often the front line for abuse by impatient travelers. A smile and sweet, polite words goes a LONG way with them.) and then relax for a bit before boarding the plane.

By arriving early, I remain relaxed and calm. I know there is no rush, therefore my stress level remains lower, and I remain a more cheerful and pleasant person. None of us want to arrive at our destination stressed and unhappy!

We also plan our layover(s) so that we never have to rush or run to another gate. I would much rather be an hour later arriving at WDW than to try and navigate DFW for a tight layover!

All this is my way of saying that when looking at your travel plans, make sure you aren't building in extra stress, and therefore increasing the likelihood that you will have an unpleasant outcome to your travels. We are all in a hurry to get to WDW, but arriving there happy and ready to have fun is the ultimate goal.
 
We have gone through many airports both domestically and internationally with our 2 disabled sons (one Autism and one Down syndrome). Both are in their 20's now. We have gone on cruises with absolutely no problems with immigration or getting through the scanners. I was concerned about going to/from Mexico last year. I was pleasantly surprised at the help we received in Cancun both arriving and departing. Everybody went out of their way to help, even though we didn't ask for any. And they all refused tips.

However, coming back into the US we went through Charlotte, NC and to get through immigration there was an experience. The officials were not helpful at all as I scanned all of the computer terminals to find one that was wheelchair accessible and was speaking out loud "Where is the wheelchair accessible terminal?" My son with Down syndrome refused to stand up to have the computer camera take a picture of him when his passport was scanned. So eventually we just had him sit and take the picture of a space above his head. When we got to the actual immigration officer who looked at our passports and the pictures the terminal took, when she got to my son who did not have a head shot, she asked where the picture was. I told her that he would not/could not stand up and I could not find a wheelchair accessible terminal. This is also at the same time when my son with Autism was wandering around and trying to get out of the room through an "authorized personnel only" door. I thought for a while that they weren't going to let us back into the country, but the immigration officer finally let us in. Charlotte needs to work on their accessibility, IMHO. Also in Charlotte, they did not have a separate wheelchair accessible line to get through the normal TSA screening and we were mainstreamed in with all the other passengers. Another fail for Charlotte, even though it is a lovely airport.
 
Also another thought. Make sure you bring guardianship papers with you whenever you travel with your brother. They have come in very handy for us on 2 occasions when we needed medical care for one of my sons.
 
This is from cbp they don't have as much info as tsa and I not sure if sandford will have the manager. I think they just have them at the bigger Orlando airport (mco). So a supervisor officer would be their to help you instead if the officer is not being as helpful as they should.

  • We pledge to cordially greet and welcome you to the United States.
  • We pledge to treat you with courtesy, dignity, and respect.
  • We pledge to explain the CBP process to you.
  • We pledge to have a supervisor listen to your comments.
  • We pledge to accept and respond to your comments in written, verbal, or electronic form.
  • We pledge to provide reasonable assistance due to delay or disability.
If you have a concern or need help understanding CBP regulations and procedures, ask to speak with the Professionalism Service Manager on duty. There are Professionalism Service Managers available to travelers on a full-time basis at selected international airports. The managers major purpose is to help travelers clear CBP. Photos of the Professionalism Service Managers are posted wherever the program is operating, to make it easy for you to recognize them if you need assistance.
 
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