Accessibility of Halcyon?

[SteveMouse]

I was looking for information about the accessible features of the Halcyon, but could only find very vague language about maybe being able to rent bed lifts, shower benches, or other equipment.

So, has Disney built another inaccessible attraction? Has anyone seen a list of accessibility features? How many rooms have roll-in showers?

 

[DisneyOma]

Isn't the Halcyon a hotel? It would have to meet code for that, so not sure if you have all the info. I did notice their guests with disabilities page is still under construction though.

 

[Her Dotness]

I've seen mention that there are accessible cabins and that the transportation from the Halcyon to Batuu can take ECVs and wheelchairs.

However, last night, we were watching Molly McCormack's video of her experience as a vlogger invited to the media preview.

The accessible cabins better be a whole LOT larger than the one Molly and Quincy had. Theirs was for a family of four and hardly had any floorspace at all. There was a queen bed and then two shelf bunk beds in one wall. That was it for furniture.

At one point, Molly had to crawl through a floor-level passage to get to where she needed to be in her mission. You choose one of 2 mission sequences and can't switch once you begin it, she said.

DH, who needs a powerchair and can't possibly crawl, just started laughing and said, "Don't believe we'll be staying there! How's that accessible?" Now, maybe there was an alternative passage, but if so, Molly didn't mention it.

Accessible? Ummmm...not so much, we concluded.

Anyway, we certainly would flinch at paying those prices for fear of learning too late it wasn't as accessible as necessary.

 

[SteveMouse]

I've seen mention that there are accessible cabins and that the transportation from the Halcyon to Batuu can take ECVs and wheelchairs.

However, last night, we were watching Molly McCormack's video of her experience as a vlogger invited to the media preview.

The accessible cabins better be a whole LOT larger than the one Molly and Quincy had. Theirs was for a family of four and hardly had any floorspace at all. There was a queen bed and then two shelf bunk beds in one wall. That was it for furniture.

At one point, Molly had to crawl through a floor-level passage to get to where she needed to be in her mission. You choose one of 2 mission
….
Anyway, we certainly would flinch at paying those prices for fear of learning too late it wasn't as accessible as necessary.

Exactly.
Under the ADA, only one of the first 100 rooms a hotel has must have a rioll-in shower. That’s a minimum requirement. Guess how many total rooms the Halcyon had? 100.

So,, did Disney exceed the minimum. Did they make only the suites accessible? And are they going to charge suite rates for any wheelchair user?

The ADA also requires, as I remember, that proprietors share accessible room information in the same manner and location as non-accessible rooms and with sufficient detail regarding accommodations to inform the reader of the room’s capabilities.

”Under construction“ doesn’t provide sufficient detail to make a determination.

The law also requires that information about the availability of accessible rooms be available in the same manner and mode as other rooms. I’m not sure that the general availability on the Halcyon’s web page exactly meets that criterion.

 

[Her Dotness]

Our concern, too, was how people who rent those lengthy foot platform scooters could do this experience.

Before we got DH his powerchair, he rented those a couple times for stays in regular Disney rooms. He had plenty of room to park the scooter.

Molly and Quincy's cabin certainly wasn't big enough to park one of those things. I'd say anyone using one might want to ask where they're supposed to put it if they don't think they need an accessible room otherwise.

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

The elevators sure aren’t wheelchair or ecv-accessible unless you are traveling with a companion or have a really good reach.



There is no excuse to have the hand sanitizer and wipes blocking both sides of the elevator button. I believe for begger buttons at crosswalks the max is 11 inches and that gives you plenty of time to maneuver and elevators often require a mad dash or you and your chair get smashed. They look easy enough to shove or tip over with a footplate though.

Ive also included a photo of what Looks to be the emergency evacuation equipment on the truck. The door looks to slide maybe but there is also what looks like a ladder and rolled up wheelchair ramp.

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

So,, did Disney exceed the minimum. Did they make only the suites accessible? And are they going to charge suite rates for any wheelchair user?

I thought there had to be accessible rooms in every room category.

 

[bluecruiser]

Here's the accessibility-related information I found in the Galactic Starcruiser FAQs.
Posted verbatim from Disney's website without additional comments.

Q. A member of my party needs hospital-type, specialized medical equipment like a bed lift, oxygen or shower bench in my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser cabin. Can I rent these items for my voyage?
A. Select medical equipment may be available for rent for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages. You can request more information when you book your voyage.

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

Q. What services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities on a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser?
A. A variety of services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities, including wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. You can request more information on available services and options when you book your voyage.

Q. Are animals permitted on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages?
A. Only service animals are permitted on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. All other animals—including pets and emotional support, comfort or companion animals—are not permitted on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

Starcruiser Guests also have the opportunity to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Service animals are permitted inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Due to the nature of some attractions, service animals are not permitted to ride.

Please review the animal policies before booking. You can also contact Disability Services at (407) 560-2547 or email disability.services@disneyparks.com for information or assistance.

Q. How can I request an American Sign Language interpreter for experiences on board Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser?
A. With a minimum of 14 days advanced notice, you can request American Sign Language interpretation for select experiences on board the starcruiser. You can request more information when you book your voyage.

Q. What dining options does Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser have onboard for Guests with special dietary needs or allergy-friendly requests?
A. If you have a special dietary or allergy-friendly request, please visit the Crown of Corellia Dining Room for a consultation upon boarding Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. During your consultation, you will have an opportunity to meet with a Chef or Crew Member trained in special diets. This is an opportunity to discuss and plan for each meal you will enjoy aboard the Halcyon starcruiser. Please complete your consult between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM on the first day of your voyage.

Passengers who require pureed meals, adhere to medically restricted diets (such as very low-protein diets), or prefer a kosher or halal meal should also contact Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com between 7 and 14 days prior to arrival.

Passengers who wish to enjoy a plant-based meal that is made without meat, eggs, dairy or honey do not need to have a consult. These options will be readily available and marked with a green leaf icon.

We use reasonable efforts in our food preparation and handling procedures to avoid the introduction of the named allergens into your menu choices. While we take steps to prevent cross-contact, we do not have separate allergy-friendly kitchens and are unable to guarantee that a menu item is completely free of allergens. Please also note that our allergy-friendly offerings are reliant on supplier ingredient labels and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the content lists for each food item. Allergen advisory statements (for example, “may contain") are not regulated and are therefore not taken into consideration when developing allergy-friendly meals. It is ultimately up to your discretion to make an informed choice based on your individual dietary needs.

Q. I travel via a wheelchair or scooter. During my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage, will I be able to experience everything?
A. Guests can remain in their wheelchair or scooter during Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages.

 

[bluecruiser]

Ive also included a photo of what Looks to be the emergency evacuation equipment on the truck. The door looks to slide maybe but there is also what looks like a ladder and rolled up wheelchair ramp.

View attachment 650652

I think that's the transport that takes you between the Starcruiser and Batuu in Galaxy's Edge, which can take ECV's and wheelchairs. Based on other photos I've seen, the loading/unloading is done from a tunnel ending in an enclosed raised platform that connects to the transport vehicle so the story isn't ruined.

Regarding handling emergencies on the Galactic Starcruiser, there's an interesting article on Disney Food blog today (they cover more than just food):

How to Know if There Is a REAL Emergency at the Star Wars Hotel in Disney World

 

[Her Dotness]

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

Notice how it doesn't give any idea how far from your cabin door this might be or how many there are on each deck. I can understand people who can only walk limited distances finding this as good as no information at all.

What happens if, like on the buses, there is space for no more than two scooters/ECVs? So sorry, but you've got to search out another location? It's not like here you can just wait for another parking location to come along. "Geez, Mom, I had to put your scooter two decks down. No place closer."

Q. What services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities on a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser?
A. A variety of services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities, including wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. You can request more information on available services and options when you book your voyage.

So much for basic information like grab bars in bathrooms or how many cabins have roll-in showers.

The solution appears to be call for practically any useful information...and likely end up on hold for who knows how many hours.

 

[mamabunny]

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

Notice how it doesn't give any idea how far from your cabin door this might be or how many there are on each deck. I can understand people who can only walk limited distances finding this as good as no information at all.

What happens if, like on the buses, there is space for no more than two scooters/ECVs? So sorry, but you've got to search out another location? It's not like here you can just wait for another parking location to come along. "Geez, Mom, I had to put your scooter two decks down. No place closer."

Q. What services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities on a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser?
A. A variety of services and accessibility options are available for Guests with disabilities, including wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. You can request more information on available services and options when you book your voyage.

So much for basic information like grab bars in bathrooms or how many cabins have roll-in showers.

The solution appears to be call for practically any useful information...and likely end up on hold for who knows how many hours.

In the absence of confirmed information on the website, I would call Disability Services at (407) 560-2547. I know that in the past, they have called staff directly at the Resort hotel we had questions about, and then passed that information along to us.

 

[Groot]

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

Uh, what? I would NOT feel COMFORTABLE having to leave my powerchair/scooter outside of the room for the night where ANYONE can touch it WITHOUT MY PERMISSION for a couple of reasons.

1. Not everyone in a scooter (specifically) can get up easily and walk, if at all. Especially if their room is really far away from the parking spots.

2. If I was bringing my own PERSONAL POWERCHAIR OR SCOOTER to the hotel and had to LEAVE IT OUT OF MY SIGHT for the night, I would worry constantly if someone was roughhousing on it or doing something that would damage it. Leaving it outside of the room is akin to leaving money on the floor, given the cost of some makes/models and the various options/upgrades decided on by the owner.

 

[Her Dotness]

Okay, this photo of a standard cabin looks spacious enough that one's powerchair could probably easily be parked in your cabin...<delete>

That was dumb and typical of me after far too much time on the boards. DUH!

Groot is absolutely correct. You cannot park ANY ECV, sizable power wheelchair or zippy little Pride Jazzy like DH's, in your cabin.

It's POTC in space--"must transfer to manual wheelchair," which you're then expected to be able to use, it appears. That would explain why promo photos only showed people in manuals.

Unbelievable! Truly astounding. But, sadly starting to feel like the way it's gonna be henceforth.

 

[lanejudy]

I agree there seems to be limited information on the WDW website about accessibility for the Galactic Starcruiser, though admittedly I have little interest so I haven't read everything. But it does seem to be similar to DCL, which I think is also similar to other cruiselines. Standard cabins on DCL are not accessible for most ECVs, personal powerchairs maybe depending on the width. DCL also offers specified parking for ECVs, which is typically 1 or 2 locations per ship and may not be on the same deck as your stateroom. This is why it's recommended to book an accessible cabin if using a mobility device. The DCL HA staterooms are laid out differently and have plenty of floor space for a mobility device; I expect the Starcruiser HA rooms are also different than the standard cabins.

Hopefully with the first "voyages" starting this week, more info will become available through personal reports. It really is a shame that more info isn't made available by WDW.

 

[RoseGold]

I think this panic is getting ahead of itself. Plenty of powerchairs are the size of manual wheelchairs. They should be able to fit everywhere. Bathroom looked fine to me, that's always my concern. Well, and transportation. But this isn't the bus from Art of Animation, I'm sure they'll run it again for you. There's no way they're going to make a really disabled person transfer from a powerchair to a manual chair. This is a size issue, like Be Our Guest.

Those giant rental scooter ECVs, of course they won't fit everywhere. Right now, they're all over the halls at the peasant land hotels too and parked outside Be Our Guest. These rules can't say that politely, but there's a big size difference between a powerchair and huge rental scooter, and everyone knows it. Those things can't even turn around in a normal room. This experience looks clever, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're quite a few steps ahead and have an accessible storyline even. Of course it isn't going to work in a massive rental scooter. I'm surprised anyone expected that. Why would they make gigantic rooms for rental scooters?

 

[Groot]

Groot is absolutely correct. You cannot park ANY ECV, sizable power wheelchair or zippy little Pride Jazzy like DH's, in your cabin.

Yeah, the space looks REALLY CRAMPED especially when you take into account the luggage that people will be bringing.

I think this panic is getting ahead of itself. Plenty of powerchairs are the size of manual wheelchairs. They should be able to fit everywhere.

Not all powerchairs though. What about somebody who drives a Permie, Quickie, or Quantum? (See pics below) Those chairs, along with some Jazzy models are about the same length as a Vic10 (the most common scooter for rentals) when you take into account the footrests.

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

Notice how it doesn't give any idea how far from your cabin door this might be or how many there are on each deck. I can understand people who can only walk limited distances finding this as good as no information at all.

What happens if, like on the buses, there is space for no more than two scooters/ECVs? So sorry, but you've got to search out another location? It's not like here you can just wait for another parking location to come along. "Geez, Mom, I had to put your scooter two decks down. No place closer."

That would be an issue for somebody with limited mobility. All too often, we’re left out of the equation because “We can walk” but frequently no one hears “NOT FOR LONG DISTANCES.”

 

[SteveMouse]

Exactly. And my key point, as the OP, was that under the ADA Disney is supposed to make that available in the same manner, time, and mode as other room information. They’ve posted detailed information about beds and other room amenities,, but limited information about accessibility, including the number of cabins.

I can easily get that information for cruise ships. I don’t expect every cabin to be accessible, but some information would be helpful!

That’s minimal compliance info. I was hoping for better. And they didn’t hit the minimum!

 

[Her Dotness]

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

I'm kinda wondering, since further down the FAQs it does say guests can do the immersion in ECV or scooter, if the writer hastily scrawled this directive without the intended, "unless you've booked an accessible cabin."

It simply makes no sense for there to be accessible cabins where the power wheelchair a solo adult must use cannot be parked right beside the bed. Not every power wheelchair user must travel with an aide. A number can manage on their own quite sufficiently as long as their chair is close at hand. Indeed, prefer to travel solo.

And as Groot so aptly pointed out above, no owner of an ECV is about to park it anywhere outside their presence all night.

 

[SteveMouse]

Q. Where can I park my ECV or scooter during my Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage?
A. There are designated ECV or scooter parking locations on each deck of the starcruiser. ECVs or scooters cannot be stored in the cabin or in hallways.

…

And as Groot so aptly pointed out above, no owner of an ECV is about to park it anywhere outside their presence all night.

There are some cruise lines, including Disney, (I think) that will allow you to park and leave an ECV somewhere other than your cabin, if you do t have an accessible cabin.

I’m not very interested in leaving a relatively inexpensive ecv, especially when I am dependent on it. I’m NOT leaving my much more expensive power wheelchair out of my sight.

Back when I could transfer without assistance, I’d often go get my wife a morning cup of coffee while cruising. I couldn’t make it down the hall to retrieve a scooter, however.

 

[Tiggerish]

This is what my power chair looks like. The chair reclines and foot rest tilts and raises up. If I had it reclined with the foot rest fully extended it would bigger than a large ECV. The retail price is the same as a luxury car. I would never want to have it parked in some storage room. Plus, yes I can walk a few steps but my ability to stand lasts for under 3 minutes.