anyone do Disney Cruise using a wheelchair

leonghoward

HOWARD FAMILY DISNEY PLANNER
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
54
I can walk, just not far so I will be using a wheelchair on board.
Do I need to inform the cruise line?
I will not need to have an accessible room.
Any advice or comments greatly appreciated.

going June 26 on the DREAM:cool1:
 
I can walk, just not far so I will be using a wheelchair on board.
Do I need to inform the cruise line?
I will not need to have an accessible room.
Any advice or comments greatly appreciated.

going June 26 on the DREAM:cool1:

Manual chair or power chair?

The ship is huge. If you can swing it, you might consider renting an ECV unless you have muscles like a weightlifter... You might welcome the additional speed provided by an electric vehicle to save the frustration of being continually late for meals and preferred activities.:wizard:
 
Wheelchair won't fit thru regular doors. You'll have to fold it. If you can do that, ok. If not. you'll need HC room with bigger doors. Ships are very accessible. I'd tell DCL, just tp give them a heads-up. If you end up needing HC room, you'll have to fill out Special Needs form.
 
great thread :thumbsup2

Ive been thinking about going on a cruise, was wondering what it would be like on the ship.
I thought itd be very accessible but most handicapped room are for a couple.
we're a couple with a child in a wheelchair.
Would love to see pictures of the room. :goodvibes
 

On DCL in Dec. I will try to remember to take pics of the room. First time on DCL with DS-20 in wheelchair [been on others with w/c, on DCL without w/c], so don't have pics.

Some handicap rooms will fit 3 people. Check with your TA.
 
We went on the Disney Cruise out of Port Canaveral last spring break and plan to go again this year. Our daughter is 9 and has mitochondrial cytosis. She used a walker on the cruise but sometimes also uses a wheelchair. We found EVERYTHING to be accessible. And they will offer you special seating at the shows and such. The doors to the rooms were not wide enough for her walker, and we had to fold it up to bring it in. During the day we just left it in the hall (but we were at the end of the hallway, so it didn't impede anyone else). You'll be fine in your room - there's not enough room to walk around in there anyway! If you can shower/bathroom on your own you'll be OK too.

You do, however, need to send in your special request/health form because you will want to get a table at dinner that has seating you can access with your wheelchair. The "inside" tables can be a tight fit. And that reminds me that the dining room that has the buffet is a bit tight to get around in with a device also.

You will have a great time! The Disney folks are wonderful at making you totally comfortable and you'll be so glad you went.
 
On DCL in Dec. I will try to remember to take pics of the room. First time on DCL with DS-20 in wheelchair [been on others with w/c, on DCL without w/c], so don't have pics.

Some handicap rooms will fit 3 people. Check with your TA.

Allthough of course well meant, that wouldn't help Leonghoward at all. You'll be on either the Wonder or Magic as Dream doesn't sail until Jan 11. Dream has a new layout, including for it's cabins. Just a look at the deckplans will right away make very clear there are other types of lay outs to be expected (more "odd" sized cabins, for instance).

Leonghoward, as you can tell from the above there are no pics. AT LEAST not until late january when guests do the maiden voyage and trips after that one. Around that time you could post a "could you make pics for me of....."-thread on the DCL-part of the DIS. Most are very willing to help out.

That said; you really need to book an accessible cabin if your child would need to use their aid indoors and wants to get around unassisted, bathing can only be done if there is no step up and/or you need a roll in shower etc. If your child would need the chair to move about the cabin, you'ld definately need an accessible stateroom. Unless you book one of the high cats, there is no real room to move about with an aid in non-access rooms. Which is of course all based on info for the Magic and Wonder. None is known by any of us on here about the Dream yet. Only DCL can give you that info.

There are accessible cabins that fit more than 2 persons. It could be they are booked up, but DCL does offer them. Ask them or your TA which these are. Heck, even when booked through a TA, ask DCL directly. TA's sometimes drop the ball on handicapped stuff. As long as you ask DCL "general questions" they'll help you along and asking "which accessible cabins fit our family" sure is general!

As far as leaving anything out in the hallway goes; remember there could be other folks onboard with disabilities you don't always know about. Something left outside the stateroom can be very obtrusive for others that need to go by using their own aid. That is something that isn't always "visable" as any of us on here would/should know. I've had it happen that folks would leave a wheelchair out in the hallway constantly. Peachy for their needs, but not for me as it constantly blocked me of from being able to drive upto a friends cabin or back to my own. Talk to stateroom hosts about this, most of them will find an "out of the way" corner that can be used so you don't by accident block somebody else off.

If you do wonder about needing an accessible stateroom; you'ld rather book on in such a case than not. You know the needs and abilities of your child. And there is nothing worse than doing a cruise and being stuck and struggling because you miss a much needed accessibility feature. Be aware though that these staterooms tend to book up faster, depending on time of year and intinerary. Not experienced about the Dream, which has more of those staterooms but also a lot more regular ones. Which basically leads to the conclusion it's easier to make a "last-minute" switch to a non-accessible stateroom than vice versa. If child needs one; get one!
 
Due to ADA regulations, NO ONE needs a form, even those who are requesting an accessible stateroom. Any Guest can fill out a special services form if they feel they'd like to notify the ship of their needs but again, not necessary and it cannot be required. OP- if you are bringing a manual chair for distances only you'll find that you can get around the ship easily. You'll always find a crew member to assist you with carrying a tray, reaching something, etc. They appear out of nowhere with a huge smile and will help in any way possible. I hope you have a great cruise!---Kathy
 














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