asking for help please

[carolfoy]

I am a UK travel agent and infrequent poster on the DIS, I have just booked a lovely family for their WDW vacation next April.
The youngest member of the party has extreme mental and physical disabilities and I'd like to get some information before their travel to help his specific needs.
Things we'd like some help with...

1, restaurants with good disabled adapted toilets, the young chap cannot go on his own so they need to be big enough for at least 2, also not, obviously, up or down steps.

2, the best character meal in terms of ease of entry to venue, the food itself is not an issue as the parents will have to prepack his food each day anyway.

3, current cost of ecv hire (another member of the party might well need to hire at some point during the visit - this is not for the young chap, but for an older relative)

4, advice on parking for closest areas to park entrances

5, anything else I may have forgotten?? please advise


many thanks for your help

 

[Bete]

First, there is a thread here that's specifically designed to help on most of these questions. Each post covers a slightly different topic. It's a great resource.

Disney World has companion restrooms where whole families can fit. They even have their own sink in some of them, too. Unfortunately, they are not located in restaurants. We usually use one before and after a meal and we don't use the restaurant restrooms except for an emergency type situation. The restaurants will have what's called a handicap restroom, but those are not as large as a companion one. It's doable for two, but it can be hard for two at some places.

I'm not sure from your post if the youngest member is in a wheelchair or not. If you are using a wheelchair there are ramps set up for restaurants with stairs. These ramps may be easier to walk on than stairs, too. Either way you can use the ramps to get up and down. You can rent wheelchairs, too. It might be very tiring for the younger one to walk all day all over. If very young I would rent a stroller.

If the youngest one is a girl then I like Akersus in Norway in Epcot; they have princesses. Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom has the Pooh gang represented; this place has stairs or a ramp to use. There are many choices for character meals and some are at the resorts.

ECVs at Disney are expensive like $48/day. The parks can run out and it's safer to go early to make sure you get one. In this case you don't have to charge the battery up on the scooter each night. Many go to outside rental services which will deliver one and pick one up at the end of the stay to your resort. Most outside rental places seem to be renting at about $30/day American money and some have weekly deals, etc. In this case you are responsible for charging your battery each day. You may want to make sure your scooter can be broken down and will fit in the car's trunk; otherwise, you will need to use Disney transportaion to get around. There's more info on this on the special thread found in this forum. Hopefully, someone here will provide you with the link, here.

Here, we have placards for handicap to be used with a car. If the family qualifies that would be the best avenue for car parking. I would assume you have something similar in the UK. I would bring it with to use in the car rental. There's special parking for handicap that's very close to the park's entrance. If that's not the case, then going early will get you the best place for car parking.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I am a UK travel agent and infrequent poster on the DIS, I have just booked a lovely family for their WDW vacation next April.
The youngest member of the party has extreme mental and physical disabilities and I'd like to get some information before their travel to help his specific needs.
Things we'd like some help with...

1, restaurants with good disabled adapted toilets, the young chap cannot go on his own so they need to be big enough for at least 2, also not, obviously, up or down steps.

2, the best character meal in terms of ease of entry to venue, the food itself is not an issue as the parents will have to prepack his food each day anyway.

3, current cost of ecv hire (another member of the party might well need to hire at some point during the visit - this is not for the young chap, but for an older relative)

4, advice on parking for closest areas to park entrances

5, anything else I may have forgotten?? please advise


many thanks for your help

To start off with, if you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information.

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

1. There are "companion restrooms" in all the parks. These are separate but next to regular restrooms. They easily have sufficient space for a person in any type of wheelchair or ECV along with additional people. This can be used with a caregiver, or for a circumstances where one adult has multiple small children. There are links in FAQ Post #3 to the Guidebooks for Guests With Disabilities which indicate where these restrooms are. A copy of a special guidemap can be picked up at each Park's Guest Relations Office.

2. All the restaurants, including the ones with character meals are fully accessible. That said, I do not understand why it will be necessary to prepackage meals. Again in Post #3 of the FAQs look for "Dietary Restrictions" in the alphabetic listing and you will find that at all the restaurants just about any dietary restrictions, including strange combinations, can be handled. This includes counter service as well as sit-down.

3. Check Post #2 of the FAQ. It discusses both hire on a daily basis within WDW as well as longer term hire at much better rates with better ECVs from off-property vendors, including a list of vendors that people here have reported very good service.

4. If the family has a Blue Badge it is honored at all WDW parking lots as well as locations in the WDW area. This will allow the use of the special "medical parking" areas close in. If they do not have a Blue Badge they need to ask the attendants at each lot as the Orange County Sheriff's Office patrols the lots and will issue a $250 citation to any cars illegally parked in the disabled/medical parking. And if it is not paid after a certain time it will be sent to the registered owner of the car (in this instance the hire company) who will pay it, add a fee, and charge the same credit card that was on file for the hire.

 

[carolfoy]

many, many thanks for your prompt replies, I will check out the FAQ

 

[clanmcculloch]

2, the best character meal in terms of ease of entry to venue, the food itself is not an issue as the parents will have to prepack his food each day anyway.

Why will they need to pack his food? Unless he's on some kind of liquid supplement diet, Disney can likely accomodate his dietary needs. Just tell them to stick with Disney owned restaurants as they are far better at coming up with safe alternatives.

Will it bother him for family members to repeatedly get up from the table? If yes, buffets may not be the best idea.

Will it bother him for large platters of food to be shared by everybody to be placed near him on the table? If yes, family style dining should probably be avoided.

In both of these types of restaurants, his family should expect to have to pay for him even if he doesn't eat. They may luck out and not get charged or get charged a reduced rate but technically they charge each person who sits at the table. The same is also true of flat rate restaurants like CRT as well as the shows.

His parents should also consider how well he'll enjoy the characters. Some kids are terrified by characters. If he likes characters then character meals will help keep his attention watching them tour around the restaurant which will allow everybody else a bit more time to eat (as long as he can understand that he has to wait for them to come over to their table for personal interaction). Watching the chef cook at Teppan Edo might also be entertaining for him, as would be the fish tank at Coral Reef and the belly dancers at Marrakesh (it's not Disney owned so I'd only do this if his parents are bringing his food; they'll make sure food is safe but they won't have many alternative options).

 

[DannysMom]

Ohana's character breakfast might be a good choice for this family. It's served family style at the table, so no buffet lines to navigate if anyone in the party is mobility challenged. There is also a companion restroom right outside the restaraunt (next to the regular bathrooms used for both Kona & Ohana.)

I agree with other posters, that most dietary restrictions can be accomodated with advance notice.