Booking HA room without a medical form....

[tigger2on]

WE have booked a HA room for the CAL- FL Eastbound repo cruise for August 2005 and did so without a medical form. Our daughter IS completely disabled, in a wheelchair and 100% dependent.
We only were able to book n inside room though we wanted one with a view. My question is... are medical documents necessary to book a HA room? Or can anyone just book ne and slip through the cracks?
Does anyone know?

 

[Regina]

What you need to do next is to request a Medical Release form either from DCL or through your travel agent if you used an agency. Disney will need to have this on file prior to your arrival.

 

[horsewings]

Hi! My parents have sailed 3 times with Disney and they had the HA rooms. They had to fax a Dr's. note to Disney showing that this room was needed for my father. He has Parkinson's and needs his wheelchair sometimes.

They had a porthole room once and then the verandah room on 2 sailings. The rooms are quite spacious and especially the verandah is HUGE! Keep trying for a porthole or verandah room because you do need a medical note to book those rooms and some might have been booked in error.

Enjoy the cruise!

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

This is our experience:

My Mom had a stroke 3 years ago and can not use her right side. She uses a wheelchair and scooter. Last year she had a handicap cabin Category 8 which worked well because she could roll into the room with plenty of space and it has the safety railings in the bathroom and a roll in shower. I do know we had medical forms completed for her and my Dad was in contact with the DCL Medical Coordinator who was much more helpful than our own TA!

DCL requires their medical form be completed by a Doctor and faxed back to them not your TA. Also keep a copy with your documents. I am not sure if you booked through a TA or DCL but either can provide you the required form. They will also give you the DCL Medical Coordinator's name, fax and phone number. Make sure to follow up with her to ensure she received your documentation.

The DCL medical coordinator told my Dad that if you are assigned to a handicap cabin and do not have a medical form on file or if DCL is not aware of your need and has the required documentation for another passenger they can and will bump you from that handicap cabin to make room for the documented disabled passenger.

I believe DCL does a good job of verifying who really requires these cabins so the disabled can enjoy a cruise vacation. It is hard to believe but some people will try for a handicap cabin because they are larger than a normal cabin for that category. Of course it is hard to know or determine with the eye a disability therefore DCL has their form so people don't slip through the cracks. I think we all have seen those folks who use scooter because of weight issues and such at WDW to get to the head of the line. It can be the same on the ship. But as I said the naked eye can not determine many times someones special needs.

Both times we have cruised on DCL and for our next DCL cruise DCL and the TA requires we have Disney's medical forms completed not just a Doctor's note to be safe.

The only issues we found with DCL and cruising with a disabled person is DCL only has cabins in certain catergories. Now we know that is because of the way the ship is built and some areas of the ship allow for a cabin to configured larger.

But it is as if they are penalizing a disabled person who wants an oceanview. The price jump from a Category 8 to a Category 9 can be several hundred dollars and they are the same cabin except on different decks.

There are only a few handicap cabins on each ship and only in certain categories. For example if you require a handicap cabin but want a oceanview (porthole) you must pay for a Category 8 instead of a Cat 9 which will cost you a couple hundred more.

It is a shame the disabled person has to pay more to have a porthole or the only other option is an inside cabin or paying the $$$ for Category 8, 5 and 6.

The other issue we had is it is amazing how many people will not move out of the way, cut off you off when waiting for an elevator and really have no respect for someone disabled and unable to walk. I have noticed that if the parents do it the child do as well.

We were on a full sailing on the Magic last fall and I am not sure if it was bad luck, a full sailing or what but my Mom was being run over by people. Others you can say excuse me 100 times and they still won't move. I am not sure what makes them this way but I can assure they do not have a disabled loved one or they would not act this way.

Be prepared for it but as I said maybe it was just bad luck with the group of people we were sailing with.

To answer your question, go ahead and make contact with DCL to get the required medical form and then speak with the Medical Coordinator. They may be understanding and let them know that it is not acceptable to have the huge jump in price to go from an inside cabin to a porthole and they may just assist you.

Also, it is essential if your daughter should need to see the doctor on board they will have her medical information.

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[justmestace]

When we cruised last Sept, our friend was using a cane & sometimes crutches after having been hit by a truck on his bicycle.
He still needed to either sit in the shower, or stand holding on to railings. We had him booked in an HA room, but didn't know that we needed to send in a form. What surprised me about this is that we were having a wedding on CC, and had a group co-ordinator who handled all of our ressies. She didn't mention the form. DCL bumped him out of the HA room. By the time I found out, the room had been re-assigned. It was to be an inside Cat 11. They were left with a GTY Cat11. Totally unacceptable. Eventually, after many phone calls, they were quite graciously moved up to a Cat 5, with verandah. Which didn't help his needs situation, but it was a nice upgrade.

I've had quite a few "moments" in the parks involving people on scooters or motorized wheel chairs. Once, at park closing, when Main Street was full of people, there was a gentleman (term used loosely) in a scooter who was constantly tooting the little horn, wanting people to get out of his way. First of all....where we were supposed to move to....and secondly, he'd been sitting down all day, we were all walking and exhausted!
Numerous times we've had to literally jump out of the way of the scooters......some, not all, but some of the drivers seem to feel entitled to blast their way through the crowds.
And here comes the real flaming that I know I'll get......parents pushing strollers have a tendency to do the same thing.

A little common courtesy from both sides would go a long way!

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

You are correct in many ways and that is why I advised the poster to get the correct form to DCL so they will not have a hassle like you and I did for our family members or friends!

I have been on both sides of the apple....meaning without children and now with. I do agree there should be "stroller" courtesy on both sides and no it is never acceptable to run someone over or into them with the stroller. On the flip side it is also "nice" when someone does hold the door for you or steps aside when you are both traveling and there is plenty of space. As I said I have been on both sides. Hit by plenty of strollers thus I am careful with mine.

When it comes to the wheelchair or scooter issue I have some problems First if you were to see my Mom you would know she is disabled. I have never known her to honk her horn or run into anyone. I have seen plenty of people though shut doors on her, refuse to scoot over so she can get through, cut in front of us waiting for an elevator because they know we can not and will not race them.

From visiting WDW the last 2 years after cruising on DCL I have been very upset to see that many, many people are abusing the use of scooters because they are out of shape, over weight or trying to cut a line. Anyone who has traveled to WDW with a disabled person knows this magic line of no waiting does NOT exist. The CM simply take you to another boarding area where you still wait and then they stop the ride if needed to load on disabled visitors.

Same with the buses back to WDW resorts. You wait forever until a bus with a handicap sign appears and can lower the lift to get my Mom or others in wheelchairs on the buses. You would not believe the comments you hear because we are holding everyone up.

The only thing I will flame you for and it is just one of inexperience.

If you were disabled you would give your last dime to be able to walk and be normal again. You do not want to sit on your bottom and "drive around" all day! For a person that is truly disabled you would glady welcome the feeling of being tired from walking, you would chose and have the choice to take the stairs or an alternate route. You would not be stuck so in the event of a crowd, fire or emergency you are paralyzed and can't help yourself and others are running over you.

Trust me a person that is truly in need of the use of a life long wheel chair or scooter would trade everything they have to use their body and have freedom of movement and life. These folks that are truly disabled have no right to be rude but they are exhausted in ways you would never know. Feeding themselves, dressing, using public bathrooms.

I do agree people abuse scooters and even strollers. Some will always do it because they are rude . There is a growing number that will abuse scooters. All you can do is try and put yourself in their position and treat everyone how you want to be treated.

When it comes to your friend having an accident. I am glad he is ok and am sorry he was hurt and he could not have the use of a handicap cabin. But thankfully he could and I am sure did recover.

Bottom line is have your Doctor provide DCL their form to avoid potential problems.

 

[justmestace]

Buzz&Woody'sMom,
You are 100% correct about the advantages of being able to walk & get around. I meant no disrespect.
Years agao, I was told I wouldn't walk again and by the grace of God, I am. So I have been there. I always open doors, move over, just as you mentioned.
But there are people in every walk of life who will use certain things to their advantage. The gentleman I spoke of may have been just as tired of sitting as we were of walking, but his disability did not entitle him to move ahead of the crowd, no matter what.
At the Grand Californian last month, we watched as two people were renting scooters. The man had no obvious disabilities (but like you said, he could have had many that are not noticeable), but the young woman with him was about 200 times "friskier" than I could ever dream of being.....yet she hopped right on one too, and together they zoomed away. With the kind of everyday pain I have as a result of my old injury (broken vertebrae), it's hard to watch that, and not have it leave a bad taste in your mouth.
And, again, you're right.....it is still much easier to be able to move freely. Even though there are days when I'd thought about using a wheelchair in the parks, the freedom of being able to move through the crowds has stopped me from doing that.

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

I also meant no disrespect to you. I did not mean to offend. As being injured you know how that follows you. You also know first hand how people who do not need assistance get it and those who truly do sometimes do not. It makes me so mad when I would take my Mom on a outing to say Target. Now that may not sound like much but after not going anywhere for over a year in a rehab facility that was a big deal. I could take her in a wheel chair but then I had a baby and a 3 year old at the time so I could not manage all three of them. When she got better and could use one of her legs and one arm to use a store scooter they would all be taken by those who not need them if they just introduced some exercise into their lives.

I also know sometimes a disability is not obvious. I had a ruptured aneurysm while 36 weeks pregnant 3 years ago and have a lot of on going medical issues and missing organs (lol) but I get by like you do. I also am a 6 year survivor of melanoma. By looking at someone you just don't know.

But one of my pet peeves is being treating the disabled rudely or out of control stroller operated.......ever encounter one of those in the narrow hallways of the ship )

I also know how people can be with strollers having raised 2 sons myself who are now 3 and 6 years old I have learned "stroller" manners and everyone should.

I think the most important point of our responding to the OP thread is exactly what DVCREG said.....to MAKE SURE their doctor completes DCL Medical Form and then the check with the DCL Medical Coordinator to ensure everything is in place or a perfectly wonderful vacation will and can be ruined.

Last year my Dad had my Mom's doctor complete the form and sent it in to DCL and our TA left the agency and we were assigned someone else who did not give a flip about us and about 2 weeks before sailing she told us DCL did not have my Mom's medical form and they gave away my Mom's handicap cabin and caused us to almost cancel.

Luckily my Dad had followed up with the DCL Medical Coordinator himself and had her name the date he spoke with her and her direct phone number to resolve the issue.

I am sorry your friend had to endure not having use of a handicap cabin. I am sure it made the whole cruise much, much harder on him. If we can do anything it is to as you said if it educate future cruisers to get this form done and into DCL to help them avoid the hassle we went through then we have helped someone.

I even have one done annually since I had such a rare aneurysm so if the bottom was to fall out and something happen to me the Ship Doctor has an idea of what is wrong with me.

TO tigger2on: I think it helps if you call and speak to the Medical Coordinator about your situation and provide them their form and then explain at least about your daughter and this experience for her and your families needs. As I stated when there are several of you traveling together in the same cabin having to pay a lot more to get a porthole because DCL does not have handicap cabins in a lower category should not cost you so much.

Good luck!!!

 

[justmestace]

Most definitely: If we had known, we would have had the form for my friend!
If DCL would have let us know....we would have done it.

SO: If you are booked in a Handicap room.....and DCL has not contacted you about a medical form.....PLEASE....call them right away and get one!


An one other little thing.....if you're booked in a handicap room, and you don't have a disability.....let it go so that someone with a disability can have it!!
I know those verandahs are nice, but they are bigger for a reason....

 

[natdencro]

We have seen many poor folk in wheelchairs on the cruises: including some "make a wish" children. How wonderful that they are able to join us more able-bodied on a MAGICAL trip.

Please let your dining room Head Server know that you require more space for a wheelchair: then they will be well- prepared for your arrival. The dining rooms are difficult to negotiate when the ship is full - even for us folk with 2 working legs!

How sad that some folk dont give you the courtesy you deserve. Shame on them. Take care. Nat

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

The Make a Wish children are my favorite. Those guys and gals have spirits that are wonderful and their families too. We made life long friends with a Make a Wish family on our first Disney cruise and it is a delight to know such great folks and to have shared in their magical vacation.