DDP/bathrooms

[vacation dreamer]

I have not called WDW yet but wanted to see if anyone has done this. I understand that everyone on your ressie has to have the same plan as far as the dining plan goes but what if you have a child/adult who is tubed fed? Did WDW charge you for them?

Also, I have never paid attention to the bathrooms in the parks. Do they have unisex handicaped bathrooms?

I hope you all don't mind my questions but I'm helping a family with 2 disabled family members plan their trip

 

[LindaDVC]

I would imagine disney would make an exemption for someone who can't medically eat ! Would certainly hope so........

As for bathrooms they do have "companion bathrooms".
Used to have to search for them but they have added quite a few to each park ! Sure someone will provide the link to where they are or pick up a disability brochure at guest relations and they are listed there

Linda

 

[twinmum]

Hello! Our DS8 has a g-tube, but does feed (some) orally as well. I did ask a few questions about DDP and tube-fed guests, and I think if a guest is 100% tube-fed, they will make an exception. No exception was offered for our son, and for $9/day (he's under age 9, so priced as a child), I didn't push the point. In the end, he nibbled more on my food than the kiddie fare (he has expensive tastes for what he does eat - ask me about the surf 'n turf at Narcoosies and my vanishing scallops at the California Grill!). On more than one occasion, however, we saw that the CM didn't actually charge us the kid's DDP credit after they saw how little he actually ate. This ended up being good for us because we ate at some of the signature restuarants and were able to use the extra credits.

Re: companion bathrooms - yes, they are marked on all the maps, and they are well-equipped and a good size. The only problem is that what we in the disability community understand as "companion bathrooms" (i.e. respectful to those who require the assistance of an aid for personal care), others interpret as "family bathroom". Expect line-ups, and expect to see mothers exiting with several children, meeting up with fathers who are waiting. Don't get me started! (And there are several threads that others have begun on this point).

My son has worked SO hard to be successful wearing underpants and we are very proud of him. But the number of times we had to wait, not for another disabled guest to finish in the bathrooom, but for a family...! And he'd be sitting waiting in his wheelchair, desperately "holding it in"...! There may be a decent number of companion bathrooms relative to the number of disabled guests who require them...but not relative to the number of people who are actually using them. In defence of these, WDW could do a better job of explaining their intent in providing these facilities. I'll just call these people poorly informed and leave it at that. Many did give us a sheepish look as they exited, though.

But please, I hope I haven't just started yet another round of posts on this subject!

I hope your planning goes well.

Twinmum

 

[vacation dreamer]

You all are doing great!! You made me think of some more things to put in my planning. I do have to say I'm guilty of using a handicap toilet....I'm so use to taking someone in one that when I enter a public bathroom I go right to the H-stall!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Re: companion bathrooms - yes, they are marked on all the maps, and they are well-equipped and a good size.

Just wanted to mention that the regular restrooms are marked on all the park maps. The companion restrooms are not marked on any maps.
There is a link in the disABILITIES FAQs thread to Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities on the official WDW website. There is a list of the Companion Restrooms in the Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities.

There is a link at Deb Will's site that lists the Companion Restrooms and shows some pictures.
I also have some pictures (I have not gotten around to posting any yet).

The only problem is that what we in the disability community understand as "companion bathrooms" (i.e. respectful to those who require the assistance of an aid for personal care), others interpret as "family bathroom". Expect line-ups, and expect to see mothers exiting with several children, meeting up with fathers who are waiting. Don't get me started! (And there are several threads that others have begun on this point).

We have found more problem with this at MK than most of the other parks.
I would not even try to use the one in the lower level of Cinderella's Royal Table. You will need to wait in a line of parents who want to use the room to change their kids into princess costumes. When I finally got into the restroom with DD in her wheelchair, people were very impatient, pounding on the door, saying that we were preventing them from being able to change into their dresses before they got called up for their meal (even though they had seen we had a person with a wheelchair). Not a pleasant situation.

 

[SueM in MN]

Forgot to answer the other question about tube feeding.

I have no personal experience with this, but other people have posted what twinmum did - that they were charged, but the servers have latitude to decrease charges. We have found that the servers often charge us only for youngest DD as a child, even though she is an adult. They notice how little and what she eats and often charge us accordingly.