Disney Cruise Line

[sianell]

Hi all,

DBF has cerebral palsy and uses an ECV to cover longer distances. We've visited WDW a couple of times and always found it fantastically accessible and we've never had a GAC/DAS.

We're going on our first cruise later this summer on the Disney Magic and DBF will be taking his ECV. Does anyone have any experience of using a scooter/wheelchair on the ships? There seems to be very little information out there!

Any information/tips you could provide will be greatly appreciated, and in particular, I would like to know:

• What time to arrive at the port? Is it worth getting there early? Is there any extra forms or anything that we will have to fill in? I assume no priority boarding for disabilities seeing as there are seats in the waiting area
• We don't have an accessible cabin - DBF can get around with walking sticks and we have an inside cabin which is shower only so that won't be a problem. Are the corridors wide enough for a scooter (he has a very small 3 wheeled one)?
• Apparently there is a room on each ship for wheelchair/ECV storage for those without the larger accessible cabins - can anyone confirm where this is on the Magic?

Thanks for any info and any other information that you think could be useful would be great!

I'll try posting on the DCL board if no one can help here

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You might check cruisecritic.com; there is a Disney Cruise forum.

 

[lanejudy]

• What time to arrive at the port? Is it worth getting there early? Is there any extra forms or anything that we will have to fill in? I assume no priority boarding for disabilities seeing as there are seats in the waiting area

When you do online check-in (75 days prior to your sail date if this is your first DCL cruise), you will select a PAT = Port Arrival Time. No need to arrive earlier; in fact you *may* be held outside the terminal if you arrive too early. The exception is if you take DCL transfers, you'll be allowed into the terminal but your actual boarding number is still directly tied to the PAT and you'll have to hang out waiting to board.

Depending on his needs, there is a Special Needs form you can submit ahead. If he has equipment needs or dietary needs, you probably should do this.

• We don't have an accessible cabin - DBF can get around with walking sticks and we have an inside cabin which is shower only so that won't be a problem. Are the corridors wide enough for a scooter (he has a very small 3 wheeled one)?

If you can, I suggest getting an accessible cabin. The reason being that the standard staterooms onboard have narrower doorways and you may not be able to fit the ECV through, and if it is narrow enough to fit inside the stateroom you won't be able to get it past the bed. Either an accessible stateroom, or category 8A staterooms are also designed differently with room for an ECV. Otherwise, the ECV can't be left in the hallway as it will block the stateroom host carts, strollers, wheelchairs, etc.; hallways aren't wide enough for 2 to pass.

• Apparently there is a room on each ship for wheelchair/ECV storage for those without the larger accessible cabins - can anyone confirm where this is on the Magic?

Well...on the Magic there is space on Deck 6 midship behind the elevators. Depending on where your stateroom is, this could be a long walk down the hall (or even a different deck) or you might need to move the ECV for him. It is advised to get an accessible stateroom if you have mobility equipment. See above info about staterooms.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[sianell]

When you do online check-in (75 days prior to your sail date if this is your first DCL cruise), you will select a PAT = Port Arrival Time. No need to arrive earlier; in fact you *may* be held outside the terminal if you arrive too early. The exception is if you take DCL transfers, you'll be allowed into the terminal but your actual boarding number is still directly tied to the PAT and you'll have to hang out waiting to board.

Depending on his needs, there is a Special Needs form you can submit ahead. If he has equipment needs or dietary needs, you probably should do this.



If you can, I suggest getting an accessible cabin. The reason being that the standard staterooms onboard have narrower doorways and you may not be able to fit the ECV through, and if it is narrow enough to fit inside the stateroom you won't be able to get it past the bed. Either an accessible stateroom, or category 8A staterooms are also designed differently with room for an ECV. Otherwise, the ECV can't be left in the hallway as it will block the stateroom host carts, strollers, wheelchairs, etc.; hallways aren't wide enough for 2 to pass.



Well...on the Magic there is space on Deck 6 midship behind the elevators. Depending on where your stateroom is, this could be a long walk down the hall (or even a different deck) or you might need to move the ECV for him. It is advised to get an accessible stateroom if you have mobility equipment. See above info about staterooms.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for the reply lanejudy Even though we booked this cruise the week it came out (well over a year ago!), there were already no accessible cabins! Fortunately, James can walk around with two walking sticks across reasonable distances (he doesn't use the ECV in his day to day normal life other than when I want to go for after dinner 'walks'), so the plan is to park the ECV each night and walk to the cabin. Thankfully we are on deck 6 midship so we've lucked out there

Thanks for the link to the Special Needs form!

 

[blondietink]

We were on the Disney Wonder last December which is the same size as the Magic, I believe. My son uses a standard size wheelchair. We did not have an accessible cabin. There were 4 of us in a family ocean view cabin.

To put it mildly, we did not have a good time at all. The hallways are very narrow and if another person was coming our way, they would have to step in the small indentation of cabin doors in order for us to get by. The elevators are REALLY small. The 4 of us could not fit in one elevator with the wheelchair, so we had to take separate elevators. Hint: the elevators up in front are the least busy.

The layout of the cabin was problematic for us. The bed is made up into queen size before getting to the sofa and drop down twin. There was literally only 12 inches of space between the queen bed and the wall to get through to the sofa and window. So, even with the wheelchair completely folded up, we had a difficult time getting it to the larger place for in room storage. As others have said the doorways to the cabin are too narrow to fit through with a wheelchair or ECV. The storage on the 6th floor for equipment is not locked and in my opinion is not safe .... anybody could take something from it. There is also quite a large step up into the bathroom from the main part of the cabin. I don't know how the inside cabins are laid out.

Getting on and off the ship in ports was also problematic. There is a ramp, yes, but there was no assistance from crew as we have experienced on other cruise lines. Depending on the tides, the ramp can be very steep. We saw one lady in an ECV almost tip over because of the steep and narrow ramp.

The stateroom crew was fine and so was the dining room crew. Nothing special but they were OK.

Another problematic area is the high thresholds to get to the outside portions of the ship. It was very difficult to get our wheelchair over the thresholds and hold open the door at the same time if I was alone with my son. I saw several other people with ECV's having just as much difficulty. The pool areas are very crowded and we had a hard time navigating through those areas. The buffet area is very small and the tables are really close together. The actual lines to get food is fine, but trying to find a space to eat with a wheelchair was difficult. The crew tried to help us once or twice by carrying a tray to find a table, but it was almost a lost cause. Either go in the beginning or end of the breakfast or lunch service to get a table to sit at.

The shows are night are fabulous. There is a secret way to get the wheelchair/ECV down to the front rows. Just ask one of the CM's at the entrance to the theater if you can sit down front, and they will radio whoever is in charge to help you find your way.

We went to Castaway Cay, Nassau and Key West. Castaway Cay was fabulous! They have beach wheelchairs to use if you want for free. I can say that even with all of our difficulties, I would go back on a Disney ship again as long as I could go to Castaway Cay. The best private island we have ever been on. Key West was great also and very accessible. Nassau we had fun at going to the beach in town and honestly don't know why people complain about Nassau all the time.

I do hope you have a fabulous time. Next time we will try one of the newer ships. I hear the elevators are bigger and public areas are more manageable. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[blondietink]

One more thing. On our cruise I heard a lot of people complaining about the movement of the ship. Personally, I thought the ride was very smooth compared to other ships I have been on. However, if your son has any kind of balance problems, I would recommend that he uses his ECV as much as possible to lessen the chances of falling due to ship movement on the ocean.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Hi all,

• What time to arrive at the port? Is it worth getting there early? Is there any extra forms or anything that we will have to fill in? I assume no priority boarding for disabilities seeing as there are seats in the waiting area you assume wrong. you will get assistance for boarding.
  
• We don't have an accessible cabin - DBF can get around with walking sticks and we have an inside cabin which is shower only so that won't be a problem. Are the corridors wide enough for a scooter (he has a very small 3 wheeled one)? mostly but with housekeeping carts and room service dishes left out, it gets difficult to maneuver
  
• Apparently there is a room on each ship for wheelchair/ECV storage for those without the larger accessible cabins - can anyone confirm where this is on the Magic? I forget where but I wanna say near a bank of elevators?

I agree with the suggestion to go to cruise critic.. both the Disney board and the Disability Board

 

[KPeveler]

Thanks for the reply lanejudy Even though we booked this cruise the week it came out (well over a year ago!), there were already no accessible cabins! Fortunately, James can walk around with two walking sticks across reasonable distances (he doesn't use the ECV in his day to day normal life other than when I want to go for after dinner 'walks'), so the plan is to park the ECV each night and walk to the cabin. Thankfully we are on deck 6 midship so we've lucked out there

Thanks for the link to the Special Needs form!

You will not be allowed to park the ECV in the hallways or elsewhere and leave it behind, so you will need to be able to get it into the room at least overnight. I would call the Crusie Line and ask for some advice on what to do with the ECV. Doorways on regular cabins also may not be big enough for a wc or ECV to pass through. I would definitely call and ask for advice on how to make things work onboard.

 

[thumpie's mom]

My daughter has cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair. One of the reasons we love DCL is because of the accessibility. For the most part, we can move around freely. There are a few doors where the threshold is difficult to get over unless I bring up her anti-tippers. As others have noted, you may want to call DCL direct and discuss your needs. We have always had a accessible cabin because her chair would not even fit through the door of a regular cabin. As others have noted, you CANNOT park the ecv in the hallways. The ramps to the ports can be very steep and tendering is not something I would want to do. We have had the crew help us on the ramps when needed, otherwise we could not get on and off the ship. For the most part, we tend to stay on the ship when it is in port (and love it!) Castaway Cay is very accessible and they even have sand wheelchairs available. Regarding the buffet, agree with blondietink, can be difficult with a WC or ECV. It is typically easier to get a table outside rather than inside. We have always had excellent service with the crew assisting us when we need it or request it. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[sianell]

You will not be allowed to park the ECV in the hallways or elsewhere and leave it behind, so you will need to be able to get it into the room at least overnight. I would call the Crusie Line and ask for some advice on what to do with the ECV. Doorways on regular cabins also may not be big enough for a wc or ECV to pass through. I would definitely call and ask for advice on how to make things work onboard.

Thanks for your replies everyone, really appreciate the tips.

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences blondietink and thanks for the advance warning!


There seems to be some concern that I was just going to dump the ECV in the hallway and block everyone else but that is certainly not our intention!
There is a dedicated room on each of the ships for ECV's/wheelchairs to be left at any time when the user does not require them. Hence, those with some mobility that use chairs for longer distances do not have to take up one of the very few accessible cabins. The storage room is in a different location on each ship and I know on the Magic has previously been midship on deck 6, hence why we have chosen a cabin that is also midship on deck 6. The only reason I brought it up on this forum is that when I rang the shoreside helpline the other night they said the location of the room sometimes changes. From further research I'm fairly comfortable that this is not actually true!

We have not got an accessible cabin (and cannot get one), and actually would prefer to leave them to those that really need them as they are very very limited and we would hate to think someone could not cruise because of the lack of the room when we should be ok in a normal room. DBF can walk 100 yards or so and doesn't use his chair around our home so I'm sure will be fine in the teenytiny cabin

Hoping the storage room (which has power sockets - I've checked!) is close enough for him to walk back to the cabin but if not I can always drive it to the storage after


Thanks again everyone for the general advice and info on boarding times etc!

 

[lanejudy]

I don't think it's as much that people think you personally would leave an ECV in the way. The "dedicated room" is relatively new. In the past, there have been problems with people trying to leave ECVs outside of staterooms onboard, similar to how some guests leave them outside their resort rooms at WDW -- but more so because the regular staterooms generally cannot accommodate an ECV at all. To my knowledge the spot to park ECVs on the Magic is deck 6th midship, and I haven't heard that it changes frequently, though maybe it did when DCL was first trying out the idea of such a dedicated space to determine what worked best. Like I said, it's relatively new. It is possible that the space could be full if there are several others similar to yourselves who have opted to skip the accessible stateroom. I'd love for you to report back after your cruise and let us know how this worked for you as we don't get many reports about it.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[blondietink]

As I stated before, the "dedicated room" when we were on the Wonder is simply a storage hallway in full view of the mid-ship elevators as you go up/down, so everybody on those elevators can see what is in there and anybody can go in as far as I know. There is no security.

I do hope you have a good time.

 

[sianell]

I don't think it's as much that people think you personally would leave an ECV in the way. The "dedicated room" is relatively new. In the past, there have been problems with people trying to leave ECVs outside of staterooms onboard, similar to how some guests leave them outside their resort rooms at WDW -- but more so because the regular staterooms generally cannot accommodate an ECV at all. To my knowledge the spot to park ECVs on the Magic is deck 6th midship, and I haven't heard that it changes frequently, though maybe it did when DCL was first trying out the idea of such a dedicated space to determine what worked best. Like I said, it's relatively new. It is possible that the space could be full if there are several others similar to yourselves who have opted to skip the accessible stateroom. I'd love for you to report back after your cruise and let us know how this worked for you as we don't get many reports about it.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks Lanejudy. I'll be taking lots of pictures and will happily report back on how it all goes

 

[KPeveler]

You might want to bring an extension cord that can work for your charger. There may be charging ports but if there are enough ECVs, there may not be a place to park it near an outlet. This way you don't have to worry about the cord reaching.

 

[stitchlovestink]

You might want to bring an extension cord that can work for your charger. There may be charging ports but if there are enough ECVs, there may not be a place to park it near an outlet. This way you don't have to worry about the cord reaching.

Actually if you visit DCL's website, you will see that extension cords are on the list of prohibited items. It will be confiscated from your luggage and will probably delay you getting your luggage by an extra hour or two. You will be able to retrieve it from customs when you disembark the ship.
If an extension cord is needed, they can be borrowed from Guest Services on a first come first served basis. A $50 deposit will be charged to your account but will be refunded upon its return.

 

[lanejudy]

DCL recently got strict about banning extension cords and power strips. They do have some available to borrow. I suggest OP complete the Special Services form and submit that in advance, letting them know an extension cord is needed for medical equipment. That will put you on a priority list over others who request an extension cord onboard.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[RevRuss]

We have used both. Not always easy to get around in halls when housekeeping is working, but not difficult. Crowds not always "nice". Some theaters have weird trips to accessible seating, so get there early. Overall getting around on Disney cruise trip much, much easier, safer, and friendly than stores, restaurants, and entertainment facilities in the "real world".