DisneyLand Info

[Michigan]

I'm thinking of taking my oldest dd to DisneyLand for her graduation gift next June.

I need to know about the Disney hotels rooms with roll in showers since both girls are in wheelchairs.

How many days should we stay? How is the meal plan there? What about the ride access?

Just tell me everything I need to know

Thanks

 

[Barbday62]

I cant tell you everything but can tell you some lol. My husband uses a wheel chair and we dont need a roll in shower yet so cant help there. We usually stay at the hotels on Harbor. Usually Best western Park Place Inn. Back before he used a wheel chair it was the closest walk for him but now he cant even walk that far but we still stay there lots.

How long to stay? Depends on crowds. In a wheel chair you will encounter some things that take longer and some that take less time to do. Many rides in Disney land use alternative entrances. Some like pirates will take longer in there are lots of wheel chairs than the regular line but if you cant stand you have to do that line. We typicaly wait the same or less than posted times in most rides however on average. Some of the biggest issues we run into is getting from point A to point B takes longer because he has to navigate sidewalks and ramps and people more than a walking person does. We usually go for a weekend and its not enough time to do everything. When we went for 4 days for my birthday I felt like we was able to do so much more then. If you plan to go to other parks it would take longer. Personally I would plan at least 3 to 4 days disneyland/California Adventure

I read the meal plan sucks! They basically make you buy vouchers and then if your bill is less than the voucher you forfiet your money. Now thats crazy!! I say buy disneydollars or a disney gift card if you have to pre pay food. at least your money is just that, your left over money.


Ride access is pretty good I think. Ill try to list a few I can think of for now:
You enter in exit in many rides like Space Mountain, Big thunder, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, If there are lots of wheel chairs the wait is longer but on not busy days it is great. In rides like Buzz, Manison and Autopia, you stand in regular line and then get pulled out somewhere late in the que to the exit to load. These tend to be longer waits for a wheel chair user but you exit where you get on this way. Beware of this in Mansion. They will ask you can you walk something like 50 feet to the entrance. If so they have you leave your chair outside and walk in. We did this once and they failed to explain the exit to us. It was a moving belt then we had to get on another moving belt at an incline. My husband has muscular dystrophy and can stand or walk 50 feet but the incline made it dangerous for him to exit. We never again will walk in because of that. We learned always question them back when they try to main stream us now. Rides like roger rabit you wait in the normal que all the way. Its a tight squeeze but can be managed slow. Use fast pass to avoid the long que. The nemo ride we got into a special handicap line. It was considerable shorter than the regular line. We had to be last to board and got end seats. They do have a room you can pull your wheel chair into and it was the same show on a nice screen. If climbing narrow stairs is a problem the room is an awesome alternative and no waiting in line for that.

There is more and I cant remember it all at once. Oh if you want to do Tom Sawyer Island be sure to do it in the morning. It was nice with little crowds. They have wheel chair elevators to get through some parts. I can see where crowds would have made this stressful to visit. But with out crowds we had a blast there!

 

[DIS-NH]

Hello,

I can not answer any wheel chair specific questions, but hopefully I can provide a little info. I went to DL this past summer with my DS who is high funtioning Autistic.

We stayed the Disneyland Hotel. I mention this only becuase the access from this hotel to the Monorail station at DTD is perfect. The station less than a 5 minute walk from the hotel. It let's you out inside the park in Tomorrow land. If you use this staion, you will go through security, and they will scan you passes. The lines are considerably shorter at the Monorail station, than at the front gates.

When you get inside, you will go to the Town Hall to get your GAC. DL will provide you with a detailed map that will show you how and where to access for each attraction. This is a GREAT service and one that should be adopted at WDW.

Many of the rides at DLR access from outside.

Enjoy

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

If your girls cannot transfer to rides, you'll be very disappointed. There are very few wheelchair accessible rides. Also it has a lot less things to do. And I found the CMs to be not nearly as friendly and sometimes downright rude. *gulp* we actually liked San Diego better (SeaWorld and the zoo)

 

[SueM in MN]

I can't help much, but here is a link to a pdf file of the Disneyland Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.
It doesn't give a lot of information, but at least it's a place to start.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I've only been to DL once, and only for a day, so my knowledge is fairly limited, but I'll tell you what I can.

Not all of the wheelchair entrances are that clearly marked. For instance, the only reason we knew we'd found the Pirates entrance (with directions from a CM) was by the unusually large group of people on wheels, waiting outside a shop. We didn't know about this map DIS-NH mentioned, but it sounds like it would have been very useful.

I've heard that DCA is a lot more accessible, as it was built so recently, but we only went across their for the Aladdin show (no time!). Do be warned, that they're starting a massive overhaul of that park soon, so there may be building work. The park will still be open as normal, and I doubt access will be affected, though.

We actually found the CMs very friendly and helpful, but I guess it's luck of the draw.

Oh yes, Tiki Room may be a tad awkward, as you have to get in and out using a little elevator, which won't hold both chairs at once. However, if you remember (and miss) the original Tiki Room from WDW, it may be worth the effort to allow you to reminisce .

Basically I found access fairly doable, though not quite as easy as WDW (though this may be partly due to the fact that I know WDW well). As DL is older, access is still a little bit of an issue, but in some areas (due to overhauls) it actually beats out WDW (e.g. Tom Sawyer is accessible, though we didn't have time to go ).

I think you guys would have a whale of a time there! Have fun!!

 

[mechurchlady]

Where to start, lol? I am a bit tired and as always I am a bit of a dither brain. CMs rock and are very helpful unless you are an SG who has an attitude problem and pushes their buttons too many times.

At Mickey and Friends Parking Structure is handicapped parking in the bus parking area as well as near the elevator on each floor but it is a mile hike (bad knees so it seems like it but is 2 blocks) and the trams can carry ECVs and wheelchairs. California is a reciprical state so you disabled plates and plaques will give you disabled parking. A GAC is necessary and Disneyland has a lot of exits and back door type of entries for disabled. The Tiki Room requires using an elevator for example. DCA is more modern such as the disabled loading area on the rapids ride. At DCA the paths are wider and there are more lines where the disabled use the main line. Disneyland has more uneven walkways, curbs, and other disabled hazzards than DCA.

WARNING: Anything you read may change as DCA is undergoing a 5 year construction project that started the beginning of this year, 2007. This can mean road construction and other problems.

Disney Hotels:
Paradise Pier Hotel (Whatever its name is) is a tall building that is disabled friendly and I love the food. It is the farthest from the parks and and is a long walk to the monorail. They used to have a tram a block or less but check with the hotel.

Disneyland Hotel is a bunch of high rise buildings and the farthest is two blocks from the monorail. Great food and shopping. The closest is in the corner near Downtown Disney and about a block away.

Disney's Grand Californian has an entrance into DCA and is located between the Disneyland entrance and the Monorail. A block to the monorail or to the park entrance maybe two blocks.
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Dropoff zone: At the front of DLR is a handicapped dropoff zone. There is a road there which has dropoff zones for hotel busses and a taxi zone. Public busses drop off on the main street and do not come into the park at all. The hotel drop off zone is about a block but some guests do miss that last bus.

Monorails: the last monorail leaves the park at closing time so do not miss it or you have to walk from Tomorrowland to the entrance to the park then a half mile to the hotel. The length of the downtown disney district.
The monorail stations have elevators and can handle big ECVs. They open the gates at the same time as the parks so you can be in Tomorrowland about the same time as the thundering opening crowd hits Tomorrowland.

Trains: Disneyland Railroad has a rear car that can hold the big ECVs and has a few bench seats for your friends but it is scary for me as there is almost no back to those seats. Disabled guests wait at the marked area near the exit. There is not ramp at Main Street Station though.

Bathrooms: http://www.mouseplanet.com/potties/
Bugsland at DCA has a companion bathroom. DCA is better than DL for bathrooms but DL does have disabled bathrooms. California laws says that a person of the opposite gender go with a disabled guest into a bathroom of either gender. Disney frowns on kids above age 6 using opposite gender bathrooms though. Yes a man can go into a woman's bathroom to help his daughter or vice versus.

Nurses Station: Helpful people that have quiet beds for resting and this is the place for changing clothes on disabled kids, medical stuff and storing some medical supplies.

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http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/help/gsDetail?name=MobilityDisabilityGSDetailPage
That is their guide and there is a PDF version of the guide book.

DCA Rides: Watch youtube to see what you can ride. DCA is the second park in the country built after ADA came out. One seat at the games can be removed so wheelchairs can play. The sunwheel allows wheelchairs to board. King Triton Carrousel has a ramp and wheelchairs only may park where the bench seats are. The rapids ride has a parkiing spot for the disabled rafts so that guests can takes as long as needed. All nonshows except the sun wheel and carrousel require transfer.

WARNING: Bugs Life seats have a thing that pokes people in the back and cause me severe pain when it missed my damaged disc by an inch. Imagine someone poking you in the back with a stick and you got a damaged disc.

Disneyland rides: All rides require transfer from the wheelchair to the ride except for 8 rides. Mark Twain, Monorail, King Arthur's Caroussel and the train are ECV accessible. These four will accomodate a wheelchair not an ECV: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Small World and the Jungle Cruise.

Ride Warning: Some rides do not have adequate chest restraints to hold a person upright if that person has little upper body strenghth. On Splash Mountain a person could hold such a person but other rides like Soaring make it hard for such a person to remain upright.

 

[Barbday62]

You do not need a GAC at Disneyland if you have wheel chairs and need nothing extra like stay out of sun etc. Just like WDW your wheel chair is your GAC. We have been to both Disneyland (Many many times) and WDW with wheel chairs. Personally we didnt find it more or less difficult to do Disneyland verses WDW in a wheel chair. Somethings are better WDW and somethings are better DLR.

Our experience is mainly with Disneyland because we can drive there thus no rental of a power chair. ($300 per week in WDW) and no airport transfers ($100 round trip) and air fare for two is about $400 where as gas for us round trip to Disneyland is about $200. All other expenses like hotel and food is the same.

 

[SueM in MN]

All states will recognize the handicapped parking permits issued by any other state. There might be some differences between states regarding parking (like some states require the person with a handicapped plate or hangtag to follow signs in the area limiting the amount of time you can park, other states don't).

 

[mechurchlady]

DCA can be seen in one day depending on factors.

Disneyland can be done in one day but it is best to go over a period of two days. It is better to do rides i the morning when there are less people and a person has the most strength. I could not get out of the Astro Orbiter becaue it is at an angle but did get out eventually, lol. It takes strenght for even a healthy person to get in and out of rides.

That would give you day one arrive and evening at downtown disney or even a couple hours in a park. Day two, three and four in parks with DCA in the middles. Day five leave. There are many things to do beside DLR and the two parks.

Downtown Disney
Basically it is about half a mile or so it seems to me and stretches from the park entrances to the Disneyland Hotel. It is a meandering pathway with flower planters in the middle of the pathway as well as fountains. The pathways are wide but during busy times can get congested. There is a outdoor eatery in the middle of the pathway. It is mostly well lit and not a problem for wheeled vehicles.

Shops, bathrooms, and restaurants are disabled friendly as much as is possible. I miss Downtown Disney as the staff at all the shops were helpful and friendly. I miss the most the beignets from the Jazz Kitchen, the Rain Forest Cafe and the ESPN Zone. My diabled friends and I never had problems with downtown disney.

Closing times vary and are in relation to the park closing hours. Very few places serve dinner after 10 pm. If you are dining at the Rainforest Cafe bring the Landry's card from there to get discounts and head of the line seating. It has been a couple of years.

Premium passports and Auto Association of America may give discounts.