First trip to Disney

[DisneyMama63]

First trip to Disney World

We are going on our first ever trip to Disney World April 5-14th 2006. I have 3 DD's ages 7,5,and 3. The 7 year old is a typical DD named Madison. Ali Elizabeth is 5 had has holoprosecephaly which causes severe epilepsy,severe eye abnormalities,and severe hearing abnormalities. Ali is also non-verbal,and uses a power chair. She can not sit up without total support. She is also dependent on a microvasive feeing button for nutrition, and uses a CPAP machine at night. Kendall is 3 had has severe quadriplegic CP, epilepsy, and PDD-NOS. She uses a PANDA chair but is verbal and eats solid food. I have a lot of questions:
1. How does boarding work on buses/monorails?
2. Is there a place where I can see a list of all the handicapped accessible rides?
3. How disability friendly is the Polynesian?
4.Would I be better off bringing Ali's non-folding Manuel instead of the power chair?
5. What is the GAC and would I need it?
6. Would I be better off bringing their bath chairs or renting from someplace?

Finally, just share your experiences.

Caitlyn

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

All of the buses have ramps or lifts. The bus driver will load the wheelchairs first and strap them down before anyone else boards the bus. The monorails have accessible cars too. They will direct you where to go. We've never stayed at the Poly but every place we've gone to at Disney was accessible. As for the rides, I saw a post on here a few minutes ago that listed all the wheelchair accessible rides. I think most of the accessible rides only have one wheelchair accessible car so they would have to take turns riding. I guess whether or not they should bring the electric chairs depends on how good they are at driving them and the stamina they have to do so. My husband must take his electric chair because there is no way I could push his 180 lb body all over Disney World. There are others on this board that will be much more knowlegable about this.

 

[SueM in MN]

You can get some of your questions answered on the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the board. The last post in that FAQs thread explains about the GAC (Guest Assistance Card).
A BIG advantage of staying at one of the MK resorts is that you will be able to take the monorail to MK and to Epcot. The monorail is very easy to board with a wheelchair; you just drive right on.
There is an explanation of bus boarding on the FAQs thread. Each bus can hold up to 2 wheelchairs. One thing you can do that would be helpful is to know where the tiedown points are for the wheelchairs (I'm not sure if the Panda is designed to be tied down for transportation or not - some of those types of chairs are and some are not). I have used brightly colored tape to mark the tie down points on DD's wheelchair - makes it faster to fasten down when you can tell the driver just to look for the bright pink tape.

There is a link in the FAQs thread to the Disney website's Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. They don't have a lot of information about boarding rides, but do have a list of those attractions where you can stay in the wheelchair for the whole attraction. As was already mentioned, many of the rides with special wheelchair cars have room for only one wheelchair at a time. There are several threads where eternaldisneyfan listed a very complete listing of the rides she went on with her power wheelchair. Here's a link to one of those threads.

For the question about the bathchairs - can they both use the same one, so you only have to bring one? If they have very specific needs, you may have a difficult time finding a place that will rent a bathchair that can meet their needs. There are some medical equipment rental places listed in the FAQs thread. You can email or call them and see if they have anything that can work. Many of the rental companies are more geared to adults than to children.

As for the power wheelchair question, it does give more independence. You will be going at a pretty busy time, which makes it harder and more tiring to manouver around the parks in a wheelchair. As was already mentioned, a lot depends on the child's stamina and concentration. I know my DD would have a hard time driving around all day with her power wheelchair, especially if it's busy. She would get tired and expect me to drive the wheelchair for her, which would be more tiring for me than pushing her manual wheelchair (so far, we've only brought her manual one). Since (if I read correctly) the child with the power wheelchair also has eye and hearing abnormalities and is only 5, I would probably bring the manual wheelchair rather than the power one for her.

First Aid is very helpful for things like storing feeding aupplies, doing procedures, taking a short rest, etc. There is one First Aid in each park and they are marked on the park maps.

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thanks. They can both use the same bathchair. I think I will bring her manual chair. Thanks again.

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thanks.
I have some more questions. I read the GAC card FAQ, and it sounds like it would be helpful since both daughters don't sweat easily and need to wait in a cool area, and dd's PANDA looks an awful lot like a stroller. Do I need a doctor's note for this?
How do my daughter's board on the rides? do we go to a seperate line or what?

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks.
I have some more questions. I read the GAC card FAQ, and it sounds like it would be helpful since both daughters don't sweat easily and need to wait in a cool area, and dd's PANDA looks an awful lot like a stroller. Do I need a doctor's note for this?

No, you don't need a doctor's note. Just be able to explain what your DD's needs are.

How do my daughter's board on the rides? do we go to a seperate line or what?

Most of the lines are actually wheelchair accessible.
There are a few lines that are not; for those, there may be a separate wheelchair entrance (often the exit). Those attractions are primarily the older rides in MK, especially in Fantasyland.
For some rides, wheelchair users board at the exit, but usually for those you wait in the regular line until almost the point where the regular line reaches the boarding area. At that point, wheelchair users are pulled off to the exit to board. For those rides that have a car that a wheelchair can fit on, only one can ride at a time. A poster named Michigan can help with exactly how that works, but I believe that one child would ride in the wheelchair car with the rest of your party, while the other wheelchair user and at least one member of your party wait at the exit/boarding area. When the ride ends, you switch. Alternately, you could have one of your girls stay in the wheelchair and lift the other one and either hold her on your lap or sit her next to you on the seat.

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thanks so much.

 

[DisneyMama63]

more questions
Will I be charged at restaurants since my daughter(5) does not eat?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

more questions
Will I be charged at restaurants since my daughter(5) does not eat?

Several answers to this question.

At full service and counter service you only have to pay for what is ordered.

At buffets if it is obvious that a person is tube fed or unable to eat normally there is no charge. If it is a Character Buffet there may be an "Entertainment" charge for non-eaters.

Note that in any case the child should be included on the reservation so there is sufficient seating.

One potential problem is certain meals might have to be paid for in advance at the time the reservation is made. In that situation you might have to talk to the manager when you are there to get a credit back to your card.

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thanks everyone.
Do I need to get a separate GAC for each daughter or can they share a card?

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks everyone.
Do I need to get a separate GAC for each daughter or can they share a card?

The GAC is issued to a specific person. If you will all be together pretty much all of the time, then just get one GAC for whichever of your girls has the most needs for accomidation. (I'd probably choose the gilr with the Panda chair since it might be mistaken for a stroller).
If you plan to separate, then each girl should have her own GAC.

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thank you.

 

[Juliah]

This is a long shot, but you might ask WDW Special Services or the Polynesian front desk before you go if they have a child's bath/shower chair to loan. Years ago when I asked, they expressed interest in buying one and even called me back later to get some contact info. I do know there's a fairly long list of things they will supply, for example, bed rails.

Unless this has changed since we were there Oct. '04, there is a pool wheelchair you can borrow from the life guard to transfer your DDs into the main pool (the one with the zero entry), if they are too big for you to carry in.

We have been to WDW about a dozen times with our twins who both use wheelchairs. We won't stay anywhere but the Polynesian any more because it works so well for us--the accessible rooms are bigger than at the newer WDW resorts, it's so convenient with the monorail and the ferry that leaves from the TTC, the pool entry is essential, there are automatic doors at each end of the Rapa Nui building, and besides, it's just so relaxing and wonderful there.

 

[rd0127]

Are you driving or flying? The reason I ask is even though we stay inside WDW, we drive our accessible van to the parks. We tried the Disney transportation system one time with our daughter and became extremely frustrated with the buses. Every other one should be accessible, but this is not always the case. The night we went to Hoop de do Revue, several of the accessible buses were out of commission, so we stood out in the cool night air for about 45 minutes waiting on a bus. I was not happpy, my DD is extremely fragile and we will only use our van to get us around WDW. The monorail was great as was the big boats going in to MK. Just avoid the bus system if possible.

Also, as for your daughters power chair, I would bring her non-electric one. Most of the rides that are accessible have size limitations and her non-electric chair will probably stand a much better chance of fitting into the small space.

Also, go get your GAC on your first day as soon as you get inside your first park and be sure to take both of your DD's with you to request them.

Last year was our first trip and it was amazing for all of us, but especially for our DD who has Rett Syndrome. We have booked our 2nd trip for next month. It will be a regular vacation for us from now on!

 

[SueOKW]

Be prepared above all things - to watch your kids light up and have a great time. It totally took me by surprise as to how inclusive WDW is, how all my kids enjoyed themselves and enjoyed watching our DS have fun....

yep, it's good!

 

[cabowser]

Regarding the GAC, we had such a wonderful experience with it. We were led into the rides with extremely limited waits, mainly just waiting for the next car or whatever. We were treated very courteously. It was great. I highly recommend it because the whole time we were there we saw our child see a world that he had never even known existed. He grew mentally and emotionally from that trip and I can't wait to take him back.

I have head, and I believe it is true, to get the GAC at town hall at the Magic Kingdom. I believe that they exercise the power to give people the card that has the most benefits. You can get one at any park, but they did not question me at all, they just handed over a card that met our needs and they correctly interpreted our problems, I knew that they knew what they were doing.

Let us know how the trip goes.

Jan

 

[DisneyMama63]

Thanks so much everyone. Where would be a good place to bolus feed my daughter in the parks, and is there special viewing locations for the parades and fireworks?
caitlyn

 

[debbiemomto4]

I would bolus feed ds on benches out of the way. You can also use the first aid building but sometimes the walk was far. Of course if you have special formula that needs to be refridgerated the first aid place is where they will keep it for you. Individual cans are best for walking around or cooler bags. You will figure out what's best for you. I really never minded bolus feeding my ds in quiet places not the bathroom.
Not sure about parade areas I do know there are special viewing areas though someone else will come by and fill you in about that.
Have fun!!!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

The wheelchair/handicapped viweing spots for parades and Illuminations at Epcot are marked on the park maps. There is no special place for fireworks (the idea there is that since the fireworks are above you, people can see them where ever they are.
For the daytime parades, some of the viewing areas are in the sun, so you may be better off just parking along the parade route if you can find a spot not in the sun.
Depending one how many other people with special needs are there when you are, the wheelchair areas can fill up quickly. We tend not to use them because of that and because once you are there, you have to stay there and it can get pretty crowded (wheelchairs parked right next to each other).

 

[pugdog]

We tried the Disney transportation system one time with our daughter and became extremely frustrated with the buses. Every other one should be accessible, but this is not always the case.

What happened to you was a fluke. Every bus is accessible and I mean EVERY one. Yes some of the really old ones with the lifts don't work well ,if at all sometimes, but just about all of them should be retired by now. Just in January there was suppose to be 50 of the new buses put into service. And if for some reason the ramp/lift doesn't work then the driver should be getting on the radio and calling for another bus to come get you ASAP. Most of the trouble that we have run into with the buses are not bus related but driver related. Some of the drivers don't want to use the ramp/lifts, and if you run into a driver like that please report him. We have done that in the past and it's the only way to get rid of the drivers who don't really want to be there.