GAMOMOFTHREE
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 26, 2016
- Messages
- 20
I received some great information from this forum in my previous trips to WDW and our most recent resort-only trip last week. On this trip, we did 2 days at Kennedy Space Center and felt it would be useful to summarize our experience at Kennedy in case anyone else is planning to visit.
Our son is 7 and has neurological conditions that cause hypotonia (overall body weakness), absent seizures, and sensory sensitivities. He is an active kid, but tires easily. He uses an adaptive stroller (Convaid Cruiser) when we go to the mall, theme parks, etc. He does not need a wheelchair for school and at first glance does not seem much different from most kids his age.
Kennedy does have a disability pass, which we obtained from guest services. It did nothing. In fact, in cases when we thought it would be helpful, such as skipping a loud movie introduction, the staff didn't even seem to recognize what accommodations we were asking for. So be prepared, it is not as widely used as the Disney DAS and may be more trouble than its worth.
We received a lot of push-back for trying to bring the wheelchair into exhibits. I am used to explaining that it is a wheelchair for mobility issues and not just a large stroller, but the KSC staff was not very accommodating. We took a bus to the Saturn V rocket building, and the busses were not wheelchair accessible. Their solution for us was to park the chair in the stroller parking and rent a wheelchair when we got off the bus. I know they have handicap accessible busses, but they were not willing to schedule us on one.
After 7 years of dealing with a disability that may not be apparent at first glance, I am used to advocating for the accommodations he needs. I also understand that we visited during spring break and KSC staff was dealing with heavy crowds. That being said, I was disappointed in how things were handled. If you visit with similar conditions, be prepared for push-back. I'm happy to answer any specific questions anyone has about visiting KSC with mobility or sensory issues!
Our son is 7 and has neurological conditions that cause hypotonia (overall body weakness), absent seizures, and sensory sensitivities. He is an active kid, but tires easily. He uses an adaptive stroller (Convaid Cruiser) when we go to the mall, theme parks, etc. He does not need a wheelchair for school and at first glance does not seem much different from most kids his age.
Kennedy does have a disability pass, which we obtained from guest services. It did nothing. In fact, in cases when we thought it would be helpful, such as skipping a loud movie introduction, the staff didn't even seem to recognize what accommodations we were asking for. So be prepared, it is not as widely used as the Disney DAS and may be more trouble than its worth.
We received a lot of push-back for trying to bring the wheelchair into exhibits. I am used to explaining that it is a wheelchair for mobility issues and not just a large stroller, but the KSC staff was not very accommodating. We took a bus to the Saturn V rocket building, and the busses were not wheelchair accessible. Their solution for us was to park the chair in the stroller parking and rent a wheelchair when we got off the bus. I know they have handicap accessible busses, but they were not willing to schedule us on one.
After 7 years of dealing with a disability that may not be apparent at first glance, I am used to advocating for the accommodations he needs. I also understand that we visited during spring break and KSC staff was dealing with heavy crowds. That being said, I was disappointed in how things were handled. If you visit with similar conditions, be prepared for push-back. I'm happy to answer any specific questions anyone has about visiting KSC with mobility or sensory issues!
