Refect. Caption. Seating for Fantasmic?

[Terry in NJ]

Hi,
Just getting my planning in order for our 2-14 to 2-17 trip....
I go into the regular entrance in order to get the reflective captioning screen correct?
Does anyone (Talking Hands ?) know where the seats are and if I have to enter earlier than 30 minutes? I think we'll go on arrival day, Saturday 2-14.. which is President's weekend.
Thanks!

Terry

 

[SueM in MN]

Hopefully someone who actually knows will respond, but I'll tell you what I suspect....
and either I will have guessed right or someone will post to say I didn't have a very good guess.
The regular entrance has always been well supplied with CMS, so my best guess is that is where you would pick up the screen. I'm sure you could find out from Guest Services or from the status board CMs (at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Blvds. They should also be able to let you know how early to get there.
I know that when we have sat in the middle third of the top row, I have caught glimpses of the captioning reflected in my glasses. So, my best guess is that the seating is in the middle third of the theater and that you would be toward the top 1/2.

Now, please tell me, someone, if I am a good guesser.

 

[Talking Hands]

Let the CM as you enter know you need reflective captioning and they will pass you on up to a CM who will take care of it. The seating is in the center of the theatre in the back few rows normally. The night I went we had a good dozen using it since there were a group of seniors from a school for the deaf in New York there. You do need to arrive early. Although it is an arrive reserved for handicapped guests, it does fill up quickly.
I will email you contact person who can send you an information sheet on all available services for the Deaf and HOH.

 

[Terry in NJ]

Thanks Sue and Talking Hands!
Getting that contact info would be great. In August I relied upon the Disablilites booklet that someone at the international gateway entrance in Epcot gave me. Well, it was pretty outdated. I didn't know that they had the handheld captioning device at both MK and Sudios. The booklet just said it was experimental at Epcot.
As long as I keep trying and learning! My DD is experiencing more and more! (But I get frustrated when I find out I missed something to help her.)
Thanks again.

Terry

 

[Talking Hands]

Check your private messages Terry

 

[SondraD11]

Talking Hands - I would also be interested in that contact info for obtaining the information sheet. I'm leaving February 6th for my trip and plan to do a trip report on my experiences with the reflective captioning and PDA handheld captioning device. Thanks.

Sondra

 

[Terry in NJ]

Sondra,
I will be waiting for your report!
When are you getting back?
I obtained the Handheld Captioning Device for my daughter only in Epcot, because I thought that was the only park that offered it.
Later (too much later) in the trip I realized the symbol for it was on the maps for attractions in MK and MGM.
I don't know how you can check this, but ask if the batteries are fresh if you "borrow" one. Ours ran out half way through (annoying).
Rachel loved it though. She was 6 1/2 at the time and is quite the reader. We use CC without fail at home.
Oh, also, I don't know where you are staying, but I had to make special arrangements to pick it up at Epcot's main entrance AND return it to the International Gateway exit. We are Dvc'ers and were staying at Boardwalk. Just a tip! Every other park has one entrance and exit, so it's no trouble.
Will you/ can you ??? / post the report back on this board?
Thanks.
Safe and happy travels!

Terry

 

[SondraD11]

Hi Terry,

I would be glad to post my report back to this board. Everyone has been so kind and I'd like to return the favor if I can. I'm leaving February 6 and will be in the parks until February 11. Then we are going to visit family in Houston for a couple days. I'll be back to post my report February 15.

I lost most of my hearing to measles when I was 3 a long time ago (1951). It made me smile when you talked about your six year old being quite the reader because that's how I was too. At the time, the thinking in schools was not to teach sign. I had lip reading classes and speech therapy until I graduated high school. In fact, I wasn't allowed to have a hearing aid until junior high because they wanted to force me to lip read.

I've always been comfortable with who I am, in fact, I prefer the silence. My one regret is that sometimes I don't seem to fit anywhere. I'm not really part of the hearing world and I'm not part of the deaf world even though I'm deaf without my hearing aids. Oh well, that's probably too much information.

Anyway, I'm going to Disney with my oldest son and daughter-in-law (her first trip). We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside. I love French Quarter but it's not going to be open in time. Thanks for letting me know about having to make special arrangements if I want to leave through the Epcot international gateway. I do have a question for you. Where exactly do you pick up the PDA's? Is it at Guest Services inside the park? I've always rushed on by to get to the 'important stuff".

Sondra

 

[SueM in MN]

I do know the answer to your one question; Guest Services in any park is the place to go for picking up the PDAs or any other information or aids like written scripts, assistive listening devices or remotes.

Have fun on your tip. We stayed at PO-Riverside many times before we bought into DVC. It's a very nice resort. The food court is great. In fact, we usually make at least one visit there on each WDW trip.

 

[Talking Hands]

Don't let them rush you. If you are let the contact person know by email where and when and he will set them straight. I actually have his email address on my text messager just in case of emergency. He is really a wonderful advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The PDA and CC devices can be picked up at Guest Services in the front of the park. PDAs are available at MK, MGM and EPCOT but not AK.