Visually disabled. What hotel and park strategy?

[barisarius]

Greetings!

I've been on the boards for a while reading as much as I can. Thanks for the many tips and suggestions all of you have posted. You are a valuable resource.

My wife is visually disabled (no peripheral vision) so she doesn't do well in very large crowds or low light situations. We plan to take our 5 year old son to DL and DCA this coming weekend (Aug 25 & 26). She is going to take him to DL while I teach a class on Saturday. I'm going to take him to DCA on Sunday.

So, my big questions are these:
1. What hotel is the closest so that they don't have to walk much in auto traffic?
2. Can you suggest a strategy for my wife and son on Saturday at DL?
3. Should we bring a stroller (we have a BOB stroller)?
4. If I buy a single park ticket for Saturday, can my wife and I trade off using it throughout the day?

That's it for now. I still have a lot of questions, but I've been able to find many answers from friends and on the boards.

Thanks.

 

[merrrydeath]

Just to answer question #4: definitely not. This is absolutely not allowed. Disneyland tickets are non-transferable. Besides, she would need to get a hand stamp when she exits the park, and you would need a hand stamp to get in.

Hopefully more people can come answer your other questions.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Greetings!

I've been on the boards for a while reading as much as I can. Thanks for the many tips and suggestions all of you have posted. You are a valuable resource.

My wife is visually disabled (no peripheral vision) so she doesn't do well in very large crowds or low light situations. We plan to take our 5 year old son to DL and DCA this coming weekend (Aug 25 & 26). She is going to take him to DL while I teach a class on Saturday. I'm going to take him to DCA on Sunday.

So, my big questions are these:
1. What hotel is the closest so that they don't have to walk much in auto traffic?
2. Can you suggest a strategy for my wife and son on Saturday at DL?
3. Should we bring a stroller (we have a BOB stroller)?
4. If I buy a single park ticket for Saturday, can my wife and I trade off using it throughout the day?

That's it for now. I still have a lot of questions, but I've been able to find many answers from friends and on the boards.

Thanks.

1) The closest hotel is GCH. You can ask for a room closest to the lobby if you want reasonably easy access to DTD and DCA.
2) I will let someone else chime in here. I haven't dealt with visual disabilities, so I don't quite know.
3) A stroller might help her keep track of your son. It might also be a good buffer between her and other guests. If, however, her vision is too impared, she might want to leave it behind so she doesn't run into other guests.
4) It's against the rules to swap a ticket.

Have a great trip!

 

[barisarius]

Thanks for quick responses. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Eeee-va]

I've read the rooms at the Grand Californian tend to be dark. You could try the Disneyland Hotel--not sure how those rooms are, but you don't have to cross a street to get there, and they're generally quite a bit cheaper than GCH.

I think every other hotel, including the Disney-owned Paradise Pier, you'll need to cross a street, if not walk alongside one. Another option is taking the ART shuttles, or if you have a car you could drop off your family by Disneyland before your class and pick them up at some point after. (The street you have to cross to get to the Paradise Pier isn't at all bad, but the path to the hotel isn't brightly lit at night.) There are some hotels across Harbor that are not very far to walk, but they are across (and not that far from) a busy road.

If you stay at a Disney-owned hotel (which is pricey), then if you can check in early (more than an hour before the park opens), your wife and son can get into Disneyland for Magic Morning/Early Entry an hour before the park opens to the general public. That hour will not be crowded at all. (If you're on-site, you would also be able to get in to DCA an hour early on Sunday, though that will be crowded due to Cars Land.)

Overall, getting to Disneyland early is a great way to beat crowds. Most people do not arrive at Disneyland at park opening, so the park can be almost deserted for the first hour or two. Fortunately, it also sounds like Disneyland crowds are small this summer compared to last year, but in normal summer crowd conditions, certain areas do get extremely crowded for much of the day. The two I can think of are the walkway from the hub through Adventureland and the entrance to Tomorrowland. I don't know any way around that unless she just avoids those areas entirely once they get busy. Main Street will get very crowded during parade times and fireworks, so I'd check the times guide to make sure your wife and son are away from that area and the parade route (or if not away from, then comfortably seated/standing in a viewing area) around those times.

I'm not sure if being out at night is an option for your wife at all? If so, Disneyland can be dark at night, and the whole Rivers of America area in New Orleans Square gets very very crowded at night as people get in place to see Fantasmic!.

 

[ArchOwl]

Definitely have her stop by Guest Relations and tell them what her needs are. She can obtain a Guest Assistance Card that will help her with shows and other places where she may need accommodations.

Give us an idea of the rides and/or shows your family is interested in and we can give you advice on how to schedule things that day. Are you familiar with Fastpass? How tall is the child?

 

[barisarius]

Son is 43" tall. We know about fastpass. Wife and son not too fond of roller coasters or high flying rides. Wife is going to take son to DL on Saturday. Probably only from 10:00am until 2:00 pm, then back to hotel for pool. She is not a morning person. I was going to take him back to DL that evening for a few additional rides and maybe a show (Fantasmic!). Then, on Sunday, son and I will get early start and spend majority of day at DCA. Mid-day, he and I will go back to hotel to join wife for pool time and maybe a nap. Then, son and I will return to DCA for more rides and WOC.

Good tip on guest assistance card. Thanks.

 

[ArchOwl]

Son is 43" tall. We know about fastpass. Wife and son not too fond of roller coasters or high flying rides. Wife is going to take son to DL on Saturday. Probably only from 10:00am until 2:00 pm, then back to hotel for pool. She is not a morning person. I was going to take him back to DL that evening for a few additional rides and maybe a show (Fantasmic!). Then, on Sunday, son and I will get early start and spend majority of day at DCA. Mid-day, he and I will go back to hotel to join wife for pool time and maybe a nap. Then, son and I will return to DCA for more rides and WOC.

Good tip on guest assistance card. Thanks.

Ok, well if they are going to show up later in the day and not rope drop, I would steer them toward higher capacity rides. If there is any of the FP rides that they want to do, grab the FP when they first arrive. Then hit rides like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Pooh, It's A Small World, Gadget Go Coaster, Autopia, Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Mr Lincoln, the canoes, Mark Twain and/or Columbia, and the rafts over to the island. Stroll through Fantasyland and see how the wait times are. I expect Peter Pan and Dumbo may have long lines, but the others may be ok. I don't know if they would be interested in the entertainment, but the parade is very well done and there are lots of smaller entertainment options as well. They will have no trouble filling the time.

But do make sure that your wife knows she is going at the busiest time of the day on a weekend. Just a few hours earlier will make a world of difference in regards to crowds. Since it is a Saturday, it will be a busy day. I am not a morning person at all, but I do get up early at Disneyland because it is so much nicer at the parks during the early morning. But I understand if that is not going to happen.

Do advise her to eat at off hours if possible. Lines can get long for lunch at the counter service places, so either have a lunch reservation or eat early or late.

 

[starry_solo]

For the Saturday (for you), see if there's a convention running that you can get a twilight ticket which is good after 4 pm and can save you about $20 for the ticket (off the one day one park price)?

But, also check into the price of a 2 day, 1 park per day ticket. Adults (on the DL website) is $170. A twilight ticket is about $60-65 for adults; one day, one park ticket is $81.

Check The Cleaver Brothers Discount Tickets & Tours (hope I can say their name here). I saw their ad in a visitor's guide.

http://discountticketsandtours.com/tickets/

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

Have her bring her red cane -- the ones with the red on the end so others can see she is visually impaired. Doing this should help greatly. She can use it as a walking stick and fold it up when she is on a ride.

Hope this helps

 

[camouseketeer]

My mother has a similar visual disability and she toured with me earlier this year at WDW. She brought a regular walking cane (not a red tipped cane). She did not need it for walking, but it helped create a peripheral barrier around her, as people would give her more space along side of her due to the cane.

If she uses a stroller, that will create a barrier in front of her, but not necessary along side of her, the areas where her vision is limited. If she holds your DS's hand, that would help create space along side of her. Using a stroller does create more hassles (dropping it off and picking it up after rides), but it does give her a place to put coats or drinks or snacks. Use it if you and she think your DS needs it.

I highly recommend that your DW change her touring time to park opening until lunch time. There are SO many less people in the park than the time she is planning on going, and the less people the more space your wife will have to maneuver and walk without worry.

You will also have a better chance of touring areas of the park of interest to a five year old like Fantasyland.

In regards to a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) my mother did get one in WDW and it did help not only for show but for accessibility in crowded lines. We didn't get on rides any sooner, but it made moving through some tight lines much easier. I would highly consider heading to Guest Services and at least explaining what her needs are.

Best wishes for a magical visit!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you decide to stay off property, the Candy Cane Inn and the Sheraton Anaheim both have their own shuttles. That would give your wife and son direct rides to the parks so they don't have to navigate Harbor Blvd. or any of the bigger, busier streets. Both shuttles run often and on time. The CCI is closer (Harbor Blvd., DLR side of the street), but the SA has larger rooms. The CCI provides a continental breakfast -- delivered to your room in the Premium rooms. (Nice for your wife, so she won't have to deal with the crowds at the breakfast area.) No matter where you stay, call the front desk to explain your wife's needs and request a room very near the lobby, so in and out access will be easy.

Also, you might want to email or call DLR Guest Relations to ask about all the options and services that will be available to help your wife have the best experience.

Hope you all have a wonderful trip!

 

[lalasmama]

I have to second the Guest Assistance Card. My mom had very limited vision (legally blind in one eye, no peripheral vision in that eye (I think she was at something like 20º maybe?), and no eye on the other side at all. (Well, okay, she had a fake eye on her right side. A favorite joke we'd play was not reminding the doctors and assistants about her fake eye, and they would get all flustered with her pupil not reacting. They would try over and over and over again, and get so frustrated, and then we would tell them it was fake, and every.single.time, they were surprised. Thanks for reminding me about this I hadn't thought it about it in ages!).... At any rate, my mom's limited vision also affected her balance. Disneyland has a LOT of curbs and uneven walking paths. Obviously, I don't know if your wife has similar issues, but it's something to plan for if she does. While I became an expert on guiding mom by the time I was an adult, when I was 5yo, there's no way I would have thought to say, "Oh, the path is going to the right and going from concrete to tiles. Careful, the tiles are NOT smooth or even." I think DCA is MUCH better about this--there aren't curbs and sidewalks, and the whole place was made ADA-compliant since it's newer.

For what it's worth, even with mom's limited vision, she loved Disneyland. It was definitely tiring for her, but she still loved it. And I remember loving the fact that, for all Mom's visual and balance issues, she enjoyed DL just as much as me, and DEFINITELY more than any of my friends' parents

 

[kayleigh83]

I would also add my voice to those saying I strongly suggest your wife becomes a morning person for this one, important day! Getting a head start on the crowds in the morning can make a huge difference - they will get on so many more rides this way! If the visit is going to be this short, you really want to make the most of it!

 

[barisarius]

Wow! What great advice and tips! You people are great. Thank you.

From what I've read, I agree that she needs to be a morning person on Saturday. We've reserved a room at the Anabella on recommendation from another local family. We are going to use the shuttle as I didn't want them walking. However, I'm considering one of the on-property hotels, but will need to jump on that pretty quick as I'm guessing there's limited availability (I know they are quite expensive).

If this helps, her peripheral vision is 5º from center. Basically, she can see straight out only (try looking through a toilet paper tube, that's all she sees). However, if I had not mentioned anything, you would never know. She hides it really well.

I'll talk all of this over with her and see what kind of reaction it gets.

The verdict is in. I looked into the cost of the on-site hotels and almost filed bankruptcy! We're sticking to the Anabella this time. She's not too crazy about the distance from hotel to the parks but is willing to use the shuttle if she doesn't want to walk. We may take our stroller. Start time as close to 0800 as possible as long as she gets some serious pool time. I've subscribed to Ridemax and downloaded the MouseWait app for the phones. son is getting anxious. We're watching plenty of Disney movies and will have several on the portable devices during the car ride and visit.

If any of you can think of anything else, let me know.

Thanks!

 

[barisarius]

Update 8/26 morning.

Changed to Paradise Pier. Wife hated (yes, hated) the Annabelle.

Guest assistance was just what they needed. Got special pass and was escorted during early morning.

Resort food way too expensive with little taste. Not sure how they stay in business.

DCA on Sunday. Let's see how that turns out...

 

[ArchOwl]

Update 8/26 morning.

Changed to Paradise Pier. Wife hated (yes, hated) the Annabelle.

Guest assistance was just what they needed. Got special pass and was escorted during early morning.

Resort food way too expensive with little taste. Not sure how they stay in business.

DCA on Sunday. Let's see how that turns out...

Sorry to hear that the Annabelle was a bust, glad you found room at Paradise Pier!

I hope DCA goes well and you have a magical visit!

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh I wish I had seen this post when it was new!

As much as we have loved Anabella, I was going to say (in fact, WAS saying before I realized it was an older post) "no no no no no no no". Here's why. Just to get to ART she had to walk through the parking lot, and through that narrow archway of a driveway, which puts her right there in traffic. And to WALK to the parks? Major traffic; crossing Katella is really hard even for people who can see to the side. (and if she was put in one of the far-back rooms, well those are the rooms that tend to get the complaints)



I was going to recommend DLH. The Grand's walk to Disneyland is complicated and involves two or three small sets of stairs, or she would have to move to the side to use the ramps. The rooms are dark (my vision was damaged by Lasik and I have a hard time in the dark, and especially with transitions from dark to light and back), the hallways are dark and long. DLH is a really straightforward walk, or if the monorail is open you can take that into/out of Tomorrowland.

I hope the GAC is working well! I was thinking of things like Haunted Mansion, Buzz, and Ariel where you board on a moving walkway. I'm sure that's tough without peripheral vision, so the alternative entrance would help.


Once you've been to Disney once or twice, you kind of get used to the prices, LOL.

 

[BecBennett]

Probably too late to chime in, but my BIL has night blindness as well as some tunnel vision.

Having said that, there's really no point in riding POTC or HM or really any ride with low lighting, as basically he can't see anything in there, except for the occasional pin prick of light here and there.

Hopefully your wife has enough vision in low lighting though for this not to be too much of an issue. Hope you had a great time

 

[barisarius]

Well, we managed to survive the trip. Can you believe it took 5-1/2 hours to drive 200 miles? I suppose next time we will realize that the Canadians flock to CA when the Americans are back in school and LA rush hour traffic starts around Noon.

Staff at Anabella were very nice and quite helpful. However, wife stubbed toe on bed frame, bumped into walls and really dislikes rooms that open to balcony. Anabella management offered various rooms, but we elected to cancel reservation. Full refund.

Once we were settled in Paradise Pier, we got a golf cart ride to Downtown and strolled around. Not too busy. Son loved the Lego store!

Saturday morning, my wife and son were escorted to the monorail and again to City Hall once in DL. They were given a Guest Pass that allowed them to bypass the lines and enter every ride at the wheelchair entrances (ride exits). They had an escort for most of the morning. By 1pm, they had ridden just about everything. Wife reported crowds that day were not too bad. Back to the hotel for lunch and pool time.

Saturday evening we again had dinner in Downtown. Wife went back to hotel to relax while son and I went back to DL to catch rides they missed. We used the pass and made all of the remaining rides. Could not do Fantasmic, maybe next time. Watched the fireworks as well. Son was thrilled. I was beat.

Sunday we visited DCA. Crowded as this was not a blackout day for Southern CA residents. Spent the entire day there. Without question the most impressive ride was RSR. They really did a great job with Cars Land. Hotel pool time late afternoon. Back to DCA. We had dinner package with premium seating for WoC. Family enjoyed all. Very tired, but pleased with day. Also concluded that the Grand was too dark (although we really liked it).

Monday morning we did the character breakfast at Paradise Pier. Not too crowded. Drove home in 4 hours including a stop for snack.

Overall, a good trip with great memories for son. He's looking forward to another trip and wife has suggested we get annual pass!

Thanks for everyone's tips and comments. You helped a lot.