Worried About Doing Disneyland Disabled

[katmigordon]

I forgot about Cruella. She's out often as is Captain Hook and the Evil Queen.

Cruella and EQ were the ones I kept seeing pop up on youtube - and occasionally Maleficent.

 

[LKing]

Dinner: Troubadours for potatoes (I'd love to do table service here - but don't see any options that would work for us.

Warning, Troubadour Tavern closes at 6 pm. Potatoes are a relatively new offering. The variety of potato toppings vary depending on the festival/season.

 

[katmigordon]

Warning, Troubadour Tavern closes at 6 pm. Potatoes are a relatively new offering. The variety of potato toppings vary depending on the festival/season.

Would switching Troubadour for lunch and Carnation for dinner work?

 

[LKing]

Would switching Troubadour for lunch and Carnation for dinner work?

It would. But Troubadour is the epitome of take out. It is a little shack next to Fantasyland Theater. It has minimal seating and some standing tables. It is definitely not a place where you need a reservation or need to plan in advance. I would leave it as an option if you are in the area and you like what they are serving next May. Have you looked at Royal Street Veranda or Harbour Galley? Both have more seating than Troubadour Tavern.

Better quick service would be Plaza Inn, Tiana's Palace, Hungry Bear Barbeque and Rancho del Zocalo. Some like Red Rose Tavern and Alien Pizza Planet but they aren't my favorite.

 

[katmigordon]

It would. But Troubadour is the epitome of take out. It is a little shack next to Fantasyland Theater. It has minimal seating and some standing tables. It is definitely not a place where you need a reservation or need to plan in advance. I would leave it as an option if you are in the area and you like what they are serving next May. Have you looked at Royal Street Veranda or Harbour Galley? Both have more seating than Troubadour Tavern.

Better quick service would be Plaza Inn, Tiana's Palace, Hungry Bear Barbeque and Rancho del Zocalo. Some like Red Rose Tavern and Alien Pizza Planet but they aren't my favorite.

We were planning to do Plaza inn the next morning for breakfast/characters then do lunch at Harbour Galley. Royal Street and Tiana's are both cajun right? We're doing Jazz Kitchen on arrival day because we're not planning to go to the parks until our first full day, don't want to repeat food types - plus Jazz looks like a better choice for my pescatarian wife. Hungry bear is a little more rustic then we care for, and Rancho sounds like mexican - which we don't eat on vacation as we can get that any time here in phoenix - we like to try to eat food we can't find at home while on vacation.

 

[mamaburrito]

The Grand Californian has Storytellers which has a dinner buffet that is get glowing reviews. Craftsman grill is also good.

For sit down - we like Cafe Orleans in DL and Wine Country Trattoria in DCA.

I would book your table reservations when your booking window opens and then plan around that.

But vacations are meant to be relaxing, having fun, and making memories. If Disneyland isn’t for you - that’s okay! Plenty of choices of vacation spots.

 

[BrianL]

It would. But Troubadour is the epitome of take out. It is a little shack next to Fantasyland Theater. It has minimal seating and some standing tables. It is definitely not a place where you need a reservation or need to plan in advance. I would leave it as an option if you are in the area and you like what they are serving next May. Have you looked at Royal Street Veranda or Harbour Galley? Both have more seating than Troubadour Tavern.

Better quick service would be Plaza Inn, Tiana's Palace, Hungry Bear Barbeque and Rancho del Zocalo. Some like Red Rose Tavern and Alien Pizza Planet but they aren't my favorite.

Yeah, Troubadour is mainly meant to grab a snack to go sit and watch whatever show is in Fantasyland Theater. There is almost no seating outside the theater, so if they are not actively seating a show, there is not a great place to sit and eat.

 

[KPeterso]

Take your time and ask for what you need—don’t rush just because others are waiting. Truly, people can pause a few extra seconds so you can board safely. And for rides like Haunted Mansion, don’t hesitate to ask them to slow down the moving walkway. They may phrase it in a way that feels like you should rush, but be honest about what you need.

Wanted to reiterate on this one. Ask for moving walkways to be slowed or stopped. It is no longer safe for my mom to walk on a moving walkway so I am very clear it needs to be stopped and the wheelchair will be going up to the ride vehicle. It is never a problem. And then they know to stop it again when you are done. And don't hesitate to ask to have the WAV or TAV vehicle (I usually don't say that term but will say something like the one with the side that opens to make it easier to get in and out). Cast members will know what you mean! Or if you think you will need extra time, they have processes in place to send a car or 2 out empty so no unload time to get more time for you to load. Just make sure to tell them what you think you may need. They will ask questions but you will need to be sure to be clear in your answers on what is needed.

 

[KimberMama]

There don't seem to be a lot of choices for sit down restaurants.

You say “sit down” restaurants, which after reading all the replies I’m not sure exactly what you mean since you mention Troubadour Tavern, Jolly Holiday, etc. Most restaurants have seating areas. I specifically mentioned “table service” restaurants as a server will take your order and bring your food to you. There are quite a few but you will have to stay on top of making reservations:

Plaza Inn at breakfast only
Carnation Cafe
Blue Bayou
Cafe Orleans
River Belle Terrace
Wine country Trattoria
Carthay Circle
Lamplight Lounge
(That’s all I can think of off the top of my head)

Plus there are many options at the hotels and in DtD.

Disneyland cast members can carry a tray for you to a table, if you are at a restaurant with a dedicated eating area such as Tiana’s Palace, Tropical Hideaway, Hungry Bear (which you aren’t interested in), etc. It would work best for you or your traveling companion to get the table while you’re waiting for the food to be ready, because it’s too much to ask the cast member to find a table when there aren’t any available. Be aware that mobile ordering leads to these seating areas often being full of people waiting for their orders — there’s nothing wrong with doing that. Places with more seating, like Hungry Bear, are easier to get tables at than Bengal BBQ, which doesn’t have enough seating even with what they’ve added. In the most crowded seating areas it helps to be willing to hover, to make eye contact with people who are gathering up their trash and appear to be leaving, and to ask those people if they are leaving and you can have the table.

Jolly Holiday is one of the hardest quick service locations for me (not food carts, just QS) because the seating area is raised and you have to find a place to maneuver your wheels, plus the tables are closely packed. Actually, closely packed tables can be an issue in many seating areas, I just find JH to be a little worse.

I guess the question is, how do you manage at fast casual or fast food restaurants, food courts, etc. that aren’t at DL? That’s what you can do at Disneyland, with the extra benefit of Disney cast members being far less likely to be unable to carry a tray for you due to staffing issues (e.g. a cashier at Chipotle can’t leave the line to carry a tray, but a DL cast member can quickly find someone who can).

 

[KimberMama]

Wanted to reiterate on this one. Ask for moving walkways to be slowed or stopped. It is no longer safe for my mom to walk on a moving walkway so I am very clear it needs to be stopped and the wheelchair will be going up to the ride vehicle. It is never a problem. And then they know to stop it again when you are done. And don't hesitate to ask to have the WAV or TAV vehicle (I usually don't say that term but will say something like the one with the side that opens to make it easier to get in and out). Cast members will know what you mean! Or if you think you will need extra time, they have processes in place to send a car or 2 out empty so no unload time to get more time for you to load. Just make sure to tell them what you think you may need. They will ask questions but you will need to be sure to be clear in your answers on what is needed.

Absolutely! And be sure to ask for what you need. I can get into a slowed down Doom Buggy with help from DH, but I can’t get out of it unless it’s stopped. Because of this it’s better for me to tell the cast member I need it stopped for entry and exit, so they are clear on what I need. Over time I’ve learned which rides I can get into in the usual time and which I need more time for.

There are procedures in place for disabled passengers who need accessibility for attractions. Some have transfer devices and a few can accommodate the wheel chair in the ride vehicle. Cast members are trained and the attractions will be held while a person who needs to transfer is boarded.

Some attractions aren’t going to work for you, and you should figure out what they are. Big Thunder Mountain RR cast members will ask if you can climb stairs in the event of an emergency. If you can’t, then you can’t ride unless someone else in your party can carry you (such as if the disabled person is a child).

 

[LKing]

We were planning to do Plaza inn the next morning for breakfast/characters then do lunch at Harbour Galley. Royal Street and Tiana's are both cajun right? We're doing Jazz Kitchen on arrival day because we're not planning to go to the parks until our first full day, don't want to repeat food types - plus Jazz looks like a better choice for my pescatarian wife. Hungry bear is a little more rustic then we care for, and Rancho sounds like mexican - which we don't eat on vacation as we can get that any time here in phoenix - we like to try to eat food we can't find at home while on vacation.

Look at the Plaza Inn lunch/dinner menu. While it is the same restaurant, you might want to go again for lunch or dinner. The fried chicken is very popular.

If you don't want to repeat food types, you can skip Tiana's Palace because of Jazz Kitchen. Royal Street is a take out window with more seating than Troubadour. Similar to Troubadour, the menu changes regularly. They currently have a buffalo chicken beignet slider as well as a snack size Monte Cristo. The Monte Cristo is another very popular item at Disneyland. You can get it at Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans as well but those two are table service.

Will you be going to DCA at all?

 

[katmigordon]

The Grand Californian has Storytellers which has a dinner buffet that is get glowing reviews. Craftsman grill is also good.

First thank you so much for suggesting Storytellers! I did a quick youtube search and apparently there is a new Donald Dinner there, my 2 fav of the fab five are Donald and Daisy.

For sit down - we like Cafe Orleans in DL and Wine Country Trattoria in DCA.

Haven't even started looking at dca yet, but will keep this in mind - thank you!

 

[katmigordon]

Some attractions aren’t going to work for you, and you should figure out what they are. Big Thunder Mountain RR cast members will ask if you can climb stairs in the event of an emergency. If you can’t, then you can’t ride unless someone else in your party can carry you (such as if the disabled person is a child).

I think I have these right

Stay in chair
The Disney Railroad
Great moments w Mr Lincoln
Tiki Room
Winnie the Pooh
royal theater beauty and the beast
royal theater tangled
Snow White
small world
Star Tours

Transfer Seats where the door opens
Rise of the Resistance
Pincho
Rodger Rabbit

Little or no step down, but also no transfer car and must transfer to normal car
Haunted Mansion
Peter Pan
Runaway railroad (step?)
Indiana jones
Pirates

 

[KimberMama]

I think I have these right

Stay in chair
The Disney Railroad
Great moments w Mr Lincoln
Tiki Room
Winnie the Pooh
royal theater beauty and the beast
royal theater tangled
Snow White
small world
Star Tours

Transfer Seats where the door opens
Rise of the Resistance
Pincho
Rodger Rabbit

Little or no step down, but also no transfer car and must transfer to normal car
Haunted Mansion
Peter Pan
Runaway railroad (step?)
Indiana jones
Pirates

You can’t stay in the wheelchair on Star Tours, but you can wheel it in, transfer to the seat, then a cast member will wheel the chair out during the attraction and wheel it back in when the ride is over so you can transfer back to the wheelchair. it looks like Snow White also requires a transfer.

MMRR does require the transfer, but the information indicates there is a transfer device available. When I have gone on it they ask me if I can step down and if a person can’t they get directed to the rear ride vehicle, so there must be a more accessible vehicle for transfer, maybe without the step? I always say I can step down because I have family to help me.

Here are two webpages with accessibility information, including which rides you can remain in the wheelchair for. The Disneyland website is definitive but you will have to click through to get information for each time of mobility access. The Mickey Visit webpage summarizes it all really well and lists the attractions in one place, but I noticed they haven’t necessarily updated when you will need a location return time. For example, Alice doesn’t say it needs a return time, but I have been required to get one every single time I ride it.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/mobility/
https://mickeyvisit.com/disneyland-wheelchair-guide/

 

[KPeterso]

I think I have these right

Stay in chair
The Disney Railroad
Great moments w Mr Lincoln
Tiki Room
Winnie the Pooh
royal theater beauty and the beast
royal theater tangled
Snow White
small world
Star Tours

Transfer Seats where the door opens
Rise of the Resistance
Pincho
Rodger Rabbit

Little or no step down, but also no transfer car and must transfer to normal car
Haunted Mansion
Peter Pan
Runaway railroad (step?)
Indiana jones
Pirates

Some notes on the above:

• Star Tours - will have to transfer to a seat. The side can be flipped up for an easier transfer. Wheelchair can come all the way into the cabin and then transfer. CM will take it out and bring it back after the ride.
• Railroad - just note that you may have to wait an extra train or 2 to get the handicap accessible area as it is often full when the train arrives.
• Jungle cruise and Buzz Lightyear are others ride you can roll right onto. Jungle Cruise also has the option for step down boxes to make the steps "smaller". They place the boxes in and it makes the steps about half the size.
• Snow White - I have not ridden in awhile but pretty sure it requires a transfer.
• Transfer with the doors to open include Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Mr Toad (I think but not 100% sure on), Pinocchio, Big Thunder.
• Roger Rabbit - this one actually has a large step up to get in which means it is a big step down to get back out. It is one my mom has a problem with and I agree with her.
• Haunted Mansion - has a small step up or when it is stopped, there are actually a few cars that are a little more open on the side which allow you to basically turn from the seat and the floor will just about be there. Not sure I am explaining right but makes for an easier transfer both on and off.
• Indiana Jones is straight into the vehicle - it is level with the floor. I do not recall having to step down getting off but maybe you do/
• Runaway Railway - Tell them you need extra time to board. You will be taken to the pull out car. It is still a step down, but they can open the door wider and do have bump up and down stairs. It also allows you to have the extra time to board.
• Pirates - there is no way to avoid the step down into the boat. My mom goes from dock to seat to the floor. You will board this from the exit side and they will let you take a little longer to board.

 

[irlandaise]

Some notes on the above:

• Jungle cruise and Buzz Lightyear are others ride you can roll right onto. Jungle Cruise also has the option for step down boxes to make the steps "smaller". They place the boxes in and it makes the steps about half the size.

How can a wheelchair get onto a JC boat? It's a step-down to the seating benches. Even if they put down some kind of ramp, it would be a steep roll down and then back up.

 

[BrianL]

How can a wheelchair get onto a JC boat? It's a step-down to the seating benches. Even if they put down some kind of ramp, it would be a steep roll down and then back up.

They have at least one boat that a wheelchair can roll on to. It is specially designed and has a place to secure it where the center bench usually is. Here is a picture:

 

[bluecruiser]

They have at least one boat that a wheelchair can roll on to. It is specially designed and has a place to secure it where the center bench usually is. Here is a picture:

View attachment 973424

Once you roll onto the platform, the ramp folds up behind you, so it's very secure. The platform then turns 90 degrees and lowers down into the boat.

 

[BrianL]

Once you roll onto the platform, the ramp folds up behind you, so it's very secure. The platform then turns 90 degrees and lowers down into the boat.

Yeah, I've never really seen it work, but I have seen people on it.

 

[irlandaise]

Thank you, BrianL and bluecruiser. That's very cool.