If you’re like me, you search every accessibility of Walt Disney Parks available for planning a trip to Disney World while having a disability. I have athetoid mixed cerebral palsy. I can’t walk, transfer, feed, or do other things. Planning is essential, but there are some things that you have no control over and need to navigate once you get there. The week before I left, I became sick with an upper respiratory infection that lasted forever. It was just something we needed to work through. However, there are several things that you can control.
Here are accessibility of Walt Disney World tips I learned from friends and a Disney travel agent. I’ve been to Disney extensively, but it’s been a while. Things have changed, especially since the coronavirus pandemic.
Planning a Disney Trip for Accessibility of World Disney
- Choose a time – I recommend Florida in November, January, or February. The temperature is excellent, and the crowds are lower. We went in February, and the temperature was in the 80s.
- Length of stay – A reasonable length of stay is eight days. However, money doesn’t always allow that. We stayed at 7, but it would have been nice to do eight and use the day you fly in to adjust to the room and go to Disney Springs. Then, the next day starts fresh at one of the parks. We had a very early flight and then went to Hollywood Studios after the hotel. Of course we had fun, but being tired and sick certainly didn’t help. We also planned a rest day to go to Disney Springs so Jason could swim. It was much needed and helpful.
- Transportation to and from the hotel – A friend recommended Sunshine Flyer as an accessibility of Walt Disney World suggestion.. They were friendly, easy to book, on time, and accessible. The price was reasonable.
- Hotel – Disney is expensive. I choose to stay in the park because transportation is so much easier. Plus, a wheelchair van costs about $1000 a week to rent. We stayed at the Pop Century resort. It has a separate bus, so you’re not stopping at several other parks. It also has the Skyliner, which is fast transportation to and from Hollywood Studios and Epcot. I’ll talk more about that soon.
- Would I recommend Pop Century? – Pop Century is the best lower-priced hotel because of transportation options. However, the handicapped-accessible room with a roll-in shower was small for three people. We had difficulty walking around the room at once, and I had to park and charge my wheelchair in the bathroom each night. Our son would get ready, my husband would then help me get ready, and then I’d take my son to the lobby, so my husband had room to get ready. No way we could all get ready at once. Luckily, you shouldn’t be in your room for long anyway, but when I go again, I think I’ll save up for a moderate hotel for more space. For space and better movements, an accessibility of Walt Disney tip would be to get a bigger room.
- Pop Century Staff – The staff were so lovely and helpful. The dining food could have been better and more expensive. But the team would do anything you need to make your stay comfortable.
- Skyliner – The Skyliner is a gondola that is highly accessible. We hardly had to wait to get into a car. My husband and I aren’t much for heights, so we weren’t comfortable. Our son loved it and just chilled back. However, my husband and I both agreed that a bit of heightened anxiety was well worth the speed to get to the parks. I would recommend using it unless you’re deathly terrified of heights. The rate to get to and from the parks is worth overcoming the fear.
- Buses – Bus transportation has improved since I last stayed at the park. The buses now have ramps instead of high-up lifts. The drivers quickly secure you, and if they don’t have room left for another wheelchair, they quickly call dispatch to send another out for you. I use a permobil wheelchair, but some people have giant scooters that they rent. They take longer to get on/off the bus and take up a lot of room.
- Magic Bands – Magic bands aren’t a necessity because you can do everything it does on the Disney app. However, they make going in/out of the parks quicker and make getting on rides with a DAS pass or lightning lane short. You can also use it to make purchases by linking them to a credit card. I got magic bands plus this time, but I would not do that again. All it did was light up during fireworks and some rides. Not necessary.
- Parks – Each park is excellent with its own experiences. My favorite parks are Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I also loved the Star Wars section of Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom didn’t impress me much. Perhaps because I live by Philadelphia zoo and see all the animals regardless, I’d probably skip that park next time and go to Universal Studios.
- Rides – I’m impressed with how many more rides I can stay in my wheelchair. It was never a big deal and a natural process. Jeff did transfer me to several. The cast members were very polite about it and patient. Dinosaurs in Animal Kingdom was the only ride that was too rough for me. I think it’s too harsh for anyone, but I felt like I was going to fly out of my seat and didn’t enjoy the ride, Space Mountain, Soarin’, all of the Star Wars rides, the Seven Dwarfs Miner ride, and Big Thunder Mountain are all my favorite. All of them you need to transfer. But, despite my cerebral palsy, I felt secure on the ride. Moving always takes communication, patience, and trust. I always checked in with Jeff to see if he felt okay transferring and felt comfortable doing it.
- Characters – The need for characters out and about disappointed us. We saw three and a few Storm Troopers. I remember before, and characters were everywhere. They have character breakfasts, but I didn’t realize it was our only option. So, if you’re looking for characters, look for character dining experiences.
Stay tuned for many other tips.
