Guests with Special Needs

Walt Disney World is one of the foremost companies in awareness of the special needs of various groups of folks from ambulatory disabled and severely disabled all the way through to those that are not disabled in the purest sense of the word but are simply unable to stand and wait in line. Some of our senior citizens are very spry of mind but the stamina is simply not there anymore. The willing legs that got them 80 years along their journey just will not take the punishment of walking around Walt Disney World and standing in line in 95 degree heat for an hour or so. Included in "special needs" are dietary restrictions. WDW can and does accommodate many different dietary restrictions and special requests each and every day. Make the staff aware of your needs and they will make sure you are eating what you need. There are also considerations for guests of less-physical disabilities such as deaf or blind guests.

If you are mobility-limited, your first concern in time order is going to be your hotel. All Disney hotels are designed and built with those of limited mobility in mind. The wheelchair ramps are long and gradual, the entire hotel is accessible through ramps and elevators and the rooms are without parallel. Everywhere you will find braille pads where there are signs or in elevators. There are TTY phones available. Strobe smoke detectors and closed-captioned televisions are also available. If you are diabetic and require a refrigerator for insulin, that will be provided. The dedicated disabled rooms, unlike some establishments, are built from ground-up as precisely that. Wheelchair accessible showers, wider access doors and bath-tub rails are all features that assist guest in those rooms.

Your next area of interest will be getting to and from the parks. The Disney bus service has a very large number of wheelchair ramp buses. Those ramps are located at the rear entrance/exit and deploy and re-stow very quickly indeed. It is recommended that you travel to and from the parks by bus. The Disney watercraft system, other than the main TTC-MK ferry, is not able to comfortably accommodate non-collapsible wheelchair or scooter traffic and, in the case of the GF/Poly/MK launch and the WL/FW/MK launches, they are susceptible to the vagaries of a free-floating vessel (rock and roll) and do have the added problem of water levels, i.e. the vessel and the dock may not be at the same level. CMs can and do actively discourage scooters and non-folding chairs from boarding those launches. If you are going to use the monorail, you can easily access it by ramp. Just tell the CM on the platform and he will line you up at wheelchair spot and will have a ramp ready to get you on board.

Next you're going to be interested about the parks and the rides (the fun stuff). Each of the parks has a pamphlet that outlines the facilities and services available in that particular park. These pamphlets are available at Guest Services as you enter the park. There are only a handful of rides that can't accommodate a wheelchair guest (Space Mountain and Splash Mountain come to mind) but most other rides have specially adapted ride vehicles that can accommodate chairs. If you are able to be moved into a ride vehicle, the rider operators will stop the ride completely and will not restart until the disabled guest and their party is securely on board. Just remember that you or your party must be able to access the vehicle without assistance from Disney staff.

Before you even consider getting in line, contact the first CM greeter you find and ask for disabled access. They will route you to a special entrance, more often that not, it's the exit from the ride. From there you will be met by another CM (that the first CM tipped off) and, from there, you will go directly to the ride loading area. This "secret" is no longer a secret and has sadly been used and abused by less than scrupulous guests who rent a wheelchair or scooter to specifically get themselves and their families "front of the line" privileges - especially in the busy times.

If you are coming to Walt Disney World from outside hotels or are a day-visitor, you will be entitled to front-of-the-lot parking much as you would if you were going to the market. When you enter through the toll plaza, request directions and they'll direct you to those specific spaces. You will need to display your disabled sticker/placard on your vehicle if you are using those spaces. If you are visiting from out of town, bring your disabled sticker (if it's portable) and put it in the vehicle you are using. Disney will tow a vehicle that is parked in a disabled spot without a sticker but, if they see a vehicle that is obviously equipped for the disabled, they will exercise good judgment. Once inside the parks you will see that the whole area is full of gently sloping, smooth concrete areas so that folks using, strollers as well as wheelchairs don't feel like they are pushing up the side of Everest. Restrooms are everywhere and are all wheelchair-accessible.

Should you need further information on this subject, or need to make specific requests, you may contact (407) 939-7807 (voice) or (407) 939-7670 (TTY).

If you are interested in renting a short term wheelchair accessible van, delivered to your location, you may want to check into Rainbow Wheels. They offer late model full-size vans or minivans. Although we've never personally used their service, they are listed in the Orlando Chamber of Commerce visitors guide with a reputable review.

Rainbow Wheels
804A Eyrie Drive
Oviedo FL 32765
407-977-9667, 800- 910- 8267
www.rainbowwheels.com

Last Updated: May 9, 2009