Scenes like this make it hard to criticize Walt Disney World when it comes to efforts to accommodate the disabled. In fact, they have a team of dozens of people whose only job it is to help disabled guests get the most from their parks and resorts. The team is fully integrated with designers, service staff and others so that the disabled are not an afterthought, but simply a group of clients to accommodate and serve.
Images: Disney World in one day
Images: Tips for disabled travellers
The results show in virtually everything Disney does at its Florida setup. The official guide maps not only tell you which rides require transferring out of your wheelchair, many of the new attractions offer a discretely placed sample ride car outside. This allows you to practice transferring or see if the ride will be physically possible for you.
And it’s not only the mobility issues receiving attention; Disney provides multi-purpose hand-held devices for the hearing and visually disabled that offer your choice of closed captioning, descriptive audio or amplified audio.
Many shows also employ what Disney calls “reflective captioning” — an LED screen that shows the captions backwards behind you, while you read them normally in a lightweight, reflective screen on an adjustable stand in front of you. Sign language services are available at many shows, and they’ve developed specific vocabulary for words like “Tinkerbell.”
All of these efforts, along with the incredibly helpful attitude of the staff, the wheelchair-enabled buses, and the many ramps and alternate routes you find everywhere, make Disney World a practical destination for the disabled.
That’s one reason you’ll see so many wheelchairs and the three or four-wheeled electric scooters known as Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECV’s) in Disney-speak.
Another may simply be the fact that Americans are the fattest people on Earth and their mobility problems are multiplying. As Mark Jones, Disney World’s manager of Disabled Guest Services, says: “Our guests reflect the broad American demographic,” meaning Disney sees more people needing special help every year.
Trust me, if you have any mobility issues at all, you will want to consider an ECV. Disney World is about the size of Vancouver — over 100 sq. km — with four major theme parks, two water parks and other attractions.
You can buy a scooter beforehand — I got my portable Cosco model for just $500 from scootersfast.com and zoomed through the airports — or rent one there (Disney rents ECV’s for $45 perday,) or you can use local companies to rent for your entire stay, a more convenient and cheaper option. Disney staff can provide a list of approved suppliers over the phone.
That’s not to say Disney gets it perfect; from resorts and restaurants to rides and attractions, there are spots where poor lighting, awkward design and older technology can make it difficult for those with visual and/or mobility problems.
For example, a variety of flooring and road/path surfaces are used to match the themes around you (such as cobblestones in the U.K. section of EPCOT and faux mud with animal tracks in Animal Kingdom). They look great, but play bumpy havoc with wheelchairs and their users.
Watch out for the older rides. Just try hobbling across a moving belt with a cane and wedging yourself into the narrow wooden bench seats of some 1970s vintage ride car before the safety bar comes down.
Finally, the otherwise helpful and complete guide maps, even the ones specifically for disabled guests, do not show you where to recharge your ECV. Asking staff is a hit-and-miss proposition. Sometimes, it’s easier to check out the sides or backs of displays or attractions yourself to find a plug you can commandeer.
But that’s nit-picking. Overall, it would be hard to find a more welcoming vacation spot for the disabled. Just be sure to keep your batteries charged — there’s always something more to see or do.
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