Destination Disneyland Resort with Disabilities: A Guidebook and Planner for Families and Folks with Disabilities traveling to Disneyland Resort Park and Disney California Adventure Park
152
Destination Disneyland Resort with Disabilities: A Guidebook and Planner for Families and Folks with Disabilities traveling to Disneyland Resort Park and Disney California Adventure Park
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Overview
* Planning your trip ahead of time
* Detailed packing lists with special needs in mind
* Traveling to California
* Places to stay
* Transportation around the Anaheim area
* Disney amenities
* Special needs accommodations for every attraction
* A special section for families with children who have autism or sensory processing disorders.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781600379345 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Morgan James Publishing |
| Publication date: | 08/30/2011 |
| Pages: | 152 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
EDNA WOOLDRIDGE has worked with children and adults with disabilities for over 35 years. She is the adoptive mother to two children who are disabled.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Planning Your Vacation to Disneyland® Resort
CHOOSING THE TIME OF YEAR
The first thing you may want to consider in anticipation of your Disneyland Resort trip is the time of the year you want to travel. Many people choose summer because their children are on a break from school and the weather is nice. Remember, however, that almost EVERYONE has a summer vacation, and Southern California can be hot. Depending on any health issues associated with your disability, you may wish to travel at a time other than summer, when it may be cooler and the parks less crowded.
Let's explore the options, the general weather, the parks' hours of operation, and park attendance during the various seasons.
Winter: November to March: Highs 68-73 degrees F.; Lows 4252.
The weather is cooler in general and rain is possible. Our research has found that the three least crowded times in the year are:
• End of Thanksgiving Weekend to mid-December
• End of Labor Day Weekend to Columbus Day
• Second week of January to President's Day
Park hours are shorter in the winter months and some attractions may be closed for refurbishment. If a certain attraction or ride is important to your family, phone a personal assistant at 714-781-7290 to inquire. During the Christmas holidays there are carolers, a holiday parade, and holiday music and decorations.
Spring: April to June: Highs 70-77 degrees F; Lows 5360.
The spring weather is warmer, and the least crowded time begins two weeks after Easter Sunday and ends Memorial Day week. Spring break occurs over a six to seven week period depending on where you live around the country. Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) is frequently a vacation week and one of the most crowded times at Disneyland® Resort.
Summer: End of school year until Labor Day: Highs 77-87 degrees F; Lows 60-65.
The summer temperature is definitely warmer, and there is almost no chance of rain. The parks' hours of operation are the longest of the year, and attendance is the highest of any season.
Fall: Labor Day to Thanksgiving weekend: Highs 73-81 degrees F; Lows 52-63.
With the exception of the Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday through Sunday), there are low to average crowds. Our research indicates that the temperature in October is in the 70s. Edna and Lauren go in October and the temperature has always been in the 90s — usually the high 90s. Edna spoke to several Cast Members (Disneyland Resort employees are referred to as Cast Members) who said the temperature in October is usually in the 90s due to the Santa Ana winds.
TIP: Saturdays are almost always crowded, year round.
HOW WILL YOU TRAVEL TO ANAHEIM?
You may drive, take the train, or fly to Disneyland® Resort. Since most people will be flying, air travel is covered most extensively here.
Driving
If you drive, you will definitely want a map of the area. You can plan your travel ahead with maps from the following websites:
http://maps.google.com www.mapquest.com http://maps.yahoo.com
Automobile clubs, such as AAA and CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) offer free state and city maps. AAA prints a travel guide of Southern California that includes Las Vegas; it is free to AAA members. It lists the hotels and motels in the area and information about such.www.aaa.com
Southern California streets and freeways can be quite busy during rush hours, which can double your travel time through LA and vicinity. Some general California driving laws include:
• Seat belts are required for all passengers in the front and back seats.
• Right turns are allowed at red lights unless otherwise posted.
• Pedestrians have the right-of-way at crosswalks.
• U-turns are allowed at intersections unless otherwise posted.
Check http://www.caldrive.com/law.html or http://www .dmv.ca.govfor California laws specifically for the traveler. It includes child safety restraint and cell phone use laws as well.
By Train (Metrolink trains and Amtrak serve the Anaheim station)
Metrolink commuter service, 800 371-5465 or www.metrolinktrains.com Amtrak can be reached at 800 872-7245 or www.amtrak.com http://www.metrolinktrains.com/stations/detail.php?id= 81 (direct link to their Anaheim station)
The train station is located at 2150 East Katella Avenue, which is about two miles from Disneyland® Resort. A taxicab from the train station to Disneyland Resort is about $17 each way. Yellow Cab is the official cab serving Anaheim. They can be reached at 800-535-2211. Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses also serve the station. http://www.octa.net/
By Plane
Choosing an airport. There are three serving the area:
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the world's busiest airports and is approximately 45 minutes from Anaheim. LAX serves more than 70 commercial airlines.
• Orange County's John Wayne Airport (SNA) is about 30 minutes from Anaheim. It is served by 11 commercial airlines. It may not be possible to get a direct flight to SNA depending on where your flight originates. It is a smaller airport, which makes it easier to navigate. For this reason, Edna prefers SNA.
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) is also near Anaheim. Fewer airlines serve LGB with non-stop flights.
If you use a travel agent to plan your entire trip, make sure the agent comes well recommended by someone you know who has a disability. You can plan your own flight by phoning individual airlines to make reservations and ask questions.
Another alternative is to go online and use a service likewww.cheapflights.com where you can compare prices and availability of flights and airlines from a number of different airlines and services (American Airlines, Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and more), all from one site. Cheapflights offers a number of accessibility options such as large font on their website. You can then click across to the recommended site of your choice, where your dates and other information have been transferred, to check flights and make reservations.
Guidelines for making online eservations
• Try to book early. The price of fuel is driving airline costs up.
• If you require bulkhead seating for your child or to accommodate your disability, you should request that early on.
• Be sure to let the airline know if you are using oxygen.
• Read all the information concerning refunds or costs involved if you should need to cancel or rebook your flight.
• It can be difficult or impossible to select bulkhead seating or another seat with extra legroom online; you will need to phone the airline directly with your request. Some airlines may connect you to reservations sales agents in other countries.
For this recent trip Sue booked online with United Airlines. United's online reservations site asked about specific needs of travelers with physical challenges. Sue still needed to call to get seats closer to the front of the plane for Carl and Isabel; she was connected to a gentleman in India who was able to change the seating.
Edna prefers Alaska Airlines. (Edna's note: We use non-stop flights with Alaska Airlines and I call the airline directly to make reservations and let them know the exact seats we need. While Lauren loves flying, I prefer the shortest possible flight. Alaska Airlines is very accommodating to people who have disabilities. When we took Jenny with us we attached her feeding bag to the overhead compartment so she could get her tube feeding during the flight. A pilot carried Jenny's equipment into the airport. We have many examples of their helpfulness.)
• Plan connections with extra time in mind, especially if you will need to wait for a wheelchair or the plane's aisle chair. If you are connecting to a different airline or need to change terminals in a large airport you will need the extra time.
• Currently, it is possible to print your e-ticket boarding passes within 24 hours of your flight boarding time. This saved some time for Sue and her family. There was no need to print out eight tickets/boarding passes at the airport. The hotel had Internet access and allowed us to do this for the return tickets as well.
Most airlines allow people with disabilities and families with small children to board first, and have those with physical disabilities get off the plane last. This is especially true if you are waiting for your own wheelchair or scooter to be brought to the plane and/or if you require the plane's aisle chair.
WHERE WILL YOU TAY?
There are three general ways of looking at lodging in Anaheim. One, you can stay in the park at one of Disneyland® Resort's three hotels: Disneyland® Hotel, Disney's Paradise Pier® Hotel or Disney's Grand Californian Hotel®. All three offer accommodations for the disabled. Disneyland® Resort hotels are more expensive than are accommodations outside of the park and the prices remain the same year round. For information go to www.Disneyland.com and click on Places to Stay.
Two, you can stay outside the park in less expensive lodging but close enough to walk, or three, you can stay outside the park and drive or use other transportation to get to the park. There are motels and hotels, inns and suites of every size, shape, location, and price in the Anaheim area. As mentioned earlier, the AAA book for Southern California lists accommodations in the Anaheim area, their amenities, general pricing guidelines and phone numbers to reach individual hotels.
Orange County Visitor's Bureau has a website that lists hotels and their addresses, and you can press the "details" button of any hotel on the list and there is a button to bring up a map of where the hotel is located. Their website is http://www.anaheimoc.org/.
Phoning the hotel directly is better than speaking to someone at the corporate office of a hotel chain if you have specific questions. Many have toll free numbers, although some do not. Sometimes the lodging section in the AAA book is unintentionally misleading. A "block" near Disneyland® Resort may mean one very long block from the boundary of Disneyland® Resort, where you then continue your trek for an even longer walk to reach the actual entrance. Likewise, not all the specific information you may need is in the AAA book or on the specific website. Lodging near Disneyland® Resort undergoes refurbishment from time to time.
For their recent trip, Sue chose one of the hotels on Harbor Blvd. directly across the street from the East Shuttle entrance because she wanted to walk to Disneyland® Resort. With three kids in wheelchairs she did not want to load and unload chairs onto a shuttle every time they needed to come and go from the park. The hotel was right across Harbor from the entrance and near several restaurants, mini marts and fast food establishments. It was a perfect location for her family. The hotel did not assist with luggage and did not store luggage until the room opened (they had to haul their luggage to coin operated lockers in the hotel for storage until the room was ready.) This hotel did have their boxes of items sent by UPS waiting. Sue had to carry them up to the room herself.
All the hotels Edna and Lauren have stayed in have had their boxes of supplies waiting for them and the concierge took them to the room. Lauren likes riding a bus or shuttle from the hotel to Disneyland® Resort so Edna books a hotel a bit further away on Harbor Blvd. We suggest you call several hotels and ask many questions:
• Do you honor AAA or other special rates?
• What type of door key do you have?
• Is there a safe in the room and is there an extra charge for using it? If there isn't a room safe, is there one at the front desk?
• Is there concierge service? Does the hotel offer assistance with luggage?
• What are the check in and checkout times?
• Do you have wheelchair accessible rooms?
• Does the accessible room have a shower, tub, roll in shower, shower seat, hand held sprayer, etc?
• How many of the rooms are non-smoking ones? Some hotels are now smoke free establishments. If you stay in a hotel that has both smoking and nonsmoking rooms and you are allergic, request a room as far from the smoking rooms as possible.
• Is there an elevator? This many seem redundant, but some motels with more than one floor do not have an elevator.
• Is there parking, and if so, is there an extra charge?
• Is there a coin laundry on the premises?
• Does the hotel offer its own transportation service to Disneyland Resort, and if so, does the shuttle have a lift for wheelchairs? This is a crucial question since some hotels have their own shuttles, but those shuttles are usually not wheelchair accessible and do not have lifts. The Howard Johnson has a cute trolley that a wheelchair can fit on, but one has to carry the wheelchair and child into the trolley. Lauren loved that trolley so much when she was small, but she would not be able to get into it now.
• Do they provide Braille or large print information?
• Is there TDD/TTY service?
• Do the smoke detectors have strobe lights?
• How are the beds arranged? Is there space to transfer? Can you move beds?
• Do they allow service dogs? If you are allergic be sure to request a room that hasn't had a service animal in it.
• Is there a swimming pool and is the pool accessible? Is it an indoor or outdoor pool? Is it heated? What temperature?
• Is there an exercise room?
• Is there a microwave? A refrigerator? An iron? (Edna irons; Sue doesn't need an iron very often.)
• Has the hotel recently had renovations done? This is a crucial question if you have chemical allergies.
• Do they offer a breakfast plan with lodging? If so, what does the breakfast include? Is it a continental or full breakfast?
• If they do not offer breakfast, are there restaurants nearby?
• Does the hotel sell Disney admission tickets? How much are they? Sue bought her tickets online, printed out a barcode "ticket" for each one and just took everyone to the turnstile where an actual ticket was given for each barcode "ticket." They bought five-day Park Hopper® tickets that were on sale for the price of a three-day ticket. The hotel sold the same tickets for $5.00 more per ticket.
Very important question: Can I ship items ahead?
Despite the fact that Sue and family had to "cram" their luggage into lockers at their hotel to await the room being readied, the hotel didn't bat an eye about receiving and storing items for them until they arrived. Most hotels will accept packages/boxes but request they not arrive more than one week prior to your arrival. UPS shipped Sue's three boxes of supplies for around $50 and the boxes arrived four days before they did. With UPS and other delivery services, you can track your packages. Their schedules are fairly precise as to how long it will take your items to reach their destination. Edna's UPS shipping list is at the beginning of Chapter 2.
PURCHASING ISNEYLAND® RESORT ADMISSION TICKETS
You can purchase Disney admission tickets ahead of time or wait until you arrive at Disneyland® Resort to do this. If you are traveling at a busy time of the year, it will save you time if you get your tickets ahead, especially if you know in advance how long you will be visiting.
You can purchase a 1-Day 1-Park ticket to either Disneyland® Park or Disney's California Adventure® Park. There are Park Hopper® tickets which allow you to move back and forth between Disneyland® Park and Disney's California Adventure® Park as many times as you want in a day. The entrance to Disneyland® Park is directly across from Disney's California Adventure® Park, with a plaza in between. Moving from one park to the other is very easy.
Disney also sells annual passes. The Premium Annual Pass does not have blackout dates and is good for an entire year. It also has "perks" like free parking. It may be worth your while to purchase one if you are going to use the parking garage and plan to be there for five or more days. You can purchase the annual passes at Disney stores and have them validated at Disneyland® Resort. Your photo will be taken and placed on the pass. Edna and Lauren always stay so long that they purchase annual passes, since it is more economical.
The Deluxe Annual Pass is good for 315 days, so there are a few blackout dates, but if you will be at Disneyland® Resort for more than seven days the Deluxe Annual Pass is a good deal. Parking is not included. You can also purchase a Southern California Pass which includes a three day Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper Disneyland® Resort Bonus Ticket and admission to Universal Studios Hollywood®, Sea World® (San Diego) and either the San Diego Zoo® or the San Diego Wild Animal Park®. This is a great bargain if you plan to see these other Southern California attractions.
Check out the prices online, even if you choose to buy later.
Tickets are available at the following:
• Disneyland® Resort ticket booths
• By phone order using a personal check or money order at 714-781-4400
• By phone with a debit or credit card at 714-781-4043
• Online with two options: you can have them mailed to you for a handling fee, or you can print them yourself online and exchange the online bar-coded "tickets" for real tickets at the turnstile entrance. (Sue's family did this without any trouble.) Find online tickets at http://disneylandchanged.disney.go.com/tickets/
• By mail. You must allow processing time, so order early. Send a personal check or money order and a $10 handling fee for orders over $200 to: Disneyland® Resort Ticket Mail Order Services. Box 61061, Anaheim, CA 92803
• AAA sells Disneyland® Resort tickets in their offices. Phone first to make sure they have some on hand.
• Disney Stores nationwide sell Disneyland® Resort tickets
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Destination Disneyland Resort with Disabilities"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Sue Buchholz and Edna Wooldridge.
Excerpted by permission of Morgan James Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 Planning Your Vacation to Disneyland® Resort,
CHAPTER 2 Packing & Getting Ready to Leave Your House, Pets, Plants, etc.,
CHAPTER 3 Flying to Disneyland®,
CHAPTER 4 Getting From the Airport to Your Hotel,
CHAPTER 5 Getting from your hotel to Disneyland® Resort,
CHAPTER 6 Overview of Disneyland® Resort,
CHAPTER 7 Disneyland® Park Rides,
CHAPTER 8 Disney's California Adventure® Park Rides,
CHAPTER 9 Planning for the Child who has Autism or Sensory,
Integration Issues,
Resources,
Index,