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Walt Disney World Special Needs – Attraction Boarding Tips Part 2

(Back to Part 1 of Walt Disney World® Special Needs – Attraction Boarding Tips)

I’m going to spend a minute here on what to do when being denied boarding on a ride. Sometimes, due to the nature of the ride, you may not be allowed to board…be it because you must transfer or because you are not able to load within a certain time, etc. This can be a very defeating moment and I have a few things you should keep in mind.

First, the Walt Disney World® Resort (and other Disney properties) is the best in the whole world at making things wheelchair accessible. Their business is customer service and they do a great job when it comes to meeting the special needs of all their customers. There may be, however, operational, construction or safety issues that are out of their control. I was once told by a Walt Disney World Special Needs counselor that they would love for everyone who cannot transfer from their wheelchair to be able to ride all the rides, however, putting a wheelchair on the Rock’n’Rollercoaster was simply not a good idea!

Second, if you are being told you cannot ride due to your particular disability, and the Cast Member (CM) has not already done so, request to speak with a manager/supervisor. It has been my experience that the CM’s call their manager before they ever come talk to you about it, so that the manager has time to get there. Remember to remain polite and calm, but ask the manager to explain to you why they think the ride would be dangerous for you. They probably know something that you don’t, and they are just looking out for your safety. However, as in my case in one instance, I knew something that a manager did not know…“me!” The situation occurred at my favorite ride, Rock’n’Rollercoaster. I had ridden the attraction several dozen times before the incident occurred, so I knew there was no danger. I explained to the manager that while it may not appear so, I have a large amount of upper body strength, and even though I don’t have arms, I use my shoulders to brace myself and to protect my neck. After answering a few of her questions, she said to get onboard and have fun!

In conclusion to this Walt Disney World® Special Needs Tip:

The Walt Disney World® Resort is magical…but there has to be some safety added in with that magic, or it wouldn’t be magical! Remember that while some situations may be handled poorly, that the CMs involved are not getting joy out of making it more difficult for you, but rather they are getting joy out of giving you a safe, but wonderful experience. And always remember, no matter what happens whether you’re at the Walt Disney World® Resort with Special Needs or anywhere else…“Only you can let someone else ruin your day!”

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:49-05:00September 26th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: disney world disabilities, Disney World Special Needs, walt disney world with special needs|0 Comments

Walt Disney World Special Needs – Attraction Boarding Tips Part 1

Many folks in wheelchairs know that there are unique boarding and accessibility requirements at each and every ride in the Walt Disney World® Resort. Most of the time, Disney is quite good about having cast members at the entrance to each ride in order to answer specific questions and to direct you on where to go. However, here are some steps to follow in order to know the boarding procedure at every ride before you get to the loading platform:

Before your trip, have your Off to Neverland Travel® Magic Maker® send you the “Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities” for every park. You can also get these Walt Disney World special needs books at Guest Services in each park, however having them before the trip is invaluable for planning information. They help with general knowledge like what lines to use, whether you have to transfer or not, and the intensity level of each ride. Some explanations in these books are kind of vague, but they do help.
As you approach each ride, there should be a Cast Member standing at the entrance. Approach them and explain what your abilities are in regards to transferring, walking, and your ability to control body motion once onboard. (Some rides offer more restraints for those who have difficulty controlling there body movement.)
The Cast Member will then tell you (based on what you told them) where to go and what to do when you get there. They have these things down to a science, so just follow their directions and you’ll be fine.
At the loading platform, a Cast Member (CM) may ask you some of the same questions you just answered outside. Just repeat what you told the entrance CM and answer any other questions they might have. Remember, safety is paramount, so if you need them to slow down or stop a moving ride in order for you to get, don’t hesitate to ask. They are there to make you happy, and to keep you safe.
Before you get on, be sure to ask where your wheelchair/walking device will be when you get off. On many rides, they will take your wheelchair to the spot where the ride unloads. On other rides, you will board where the ride unloads in order that your wheelchair may already be there when you get off. Just ask.

Seeing a theme in this Walt Disney World Special Needs tip?

Ask, Ask, Ask! Don’t hesitate to ask these Cast Members any questions that you have. They’ll be happy to answer you so that you will have the best time possible. Stay tuned as we’ll have part 2 of this Disney World Special Needs article in just a few days.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:49-05:00September 21st, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: disney world disabilities, Disney World Special Needs|1 Comment

Quick Ways to See the Disney Characters

Let’s face the facts; no trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort is complete without getting some great photos with the Disney characters. Even for us “older kids”, there’s just something magical when Mickey puts his arm around you, Pluto ruffles your hair, or Stitch tries to pick your nose. The problem is everyone finds that moment special, and pretty soon you might find yourself paying your park entry fee to stand in line to greet the characters. While standing in line can’t be totally avoided when it comes to characters, here are a couple of tips to lessen the time:

Book a character meal. Having had the pleasure of eating a few character breakfasts, we are pretty impressed with the amount of time each character spends with you and those with you. You can enjoy your meal, and take pictures with the characters when they come to your table. One extra tip for the character meals is to try to book the earliest possible reservation time that you can for the meal. In other words, if a character breakfast begins at 7:30AM at a certain restaurant (and you have your own vehicle on property or are staying in the resort that hosts said meal), try to get that time. You’ll have enough time to get your food before the characters show up, and the crowds usually don’t come for an hour or so after opening, so you’ll practically have the characters to yourself. Chip and Dale can make interesting dining companions when they have nobody else with whom to chat!
Go to a party night at the Magic Kingdom® Park (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party). On specially selected nights, the Magic Kingdom® Park stays open for several hours after closing to those with tickets to the party. Characters are in full force on party nights, and are often dressed in special attire. Don’t go see them as soon as they arrive, but wait until about an hour before the scheduled closing time. If you can stay awake that long, you will have noticed many people already leaving, and you will have the characters all to yourself!
Utilize FASTPASS® for select characters. At the front of the Magic Kingdom® Park, inside Exposition Hall, you’ll find a host of Disney Princesses and Mickey & Minnie waiting to sign autographs and take pictures. For this meet and greet, Disney has made FASTPASS® tickets available, and this might be a smart move for your family. If the wait is less than 20-30 minutes, then you might be better off waiting in line, but if the wait is longer, then grab FastPass tickets for everyone in the family, come back later at your appointed time, and you’ll only have to wait a few minutes to see those world famous Disney Characters.

Mickey, Minne, and all your Disney friends await your visit, and hopefully, with these few tips, you won’t have to wait very long to see them!

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:49-05:00August 25th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney Character Meals, Disney Characters|2 Comments

Will Hurricane Irene Affect Disney Cruise Line Departures?

Hurricane Irene Update – From Disney
Tuesday, Aug. 23 – 5 p.m. EDT

Disney Cruise Line
The safety of our Guests and Crew is our first priority at Disney Cruise Line® and we are monitoring Hurricane Irene very closely. At this time, we anticipate that the current voyage of the Disney Dream will return
to Port Canaveral as scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, with the following voyage departing as planned.

Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World® Resort is operating under normal conditions as we continue to monitor the progress and path of Hurricane Irene. Based on the storm’s current path, forecasters predict little to no impact to us beyond rain and windy conditions late Thursday and into Friday morning.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:50-05:00August 23rd, 2011|Categories: Disney Cruise Line News, Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney Cruise Hurricane, Disney World Hurricane|8 Comments

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster

New details were released today about the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster coming to Magic Kingdom® Park as part of the Fantasyland Expansion. This new attraction will allow guests take a journey through the diamond mine of the Seven Dwarfs in a new ride system. The ride system allows each mine car to swing back and forth individually as the train twists and turns along the track.

Check out this video to see more:

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:50-05:00August 19th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Fantasyland Expansion, Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster|0 Comments

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room Reopens

Yesterday, the Walt Disney World® Resort officially re-opened Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. Up until recently, the Tiki Room was closed due to a fire that required the attraction to be repaired. Before the fire, the Tiki Room was “Under New Management” which included a new show hosted by Iago and Zazu. While the attraction had some original show elements, much of the “Under New Management” show was completely different from Walt Disney’s original Tiki Room. Now, the classic attraction is back (albeit with some new technology), and we can again enjoy Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. Check out the video, below, for an inside look into the newly refurbished Tiki Room:

httpvh://youtu.be/200CTMZyma8

By Off to Neverland Travel|2011-08-16T11:49:15-05:00August 16th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Enchanted Tiki Room, Walt Disney World|0 Comments

Overwhelmed? No Problem!

By Magic Maker Kevin Gallagher

While planning a trip to the most magical place on earth may seem like an exciting adventure, there are many stresses involved for the primary planner. Cost is always a worry even with all of the wonderful packages available and discount options to help ease the financial load of such a trip. Another stress inducing problem is the ever common “I want it to be the most amazing trip ever and we have to see everything” syndrome. This is to be understood – especially given the initial concern mentioned and the lack of opportunities most have to visit. Below are some ideas to assist in planning a stress free trip that may come in handy.

First and foremost, allow one of your favorite Off To Neverland Travel® Magic Makers® to assist you in making planning your trip and your day to day scheduling – including any special dining or shows. All of the Magic Makers® share a great deal of knowledge and experience with the parks as well as a love of all things Disney. We will be more than happy to help get you on the path to a successful and enjoyable vacation where you won’t feel as if you have missed out on anything. Our Magic Makers® will be help you plan your perfect itinerary complete with dining reservations, parade and firework times, and attractions perfectly tailored to you and your family.

Secondly, as mentioned above, there are so many things to see and do throughout the theme parks as well as in the Downtown Disney® Area, that when planning you will need to have an idea of what kinds of things you would like to see. If parades are important to you and yours, then by all means they are something that should not only be seen, but seen at the best possible locations. Take some time for them and allow yourself to be directed to a spot to relax and enjoy the view. If they are not important to you, then that would be a fantastic time to ride some of the rides that are usually very crowded such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, or Pirates of the Caribbean. If characters are your thing or are of utmost importance to your little travelers, then the guide map will be your friend (as well as some helpful tips from your Magic Maker). Don’t forget to pick up an autograph book (most of the stores outside of the Walt Disney World® Resort have these as well). There will be long lines for Mickey and Minnie, but walking through the parks many characters can be found. You can even get a FASTPASS® to see Mickey and Minnie and the princesses now at the Magic Kingdom® Park so you can do other things until your appointed time comes up. However if you would like a cool off time while at Epcot®, your family could meet and greet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald at the Epcot® Character Spot. There is usually quite a wait, but it is also a five character spot so it is well worth it. Plus it is indoors with classic cartoon shorts being played on the TV’s overhead.

Thirdly, invest in the Park Hopper® option. These will allow you to go from park to park on a given day. For instance, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park closes most days at 5:00 leaving an entire evening of possibilities waiting for you. While the Downtown Disney® Area and all of the wonderful options there might seem appealing, there is also the opportunity to venture to Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ on a day Fantasmic! is showing (this is a must see). Or perhaps one of the nights at the Magic Kingdom® Park, you head back to catch the fireworks or the parade, after spending a quiet afternoon at your resort, resting or relaxing at the pool. There are also so many quality shows throughout the parks from the Castle show at the Magic Kingdom® Park to the Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park as well as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™! The possibilities are endless with the Park Hopper® option added to your park tickets.

Finally, all planners should take heart for there is a simple way to look at your trip to remove any concern: Traveling to Walt Disney World® Resort itself and stepping foot into the Magic Kingdom® Park is ALREADY an amazing trip. Taking in the architecture, the ambiance, the first character you happen to meet, or that first glimpse of the castle and is there any doubt that whatever gets accomplished the trip will have been a success? A stroll down Main Street, U.S.A.® and venturing into the different lands will provide quite a bit of joy especially for first time visitors. Explore a little. Make sure to check your guide and see where characters may be, what time special events are, and chart your course. Visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort is like visiting a high-end sunday morning buffet – sure you may not have had the omelet, but that is because you filled yourself up on the delicious fruit and waffles. Whatever you choose to see will be wonderful – and magical.

What tips do you have to share with first-timers?

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:50-05:00July 21st, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: disney world itinerary, Overwhelmed Disney World, planning walt disney world trip|0 Comments

Meet Tinker Bell at the Magic Kingdom

Tinker Bell and the rest of the Disney Fairies are flying back to the Magic Kingdom® Park for meet-and-greets beginning July 28, 2011. The Pixie Hollow gang will be stationed at the Adventureland Veranda in the Adventureland® area of the park.

Until that time, you can meet the fairies at Epcot® near MouseGear.

Tip: For the most updated information on meet-and-greet locations for any Disney character, pick up a Times Guide at any Disney theme park.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:51-05:00July 8th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney Fairies Meet and Greet, Magic Kingdom Characters, Tinker Bell Meet and Greet|0 Comments

New Room Types Available to Book

Royal Guest Suites Two new ways for guests of Walt Disney World® Resort hotels to live like their favorite Disney characters are now on sale. Building on the success of Pirate Rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, new “Disney Story Rooms” are now available for guests booking vacations in 2012 – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.

Opening in early Spring 2012, the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside allow princes and princesses of all ages to stay where Disney royalty have stayed. Guests find regal touches left behind by some of their favorite Disney characters like fiber optics special effects above ornately decorated beds with gold and crystal accents; custom linens and drapes; and in-room art and details including princely banners and princess friends.

Walt Disney World® guests also can now book rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a brand new Walt Disney World® Value Resort opening in early Summer 2012. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will immerse guests into their favorite Disney stories – including Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” and “Cars,” as well as Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Lion King” and “The Little Mermaid.”

The one-of-a-kind resort will feature more than 800 standard guest rooms and more than 1,100 family suites (which sleep up to six people) at its completion.

Walt Disney World® guests have more than 20 uniquely-themed resort hotels from which to choose – something for just about every taste, family size and budget. Walt Disney World® Resort hotels offer convenient transportation and access to Walt Disney World® theme parks and other entertainment options.

Start planning your stay in one of these new options!
Contact your Magic Maker® for details or click below to request a quote.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:51-05:00July 5th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney World Princess Rooms, Disney World Royal Guest Suites, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Walt Disney World Resort hotels|0 Comments

Fantasmic! Now Showing Every Night

Fantasmic! is a must-do when you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and now you have more chances to see it! Don’t miss this journey into Mickey’s imagination. The show creatively combines moments from popular Disney films with water, lights, fireworks, special effects and music. It will be offered nightly July 3-Sept. 30. Because showtimes will vary, talk to your Magic Maker for updated performance times and itinerary planning. Ask about the Fantasmic! Dining Package, a great alternative to waiting in the standby line.

Be sure to pick up a Times Guide once inside the park for the latest updates and show times. Entertainment is subject to change without notice.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:51-05:00July 1st, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Fantasmic!|0 Comments