I just returned from my first trip to Disneyland. It was fantastic!
I knew Disney did things the right way, and I was not disappointed. The
Disneyland theme park was clean, friendly and very accessible.
We parked our vehicle in the accessible lot and road the tram to the park
entrance. I noticed right away the Disney difference: usually I have to ask
where to go to get to accessible entrances and such, but when they saw me
approaching in my wheelchair they said "Sir, right over here is the accessible
tram." Their greeting and instructions made me feel like a welcomed guest, not
an afterthought.
Upon entering the park you can get an access guide which divides the rides into
basically three categories: 1. rides you could stay in your wheelchair, 2.
rides you would need to transfer into, 3. rides that were not accessible.
I stayed in my chair for: the King Arthur Carousel, Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain
Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, Disneyland Railroad, and all the areas to explore
(Toon Town, Main Street, Pirate's Lair, etc.).
I transferred out of my chair for: Peter Pan's Flight, and Pirates of the
Caribbean. The seats in these rides are hard plastic so I made sure to get my
Roho under me. While I really enjoyed the rides, they are not made for tall
(6'2") quads. My back is still a little sore. LOL
One other nice thing that Disney does is rope off special seating areas for
wheelchair users to enjoy the parade and Fantasmic show. I had one of the best
viewing locations in the park for the parade, and because the area was reserved
nobody stood up in front of me or tried to squeeze into my space. Very
refreshing!
There's a ton of stuff I didn't get to see or do, but I'll go back.
Don.
