Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TRANSPORTATION
Public buses in
Orlando have hydraulic lifts and restrain-
ing belts for wheelchairs. They serve Uni-
versal Orlando, SeaWorld, the shopping
areas, and downtown Orlando. Disney
shuttle buses all accommodate wheel-
chairs, as do the monorail system and
some of the watercraft that travel to the
parks and resorts.
If you need to rent a wheelchair or
electric scooter for your visit,
Walker
Medical & Mobility Products
offers
delivery to your room, and there's a model
for guests who weigh as much as 375
pounds. These products fit into Disney's
transports and monorails as well as rental
cars. Get more information by calling
&
888/726-6837
or 407/331-9500, or on
the Internet go to
www.walkermobility.
com
.
CARE Medical Equipment
(
&
800/
741-2282
or 407/856-2273; www.care
medicalequipment.com) offers similar
services.
Disney
(
&
407/934-7639;
www.
disneyworld.com) offers wheelchair rent-
als at the parks; at Downtown Disney;
and, in more limited numbers, at the
resorts. In addition, a very limited number
of Electric Convenience Scooters are also
available for rent at the parks.
Note:
Although the Segway is becoming increas-
ingly popular as a mode of transportation
for those with disabilities, neither Disney
nor SeaWorld permits them inside any of
their parks. Universal Orlando does allow
them inside their parks. Segways can be
rented near the Orange County Conven-
tion Center at
Orlando Gliders,
8990
International Dr. (
&
866/611-9398
);
rates run from $60 (2 hr.) to $125 (a full
day).
Amtrak
(
&
800/872-7245;
www.
amtrak.com) provides redcap service,
wheelchair assistance, and special seats if
you give 72 hours' notice. Travelers with
disabilities are also entitled to a 15% dis-
count off the lowest available adult coach
fare (though they cannot book online).
33
Documentation from a doctor or an ID
card proving your disability is required.
Amtrak also provides wheelchair-accessible
sleeping accommodations on long-dis-
tance trains. Service dogs are permitted
aboard and travel free. TDD/TTY service
is also available at
&
800/523-6590,
or
you can write to P.O. Box 7717, Itasca, IL
60143.
THEME PARKS
Many attractions at the
parks, especially the newer ones, are
designed to be accessible to a wide variety
of guests. People with wheelchairs and
their parties are often given preferential
treatment so they can avoid lines.
The available assistance is outlined in
the guide maps you get as you enter the
parks. All of the theme parks offer some
parking close to the entrances for those
with disabilities. Let the parking-booth
attendant know your needs, and you'll be
directed to the appropriate spot. Wheel-
chair and electric-cart rentals are available
at most major attractions, but you'll be
most comfortable in your chair or cart
from home if you can bring it. Keep in
mind, however, that wheelchairs wider
than 24
1
/
2
inches may be difficult to navi-
gate through some attractions. And crowds
may make it tough for any guest.
AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Disney's
many services are detailed in each theme
park's
Guidebook for Guests with Disabili-
ties.
You can pick one up at Guest Rela-
tions near the front entrances to each of
the parks. Also, you can call
&
407/934-
7639
or 407/824-2222 for answers to any
questions regarding special needs. The
guide is also available online at Disney's
website,
www.disneyworld.com
(click
through to the site map, and then Travel-
ers with Disabilities). Examples of services
are as follows:
• Almost all Disney resorts have rooms
for those with disabilities.
• Braille guidebooks, cassette tapes, and
portable tape players are available at
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