We had heard that Disney world was exceptional at dealing with people with disabilities. Everything we read on the internet, or heard from people who had taken someone with a handicap there had given us nothing but positive feedback. Taking Holden to Disney did not seem to be a tough decision. We knew it would not be easy, but with all of the accommodations Disney makes, we figured it would be OK.
Disney's Animal Kingdom put many of the fears Joanne and I had to rest. They were on it. When you get into the gate, all you have to do is go to Customer Relations, tell them you have someone in your party that has a disability, show them proof if they ask, and they will issue you a card. From that point on, all you had to do is show that card to someone at the attraction or ride and they immediately go out of their way to make sure your needs are met. They will put you in a special line that takes you to the front, bypassing all the Hoi-Polloi. The employees continually went above and beyond what we expected. Joanne and I were impressed.
Universal Islands of Adventure was exactly the same way. Friendly, accommodating and understanding. We could not have asked for a better experience. Holden was one happy guy.
After taking a day off to hang out at the resort and celebrate Jack's birthday a day early, we headed to Disney's Magic Kingdom, not at all worried about how Holden was going to handle the day.
The crowd was already pretty large when we got there. We waited for the Ferry to take us to the park with no real problems. The Ferry ride was nice. The only complaint we had was the distance we had to walk to even get to the ticket gate.
Shortly after getting into the park, meeting Mickey and Minnie, and watching one of the many productions they have going on throughout the day on the streets we headed over to Tomorrowland. The first hint of a problem happened here. Jenna, Holden and Joanne's niece Morgan decided to ride the Astro Orbiter. Some kind of "Jet" ride that just goes in circles. There was already quite a line. Joanne and I watched as the kids walked up to the line, showed the card and got escorted to the front of the line. A few people went ahead of them, then they were allowed to........get in the middle of the mouse maze. Well, I am generally optimistic, so I just figured since it was an older ride, there wasn't much they could do to re-configure the cues. We didn't think much about it, until the next attraction, Monsters Inc.
If you have never been there, Disney doesn't just make you stand in the cues for most attractions. They entertain you, setting up the premise for the show or ride. Monsters Inc is a very funny little show, that made us laugh and includes a lot of audience interaction. However, this is where it began to dawn on us there might be somewhat of an issue. When we showed the card, we were informed that we would have to go through the 1st cue until we reached a specific door, and we would find the access for handicapped persons through that door. Sounds good........well except for the fact we were standing right next to the door we had to go through. Now, when I say right next to, I mean RIGHT next to. Why did we have to go through a very crowded cue, just to walk into a door that we were standing right next to? Well, maybe there was a reason that would reveal itself once we walked through that magical door.
But No. It did move us past the other 2 cues, right into a long line of people in wheelchairs. We were stacking up. So again I go back to, if this is where we ended up, why did we have to wait in a cue, with someone who can't handle crowds for long? Joanne and I were befuddled.
We ran into similar issues all day. Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Cafe and Inn wanted us to just "leave him here" while we waited in line to get food, When we voiced our concern, we were told we couldn't sit at a table while we waited, without an explanation why, or even a hint of concern as to what our concerns were. By the way, we did show them our card. They knew we had someone who needed some special accommodation. They did not care.
The Haunted Mansion didn't even offer any other access.
The Jungle Boat ride made us wait, as well as an older gentlemen in a wheelchair and his family. You know me, I struck up a conversation with them and found out that they also had a son who had sensory issues and Asperger's Syndrome. They had been having the same problems we were.
At the Main Street Electric Parade, we were told go here, go there, you can't go this way, you need to go that way.....the employees didn't seem to know what was going on. We did finally find a spot, right on the edge of the street where we would be able to see the parade. And what do you know. Without knowing it, and without ANY assistance from Disney personnel, we ended up in a section specifically for people with disabilities. In talking to them, they ALL had similar problems. One lady was so irate about the way her father was treated, she actually refused to budge when she was asked to back so they could put up the barriers. They had been pushed around and back all day and she had had enough.
I could go into WAY more detail here, but who has time for that? Bottom line is this. A disability is not always visible. Accommodations aren't just making a path for someone to get through. Disabilities run much, much deeper sometimes. Being herded around like cattle, or completely ignored does not make the issue go away. We won't be back, and we will warn all who care to listen, that Magic Kingdom is not the place to go if you are with someone with disabilities.
Mickey, you had a whole lot of disappointed people there on July 4th, 2012.
On the plus side, since it was Jack's birthday, they gave him a button with "Happy Birthday Jack" on it and the staff was really good about wishing him Happy Birthday by his name. He was thrilled. One of the Cinderella's evil step-sisters even said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK" in a mean, evil step-sisterly kind of voice from one of the floats in the parade. It truly was a magical evening for Jack, Jenna, Morgan and Holden. I wonder how much better it would have been for Holden if his needs could have been better met. Unfortunately, he will never be able to tell us.
