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Vacationeering - Making Magical Vacation Memories

Vacationeering: Traveling with Special Needs - Finding the Right Accommodations

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by
Vacationeering
, 09-03-2011 at 11:39 PM



Remember the saying, “location, location, location”? Well, truer words were never spoken for a vacationeer with special needs. If the place you choose to call home while at Disney doesn’t have the accommodations you need to be comfy, then it’s not going to be a very magical vacation.

When traveling to either Disneyland in California or the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, I found that both resorts offer accommodations of varying costs which should suit your needs. Although all of the Disney Resort hotels offer the basics, some of them offer more appealing features than others. As you might expect, the best amenities are usually found at the higher end properties. But if you know how to work it, even the budget conscience traveler with special needs can find a place that is right and at the right cost.

First, what specific needs must be addressed for your room, in order for you to be comfortable? Do you need...
  • An accessible room with a roll-in shower?
  • Wider entryways?
  • Lowered light switches and peepholes, etc.?
  • Do you need a room close to an elevator?
  • On the first floor?
  • A room communication kit?
  • A refrigerator for medicine storage?
  • A room in a quiet area?
  • Special cleaning due to certain allergies, etc.?

WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT in FLORIDA
Once you know your specific room needs, figure out which resort hotel is best suited for you. I always try to have a second choice in case there is no availability during my travel dates. If your requests are pretty common, such as close to a bus stop or elevator, then reservations can be completed directly through the regular reservation phone line, online or with a travel agent. However, for requests that are more involved, like the ones mentioned above, then you should contact the Special Reservations Department at Walt Disney World Resort at 407-939-7807 then press “1” and for TTY users call 407-939-7670.

Walt Disney World Resort has 5 categories of resorts, which all have accessible rooms for the special needs guest. There is something to remember if you choose one of the Value Resorts. If you need a room closer to the bus stop and main building you’ll need a Preferred Location Room. Unfortunately, these rooms come with an additional fee, as do the requests for a refrigerator. Another twit in the mix is that you can get a free refrigerator if you reserve a Family Suite in the All Star Music Resort.


Coronado Resort, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL


All of the Moderate Resorts provide great accessibility (in at least some of their rooms), but special needs vacationeers may find Coronado Springs Resort and Port Orleans French Quarter even more accommodating. The Moderate Resorts tend to be very spread out, but Port Orleans French Quarter is more compact which makes things easier. Coronado Springs Resort has room service and a fitness center, both of which are typically features found only at the Deluxe Resorts.


The Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort


The most appealing aspect of the Deluxe Resorts truly is location. The two best hotels for disabled guests or those with needs in this category are the Contemporary Resort and the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. The contemporary has access to the monorail, spacious rooms and close proximity to the Magic Kingdom. Bay Lake Towers Resort, next door to the Contemporary Resort is also an okay choice because it is so close to the Magic Kingdom. But, the walkway bridge to access the monorail is longer (and requires the navigation of a couple extra doors and elevators) making this location a bit less desirable for those who can't make the walk from Bay Lake towers to the Monorail station in the Contemporary. The Yacht & Beach Resorts are between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as across the lake from the Boardwalk area. (Yacht & Beach Club resorts are my personal favorite for its location and accessibility.)

Deluxe Villa Resorts or the Disney Vacation Club properties are a pretty good idea if you need to prepare your own meals (as they have full or partial kitchens) or if you just really need a Jacuzzi tub. Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Villas provide the same special needs perks as the Yacht & Beach Club Resort.



The final category of resorts is the Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground. These two are the least accessible due to the vastness of the property and the somewhat isolated feeling guests may get here. You can still find accommodations though if you get one of the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. One suggestion would be to rent a golf cart for your stay so you can roam freely on the grounds without becoming fatigued.

DISNEYLAND RESORT in CALIFORNIA


The Disneyland Hotel, California


Disneyland reservations are a little easier to make and anything can be requested of Disneyland Resort Reservations, 714-520-5060. One tip; if you DO have special needs, Disneyland suggests that you call rather than reserve online as the cast member is better able to assist you immediately because they are able to see the room configurations so you will get the room you need. Disneyland in California has 4 properties that all provide accommodations to meet your needs; Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel, Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian.


The lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel, California

The Grand Californian and Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian offer the closest access to the parks, which make it a great option. Disneyland Hotel is the furtther from the parks, which might present a problem for those with stamina or walking issues. And Paradise Pier Hotel is even farther than that. However, in all honesty, any of the Disneyland owned hotels are likely adequate for a person with special needs because Disneyland Resort isn’t nearly the size of Walt Disney World in Florida and they are all essentially in close proximity to the parks.

No one knows your special needs better than you do, so share with your personal travel planner what those are so they will be able to assist you in finding the Disney Resort Hotel that’s for you.

Do you have a favorite Disney hotel tip? We'd love to hear them.


Laura is a Disney fan who lives in Illinois and has been visiting Disney Parks since 1990. She has been to Walt Disney World, Disneyland and the Disney Cruise Line numerous times since. Laura teaches a community education course entitled "Walt Disney World: Undiscovered" at her local college. When she's not busy planning her own Disney trips, Laura is planning trips for others as one of the Fairy Godmothers at Fairy Godmother Travel. Laura is a foodie, married to Eric with a college age son, Nic, and in her spare time works as a sign language interpreter. You can reach Laura or any of the other godmother travel agents at Fairy Godmother Travel.

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Updated 09-04-2011 at 07:58 AM by Dustysage

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  1. crankypage's Avatar
    Just for clarification- Paradise Pier Hotel is the furthest on property, not the Disneyland Hotel. If anyone is going to DL I bet the folks on the forums could also recommend off-property hotels that are plenty close and accomodating to special needs.
  2. Dustysage's Avatar
    First, thank you for the article. It's nice to have someone present this topic from the point of view of a person of special needs.

    For Disneyland, I'm not a fan of the Paradise Pier Hotel. It requires guests to walk too far. They should really run a tram for Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel Guests. They run a tram from the Mickey and Friends parking structure and that is about as far from Disneyland and the Paradise Pier Hotel is - and in the early days of the Disneyland Hotel, there was always a tram. So there is really little excuse for Disney not to do this. Monorail is no longer a reliable option for Disneyland Hotel guests as they only run one or two at any give time and there are far too many breakdowns and delays in recent years. If Grand Californian Hotel and Disneyland Hotel are filled and the Paradise Pier Hotel is the only option, then I'd certainly choose an off property hotel (and often do anyway due to cost). MiceChat is affiliated with the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort (which is a Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel) and there are several others on that stretch of Harbor Blvd which also offer close access to the parks and have bus service as well.

    For Florida, I completely agree that the Monorail beam hotels offer best access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, followed by Boardwalk and Yacht & Beach Club within walking distance (and boat access) of Epcot and the Studios park. There is no such thing as good access to Disney's Animal Kingdom, only bus service.

    The other hotels mostly offer just bus service to the parks. The buses are almost always packed during the rush hours in the morning and near closing. If you can't stand for long periods of time, don't count on the buses. There won't always be a spot to sit (whether in the line waiting for the bus or on the bus itself).

    If you find that you must rent a car for access purposes, you can likely make up the cost difference by staying at an off site hotel. The Disney hotels are priced higher in part due to their proximity to the parks. But if you end up not being about to use Disney Resort transportation anyway, you should at least explore the off site options available to you.
  3. DisWedWay's Avatar
    I wish they would return the Fort Wilderness Trains back to the grounds as that was so much easier and fun to ride than a golf cart. Plenty of french fry oil to run them on. PD
  4. BigDisneyKid's Avatar
    Thanks everyone for the additional information! It's the greatest aspect of the micechat family...sharing our knowledge with each other! I do hope some folks could share their knowledge of the Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotels. I've stayed in the Best Western Park Place Inn, which is a nice property with accesibility on site plus it's location is pretty close to both park entrances. The only drawback there is the free comtinental breakfast is located on the second floor and I'm not sure there is an elevator. I love the idea of returning the trains to Ft. Wilderness! I could see a great tie in with Walt's love of them and all the special events that could be added such as a Mickey Santa Train ride. Laur
  5. Asylim's Avatar
    Great information.

    I know my mother had a hard time walking from the Disneyland Hotel early last year all the way to the parks. We ended up renting her an electric scooter (off site so she could use it all over the resort) and that helped. You can ask about those at the concierge in the hotels.