Just because you or a member of your family lives with a disability is no reason you have to stay home and never enjoy a wonderful vacation. Unfortunately, some people who have a disability are so afraid that a vacation would present too many challenges that they stay home year after year. As a result, they watch other people enjoying life while they miss incredible opportunities. Then another group of people with disabilities feels they are limited to only certain vacations because of special accommodations needed.
Many times, these people never even consider a cruise, which is a real shame because many cruise lines such as Disney offer accommodations and services for people with a disability. This means that regardless of the disability, the Disney Cruise Line can provide what a person needs. Disney has long been considered a premier cruise line and for good reason. In addition to the ability to accommodate people with disabilities, the ships and staff members are capable of taking care of all passengers.
From the staterooms to the theaters to the restaurants, and all other areas onboard the ship, careful planning has created space and opportunity for you to get around without feeling embarrassed or dependent on others. On Disney cruise ships, the staff wants all guests to focus on nothing but having fun and relaxing. This philosophy was considered specific to people with disabilities when the ships were designed and the result is truly incredible and inspirational.
Now, while the staff on the various Disney ships is highly trained and capable to help, a few services would require assistance from a family member. For instance, if you needed assistance with money while paying for something or if you needed transfer assistance from a wheelchair to the pool and back, again you would need to utilize family. For this reason, Disney Cruise Line does suggest you travel with someone able bodied but remember, other guests and even nearby staff would gladly assist whenever needed.
In addition to this, the different scheduled activities on Disney cruise ships have designated viewing areas specifically for passengers in wheelchairs. This provides great access to the shows and space to ensure onboard guests have a comfortable place to enjoy the show. If you or a family member is wheelchair bound, be sure to contact one of the Disney Crew Members stationed near the theater entrance a minimum of 10 minutes prior to the start of the show to get accessible seating.
We wanted to provide specific information for the staterooms on the Disney cruise ships to show how they have been designed to accommodate someone with a disability.
• All doorways are a minimum of 32 inches wide so a wheelchair could fit through with ease
• Ramps are included over bathroom thresholds
• Bed frames are open for easy access in and out of bed
• In addition to a phone being on the nightstand, one has been added to the bathroom in case you needed help
• Both the toilet and shower have handrails
• Showerheads are handheld
• Showers come with fold-down seats
• Bars in the bathroom for towels and in the closet for clothes are lowered
• Emergency call buttons are installed in the rooms, again in case of emergency
Along with the standard features of staterooms designed for people with disabilities, Disney Cruise Line has provided special equipment to make sailing with them even more convenient and safe. The following amenities are also included in each special stateroom.
• Bedrails
• Portable Toilet
• Bed Boards
• Shower Stool
• Transfer Bench
• Raised Toilet Seat
• Mini-Refrigerator
• Communication Kits to include phone alerts, door knock alerts, stroke light smoke detector, TTY machines, bed shaker notification, and phone amplifier
