Handicapped parking

[Donnask8pro]

I have to take a car for the first time. Usually stay at the Contemporary. BUt my 10 yr old son is in a wheelchair and looking to make this as easy as possible. Staying at a time share given to us for free. But we are staying 1 night on either end at ASM. Going in Nov. Looking to either take Monorail or park directly at parks. Enough parking for w/c? Do I have to take that ferry or something? Can I park at one of the resorts and ride? Like I said " Clueless"

 

[Cheshire Figment]

First of all you should see about getting a disbled hang tag from your state Motor Vehicles department for him. The form can normally be downloaded from the state's web site and the doctor sign it.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to get a wheelchair on the parking lot trams. Therefore it is necessary to park in the handicap parking area. For all parks except MK the handicap parking is very close to the entrance.

For the MK the handicap parking area is very close in to the entrance to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Once you get into the TTC you have to take either the monorail or ferry boat to MK. The monorail ramp is very steep.

If you are staying at anything on-site the Disney buses go directly to MK from the resorts.

In theory you are only allowed short-term (3 or 4 hours) parking at a resort if you are not staying at that resort. However, if you use the valet parking the time limit does not apply. However, there is a fee at the deluxe resorts for valet parking unless you have a handicap hang tag, in which case they will waive it. I have also had the fee waived by the valets when I have had my ECV with me, but theysaid it was better admistratively if I had the hang tag on the mirror. Even if you don't have a hang tag, with an obvious wheelchair they should waive the fee. (Just realize that the valets do not get any of the fee and they are "tip positions".

Hope thishelps

 

[Donnask8pro]

OMG your awesome. I do have hang tag. Does that mean that I can park at the Contemporary (valet park) and walk to MK like I always did? Thats great. We are also going to Universal, hows their parking? Do they let him go to the front of the line like at WDW? Any suggestions? We have taken him to WDW but never to Universal. Thanks for all your help.
Wait, I just realized something, did you say we had to take that ferry? Or monorail? Pain in the @$$

 

[Andrew Bichard]

We are also going to Universal, hows their parking? Do they let him go to the front of the line like at WDW?
Wait, I just realized something, did you say we had to take that ferry? Or monorail? Pain in the @$$

From memory (I have only been to Universal once since using a wheelchair and used Mears to get there, I didn't drive, but the parking garage was a fair way from the entrance to the parks, on the other side of the highway, but with a travelator for much of the way.

I don't think that Universal has front of line privelidges for wheelchair users, but neither has Disney for many, many years now.

And yes, to get from MK handicap parking to MK itself, you do need to ride a ferry around the lake, or a monorail around it.

 

[Donnask8pro]

Last time we were i n Disney (2002) They did let him go to the front of the line. Back door entrance. Question.. Is Universal worth it for him? Or us? To hard to manage?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you park at any of the monorail hotels you can take the monorail and not have to worry about TTC. From Cont you can walk if you want to.

I'm not sure about Universal. Although I pass it every time I go to WDW or back home, I have not been in it since I moved here a year and a half ago.

Technically with a WC you do not get front of the line access at WDW. However, for some of the older attractions, especially at MK, the queue is not accressible so you go to an alternate entrance. This is not supposed to reduce wait time, but usually it will.

 

[SueM in MN]

Last time we were i n Disney (2002) They did let him go to the front of the line. Back door entrance. Question.. Is Universal worth it for him? Or us? To hard to manage?

Most of the lines at WDW are what is called Mainstream Access. This means that the lines are wheelchair accessible and wheelchair/ecv users in general wait in line with everyone else. The only people who get front of the line access are people on WISH trips (or some people who are on life-supporting equipment).
If you go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find links to the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for the WDW parks. They have a list of rides with Mainstream Access.
As, Cheshire Figment mentioned, some of the older rides (especially in Fantasyland) don't have wheelchair accessible lines. For those rides, they do have alternate entrances.
If your DS has additional needs besides just a need for an accessible waiting line, you can go to Guest Services with him and explain his additional needs. The CMs there can issue something called a Guest Assistance Card (we call it GAC, to avoid typing so much). If you do a search on this board about GACs, you will find a lot of information. The GAC is not meant to shorten or eliminate your wait in line; it is a tool to let the CMs know what sort of assistance you need.
Depending on when you are going in November, you may find the lines are very short. We have been to WDW in October when the waits were less than 15 minutes, even in the middle of the day. If you can get to the parks early, you can avoid a lot of the crowds. When we were at WDW last March, at the height of Spring Break my DH, older DD, neice and nephew arrived at MK by opening. By 11, they had seen everything in Fantasyland, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain -without waiting for more that 15 minutes for anything. DH and I did the same thing in July (also very busy time).

 

[SueM in MN]

For the Universal parking....
DH and I were at Universal City Walk in January. We did not have DD with her wheelchair with us, but did walk by handicapped parking in the ramp. I don't know if they have any additional handicapped parking; the Universal Guide just says to show your handicapped parking permit to the Toll Plaza employees and they will direct you to the handicapped parking.
The ramp was as Andrew described it, across the street from the parks, but connected by covered walkways and rolling walkways. That ramp served all the parks, you just followed some different (well marked) paths.

Getting into any of the Universal parks was very effecient, but it did take a while and covered quite a distance. I think we walked for 10 minutes to get from parking to the entrance of City Walk.

 

[TammiMcMan]

It's been a few years since we went to Universal Studios, but I do recall that they offered valet parking. I can't remember the specifics, but we did use it on both our visits and found it to be very convenient. Maybe someone here or on the Universal Boards would have more recent knowledge.

Tammi

 

[Donnask8pro]

Thanks everyone for all your help. I hope this works out for us. He does not understand waiting. Especially if its hot. He is cognitively on a 12 month level. Last time we had no problems, but like I said they did not make him wait in any lines. Unless it was a ride we would not take him on anyway. We'll see, fingers crossed. Thanks again