Other than Disney: places elsewhere you may want to check out!

We were only here for a short time in the off-season in October, so if anyone has any other information they'd like to add, chime in. My mom had to give a talk at a meeting in Dewey Beach, and I was lucky enough to go with her.

On our last day in Delaware when my mom was free of her duties, we headed over to Rehoboth Beach to see what it looked like. I immediately fell in love with it from the moment we drove through the town to find a parking place. The town and the boardwalk was fairly wheelchair accessible even though there wasn't much going on, on the boardwalk. Some of the shops were wheelchair-accessible as well. We didn't go into very many of them though.

Now, I'm hoping that my husband and I could go there for our ten-year anniversary. It's such a neat place to visit.

Samantha:cutie: :cutie: :cutie: :cutie: :cutie: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:
 
What do you want ot know about Las Vegas? We have been there a few times now with a powerchair and love it. It is now our second vacation spot behind WDW.
 
I saw this and thought I would pass it along:

http://www.morganswonderland.com

The World's First Ultra Accessible Family Fun Park

The mission of Morgan's Wonderland is to set a new standard for excellence in providing outdoor recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. We believe that there is a real need for a special place for special people, one that provides an oasis for people with disabilities, their families and caregivers who need facilities specifically designed to assist them in enjoying outdoor activities.
 
we're thinking of a trip to san francisco. anyone know if it is a difficult city for those with mobility issues? any recommendations for things to do and see?
 


we're thinking of a trip to san francisco. anyone know if it is a difficult city for those with mobility issues? any recommendations for things to do and see?

We had a very challenging time in San Francisco. The extent and angle of the hills was ridiculously challenging. I found that pushing my DW was a constant battle of pushing uphill and holding tight on the downhill. (Think twice as steep as the ramp to the monorail from the TTC, pretty much full time.) I don't know how a power chair would do. We saw a woman with an ECV who was really struggling. But, I'm sure there are people who live there who can provide better information about how to deal with things.
 
We had a very challenging time in San Francisco. The extent and angle of the hills was ridiculously challenging. I found that pushing my DW was a constant battle of pushing uphill and holding tight on the downhill. (Think twice as steep as the ramp to the monorail from the TTC, pretty much full time.) I don't know how a power chair would do. We saw a woman with an ECV who was really struggling. But, I'm sure there are people who live there who can provide better information about how to deal with things.

oh boy, terrific....:worried:
 
Hi there

We are heading to WDW for 2 weeks in September 2010 and from there driving to Savannah for a few days then Washington DC for a few days and then onto New York for 5 days. I am trying to find accessible places to stay. I am spina bifida and confined to manual wheelchair - have good upper strength and can transfer myself usually pretty easily.

I wonder if anyone has stayeed in these cities and can recommend a particular hotel/motel or place to stay that had good wheelchair access and the bathroom was all setup - i.e hand held shower and/or roll in shower?

I have emailed quite a few places who say they meet ADA specs but arent specific about what the shower is like etc and it gets expensive ringing from NZ to ask what they mean so thought it would be better to ask here if anyone had experiences

Thanks
 
Hiya Sue, you sent me a list with a title and the answers will be within, I'm having trouble to find my way around to get to where I need to be to find them. Please can you inbox me on how to do it if possible. Sorry I sound silly :confused3
Thanks Nicola
 
Nicolatinks, the post that you are looking for is in the other DisAbilities section, the one for all things Disney. You are currently in the Community section of the forum. Instead of clicking into the community section, just scroll down further to the other section to find what you are looking for.
 
Elijah's Retreat, a ranch in East Texas, was created for families with autistic children. They offer 2-bedroom cabins with fishing, horseback riding, and other camp-style activities. At the moment, they request $30/ night per family, but offer scholarships for those who cannot afford to pay. You can find more information at elijahsretreat dot com.
 
We had a good time at Hershey. They seemed to have a good handle on how to handle individuals with disabilities.

There are a lot of roller coasters, and we didn't do any of them, so I can't tell how that would be, but we were impressed by the way they handled us at all the other attractions.

Also, I wanted to specifically note that they had several water wheelchairs in the water park so that individuals who needed something like that would have access.
 
I just stumbled on this article at the Easter Seals site:

easterseals.com/explore-resources/living-with-disability/39-theme-parks-with-special-needs-access-passes.html
 
Vegas is just wonderful with a wheelchair! I was there on a Girl's trip as a friend was turning 40 and stayed by myself in hotel (1st time) and it was perfect! I stayed at Planet Hollywood and they were the loveliest people (even gave me a surprise upgrade), and I will go back there every single time! The sidewalks are smooth, the staff in restaurants and casinos were very friendly and did not bat an eye at my chair. Vegas is my 2nd favorite vacation destination!
 
We very recently returned from a quick "girls only" trip to Branson (Hubs can't take off work between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, so he had to stay at home...) for 4 days/3 nights, and we *tried* to do SDC (Silver Dollar City)

Let me preface this by saying that I have no problems at WDW with my personal ECV; and in fact, most places I go in the world are not at all a problem. But Branson presented a couple of challenges that I did not foresee!

First of all, Silver Dollar City and Branson are basically built on/around/into the Ozark Mountains, so there are slopes EVERYWHERE. It's *so* very pretty, even in the autumn, and the Resort we stayed at is close enough to everything that we were happy.

We like the Marriott Willow Ridge Lodge in Branson - it's part of Marriott's DVC-type ownership program, but you can cash rent like we do.

If you need a true roll-in shower room, be prepared to do some searching. Many hotels do not have them, or they only have them in a configuration that is not what I need; for example, I could find all kinds of roll-in shower rooms with a king-sized bed, but we needed 2 beds, so it was a bit of struggle to find the room we needed. In the end, we wound up at Willow Ridge in an accessible lockoff (that had the king + roll-in combo) for a reasonable$130/weeknight, $180/per weekend night. (Christmas season pricing) It did have a sleeper sofa with a memory foam mattress in it; it was not comfortable as our beds at home, but it was useable. The room was very clean, and there was plenty of room just inside the door, but the path through the room as a whole was not as "accessible" as it should be/could be. Additionally, the height of the kitchenette counter was (I felt) too high, as was the bathroom counter. The toilet was accessible only from the front; there was no space on either side to do a standard side transfer. The roll-in shower was good, but there was no built in shower bench. For future trips, we are going to try different hotels and Resorts, and I will let you know if we find anything better!

There is no food service on the property, but we had a mini kitchen in the accessible room (fridge + microwave and bar sink) that was fully equipped. We tend to take simple breakfast items with us, and microwave popcorn for snacks and sandwich supplies in case we are too tired to go out for dinner. We also brought bottled water and Diet Coke; the Resort has a 24-hour mini store next to the front desk, but the prices are easily double what you would pay just down the street at the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

So, we went to SDC on a weekday afternoon; in the fall and early spring, the park does not open until 1:00 pm, so we arrived at noon, and got the last parking spot in the "#1 handicapped" lot! We made our way through ticketing, and once inside the park, decided to try a cinnamon roll (they are famous for these, and it didn't disappoint!) as that is just inside the park on the left before you go up through the Hospitality House to "formally" enter the park. SDC has you walk through a large gift shop to both enter and exit the park - so hang on to your wallet LOL!

Once inside, I knew from checking ahead that there would be 2 kinds of paths marked on the SDC park map; one that shows a "recommended" path that is steep, but "do-able" according to the Park officials I had asked, and the other one denotes a non-accessible pathway; it is too steep or dangerous for any wheeled accessible device, or even strollers. OK. No problem - armed with a map, and a good idea of what we wanted to see, we set off.

First problem we encountered was the old bridge that lies to the right as you enter the Park; you have to take it to go down to see the glassblowers, the blacksmith, the candy factory, and the culinary classes among other things. It's HORRIBLE to drive over in a wheeled device; the planks are recessed into thick tuffets of grassy moss, and so the effect is like driving over a 20 foot span of never ending, closely packed railroad tracks. It was so bad that after my second trip back over, I had to stop at First Aid and buy a packet of Tylenol (fifty cents!) and rest for a while on the cot. (Interesting side note: They have EMTs that trek all over the park with radios and a big backpack full of supplies; we saw several of them on foot at different places in the Park.)

Although we remained on the "accessible" routes only, I finally reached a point where we both simply didn't feel safe anymore, and could not go any further down towards the Saloon. This was a huge disappointment to both of us, because I really wanted our daughter to see the Saloon show; I had not been to SDC since the mid-1970's, and it was a favorite memory of mine.

We left the Park having seen less than 50% of it; we were both exhausted. I doubt I will return, even if renting one of their large, heavy-duty ECVs; we saw several of those struggling to make it back up the hills, and twice we saw the drivers have to get off, and push it up a ways before being able to get it going again. We could have stayed longer, but the mental and emotional strain of trying to find safe passage through many areas of the Park was just more than either one of us was prepared for. If we had a third person who could have scouted ahead for us... maybe it would have been more do-able, but as of right now, I'm not sure I will ever return, which makes me very sad.

During this trip, we also went on the Main Street Docks dinner cruise (the "Princess" Yacht) and while the food was adequate, the service was wonderful, and the trip after dark up and down the lake was beautiful, with Christmas lights twinkling on either side of the boat. We arrived back at Branson Landing in time for the 8 pm Fountain Show (they do not pipe the music into the main cabin of the boat, so you have to go outside on the deck to hear it) but it was accessible with my personal scooter. I did NOT try the bathrooms on board, but my daughter did, and she said it was similar to an airplane toilet in size.

We also went shopping down on Main Street, and in particular at Dicks 5 & 10. VERY difficult, simply because it is always so crowded! It's an old-time general store, with lots of gifts and candy you can't find anywhere else. If you require a mobility device, I recommend going on a weekday morning or early afternoon; weekends are simply impossible as the store is far too crowded.

Ozarkland on the 76 Strip was great; they have an elevator so you can get to the homemade fudge on the second floor (and it is well worth the trip!) and lots of great Branson souvenirs.

The Titanic is wheels-friendly; there is an exhibit where you can park and sit in a replica of one of the lifeboats, but for the most part, it is easy to get around inside the museum. There is an elevator to go from the first floor to the 2nd floor; all you miss on the tour is walking up and down the grand staircase. You, of course, exit through the gift shop! :)

Ripley's Believe it Or Not is *mostly* accessible; there is an elevator, but again, you have to change the path that you wander through the exhibits. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Exits through the gift shop ;)

The Toy Museum has had some changes and additions, and I have truthfully not visited since they added on. Prior to the addition (in early 2016), it was not very wheels-friendly; many of the "rooms" were either up a few stairs, or down a few stairs, or too tight to maneuver a chair through. I'm hoping that they have made it more accessible, and will report back on it after our next trip to Branson.

We did not ride the Showboat Branson Belle this trip, but I am told that it is now fully accessible after some recent changes to the boat and the dock. It is dinner + a show + a cruise, and goes out on Table Rock Lake from Indian Point. It's actually catered by, and run by the folks at Silver Dollar City.

We also have not yet visited the shops at Branson Landing, but we have gone to the Tanger Outlet shops, and that is a standard outdoors mall-experience, with one of the largest "flat" areas in Branson! LOL

The last notable thing is the Branson Scenic Railway. They do a "Polar Express" type experience this time of year, but we opted for a standard scenic tour. The train itself is accessible, but you will have to remain in the car that you board in; if you want to walk from car to car, you will have to leave your device. We found the narrator sitting in the cafe' car, and spent some very pleasant time chatting with him about local history and the train.

Don't hesitate to add Branson to your travel plans, but remember in advance that you will need a car (there is no public transit at this time to speak of, other than a downtown trolley with a limited route and limited hours) and you will want to confirm (in person) with the hotel you choose regarding accessibility. Many hotels in Branson do *not* have elevators, so plan accordingly.

The people, the scenery, the kitsch - it's all worth the trip, with a bit of planning!
 
Sea World, San Antonio is disability friendly. Much like Disney, go to the guest services window and they’ll ask a few questions for the rides. They’ll then give you a pass that will allow you to avoid stairs, etc.

I don’t know how well they do with disabilities such as Autism, but I think they‘ll be accommodating for that also. They’re very nice. It’s a smaller park, but we really like it. (Of course we live here, so it’s a short jaunt for us.)
 

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