Walt Disney World with Disabilities [Paperback]

Stephen Ashley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2008

Walt Disney World® with Disabilities is designed for people with health issues, disabilities and special needs. This book gives you the advance information you need to plan a safe, comfortable and fun trip. It's packed with amazing tips and insights from the authors' years of first-hand experience visiting Disney while dealing with disabilities and special needs. It also includes extensive input gathered from other Disney guests with a wide variety of conditions. Well researched, it has the most in-depth descriptions of any book of the physical "feel" and the emotional impact of attractions. It has details you won't see elsewhere about things that can impact people with disabilities at Disney, and it's filled with tips for participating with greater comfort. Learn how to get your needs met in the parks, resorts & restaurants, details on handling medication & medical equipment, dietary needs, transportation, wheelchair use in the parks & resorts, and much more. Visit the official website for more details at WWW.DIZ-ABLED.COM. You'll find in-depth information & alerts for various fears, anxieties and emotional challenges including claustrophobia, fear of the dark and discomfort with violence. There's warnings, tips and support information for people dealing with a variety of health issues including pain, back & neck problems, mobility issues, heart conditions, vertigo & dizziness, diabetes, dietary issues, hearing impairment, visual impairment, fears, phobias and mental health issues, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, TMJ, fibromyalgia, allergies & chemical sensitivities (including fragrances, pesticides & mold), high blood pressure, joint & muscle pain, motion sickness, epilepsy, weakness, oxygen use, overstimulation, hyperactivity, and much more! It's an outstanding guide that will help those with almost any physical or emotional condition. Disney World is a wonderful and unique destination with a culture and system all its own. There's so much to know that can make or break a vacation. This book covers what those people with health challenges really need to know in advance. For example, it's important to decide which attractions are okay with your specific condition, and which ones are not. Walt Disney World® with Disabilities will help you decide if an attraction is right for you or not. By researching in advance, you can avoid impacting or flaring your condition, and wasting valuable vacation time researching and deciding. Your trip can go far more smoothly. The book includes warnings & alerts you won't see elsewhere. For example, one popular attraction unexpectedly pokes you in the back. You'll find how people with back pain can prepare and enjoy the attraction anyway, while avoiding this jab to the back. There are many wonderful tips on how to participate in attractions with greater comfort even if you have disabilities and health concerns. There's extensive information that will help you choose the right hotel or resort for you. It outlines what types of special room requests you can make, and what steps you can take to make it more likely that your requests will be granted and actually fulfilled once you get there. You'll also find extensive information on diet issues within the parks and resorts, with contact numbers around Disney World for help with your specific dietary needs. For those with allergies the book contains a wide variety of subjects, including what rides have fragrances and smoke pumped in, mold alerts, etc. If you have a physical or emotional special need, illness or disability this book will help you. Even if your condition is not covered precisely, you'll receive advice on how to have your specific needs met while visiting Disney resorts and parks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...This book is truly a marvel and an absolute must for anyone planning or thinking about planning a trip to WDW with any type of disability. I would also recommend this book to those guests with small kids who would like to warn their children of potentially disconcerting or frightening aspects of rides. I would recommend this book to anyone going for the first time and who would like specific details on rides and dining options. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone. Period." --MouseExtra.com

"...This book is truly a marvel and an absolute must for anyone planning or thinking about planning a trip to WDW with any type of disability. I would also recommend this book to those guests with small kids who would like to warn their children of potentially disconcerting or frightening aspects of rides. I would recommend this book to anyone going for the first time and who would like specific details on rides and dining options. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone. period." --MouseExtra.com

Review

"Walt Disney World With Disabilities is a must read. While the title may lead you to believe that this is a guide for those with severe disabilities, it really is a guide for anyone. Not only will you get useful information for those who are wheelchair bound, but also you get great tips for those with more "minor" disabilities such as motion sickness or allergies.

This book contains various tips for hotels, parks, shops and restaurants. It also includes helpful websites as well as phone numbers for contacting the resort for any questions you may have about meeting specific needs while on vacation.

Stephen Ashley uses his own experiences, as well as his wife's, with physical disabilities to enlighten those who may have doubts about whether or not Walt Disney World is the right place for your vacation. He has taken the time to compile this guide in order to help those who have questions, like he and his wife had, about what rides would be safe for them and what rides would be too much to handle. While many may feel that Disney World is a big vacation resort that may be difficult to navigate, this book clearly shows that while being an extra large resort, they are the masters of making people comfortable and meeting their special needs."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Ball Media Innovations, Inc. (October 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615167608
• ISBN-13: 978-0615167602
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Special Needs
  • #5 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Senior Travel
  • #40 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Florida

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am very impressed with this book and Highly reccomend it, October 24, 2007

By 

DLCI "TECHY LAW MAN" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walt Disney World with Disabilities (Paperback)

In my opinion Walt Disney World with Disabilities is the best book out there for anyone with a health condition. We own several Disney guide books including another one designed for special needs at Disney. Nothing else I've read describes the way the rides feel as well as this book does. The writers really paid attention to every sensation and experience, and they share it all in an easy to read and understand style. It's also packed with useful and practical suggestions for the parks, resorts and dining.

I also highly recommend this book to parents who wish to choose appropriate rides and shows for their children. Really it's great for anyone who wants to know what a ride feels like before trying it.

I've gone to Disney many times over the years with my wife and kids. One of the things that I've found most challenging is deciding which rides are suitable for my children, and for me. It can be really confusing sometimes, because the Disney warnings are all encompassing. For example, many ride warning signs say that a person with back or neck problems should not ride. Yet some of these are fine for me. This book really gives you a sense of the true intensity and experience, and I find the descriptions to be right on target.

Conversely, there are rides that I thought would be fine, because there was no special warning posted by Disney, but I was shocked to find there were jolts or unexpected things that bothered my condition or scared my kids. I found that Walt Disney World with Disabilities reveals every one of these.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really great book: Should be called Walt Disney World for Everyone!, January 26, 2008

By 

Diana Carroll "Diana Carroll" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walt Disney World with Disabilities (Paperback)

This book should be called Walt Disney World for Everyone! I think everybody should read this book who wants to go to Disneyworld. I started reading it as an Occupational Therapist, but I found myself to be really riveted by the wealth of information that applied to me personally and to my family. As a mother of 6 kids, I really believe that these are the things a mother really wants and needs to know.

This book is so thorough. Its an A-Z guide that has things you wouldn't think to even ask about that were so helpful, and it will help parents make important decisions. For example, you don't want to spend time in lines for attractions that won't be good for you or your kids. The descriptions were so good that they really helped me know what would and wouldn't be worth our time. And those lines can be tough to wait in with impatient and tired kids! The book helps you plan your day so you get the most out of your time, and it will save me hours of waiting in lines for rides that would have turned out badly. There's so much useful information like this that will help our family be so much more comfortable.

I think it will also be fantastic for people with health problems. My husband can't do a lot of walking and there were services for him that I had no idea about.

The authors really put themselves into this book - it's not just a manual, but it's so much more interesting and informative to read than anything else I've seen. It's very easy reading because it's got a personal touch to it. I couldn't put it down.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very needed guide will make Disney a breeze, January 27, 2008

By 

J. Klockow - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walt Disney World with Disabilities (Paperback)

I manage a home health agency in South Florida and have many disabled clients that I felt would benefit from this book. I just finished it and was very impressed with its explicit content and wide range of disabilities it addressed. For anyone who knows someone with any type of disability or medical problem and is planning a trip to Disney World, I would recommend this as a great resource. The reader learns how to make the event as smooth and carefree as possible. I found it also ideal for the elderly person who wants to remain active and get the most out of their visits!

A few specifics that I would like to point out. I like the way the index is so clear. If you're only interested in particular subjects it makes it very easy to find. I was also surprised that this book addresses so many things that are not necessarily disabilities, but can still interfere with your trip such as fatigue and allergies. I find that it's a great resource for minor conditions as well as for more serious disabilities. This book may be of interest to people who never considered going to Disney, but now can go because they have the advantage of the guidelines given in this book.

Judy Klockow
Administrator, Gold Coast Elder Care