[blparent] [blaring] Disney World

[Leanne Merren]

I have to agree with Erin.  While I totally understand not wanting to give 
the impression of taking short cuts due to a disability, I also don't really 
think people care that much.  There is so much to do in the Disney parks 
that nobody can manage to do it all, and for us who can't navigate the parks 
as quickly as those who are sighted, I say take the short cuts so you make 
it to more attractions in a day.
I am excited to read about these audio descriptions.  We asked if they had 
something like that when we were there in 2008 and they said they didn't. 
So I hope we can obtain one of those devices when we go this time.  We went 
the first time with our two kids by ourselves, but took someone with a bit 
more vision with us last time.  Honestly I don't think we moved that much 
faster with the helper, so not sure yet if we're going to take someone with 
us or not.  My kids are older now and can spot signs and things, and if we 
get the audio descriptions for ourselves we should do fine on our own.
Leanne
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "'Hartle, Jesse'" <JHartle at nfb.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 6:22 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] [blaring] Disney World


> Everyone has their own opinions about things like the fast pass lanes but
> for me, since I'm paying the same price that everyone else is and missing
> out on a ton of visual entertainment, the fast pass evens it out for me.
> Talk about saving time too!  A lot of popular rides can take up to 90
> minutes or longer and the fast pass lane takes long enough as it is 
> usually
> cutting 30 minutes or so off of that.  I guess it's not such a huge deal 
> if
> you get to go to DW every year since you have an ample opportunity to see
> all the attractions, but when you have to save for years to have a limited
> amount of time to see as many attractions as you can, you have to try and
> make the most of your time.  I don't feel entitled to get this perk, but I
> definitely don't feel guilty using it since there are so many visual 
> things
> I'm missing out on so it's making my experience more enjoyable to make up
> for that.  I'm not insecure about my disability at all and know that 
> others
> aren't thinking of me any differently for going through this kind of line
> and if some do, who cares!  Those types are going to think things anyways 
> so
> I might as well get onto a ride in a reasonable amount of time.  In short,
> people who are blind or visually impaired should just do what they
> personally feel comfortable doing and try and be understanding and
> non-judgmental about the different choice someone else makes.  Something
> else is that I have chronic back pain that allows me to still do most
> everything but if I had to stand in lines all day just to get onto a few
> rides I would be torn up by the end of the day which would diminish my fun
> tremendously.  Sometimes we can really spoil our own fun just to try and
> prove a point.  My vote is to just have fun, take the few perks when they
> come because they're rare, and relax and enjoy yourself.
>
> Food for thought,
>
> Erin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mary Jo Hartle
> Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 12:25 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Cc: 'Hartle, Jesse'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] [blaring] Disney World
>
> HI,
> I wanted to share some insights with the list on this topic.  My
> husband Jesse, who also is blind, and I have been to Disney World every 
> year
> for the last six years.  WE love it and are big fans.  Of course our
> navigation of the park has improved some since we have been there a few
> times and learned the ropes of navigating it so to speak, but we've found
> each of the four parks to be fairly easy to map out and the accommodations
> offered to be quite useful.  I should also mention that it wasn't until
> about our third or fourth trip there that we went with anyone who was
> sighted and even then, we were leading them around for the most part since
> we had been there before.  Here are a few tips I would offer.
> We usually go in the off peak times as the parks are less crowded than
> during the summer months and the lines are not as long either.  We've been
> at different times of the year too, including peak times like spring break
> and Christmas, but the off-season times are definitely the best and still
> just as "magical". .  The rooms to stay at the Disney resorts or on Disney
> property are also less expensive and often Disney throws in the meal plan
> for free for resort guests during the off season.  So, basically you get 
> to
> eat great meals at nearly every restaurant and counter top service in any 
> of
> the parks and only have to pay the gratuities at the restaurants.  So, 
> your
> food is basically paid for which ends up being a huge savings.  Another
> advantage to staying on the property is the access to the buses that run 
> to
> and from the property hotels to the main entrances of each of the main 
> parks
> and Downtown Disney(closer than you can get if you drive or if you take 
> some
> kind of transportation outside of Disney property).  This is great for us
> since we can't drive ourselves there, and we don't need to pay for
> transportation to and from the park.  The routes getting from the bus drop
> offs to the park entrance gates are very easy to navigate and there are
> always a lot of cast members (Disney employees) or other people around to
> ask directions from if need be.
> I know one of the big perks a lot of people think about when it
> comes to being a blind person and going to Disney World is skipping the 
> long
> lines.  I'll admit that this is a nice and tempting perk, , but one thing
> that Jesse and I have thought about is the kind of perception this gives 
> the
> public about blind people.  For example, if we are willing to take a
> discount or take a pass to the front of the line, we are helping to
> perpetuate the public view that blind people are dependent and need to be
> cared for, or need special treatment, or that we cannot be independent.  I
> know that other blind people may feel like cutting to the front of a line
> isn't that big of a deal and you should use your blindness to get benefits
> when you can, or feel justified in taking some of these extra perks, but 
> for
> the two of us, we'd like to just be seen as regular people who don't need
> any special favors.  This is not to say that we don't accept help or use
> some of the accessible services offered at places like the descriptive
> headsets, or that we don't have a cast member help us find things in a 
> shop,
> but we try to minimize the free-bee or special privilege aspect of things.
> A lot of people think we are crazy when we say things like that we will 
> wait
> in the regular line and don't want to cut to the front, but again, we are
> trying to just be normal and really don't need any special treatment.  The
> lines for getting on rides are pretty easy to navigate since you're
> basically only moving a few steps at a time and there are rails or chains
> along the side which you can follow with your cane as you make the switch
> backs through the line chutes so there really isn't any way you can get 
> lost
> or go the wrong way when getting onto a ride.  We can also tell when 
> people
> move up because our canes will feel the open space when they move, we hear
> them step forward, or because the people in front or behind us will let us
> know . So, there really is no physical reason that we as active, healthy
> people who just happen to be blind really need to go through a different
> line or skip the line all together.  I will say though that we've been
> directed a number of times to the disability entrance or to the fast pass
> line even though we weren't looking for it and while it's nice to get n 
> the
> ride faster, we always feel a little guilty because the skip really isn't
> necessary.
> What generally happens if you get a guest card from the service
> counter when you arrive (we know b/c we had to get one one time when 
> Jesse's
> mom was with us and in a scooter which couldn't go through the regular 
> line)
> -----is that the guest pass allows you to go through a different way and
> basically cut the line.  Most of the time, this is the same line as the 
> fast
> pass line which is offered to everyone and where you just get a time 
> stamped
> ticket to go on the most popular rides.  I'll explain fast passes in a few
> minutes as they are a really good tip.  When you have one of those guest
> passes, you do get extra assistance with getting on the rides, but this is
> more designed for people with physical mobility issues who need to 
> transfer
> from a wheelchair or a scooter.  We've found that the rides are easy to 
> get
> on with the use of our cane and the attendants are always very helpful no
> matter which line we came through.  The only time we found we needed any
> real extra assistance was on the rides that have a moving track you have 
> to
> step onto.  The only reason for this was that you jump on a little faster
> b/c the cart comes up and wisks you away, so with these, we dind't have as
> much time to find the place to stand with our cane and get lined up before
> the cart came so the attendants can help you move there quicker and get
> ready for the moving cart to come.  This is for rides like the Peter Pan 
> one
> in Fantasy land, or the Nemo ride in Epcot or the Cali River Rapids ride 
> in
> Animal Kingdom that have moving platforms for you to walk on when getting 
> in
> the car or tram.  It is also interesting to note that if you use the guest
> pass card (which basically lets the cast member operating the ride know 
> you
> have a disability), we found ourselves having to wait for a special car or
> train for the ride to go in, not just getting to cut in front of the other
> riders who were waiting in the regular line because you are put in the cue
> for a special car that is more accessible for those with mobility issues 
> so
> you don't always get right on the ride as most think.  Sometimes when
> waiting in this line, it took just as long as if we'd stood in the regular
> line.  As I said, we've had people direct us to this line without us 
> knowing
> when we've gone by ourselves and we've also gone in this line with Jesse's
> mom because of some physical issues she has.  Again, we don't really feel
> that we need any special treatment by skipping the line.  If anyone needs 
> to
> be allowed to skip the line, it's the family who is back there waiting 
> with
> two small kids having a meltdown rather than us no less capable blind guys
> who are just doing it because we can.
> Whether or not you want to take some of the perks like cutting to the 
> front
> of a line because of blindness is a personal decision, but keep in mind 
> the
> kind of perception this gives to the public about the capabilities of 
> blind
> people and whether or not it's really a necessity that you get help 
> getting
> on at a different spot than the rest of the riders or makes that big of a
> difference in your ability to get on and off a ride. I also caution 
> against
> doing something like this because we feel entitled as blind people so we
> deserve this kind of perk as again, it doesn't send a great message to the
> public about our capabilities as blind people to be independent.  So, just
> some food for thought which you can take or leave.
> NO one wants to wait in a long line, so here are some other
> alternatives you can try if you don't want to skip lines just because you
> are blind.  WE have found that going in the off peak times is great b/c 
> the
> lines are so much shorter and the parks are easier to navigate because 
> they
> are not as crowded.  The longest line we've ever stood in during the off
> peak time was a half hour which by Disney standards is great.  There is 
> also
> an ap on the iphone that can tell you ride wait times too.  Even when 
> we've
> gone through the line with the guest card or had a cast member put us at 
> the
> front b/c we were blind, we still waited for about twenty to thirty mins. 
> So
> it's about the same.
> I mentioned the fast passes above.  These are passes you get in the
> morning at each ride that print you a receipt telling you when to come 
> back
> and ride that ride .  Then, when you come back, you skip the main line and
> go through the fast pass line which reduces your wait time.  Its best to 
> get
> to the parks early and get these early so you can plan out your day and
> where you'll go and when, but they really help the ride waiting process.
> ,Another advantage to staying on property is that the parks offer extended
> hours at different parks each night.  This means that because you are
> staying at a Disney hotel, you can stay up to three hours at the parks
> either before the parks open or after they close at night depending on 
> what
> that park offers for the days of your stay.  This cuts down the crowd size
> too so you are more able to walk on rides.  Also, if you are going on a 
> ride
> that another member of your party isn't going on, they can still wait in
> line with you and then once you get on the ride, they can exit and meet 
> you
> where you will get off.  When we went last year, I was pregnant and unable
> to go on many of the rides, so I waited for Jesse and our friends (also
> blind) and became the designated cane holder.  But this allowed me still 
> to
> hang out and chat in line with them during our trip.  Disney also has a 
> ride
> swap deal for families which is great so if one parent goes on with a 
> child,
> the other parent can wait with a child or other individual who can't go on
> the ride and then when the first person comes back, the second one can go
> without having to go back and wait in line again.
> Both Jesse and I use straight canes, so when we get on rides, we use
> our canes up until we get in the car or train for the ride and then hand 
> our
> canes to the ride operator when he or she comes to check the seatbelts and
> lap bars.  They put our canes right on the wall so when we come back, they
> are right there to hand to us.  IN the cases where the ride ends up at a
> different place than it starts, they've sent the canes down so they are
> there when we get off the ride. For the most part, we haven't had any
> trouble with this, except one time they forgot to bring our canes down, so
> we had to wait a couple of minutes for them after we got off the ride.  A
> folding cane really could be useful though because then you wouldn't have 
> to
> worry about where your cane was since it could collapse down.  We've been
> thinking we should start taking a folding cane with us to make this 
> process
> a little easier and also to have a backup in case the straight cane breaks
> while on the trip.
>
> My last piece of advice for this novel has to do with navigating the
> park in general and the use of the descriptive headsets.  Both Jesse and I
> have really good travel skills.  WE both graduated from the Louisiana 
> Center
> for the Blind, have traveled in lots of different environments, and are
> pretty good problem solvers.  I'm also a certified o and m specialist. 
> So,
> we are not afraid of getting out there and doing a little  discovery
> learning.  Yes, we've been turned around and disoriented at the parks, and
> had to have cast members or other people show us the way to things before,
> but we didn't feel like we couldn't go or needed a sighted person to go 
> with
> us for us to have a successful trip.  We just learned to ask questions, 
> pay
> attention for audio cues or land marks, and figured things out.  The parks
> really are pretty easy to navigate and people are usually very helpful,
> though asking a cast member at a food stand or ride for direction is 
> always
> best b/c they really know the parks. One really great thing we discovered 
> is
> the new descriptive headsets.  These are great and gave us so much
> information.  We still had to know how to travel around ourselves, but the
> devices gave us info as we passed by things b/c they work on GPS.  WE 
> would
> get info like what we were passing, if a rest room was close by,
> descriptions of decor at a ride, and a description of the scenery while on
> the ride so we would know what was happening.  For example, on the Pirates
> of the Caribbean ride, it describes the little scenes as you enter each 
> room
> so even though we knew from the dialog or music of the ride that we were 
> in
> a village, the description would point out how the figures were dressed or
> some of the actions and scenery.  It was so great because we really got 
> more
> out of the ride.  It works on the rides much like a descriptive movie. 
> Each
> device has a menu option too which you can select which tells you what is
> around in each area or sub park of the Disney park such as Frontier land 
> or
> Adventure land in Magic Kingdom.  This menu gives you a listing of all the
> eateries in that part, with description, all the rides, and all the shops.
> Then, as you pass by them, it will tell you the name.  Also, as you pass 
> by
> something, you can select to hear a brief description of that attraction
> again.  We really enjoyed using these and found them pretty easy once we 
> got
> the hang of it.  It really helped us map out our routes better too.  You 
> do
> have to pay a deposit when you get them, but you get it back when you 
> return
> the device.  You get these from the customer service building at the front
> of the park.  Unfortunately you have to check out a new one at each
> park--Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios, so if 
> you
> are park hopping , or going to more than one park a day, you have to take
> time to return them and get new ones, but they are definitely worth it.
> Just be sure they set it for audio description and not amplified listening
> which is for people who have some hearing loss.  This happened to us at
> Animal Kingdom and we couldn't switch it back b/c the cast members have to
> do that.  Apparently they see something that says audio and assume it's 
> the
> right one b/c it's happened to others we know.  Once we were already up at
> the back of the park where we wanted to start when we realized this, and
> didn't have much time before the park closed, so we didn't take it back 
> and
> change it.  By the way, another savvy Disney travel tip, start at the back
> of a park early b/c most people will go to the first ride they see in the
> front and work their way back, so you can beat some of the crowd and line
> rush this way.  Anyway, the descriptive devices are really neat and I 
> highly
> recommend you use them.  I would also recommend bringing your own 
> headphones
> as the ones that come with the devices are a little bulky and you will be
> wearing them as you walk around and go on rides, so you still want to be
> able to carry other things and hear out one ear while you're traveling. 
> The
> devices look like a stream or old walkman and have a lanyard so you can 
> wear
> them around your neck or shoulder.
> So, there you have it.  These are some of my tips we've learned as a
> blind couple navigating Disney World, for what it's worth.  We love it and
> will continue to go for years to come I'm sure.  Its definitely possible 
> to
> get around as a blind person there too if you have good travel skills and 
> a
> sense of adventure to learn your way around.  Please feel free to email me
> for more info or with any questions.  Also, Pam and Roland Allen, a blind
> couple from Louisiana,  go almost every year too  so if you know them, you
> should talk to them too. Feel free to email me if you have other questions
> for me about this.
> Thanks.
> Mary JO Hartle
> Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Michael Baldwin
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 7:59 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Disney World
>
> Oh yes, forgot about those, I might have to try it out at least one day of
> the trip.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Melissa Ann Riccobono
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 16:35
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Disney World
>
> Hello Michael,
> They do have a cool device at Disney that gives audio descriptions of the
> rides while you're on them, the places you are in the park, etc.  You do
> have to put a deposit down for the device, but it is returned to you when
> you return the device.  My husband and I tried the devices when we went to
> the park this summer.  Unfortunately, they did not work for us because the
> employee set them to amplify and not to descriptive mode...  So make sure
> you check that they are working propperly before you get too far from the
> pick up point.  The menu should talk if they are set propperly, which is 
> an
> easy way to check.  We have friends who used the devices successfully and
> thought they were really informative.
> Hope this helps.
> Melissa
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Michael Baldwin
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 11:01 AM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: [blparent] Disney World
>
> Hi,
> I know some of you have been to DW on here, and we are planning a trip for
> June 2012. My question isn't really parenting related, because there will 
> be
> 4 adults, and 3 kids, so the kids should not create an issue for 1 blind
> dad.
>
> What is the best kind of cane to take. I was thinking the telescoping 
> kind.
> Easy to collapse before getting on rides, and it will be small enough I 
> can
> just put it in the stroller with a kid if I don't feel like using it at 
> the
> time.
>
> if I am the only one who wants to go on a ride, will the Cast Members
> assist, or will my wife need to go to help me get on, but then she not get
> on herself.
>
> Other tips for a blind adult at DW?
>
> I know of the Braille maps and guides, but those don't interest me much,
> unless I can get them ahead of time. I don't want to take time away from 
> the
> kids' play to read a guide.
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
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