[Travelandtourism] Back from Disney

[cheryl echevarria]

Michael thank you for sharing, and I will be forwarding this information to Mark Jones of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Parks.
We are doing our best to work with the parks and the cruise ships.
Also, Mark Jones will be on my radio program probably the October Show on thruoureyes.org the first Wednesday of every month at 8pm.
Yes I would love to hear more, did you use the new headsets that they offer, or not.  I want to hear your thoughts on that as well.
You were using the mobility skills that worked for you in that situation. I use all 3 mobility tools, sighted guide, cane and guide dog.
The more we know, the more independent that we can be.
Now, this is a little off topic, but I have been hearing a lot that others are not using anything no cane, no sighted guide, no guide dog, and they insist they don't need the help but they are falling down, getting hurt, and that is not being independent.
Just some news I have been hearing around the blind community.



Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
PresidentTravel and Tourism DivisionNational Federation of the Blind631-236-5138



> From: mbaldwin at gpcom.net
> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:42:05 -0500
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Back from Disney
> 
> Hi,
> We are back, well mostly back from our 2 week Disney World vacation.
> We are visiting family before we go home.
> I will go in to more detail later if anyone wishes, but I just wanted to
> post a few quick thoughts about our experience.
> We visited the parks 7 days, one day each at Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood
> Studios, two days at EPCOT, and 3 days at Magic Kingdom. For the most part,
> it was a fantastic time. The majority of cast members were helpful and
> great, but there are always those few. Because it was my wife and 3 kids,
> ages 1, 3, and 6, I elected not to take my cane. Others might disagree with
> this decision, but that is their choice to make. It is too loud to try to
> follow my wife around, and holding on to my wife, and a child is difficult
> to do when your also carrying around a cane. The majority of cast members
> didn't seem to argue when we informed them that I was blind, and they were
> very helpful getting my 6 year old and I on a few rides that no one else
> went on. The biggest issue came at the ticket booths. Some of the people
> picked up on it right away without a word being said, and others were a
> really big moron about it. At Disney they like to have your finger print on
> file with your ticket, this prevents the ticket from being transferred to
> others or sold. I have no issue with using my finger print, if they would
> have shoed me were to do it. On our second visit to the MK, the ticket
> person would not let us through until my wife used her finger print on my
> ticket. We went to guest services, and I explained the situation as calmly
> as I could, and I was issued a new ticket with no finger print on it. There
> is no reason to have my ticket matched with my wife's finger print, how
> would I get in the park if I went with someone else, or by myself. The third
> trip resulted in the same thing, the ticket person would not let us pass
> until my wife used her finger print. It was our last day, so I didn't bother
> with guest relations. Two days going in to the parks we had no issues at
> all, they didn't even question us, the ticket person noticed I was holding
> on to my wife, and knew right away I was blind. Three of the days were more
> average, so I guess it all balanced out.
> 
> My biggest issue is that if people that get Guest Assistance  cards do not
> have to show proof they have ADHD, autism, etc. so they can't stand in lines
> for long periods, why do I have to carry around a cane to prove I am blind?
> The finger print readers are up kind of high, so kids and people in wheel
> chairs don't need a finger print matched to their tickets. I had no issues
> getting the GAC, but being treated like a 3rd rate citizen at the ticket
> booths is unacceptable. The problem only occurred at MK, so I am guessing
> because that park is the busiest, they are trying to get everyone in as
> quick as possible, and trying to show a blind guy where to place his finger
> would take to much time, but yet they have to have a finger print on the
> card.
> 
> This is probably the only issue I experienced as a blind person at WDW. I am
> sure if I traveled there by myself I would have had a few more. Still, we
> all had a great time, and the kids want to go back.
> 
> Michael
> 
> 
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