I need a Disney Travel Agent what works with Guest with Disabilities Please

[AngelaVa]

My family is planning a trip to Disney next September. I am looking for a travel planner that is great guest with disabilities. Can anyone help me or give me a name of a TA that can. Thank you!!

This is my family that is going and why I need a TA that is good with guest who have disabilities. My husband has a LVAD (Heart Pump), my daughter (40 Yrs. old) has anxiety and other mental problems, finally my grandson, he is 10 and is autistic.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Since these boards are sponsored by Dreams Unlimited Travel I would recommend you contact them.

It's not common practice to discuss other travel agencies on these boards due to the sponsorship.

 

[AngelaVa]

I am hopping that one of them will see this and will help. OR I will add all this info and just hope for the best when I book my tripwith Dreams.

 

[lanejudy]

Actually, other TA's can be mentioned as long as the website URL is included (example: Costco Travel). That said, most travel agencies can book whatever accessible accommodations you may need. Though I suspect you may be looking more for someone to answer questions related to traveling with disabilities. If you don't find a travel agent who specializes in both WDW and disabilities, feel free to ask questions here on the disABILITIES Forum. We have a wide range of posters with all kinds of experience; most either have a disability themselves or are a caregiver/parent of someone with a disability.

 

[SueM in MN]

As lanejudy mentioned, there are quite a few people on this board who are experienced traveling to WDW with disabilities. LVAD is a bit more unusual and I don't remember it coming up before. Hospital I worked at cared for LVAD patient, but they were short term temporary while awaiting transplant, so I'm assuming different than your situation.

You will want to confer with your husband's doctor before making your arrangements. You will want to get recommendations about where to go for medical care or supplies if he has any issues or questions during the trip.
The physician/cardiac medical team may have some ideas on TAs patients in their care have worked with successfully (I can imagine they might have had patients who went with family to WDW).

HERE ARE SOME LINKS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL:

• This is a link to a study about air travel with LVAD. The study was small - only 50 patients, so may be the same as a larger study. The majority of patients reported no trouble with air travel itself, but experienced issues with going thru Security.
• Abbot has a good site about travel with an LVAD that you might find helpful.
• TSA website has a FAQ on internal and external devices. It doesn't have much information, but does include the basics.
• TSA main page about travel with disabilities. It has subsections about travel with medications and medical liquids. My daughter has epilepsy and we travel with 2 large bottles of liquid Seizure medication that needs to be inspected. Not difficult, but is a little concerning the first time.
• My family has found TSA Precheck to be very helpful. It helps to streamline the TSA screening process.
• TSA also has a passenger support program called TSA Cares. My family used them several times, but found the support to be kind of inconsistent, especially at the Orlando airport. They are worth trying though.

Hopefully, the information people post on this thread will get you started and you will be a bit prepared when you find a travel agent

 

[Lewisc]

I think the OP is asking for the name of specific individual (Dreams Unlimited) to use.

I'd suggest Sue or Judy, if either of them are. TAs with Dreams

 

[lanejudy]

Here is a link to a list of Dreams Unlimited TAs. They do have specialty areas such as WDW, DCL, ABD, etc. but I don't believe any particularly specialize in disabilities.

On occasional I have run across articles or Internet links for TAs who specialize in travel with disabilities. I've never used one though so I don't feel comfortable recommending any.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here is a link to a list of Dreams Unlimited TAs. They do have specialty areas such as WDW, DCL, ABD, etc. but I don't believe any particularly specialize in disabilities.

On occasional I have run across articles or Internet links for TAs who specialize in travel with disabilities. I've never used one though so I don't feel comfortable recommending any.

I am the same.
We used a travel agent multiple times in the ‘way past’ for airline tickets, but haven’t used one myself, so I don’t have any experience to recommend one

 

[gottalovepluto]

Disney isn’t like other traveling, TAs have very little power over the day to day moments of your trip and zero sway to get Disney to treat their guests better/differently than other guests, so there really isn’t a way to specialize in disability bookings. Do not expect any TA to be able to help with anything besides booking an accessible hotel room and maybe airport transportation- if they promise more than that come here and ask us about their promise on the DIS and we can most likely tell you if it’s legit or if you’re about to get taken for a scam.

You’re gonna have to research it all out for yourself and I see some awesome DISers have already started you well on your way!

Here is the link to Disney World’s page on disability services, take some time and review it. They post guides for different issues and have an email in case you can’t find the info you need about your issues in the park.