Hi All,
I had responded to a thread but can't find it now. We were anxious about visiting here with DS15. He is an epileptic, partially ambulatory(50-100 feet if super motivated ), suffers from significant developmental delay and is only partially potty trained. I was unsure about how Busch Gardens would measure up to what we were used to at Disney. We ebayed a Fairfield resort only a mile or two from Williamsburg and a 5 min ride to Busch Gardens. It was cheap, huge and had everything but toothbrushing stuff and clothes. They even provided the Tide. Nothing like coming home and just unpacking clean clothes into everyones drawers It was nicely themed toward the Colonial atmosphere of Williamsburg and was about the size of a two bedroom and the studio lockout at DVC. We loved it.
I really liked Busch Gardens. The park is beautiful, everything is incredibly accessible and they really do work with you to get your particular needs met. The only complaints I would have are the numerous hills(DS is still in a manual chair as is my Mom. My brother is recouperating from a serious accident he had last year that left him with nerve damage so he rented an ECV.) There are million hills here and although there is a train, it only really helped to take one or two hills out by using it and you also missed out on some of the exhibits or rides if you used it. And secondly the CM's here are good but they don't seem to have enough which causes a little confusion getting to the proper place to board but once you find one or they see you they are awesome The lady who ran the aviary even let my son go through alone as they were closing up. There had been a scheduling mistake made on the park map/info sheet and the incorrect closing time was listed. She had noticed us waiting to get earlier and remember my DS. She let us in even though they were closed and told him to take his time because it would take everyone a while to wash their hands and get through the gift shop. It was really special for him because he loves birds and some landed directly on him or on parts of his chair and he was squealing in delight when it happened. We used the First Aid Center for DS's diaper changes and the women who ran them were so sweet, nice and efficient. We didn't get the Guest Assistance Pass they offer because DS's disabilties are so evident we've never run into any problems but I know they did offer one at their guest services for disabilites that aren't visible right off. I believe they worked pretty much like Disney's GAC from what we were told.
As far as Colonial Williamsburg went, I can only report on the wheelchair conditions because my brother(ECV rider ) had an Asthma attack and skipped out on it. There were some parts of the attractions that were not wheelchair friendly (sand with small, pebbly gravel on top) but there are a few paved roadways that run inbetween that are blocked off to cars and they had shops, exhibits, and restaurants galore! They were very easily navigable. We used our own vehicle but did see wheelchair accessible busses running through the areas. The originated at the Visitors Center and you were also able to rent wheelchairs here but they were limited b/c I heard the reservationist next to ours tell a family they got the last one and it was only around 11am. Overall though a very fun week and much better access than I had anticipated. Please feel free to ask if there are any questions. Oh yeah and don't miss Pet Shenanigans at BG if you are an animal fan. It was hilarious.
I had responded to a thread but can't find it now. We were anxious about visiting here with DS15. He is an epileptic, partially ambulatory(50-100 feet if super motivated ), suffers from significant developmental delay and is only partially potty trained. I was unsure about how Busch Gardens would measure up to what we were used to at Disney. We ebayed a Fairfield resort only a mile or two from Williamsburg and a 5 min ride to Busch Gardens. It was cheap, huge and had everything but toothbrushing stuff and clothes. They even provided the Tide. Nothing like coming home and just unpacking clean clothes into everyones drawers It was nicely themed toward the Colonial atmosphere of Williamsburg and was about the size of a two bedroom and the studio lockout at DVC. We loved it.
I really liked Busch Gardens. The park is beautiful, everything is incredibly accessible and they really do work with you to get your particular needs met. The only complaints I would have are the numerous hills(DS is still in a manual chair as is my Mom. My brother is recouperating from a serious accident he had last year that left him with nerve damage so he rented an ECV.) There are million hills here and although there is a train, it only really helped to take one or two hills out by using it and you also missed out on some of the exhibits or rides if you used it. And secondly the CM's here are good but they don't seem to have enough which causes a little confusion getting to the proper place to board but once you find one or they see you they are awesome The lady who ran the aviary even let my son go through alone as they were closing up. There had been a scheduling mistake made on the park map/info sheet and the incorrect closing time was listed. She had noticed us waiting to get earlier and remember my DS. She let us in even though they were closed and told him to take his time because it would take everyone a while to wash their hands and get through the gift shop. It was really special for him because he loves birds and some landed directly on him or on parts of his chair and he was squealing in delight when it happened. We used the First Aid Center for DS's diaper changes and the women who ran them were so sweet, nice and efficient. We didn't get the Guest Assistance Pass they offer because DS's disabilties are so evident we've never run into any problems but I know they did offer one at their guest services for disabilites that aren't visible right off. I believe they worked pretty much like Disney's GAC from what we were told.
As far as Colonial Williamsburg went, I can only report on the wheelchair conditions because my brother(ECV rider ) had an Asthma attack and skipped out on it. There were some parts of the attractions that were not wheelchair friendly (sand with small, pebbly gravel on top) but there are a few paved roadways that run inbetween that are blocked off to cars and they had shops, exhibits, and restaurants galore! They were very easily navigable. We used our own vehicle but did see wheelchair accessible busses running through the areas. The originated at the Visitors Center and you were also able to rent wheelchairs here but they were limited b/c I heard the reservationist next to ours tell a family they got the last one and it was only around 11am. Overall though a very fun week and much better access than I had anticipated. Please feel free to ask if there are any questions. Oh yeah and don't miss Pet Shenanigans at BG if you are an animal fan. It was hilarious.