Thanks for booting this back up to the boards again. It's great to see all the ideas that have been submitted since we left on our trip.
My time is limited right now, but I'll just start on day one with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hopefully, somebody can make sense ot it. I posted a note a few days ago asking about GAPs and how to make the process better. I did make a good contact while at WDW and will be in touch with him later this week.
Now for the notes: We flew Delta airlines out of Portland OR. We have also made the trip on American. Both offered mediocre service the days we travelled. American partially squished my daughter's wheelchair in a cargo door (they did pay for repairs) and Delta was so disorganised on one flight that they were unable to get all the meals served! Both airlines were helpful in getting all of our gear into the overheads. We were offered additional help with plane transfers and these went smoothly. The experience is totally dependent on the employees and their moods(and to some extent their knowlege of special needs). It only takes 1 very helpful person to make a trip go well, and only 1 with a bad attitude to make it harder. Yes, I know that I can choose how I respond to the stresses of travelling with my daughter, but somehow, I have not yet learned the art of being gracious no matter what!!
We stayed at the Hyatt Hotel at the Orlando airport, because I knew we would be exhausted and in no mood to arrive at WDW at 1 am. The greatest part of this was that for $5 they went and fetched our bags from the luggage carousel. We went up to our room, got cleaned up, and fell into bed. We did not need anything in the checked luggage so they just held onto it til morning. This was one of the best things I did for myself on this trip.
Prior to leaving, I had made a reservation with Inline Limousine Services at 1 877 322-1905 or 407 247-2774. I was quite pleased with the service provided. The driver was a few minutes early, knowledgeable about how to load my daughter's wheelchair (which she does not need to occupy while in a car)
, and checked with us frequently to be sure we were comfortable. I have had poor experiences with Mear (anybody else want to open that can of worms?!?)and this was a very pleasant change. We needed to change our leave date to get to CA to provide care for my father's critically ill wife. I called them at 10 in the morning and was able to arrange for a pick up that evening. I realise that as this company gets busier that may not be possible. We had never been in a limo before, and this one was a stretch limo. When we arrived at ASMovies, I went to get a bell person and stood in line a good 5 min. The limo driver walked up to the desk and suggested that because my daughter was in a wheelchair and was getting quite warm, that perhaps they should give us priority service. They didn't, but I sure appreciated the driver choosing to speak up.
I will pick up the travelogue at this point tomorrow.
I have a suggestion for the DISers on this board. I did not think of it until we were back home. If you can make "business cards" on your computer, print some out with your name, your user name, and the web address for this site, and hand them out as you meet and interact with families facing challenges while at WDW. In our 2+ weeks, we saw only one other lime green ribbon. Where are all of you???
My time is limited right now, but I'll just start on day one with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hopefully, somebody can make sense ot it. I posted a note a few days ago asking about GAPs and how to make the process better. I did make a good contact while at WDW and will be in touch with him later this week.
Now for the notes: We flew Delta airlines out of Portland OR. We have also made the trip on American. Both offered mediocre service the days we travelled. American partially squished my daughter's wheelchair in a cargo door (they did pay for repairs) and Delta was so disorganised on one flight that they were unable to get all the meals served! Both airlines were helpful in getting all of our gear into the overheads. We were offered additional help with plane transfers and these went smoothly. The experience is totally dependent on the employees and their moods(and to some extent their knowlege of special needs). It only takes 1 very helpful person to make a trip go well, and only 1 with a bad attitude to make it harder. Yes, I know that I can choose how I respond to the stresses of travelling with my daughter, but somehow, I have not yet learned the art of being gracious no matter what!!
We stayed at the Hyatt Hotel at the Orlando airport, because I knew we would be exhausted and in no mood to arrive at WDW at 1 am. The greatest part of this was that for $5 they went and fetched our bags from the luggage carousel. We went up to our room, got cleaned up, and fell into bed. We did not need anything in the checked luggage so they just held onto it til morning. This was one of the best things I did for myself on this trip.
Prior to leaving, I had made a reservation with Inline Limousine Services at 1 877 322-1905 or 407 247-2774. I was quite pleased with the service provided. The driver was a few minutes early, knowledgeable about how to load my daughter's wheelchair (which she does not need to occupy while in a car)
, and checked with us frequently to be sure we were comfortable. I have had poor experiences with Mear (anybody else want to open that can of worms?!?)and this was a very pleasant change. We needed to change our leave date to get to CA to provide care for my father's critically ill wife. I called them at 10 in the morning and was able to arrange for a pick up that evening. I realise that as this company gets busier that may not be possible. We had never been in a limo before, and this one was a stretch limo. When we arrived at ASMovies, I went to get a bell person and stood in line a good 5 min. The limo driver walked up to the desk and suggested that because my daughter was in a wheelchair and was getting quite warm, that perhaps they should give us priority service. They didn't, but I sure appreciated the driver choosing to speak up.
I will pick up the travelogue at this point tomorrow.
I have a suggestion for the DISers on this board. I did not think of it until we were back home. If you can make "business cards" on your computer, print some out with your name, your user name, and the web address for this site, and hand them out as you meet and interact with families facing challenges while at WDW. In our 2+ weeks, we saw only one other lime green ribbon. Where are all of you???
) if those maps were in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.
