If you or someone in your family needs extra support, then you may be a little apprehensive when it comes to planning holidays. However, there’s no need to worry. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is committed to making its accommodation, theme parks, and attractions accessible to as many people as possible. And they have many services in place to help with this.
But just how accessible is Walt Disney World Resort? We’ve put together this article to help explain some of the services available. We’re hoping to put your mind at ease and give you the extra resources you need to plan the trip of a lifetime that everyone in your party can enjoy.
Read on for our guide to accessibility at Walt Disney World Resort.
Support services for guests with disabilities at Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida provides additional support services to help guests with disabilities to have an incredible time while visiting the parks. Here’s an idea of what you can expect.
Mobility | Neurodivergent | Deaf or hearing loss | Blind or visual impairment |
|---|---|---|---|
Disability parking | Companion restrooms | Sign language interpretation | Audio descriptions |
Wheelchair & ECV rental | Quiet locations to take a break | Assistive listening | Braille guidebooks |
Wheelchair & ECV transportation accessibility | Dietary accommodations | Handheld captioning | Portable tactile maps |
Cushions on attractions | Options for accessing attraction queues | Video captioning | Stationary braille maps |
Designated viewing areas for parades and shows | Sensory Experience Details booklet | Written scripts for shows | Walt Disney World Accessibility Maps |
Walt Disney World Accessibility Maps | Walt Disney World Accessibility Maps | Walt Disney World Accessibility Maps |
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida also has a comprehensive accessibility guide with more information.
Support services for people with autism or neurodivergent disabilities
Walt Disney World Resort is well known for its high amount of stimulation – whether that’s sounds, lighting effects, or crowds. Guests who are neurodivergent may struggle with some of these environments, so Walt Disney World Resort has put in place some services to help ease this.
Services and support include:
- Accessibility Planning Guide
- Sensory Experience Details booklet
- Disability Access Service (DAS)
- Companion Restrooms
- Quieter locations where guests can take a break
- Dietary accommodations
Disability Access Service (DAS)
Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) is designed to help guests with autism or other neurological disabilities who find it challenging to wait in line for an extended period of time. DAS is attached to your account on My Disney Experience. You can download the app once you arrive in Orlando.
Each time you want to go on a ride, you can reserve your time in advance on the app. You can then return to the ride at the allocated time and go down the Lightning Lane entrance.
The DAS maximum party size comprises the registered DAS guest and up to three additional people, making a total of four guests.
How to get the DAS pass
On arrival at the first Disney park you visit during your holiday, go straight to Guest Services. A Cast Member will give you an electronic tablet so you can video chat with the relevant department about any additional needs you or your party might have.
A DAS pass will then be issued if they determine it’s appropriate to do so. DAS is valid for the length of your Walt Disney World Resort ticket or up to 120 days, whichever is shorter.
Top tip: Try to describe the person’s needs rather than naming their disability, as this can often be more effective. For example, “My child cannot wait for a long time in a queue, or they will start to display inappropriate behaviours and may get very upset” is more helpful than just “My child has autism.”
Sensory Experience Details
Walt Disney World Resort has put together a booklet that details all the sensory elements of each ride and attraction. This will give you an idea of what to expect and help you to avoid anything that you’ll be uncomfortable with.
Top tip: If you have a child with sensory sensitivity, look through the booklet together so they can prepare themselves for the trip. There may be rides or attractions that they want to go on, and seeing what will happen during them can help them to relax.
Quiet locations to take a break
If you or someone in your party is overstimulated or overwhelmed and needs some quiet time, there are plenty of places throughout Walt Disney World Resort where you can go to take a break from the sights and sounds of the theme parks.
Here are some locations where you can sit and relax for a moment before continuing the fun.
Park | Break locations |
|---|---|
Magic Kingdom Park | Main Street, U.S.A. – Center Street Adventureland – area near Swiss Family Treehouse Frontierland – Miner’s Cove |
EPCOT | World Nature – area between The Seas with Nemo & Friends and Coral Reef Restaurant World Discovery – area near Mission: Space Mexico Pavilion – accessible ramp to the right of the pavilion |
Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Sunset Boulevard – area next to The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant Animation Courtyard – near the restrooms Pixar Place – near the archway at the end of the block |
Accessibility at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
Disney Resort hotels offer accessible rooms and specialist equipment for guests with disabilities, including wheelchair accessible rooms and hearing accessible rooms. Here are some of the hotel accessibility features.
Mobility | Neurodivergent | Deaf or hearing loss | Blind or visual impairment |
|---|---|---|---|
Wheelchair accessible rooms with grab bars at the toilet and tub | Service animals welcome | Phone amplifiers | Service animals welcome |
Wheelchair accessible rooms with roll-in shower | Bed shaker notification | ||
Portable raised toilet seat available on request | Strobe light smoke detector | ||
Designated parking areas | Text Typewriter (TTY) telephone | ||
Accessible paths | Visual door knock and phone alerts | ||
Telephone with volume control |
All hotels have accessible paths from arrival to the lobby and to accessible rooms, restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, business centres, pools, gyms, and laundry facilities.
Designated parking areas are available for guests with disabilities at all Disney hotels.
How to book an accessible room at Walt Disney World Resort: Call our knowledgeable team on 0800 223 0324 or use the Live Chat function on our website to discuss your needs.
Support services for people with mobility issues
Walt Disney World Resort offers several services for guests with mobility issues. These include:
- Disability parking
- Wheelchair & ECV rental
- Wheelchair & ECV accessibility on transport systems
- Cushions on attractions
Wheelchair accessibility at Walt Disney World Resort
You are welcome to use your own wheelchair throughout Walt Disney World Resort, or you can rent one from any of the Disney Theme Parks, Water Parks, or from Disney Springs.
The majority of the parks, including paths, attraction queues, restaurants, toilets, and break areas, are wheelchair accessible.
Walt Disney World Resort wheelchair rental
You can rent a wheelchair at the Disney Theme Parks, Water Parks, and at Disney Springs. Prices start from $10 per day, and a refundable deposit is required at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and Disney Springs.
You just pay once for the day, and you can use a wheelchair wherever you go, although you must get a new wheelchair each time you arrive at a park, as you can’t move the wheelchair between parks.
Top tip: There are a limited number of wheelchairs available, and it isn’t possible to reserve one in advance, so be sure to arrive early.
You can also rent Electric Conveyance Vehicles (ECVs) if you prefer.
Wheelchair accessible Walt Disney World Resort rides
Here are the rides where you can stay in your wheelchair or ECV.
Magic Kingdom Park | EPCOT | Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
|---|---|---|---|
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin | Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros | Kilimanjaro Safaris | Toy Story Mania! |
“it’s a small world” | Journey Into Imagination With Figment | Wildlife Express Train | |
Jungle Cruise | Living with the Land Presented by Chiquita |
| |
Liberty Square Riverboat | Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure | ||
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | ||
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | |||
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | |||
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid | |||
Walt Disney World Railroad (Frontierland and Main Street, U.S.A.) |
For other rides, you will need to transfer from your wheelchair. You must be able to self-transfer or transfer with the help of someone in your party, as Cast Members are unable to assist you, although they can talk you through the process.
Wheelchair accessible transport at Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort offers complimentary accessible transport options throughout. All the bus routes have buses that can accommodate wheelchairs and ECVs as long as they fit in the lift and can be fastened in.
Guests with difficulties walking can board the buses via the back door, where the access is lower and easier.
The monorail system has elevators and ramps at some of its locations, including the Transportation and Ticket Center, Magic Kingdom Park, and EPCOT.
The Skyliner is also accessible and connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT to some of the resort hotels.
Service animals at Walt Disney World Resort
Service animals are welcome at Walt Disney World Resort. They can use any open outdoor area to go to the toilet at the theme parks, hotels, and other areas accessible to guests, as long as the owner tidies up after them. Service animals are defined as dogs and miniature horses.
They are welcome in all attraction queues. However, they aren’t permitted on some of the rides. A Cast Member will be able to advise you on each ride.
Top tips for visiting Walt Disney World Resort with disabilities
- Make a detailed plan for your time in the parks: We recommend that every guest has some sort of plan for their visit to Walt Disney World Resort as there’s just so much to see, but in particular, it can really help guests with disabilities make the most of their time. You can plan the route for anyone with mobility issues, and for neurodivergent guests, it will help to know what to expect on each day
- Use Attraction Queue Re-entry: You can exit the queue and return later while the rest of your party stays in line
- Grab a guide map for guests with disabilities: These maps have detailed information for accessibility, and you can get one for each park from Guest Relations or download it as a PDF online
To check attractions and services available to you or a guest in your party, take a look at the Walt Disney World Resort accessibility guide.
Now that you have all the information you need on accessibility at Walt Disney World Resort, it’s time to get excited for your holiday. Book your dream trip now at AttractionTickets.com.
