The first time I took my daughter to Disneyland, she looked at me as if to say, “This has been here all this time and you didn’t bring me here?” She can barely walk, but as we approach the entrance gates she gets a little bounce in her step and a big smile on her face. She loves the energy of this happy place. I guess after lots of hospitals and plenty of stressful times, there is a magic to this place which insists on happiness. Upon arrival, we have to go to a customer service stand to get a disability pass. There is a brief interview typically conducted by a young-ish person who has no idea what cerebral palsy is or what it means to have it. After answering a few questions about ability, we get the pass which allows Grace to go on rides without too much of a wait. Over the years, Disneyland has been working on refining their special needs process. I appreciate that they’re working to improve it, and they give some attention to this issue. The park is super clean and feels very safe. Many rides are accessible by wheelchair, and all of the entertainment is accessible. Restaurants have ramps, but these days you must make a reservation first. It might seem meaningless, but there is a place for simple family fun in our often stressful world of disability issues. Sometimes I feel like there isn’t a place for my daughter in our world (except for the ones I carve out of stone by hand), but there is definitely a place for her at Disneyland. I appreciate that.
1 Review on “Disneyland & California Adventure Parks”
The first time I took my daughter to Disneyland, she looked at me as if to say, “This has been here all this time and you didn’t bring me here?” She can barely walk, but as we approach the entrance gates she gets a little bounce in her step and a big smile on her face. She loves the energy of this happy place. I guess after lots of hospitals and plenty of stressful times, there is a magic to this place which insists on happiness. Upon arrival, we have to go to a customer service stand to get a disability pass. There is a brief interview typically conducted by a young-ish person who has no idea what cerebral palsy is or what it means to have it. After answering a few questions about ability, we get the pass which allows Grace to go on rides without too much of a wait. Over the years, Disneyland has been working on refining their special needs process. I appreciate that they’re working to improve it, and they give some attention to this issue. The park is super clean and feels very safe. Many rides are accessible by wheelchair, and all of the entertainment is accessible. Restaurants have ramps, but these days you must make a reservation first. It might seem meaningless, but there is a place for simple family fun in our often stressful world of disability issues. Sometimes I feel like there isn’t a place for my daughter in our world (except for the ones I carve out of stone by hand), but there is definitely a place for her at Disneyland. I appreciate that.