Service Dog Does Disney World

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When have you disregarded what others thought to try new ways for meeting your needs?

Name: Amy Jo Stevens
Email: amy@voyager.net
Date: 21 Mar 2001
Time: 14:36:48
Remote Name: bar-pm3-1-1.jvlnet.com

Story

When you're physically challenged, sometimes the thought of going on a vacation is overwhelming. You've adapted to the environment of your own home and community and are reluctant to leave your comfort zone. This is how I felt, and my husband, Marshall, and I hadn't been on a "real" vacation for about five years.

For one thing, traveling is complicated. As my limb-girdle muscular dystrophy has progressed, I've acquired more physical aids to help me remain as active as possible. These aids include a triwalker (for getting around at home), a wheelchair (for shopping), an all-terrain scooter (for use outdoors) -- and a Paws With a Cause service dog named Abby Jo.

When we go on a trip, not only do we have to take luggage containing our clothes and personal items, we must also take all of the above. Needless to say, we take our own van so that everything I need is accessible to us instead of trying to figure out how to get it all on an airplane.

But, by the winter of 1997-98, we felt we deserved a vacation. I had enjoyed visiting Walt Disney World as a child, and I wanted to see some of the new attractions. I also knew that Disney parks had a reputation for accessibility, and that, once we arrived, we could unload the van and stay for several days.

So we made plans to visit Disney World in Florida in March. On our trip, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that people with disabilities can overcome the obstacles to travel and enjoy a vacation.

My first step was to call our local AAA Travel Agency in Alpena, Mich., and request a Disney package of information. The staff was very helpful and happy to send the brochures, maps and books to me so that I wouldn't have to pick them up at their office.

I also called (407) W-DISNEY for a free video and a copy of Guidebooks for Guests With Disabilities. This turned out to be of great help. The book for Disney World includes detailed maps of the park.

A brief summary of each attraction tells whether you can remain in a scooter or wheelchair or if you must transfer to the ride. You need to have someone in your own party to help you transfer, because Disney employees (referred to as cast members) aren't allowed to do it.

You can download the guidebook from Disney's Web site, http://disney.go.com, if you have the right software.

The guidebook also lists which rides are recommended for people with mobility restrictions and whether or not your service animal can accompany you on them. If not, the dog must remain with someone else in your party. Disney employees aren't able to hold your pet for you while you go on a ride, but they'll watch your wheelchair if you've transferred.

For most rides, people with disabilities are allowed to bypass the waiting lines. Be aware that some computerized attractions may be accessible to manual wheelchairs, but not power ones.

I had worried about where Abby Jo would be able to "go potty 94 in the beautifully landscaped theme parks. I also wondered how we'd manage when I need assistance in a large public restroom and whether Marshall could come in and help me.

The guidebook explained that all of the Disney parks have designated service dog break areas. They're listed in the book; they're usually located behind the attractions.

The book also assured me that Disney meets the need for true handicapped restrooms. They're large and private so that, if you need assistance, a member of your family can come in and help you. Companion restrooms are located at first aid stations in each park and others are highlighted in the guidebooks.

The guidebooks also list designated areas for wheelchair viewing along parade routes. And it says that Disney cast members are friendly and trained to show you where to go for any special assistance.

I recommend that you read the whole guidebook before you go and mark the attractions you'd like to see, so you'll know what to expect when you arrive. Have your days all mapped out so you can save time while you're there and see as much as possible!

We called in January to reserve a room at one of the Disney resorts (hotels inside Disney World). These hotels have excellent accessible rooms that include large roll-in tile bathrooms, shower stalls with bars and hand-held showerheads, and roll-under vanities.

The hotel staff couldn't have been more helpful. They even hung an extra mirror in the bathroom, where it would be easier for me to see.

If you stay at a Disney resort, you're allowed to get into the parks one hour early, before the rush of the general public starts.

Another perk for resort guests is free use of the Disney transportation system. The buses are accessible to wheelchairs and scooters, with hydraulic lifts. They take you on first and lock you in place. We were also able to use the boats throughout Disney World with no problem.

Marshall and I, along with Abby Jo, spent five days and five nights on the grounds of Walt Disney World, and we couldn't have had a better vacation.

At Discovery Island, I don’t know who was more interested in seeing the other: Abby watching all the different birds and animals, or the birds and animals looking at her! Taking Abby to Disney World was as much fun for me as it must be for a parent to take a child there for the first time.

We even bought her a set of Minnie Mouse ears to wear along with her backpack. The other guests (and employees) at the parks seemed as excited to see her as they were Mickey Mouse himself. People were stopping us to take a picture or video of us every day!

We answered many questions about Paws with a Cause. The next time I go on vacation, I won't leave without some brochures to hand out. Some people even took the phone number so they could call and find out how to make a contribution, because Abby Jo so warmed their hearts!

At the Magic Kingdom, Abby’s favorite attractions were It’s a Small World, where she loved seeing the children singing as we rode through in our own boat especially designed for wheelchairs, and Country Bear Jamboree, where our front-row seats enabled her to get a good look at the animated bears. Just like a little girl, she was kind of afraid when we went through the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean but she sat between us and we held her close.

She also met Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto, and had her picture taken with them and many other characters, including Cinderella and Mary Poppins. At first she didn't know what to think of the people dressed up in costumes but she soon became used to them.

At Epcot, we began our day by going into the Spaceship Earth pavilion. Abby Jo also went into the Universe of Energy where she saw dinosaurs. She liked riding in the boat at the Land and watching the fish swim by in the huge aquariums of the Living Seas pavilion. She even met a character called Figment at Journey into Your Imagination.

As we went through the displays from 11 countries in the World Showcase at Epcot, the employees native to those countries were very happy to see Abby. Many of them are on contract to work at Disney and had to leave their pets at home with family.

We spent a day at Disney-MGM Studios where we toured the set of "101 Dalmatians" (and one golden retriever with Minnie Mouse ears). Abby watched the parades with interest and also enjoyed the opportunity to lie down and rest.

On our last day, Abby enjoyed the boat ride from our resort to Downtown Disney, Disney’s West Side and Pleasure Island. In restaurants, she behaved just the way she's trained to do, lying under the table with no one even knowing she was there -- even at the Rainforest Café where your meal comes complete with thunder, lightning and jungle sounds. She even experienced Planet Hollywood.

Sometimes, when we were in the gift shops, Abby Jo couldn’t help picking up a stuffed animal. She has many animals for toys at home and we call them her babies. For souvenirs, she chose a Mickey Mouse ball and a couple of new babies.

We took Abby’s food in a zip-lock bag in her backpack where we also carried a portable water bowl. This way she always had her dinner on time. She knows how to drink out of fountains, but Disney employees were always happy to get her a bowl of water.

Each night Abby was pleased to get back to our room and sprawl out on the king-size bed with her Mom and Dad. But she was equally eager to get her pack on and go again in the morning.

After we left Disney World, we visited some friends and went to other Florida attractions, including Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven and Ft. Myers Beach. We drove all the way south to Key West, where Abby got to meet someone’ pet iguana and I took a picture of them together.

On our way home, we stayed over in Chattanooga, Tenn., and saw Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall inside Lookout Mountain (not very accessible). We also enjoyed the Tennessee Aquarium, the world's largest freshwater aquarium, which is totally accessible. At the Lost Sea in Sweetwater, Tenn., we went deep inside some caves and caverns and came out at an underground lake. We took a glass-bottom boat ride, and Abby enjoyed looking over the side at the fish jumping out of the water.

I hope our story has encouraged you to try leaving your comfort zone and planning a wonderful vacation – with or without your own Abby Jo. Don't let your disability stop you. Just buy a lot of film and have fun!

(First published in Quest, national magazine of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.)

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