Disneyland with special needs

In our small traveling group, potential areas of concern included dementia, arthritis (included artificial knees), anxiety, diabetes, and fear of losing a wig. In addition, the park can be tiring for much younger people.

I took a lot of that into account while planning the trip. I did not plan on going on any fast rides, and I had considered which ones were harder to get in and out of, or more uncomfortable for the legs. There was no chance we would go on Goofy's Sky School, but there were a lot of rides that I thought would be fine.

I underestimated the knees. Even some rides with a reasonable amount of leg room required too much bending. We discovered this on our second attempted ride, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, when my mother could just not get seated. Maybe the anxiety makes her give up sooner, but it she couldn't do it. She ended up waiting just outside the ride exit while I rode it.

In addition, the first ride we did, Soarin' Over the World, made her dizzy. Getting in and out of the ride was easy, but the ride part itself - which I thought she would love - scared her.

That required an adjustment in plans. Many rides that I thought would be okay (pretty much everything in Fantasyland) had to be scrapped. She had been on most of them back in the '80s, but I had been excited to introduce her to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and that wasn't going to happen.

I ended up prioritizing the ones that I thought she would enjoy the most and where she would have the most leg room. We rode Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Peter Pan, and the Haunted Mansion. We also went into the Enchanted Tiki Room (an attraction, but not a ride), and we rode the Monorail.

There are a few points that I want to make, but I think the first is that we still had a nice time. I like riding rides a lot, but sitting and listening to the music and watching the people is still good. There is a good and happy feeling there, and it was good for her to partake of it, even if the memories are not always there.

There is also a lot of entertainment, with bands and musical acts all around. We only specifically made an effort to catch the show at the Golden Horseshoe Review, but we could have done much more.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment/

I was constantly reminded that choosing to stay at the Grand Californian had been the right way to go. We were easily able to get back and forth from the park, which meant taking breaks in the middle of the day possible (because it was necessary).

The reason we rode the Monorail was to see if the Downtown Disney stop was closer to the hotel than going through the main entrance. It may have been a little closer, but there were stairs going down from the platform there (the Tomorrowland stop is all ramp), so it was a mixed bag. Trying it was still something to make the experience more interesting.

Wheelchairs are available, and I thought about it a lot, but that was not something my mother wanted, and I had to respect that.

I personally am grateful that the bathrooms have receptacles for sharps, which is helpful.

But the most important thing is to once again be grateful for how helpful the cast members are. When Mom was struggling to get in to the trailer for the Junkyard Jamboree, they tried to assist. I think they might have helped us position the legs in if we had wanted, but I knew she would hate that. Instead, they helped her get to the exit to wait, but immediately followed with a pass for quick readmission if she wanted to try it again. I appreciated that.

Also, in addition to the Main Street Electrical Parade, we also stayed for the World of Color. We had gotten regular reservations and found her place, but I was worried about her standing for that long. I went to find a bench while we waited.

The way the World of Color reservations work is that you get a ticket for a standing area, which you hand over as you enter. If you leave they give you one back (it is probably not the same one, though that doesn't matter) so you can return and get back in.

Our cast member asked and I explained I just wanted to let her sit for a while. I have seen chairs, but they were marked reserved and I don't know how you get them. I still don't know how you get them in advance, but he immediately asked if I would like for her to sit during the show, and he found her a spot to sit.

It just made everything so much easier, and I was so grateful.

Looking back I suspect that if I had asked someone earlier - at the hotel or in the park - how to get a seating place, they would have had answers.

One thing I have become aware of recently is how many different types of disabilities there are. We tend to think of wheelchair access, but someone on the autism spectrum recently had trouble flying: pre-boarding would have been very helpful, but without difficulty walking or small children the airline just couldn't see to give her that grace.

It impresses me seeing how many different issues Disneyland can be good with. It may require some advance planning, but there are many things that can work, and be a great experience.