As if MS isn't bad enough the place of Magic burst my image of them! I longed to see my kids grow and bring them to see the Magic Kingdom. Well I was equipped with the neck coolers and a Dr's note saying I had MS and needed some special assistance. Well, Sea World and Universal were AMAZING they gave me a pass to get in a special entrace, avoiding long lines, basically you go in the exit and a re put on the ride with in a couple turns sometimes right away. I was not looking to be put right on but not as long as others had to wait, I could not, I needed to go in Air-Conditioning on a regular basis. Well, what did Disney do, they gave me a pass saying, send her to shade to wait in line! They said have your family wait in the regular line and call you when they are up, NOT POSSIBLE! I was no where near the entrance so could not hear them or get to them without it taking forever. I was soooooooooo upset all that money to go there, we bought 5 day passes about $800.00 and this was the help I got. I watch people in wheelchairs go right in, I am grateful I do not require a wheelchair, but the heat did not affect them, not the same! I felt so discriminated against. I was survayed as I entered the fourth day and told my gripe, the guy was outraged and said I will take care of this. I was Ok here we go, nope, all I got was instant access to Fast Passes. Usually you can only get so mainy per hour, I could get all I wanted, sound good? No, there are times on each pass and they are hours apart and are half a park away, so I was expected to run here and there. This would have required more energy than waiting in line. My Magical Vacation-not so hot-I thought it was bad enough to be diagnosed on my child's first day of Kindergarden but this was a real rip-off. I did enjoy their faces though, all was not a loss but Disney really surprised me, I thought they would be the tops with helping me. WRONG the WORST! Thanks for listening-Tina
Bad Disney Experience!
I'm sure if Walt Disney was still living and in charge it would have been different. However he isn't either so the next best thing would be to make a complaint to the people in charge of the entire company. There must be someplace you can file a complaint other than at the individual parks. They do not want dissatisfied customers telling about bad experiences. NOT good for business.
I would be happy to- anyone know who I should write? I have a migraine and feeling a little duhish! I would love to tell them what they did to me!
Disney is not what it was! The official line is, when someone has a complaint, it is supposed to be not only fixed immediately, but in someway, BETTER.
Sorry to hear this was not so magical...
Don't know where to write, but there must be some names on their website.
Sounds trivial, but I was put-off by the bag-search on the way into each park, really felt less-than-magical to have to be reminded of reality...
Also, the Park used to SPARKLE, it now seems a bit run down, faded, cracked...
Thanks for your kind words Pardancanda, I agree, we had a no fly zone while there too. I have to admit I was surprised that it was the lowest on the landscaping too, bunch of marigolds nothing too special, I understand low maintance and most folks don't care about hte flowers. I must say Sea Worls was the tops of landscaping and Universal a close second! Those two places were a blast!
I was impressed with Sea World, my first time there. Although, I was careful to sit in the NO-soak zone, but still got drenched with salt-water. Oh well, it was fun.
And Universal is always a perennial favorite.
If Disney does not get its act together, it seems possible to do Orlando without setting foot there!
I do like staying at the All Star resorts (Music) though; best bargain, and good bus service to everywhere. Rooms are smaller, but little time spent in them anyway.
I was really soaked. I had decided to sit in the No-Soak Zone but my kids had other plans! Oh yeah there I was about fourth row with Namu and Shamu doing their thing. It felt pretty good, it was HOT! I figure maybe Kirchoff, Morss, Kinnebrew and Hansen's may be much more enjoyable than Disney anyway! I wrote the National MS Society yesterday regarding my experience so we shall see. I seen a post somewhere, not here, about a woman having some Daylily seeds and needed info. on the cultivar, guess what the cultivar was Pardancanda? Rose Collani! I sent her a couple photos of mine. She is a Beauty, as is your other seedlings.
Hi Tina,
We "did" Disney World nearly 5 yrs. ago...my older daughter uses a wheelchair. We had to wait in every line, too. The wheelchair is covered in the stuff they use to make wetsuits and it gets hot as hades!!! She wilted. I can understand the heat increasing your disability.
We waited to ride on Space Mt. (one of the longer lines) only to find that there is only one person per seat. My oldest is not safe without a companion or shoulder/lateral restraints. We could give her neither and had to exit. With all of the signs they had posted as we waited in line one would think that they could have stated seating and seatbelt configuration! Nope!
We paid for the trip ourselves. Since some friends who have a child with disabilities had gone with Make-a-Wish and had gotten outstanding treatment, we just figured it would be a great place to take our kids. It IS a magical place and we made the most of it in spite of the long waits in heat.
I'm certain that your children will have happy memories of the trip. Hopefully, your contact with the Nat'l. MS Society will bring remedies for future visitors with the same situation. Others will not know who to thank--but it will be better!
Diane/Mtnmama
Sorry your experience was so awful. :( You might post to this group: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&group=rec.arts.disney.parks
I already shared our experience before we left the park. I don't know if changes have been made, however. We haven't been back.
Diane/Mtnmama
Often a complaint given in person stops with that person. You might reach more people at Disney by posting to a group like that, that's all.
i unfortunately have had to learn in these types of circumstances to complain, right then and there, and again if i need too, to get what i need. i don't like to be the "complainer" but i have learned that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. sad but true.
i travel with a wheelchair. the walks in the airport are just too much for me. i also rent a scooter when i get to our destination. at disney i used to bring my wheelchair, but that is just too much for my dh now. so we rent a scooter there too. i think that the hard thing for places like disney, is that they are also dealing with folks, that just want to get to the head of the lines and will take a wheelchair etc without really needing one. sad but true. i also went the first time there, with a doctors note etc....and was surprised i didn't need it(this was about 15 years ago now. oh my) i don't know what there procedures are today. i have noticed though, that if i'm in my own chair, i am treated differently by the attendants. it is a very subtle difference mind you, but i imagine they hear folks complaining about "they don't look sick" etc...."i'm going to get me a wheelchiar" etc...etc....so i have learned to not care what those folks who are jealous of the special treatment, we are allowed, to bother me. they just are not worth it. and when i need help or the priviledges i pester until i get them. :) i had an argument with many an air steward because i wanted my wheel chair put on board the plane where we sit, instead of put below in cargo. often they don't like this, because there bags must go to the back, or the 1st class persons things must go elsewhere and this causes them more work and problems. my answer...put your bags below, my chair is going in there. :) the law is with me on this one. i've had chairs go down the baggage belts and get bent and broken, this past trip the planes we took, had no closet for the chair. they would have had to put it in a row of seats by itself. the plane was almost full so we sent it below and the tires lost air pressure and i almost had to walk. lesson learned.
i would write everybody :) i know that when i do, i feel better about it, because i have done something positive with a negative experience.
debi z
Gosh, I *never* thought about how hard it must be to travel with a wheelchair in tow. It would probably be easier if you were in it than bringing it, as much as they try to shirk your wishes. That's rotten.
Just read this thread and have to say that when we took my mom in her electric chair to say goodbye to her brothers and sisters in the Netherlands, we had great treatment in any touristy places. Off the beaten paths, disable people won't find many places that accommodate wheel chairs. The airport crew there was terrible too but they were great in Toronto where we left from. They were told a number of times that she needed her chair right away to de-plane but they sent it to customs and then told us they couldn't get it back from customs. We went the rounds and rounds waiting for the chair. One lady even had the gall to ask my dad if she couldn't walk just a little ways - this is while standing in front of my mother who has just one leg! Can you believe it? My dad gestures to my mom, well lady, what do you thinK? It was a nightmare! Mom of course could not use those skinny bathrooms so she 'held it' all the way across the ocean and then this happens. She sat on that plane for an hour before they finally located her chair - the cleaning crew were almost finished cleaning the whole plane when we finally left!! It really was an undescribable nightmare - sad that she had to end a wonderful trip with that experience - that hurt!