The most in-depth and full descriptions you’ll find of the physical and emotional “feel” of Disney World rides & attractions.*  What rides are right for you?  Which rides should you avoid? This book is has the detailed information you need  to make informed decisions. You'll have inside information gathered through years of first-hand experience visiting Disney World while dealing with health issues.  Plus we added the results of extensive research, including input from other Disney guests with a wide variety of health conditions, special needs and disabilities. You'll get details you won't see anywhere else that can help you plan a smooth, pleasant and safe trip!

Warnings & alerts you won’t see elsewhere about things that can cause problems for people with health conditions, disabilities and special needs. For example, one popular attraction,  unexpectedly pokes you in the back.  We tell you how folks with back pain can enjoy the attraction anyway, while avoiding this jab to the back.

How to participate in attractions & rides with greater comfort even if you have disabilities, concerns and special needs.  We include many important tips that will help you enjoy more of what Disney has to offer, while avoiding discomfort.

Support for diet issues in the parks, resorts and entertainment area restaurants, with contact numbers around Disney World for help with your specific dietary needs.

Support, tips and warning information important to those dealing with a variety of issues including:

Pain Back & neck problems Mobility issues       Heart conditions Vertigo & dizziness Diabetes Dietary issues Hearing impairment Visual impairment Fears, phobias and mental health issues Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Temperomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) Fibromyalgia Allergies & chemical sensitivities (including fragrances, pesticides & mold) High blood pressure Joint & muscle pain Motion sickness Epilepsy Weakness Injuries Over stimulation & hyperactivity Bladder & stomach issues Oxygen use And more! Actually MOST people dealing with disabilities and special needs will find this book terrific for planning!

Transportation — Know your options and how to make use of Disney World transportation.  We'll help you avoid uncomfortable situations and even long lines.  There's extensive info for wheelchair, scooter and electric vehicle users.

	Wheelchair use at Disney World including:  Should I use a wheelchair? Should I use a manual or electric vehicle?  How do I travel around Disney in a wheelchair? How do I handle the lines and rides in the parks?  Where should I rent my vehicle? What do I do when it rains? Learn the ins and outs of wheelchair use at Disney including the transportation system, the resorts and parks. Plus there's so much more, including tips for using a scooter in the rain, Disney wheelchair "etiquette", avoiding some lines, etc.
	In-depth info & alerts for fears, anxieties and emotional concerns including claustrophobia, fear of the dark, spookiness, sudden scares and discomfort with violence.   We'll let you know if an attraction may be scary as well as the potential intensity of the scare, wherever it's relevant.
	Allergy & chemical sensitivity information including what rides have fragrances and smoke pumped in, mold and mustiness alerts, smoking and Disney World pesticide information in the parks and resorts.
	Tips for taking and using medicines and medical equipment in the parks and resorts.
	Advice on how to have your specific needs met in the Disney resorts and parks.
	Disney Resorts — We'll help you decide if you should stay at a Disney resort, and how to pick a resort that's right for you.  Find out what your options are for having your room prepared to meet your needs.  Sometimes Disney fulfills your requests, but sometimes they don't.  We'll give you valuable tips on what you can do to better your chances that your requests are followed up on by your resort.
	Take advantage of the many services Disney provides to those with special needs and disabilities that many people never find out about.  We didn't know what was available to us for years.  Now we do and we'll share that with you!
	A "Quick Notes" section for each attraction will give you a quick and easy to read overview of the features that are most likely to impact a physical or emotional condition.  Take this to the park with you to use as an at a glance reminder support tool!
	An easy to Understand, conveniently designed, exhaustively researched comprehensive guide book that will bring your trip to a higher level.

*This guide is not intended to cover all possible conditions or sensitivities.  You are urged to use your own judgment and discretion.

 

 

CHOOSE BELOW FOR MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE BOOK:

What the book covers - Read detailed info on what's in the guide book

Rides & Attractions - Samples of ride descriptions you'll find in the book

Table of Contents - For the guide book

Parks - What's covered about each park in the book 

Resorts - See what's covered regarding the Disney World resorts

Special Needs - What's covered in the book on dealing with special needs

Reader Reviews - What people say about Walt Disney World with Disabilities

View the book Covers

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Here's another segment of a book review from MouseExtra.com:

"I would recommend this book to people bringing small kids just for this attention to detail. Toddlers and preschoolers often require a little advanced warning on scares, loud noises and the like and this book gives you what you need. The wealth of information is terrific here..."

Click here for full book review

 

Walt Disney World with Disabilities can help parents make more informed decisions for their children.  It's also ideal for seniors or anyone who would prefer detailed advance information to help with planning.  It's great for anyone traveling to Disney with minor to major health issues!

 

Here's what Dr. Richard Risi of Florida says about the book:

"The attention to detail relieves the fear-factor of the unknown that the disabled normally have to deal with. The easy to use format describing just about every ride, attraction, restaurant, and venue found in the whole of Disney World, places empowering knowledge at the finger tips of every disabled and special needs visitor.  If you are fortunate enough to obtain a copy, you may find it to be a "master-key" to a world of safe Disney fun."

Reader Book Review:

 

"Hi, I wanted to thank you for writing Walt Disney World with Disabilities.  In 2006 I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal disease.  I'm currently on home peritoneal dialysis and thought I would be unable to travel to my favorite place on earth....Disney World. 

 

Reading your informative book gave me hope... I had studied your book each day and followed your advice.  Everything from how to request a fridge in the room for medication to the degree of roughness of the rides made it a super trip. 

 

We stayed for 10 days at the All Star Sports Resort, rode lots of rides, ate at some of the eating places you recommended and had a spectacular time...  My doctor had told me there was no way I could get around Disney World and still do my dialysis.  She was wrong... 

 

Please continue to provide this information to those out there that feel they could never go on such a big trip.  All it takes is some careful research, creative thinking, and you're in for the time of your life. 

Thanks again for your great book!"

Debra Gann

 

A Travel Writer's review:

 

"Stephen Ashley is a Disney guru! Walt Disney World with Disabilities includes the finest details, from hints for making room reservations to tips about which disability or phobia might be affected by each individual ride or attraction. Clearly, Ashley knows the parks inside and out. This book fills a glaring gap in Disney tourism literature and will help make the parks more enjoyable for every visitor."

 

Hillary Easom, Travel Writer (Ms. Easom is a freelance writer featured in publications including Glamour Magazine, Caesars Player Magazine, Go World Travel, Cruise Magazine, InsideOut Travel, etc.)

 

A Travel Agent's review:

 

"Every Traveler to Disney Should Buy this Book

We used Walt Disney World® with Disabilities to plan our trip to Disney with our family. We own a travel agency and have access to all kinds of travel information. This book gave us critical information in planning. My father has a prothetic leg. As we planned each day, we had a "regular" guide book along with this book. We found information in Walt Disney World® with Disabilities that not only helped us plan for my father, but helpful hints that helped everyone in our family be well prepared. We did everything we wanted to do and felt like we were prepared for everything. I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone traveling to Disney. It is a wealth of information that helped make the trip more enjoyable for all of us. It took away a lot of the overwhelming aspects of the unknown. Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful book!!!!"

Jami Gustafson
 

 

 

An Occupational Therapist & mother's review:

 

This book should be called Walt Disney World for Everyone! I think everybody should read this book who wants to go to Disneyworld. I started reading it as an Occupational Therapist, but I found myself to be really riveted by the wealth of information that applied to me personally and to my family. As a mother of 6 kids, I really believe that these are the things a mother really wants and needs to know...

 

Dinah Carroll

Occupational Therapist

 

Another review:

 

"Incredible book!  I wish I had it years ago! We've found Walt Disney World With Disabilities to be remarkably helpful. I've got a number of difficult conditions including heart problems, diabetes, back problems and Parkinson's.  This book makes it so much easier for me to manage and enjoy myself.  I've gone to Disney many times over the years, but I never picked up on most of the tips in this book.  Plus you describe the way the rides feel so completely. It makes things so much easier.  Thank you!" 

Norman, Boca Raton, Fl

More Reader Reviews:

 

"In my opinion Walt Disney World with Disabilities is the best book out there for anyone with a health condition. We own several Disney guide books including another one designed for special needs at Disney. Nothing else I've read describes the way the rides feel as well as this book does. The writers really paid attention to every sensation and experience, and they share it all in an easy to read and understand style. It's also packed with useful and practical suggestions for the parks, resorts and dining.

I also highly recommend this book to parents who wish to choose appropriate rides and shows for their children. Really it's great for anyone who wants to know what a ride feels like before trying it..."

DLCI, Florida

 

"I've never used a wheelchair before, but I was really worried about being able to get around the parks because of Fibromyalgia pain.  Your section on whether to use a wheelchair or not really helped me get over my discomfort with the idea.   Plus all the other information you gave on how to get and use the wheelchair, and how to get around in the parks & hotels was fantastic.  It made a huge difference...  It made my trip so much more pleasant and I was able to do a lot more than I thought I could.  I was also able to handle allergies and diet restrictions with ease!" 

 

A. B., Hollywood, Florida

READ MORE REVIEWS

WHY WAS THIS BOOK WRITTEN?

Letter from the author to you!

Dear Reader,

What makes this book so different?  For years we read just about every book and pamphlet out there, but they never even touched on all kinds of things we really needed to know.  For decades we went to Disney World without help from anyone who really understood firsthand the challenges we faced.     

Though Disney is an awesome place, over the years we encountered many situations that caused us discomfort, stress and even flare ups of illness. Over time we learned the ins and outs of managing and thriving at Disney.  Now Disney has become smooth sailing and a joyful getaway for us, and we want to share what we’ve learned with you! 

It can be to difficult to go into to a totally new environment, especially one as unusual as Disney World. We want you to spend your time having a carefree vacation―not researching, seeking help, recovering after doing something you shouldn’t have or missing things you wished you had tried.  Disney World has meant a lot to us, and we've had some of the best times of our lives there. We want to share that with you.

There's so much you need to know before you ever leave for your trip. We'll fill you in on the insights, tips and information that have given us the edge at Disney World.  We'll also include tips and insights we gathered from people with a wide variety of health conditions and challenges that we don't personally deal with. Disney offers so much assistance that most people never hear about, and we'll fill you in. 

Can we be blunt with you?  People who don't have to deal with your actual condition or disability most likely won't even notice the things you would notice.  Most of what's written out there is created by folks who don't have health conditions or disabilities.  Although there is some information out there, this book goes into a new level of description to help you plan a safe, fun and comfortable trip. 

Disney World, even with health conditions, can be a blast!  Enjoy the book and, most of all, enjoy your trip!

Stephen & Sarah Ashley

P.S.  Look for updates on our website! We're in the process of adding restaurant menus, photos, videos and articles.