• Posted by kevin-schaefer on June 9, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    After reading Alyssa Silva’s column about going to Disney World with her family 14 times (https://smanewstoday.com/2018/06/08/sma-accessibility-disney/?amp), I’m glad to know that there are others out there who are just as obsessed with this place as my family. I want to say I’ve been 11 times, but in all honesty I’ve kind of lost count. Rest assured, we’re fanatics as well.

    I really encourage SMA parents to read this column. I know vacations and traveling can easily turn into nightmares when you’re trying to arrange disability accommodations, but I can also speak from experience and say that Disney is one of the most inclusive and handicapped-friendly spots out there. Hotels and traveling there are accessible, and aside from the major roller coasters and some other rides, there are plenty of things there for wheelchair-users to do.

    And if you have any questions feel free to ask me or Alyssa, two SMA/Disney World veterans. The photo above is from one of my family’s trips in 2014.

    ryan-berhar-2 replied 5 years, 9 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply
  • ryan-berhar-2

    Member
    June 10, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    I went to Disney World for my Make A Wish trip. I was only five, so obviously a lot has changed. I mean I can’t even get there anymore because I can no longer fly. But it was for sure a wonderful experience. I have also been to Disney Land three times, and those trips were more recent so I can evaluate them better. I love going there, but I pretty much only hangout in Downtown Disney because I can’t go on any rides. On the first trip, this frustrated me quite a bit, and I honestly did not enjoy the experience. The next two were much better because I had more realistic expectations. Going to Disney Land for the SMA conference in 2016 was hands down the best trip of my life. It was the first conference I’d been to in over ten years. As an adult, I appreciated the experience so much more. Connecting with other SMA adults was fantastic. Towards the end of that trip, I got to watch game seven of the NBA Finals outside the sports bar on a giant TV with a few hundred Warriors fans. That’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.

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