We have just got back from a fortnight in California of which we spent three days at Disneyland/California Adventure. Although we have been to WDW three times this was our first trip to the West Coast (we are from England).
We did have a wonderful time but there were a number of differences which made me a little concerned.
Firstly parking - on two occasions there was only one outside parking lot in use and this did not seem to have any dedicated handicapped parking although the end section nearest the tram was only being used for hang tag parking. My problem with this was that the spaces were only standard size - I need to be able to open the door of our minivan fully to get in and out so whilst on arrival I was ok because there was no one yet next to us on return to our car I had to get out of the wheelchair, wait for DH to load it and then get out of the space enough for the passenger door to open fully and then get in. On the third occasion the indoor parking structure was in operation, this did have handicapped spaces but the ones of the floor being used were all taken. Initially the CM's insisted that we could park there and made us drive round in circles four times (wasting 25 mins of park time!!) before finally believing us and insisting that we park in a normal space some distance from the elevator - this caused the same problem with the space not being big enough. They do not allow you to go up to the next floor where there are hang tag spaces if they are still filling the lower floor with other cars. On arrival at the elevator (there is also an escalator) this is for all strollers and wheelchairs so there is a considerable queue to get up and down, most groups did not seem to do as we did and send those that could down the escalator leaving the lift for those that needed it but would put whole parties of 8-12 people (seemingly without any problem) in the elevator with one stroller.
In the park we also found most CM's more unhelfpul than we are used to at WDW. To be fair we have always travelled at a quiet time of year before (taking the children out of school whilst they were younger) so the CM's had far more to contend with generally as it was Spring Break. Several times the wheelchair was taken away when we boarded but was not waiting for us on return and we had to hunt for it. Twice it was taken outside the building to wait for us - luckily I can walk short distances and with DS running ahead to locate it and bring it back to me whilst I set out towards it we managed - for someone with less mobility it could have been a disaster.
Aladdin was also a serious problem and I would not ever do this again.
We were lucky that after some considerable discussion of my specific multiple problems the CM at guest services agreed that I needed a GAC for alternate entrances and this meant that between early arrivals on two of the days, use of fastpasses, reading a book in a quiet corner at certain times and use of the GAC when desperate, I did get to stay in the parks long enough to do almost all of the things that I wanted to. We did not however get to see any parades or fireworks.
A big problem was the reaction of other guests, cutting in front of us suddenly even more so than at WDW (I think partly because there is less space), rude comments when we did use a wheelchair entrance - one woman accosted me in the ladies room to tell me that it was unfair on her daughter that I was using a wheelchair to cut in line, she wasn't remotely interested in the real situation or that a slight gain on one or two rides does not even remotely make up for the considerable difficulties moving about the park or waiting far longer on most attractions or how much I would give to not be as I am. I also had several people grabbing hold of my wheelchair (guaranteed to freak me out) and one little boy who decided to climb up the spokes of the wheel.
Overall we found Disneyland a very different experience but I do not think it is one I will be in a hurry to repeat.
Sue
We did have a wonderful time but there were a number of differences which made me a little concerned.
Firstly parking - on two occasions there was only one outside parking lot in use and this did not seem to have any dedicated handicapped parking although the end section nearest the tram was only being used for hang tag parking. My problem with this was that the spaces were only standard size - I need to be able to open the door of our minivan fully to get in and out so whilst on arrival I was ok because there was no one yet next to us on return to our car I had to get out of the wheelchair, wait for DH to load it and then get out of the space enough for the passenger door to open fully and then get in. On the third occasion the indoor parking structure was in operation, this did have handicapped spaces but the ones of the floor being used were all taken. Initially the CM's insisted that we could park there and made us drive round in circles four times (wasting 25 mins of park time!!) before finally believing us and insisting that we park in a normal space some distance from the elevator - this caused the same problem with the space not being big enough. They do not allow you to go up to the next floor where there are hang tag spaces if they are still filling the lower floor with other cars. On arrival at the elevator (there is also an escalator) this is for all strollers and wheelchairs so there is a considerable queue to get up and down, most groups did not seem to do as we did and send those that could down the escalator leaving the lift for those that needed it but would put whole parties of 8-12 people (seemingly without any problem) in the elevator with one stroller.
In the park we also found most CM's more unhelfpul than we are used to at WDW. To be fair we have always travelled at a quiet time of year before (taking the children out of school whilst they were younger) so the CM's had far more to contend with generally as it was Spring Break. Several times the wheelchair was taken away when we boarded but was not waiting for us on return and we had to hunt for it. Twice it was taken outside the building to wait for us - luckily I can walk short distances and with DS running ahead to locate it and bring it back to me whilst I set out towards it we managed - for someone with less mobility it could have been a disaster.
Aladdin was also a serious problem and I would not ever do this again.
We were lucky that after some considerable discussion of my specific multiple problems the CM at guest services agreed that I needed a GAC for alternate entrances and this meant that between early arrivals on two of the days, use of fastpasses, reading a book in a quiet corner at certain times and use of the GAC when desperate, I did get to stay in the parks long enough to do almost all of the things that I wanted to. We did not however get to see any parades or fireworks.
A big problem was the reaction of other guests, cutting in front of us suddenly even more so than at WDW (I think partly because there is less space), rude comments when we did use a wheelchair entrance - one woman accosted me in the ladies room to tell me that it was unfair on her daughter that I was using a wheelchair to cut in line, she wasn't remotely interested in the real situation or that a slight gain on one or two rides does not even remotely make up for the considerable difficulties moving about the park or waiting far longer on most attractions or how much I would give to not be as I am. I also had several people grabbing hold of my wheelchair (guaranteed to freak me out) and one little boy who decided to climb up the spokes of the wheel.
Overall we found Disneyland a very different experience but I do not think it is one I will be in a hurry to repeat.
Sue
