Lookout Cay disability only for golf carts?

[insureman]

Just received this on the dcl app. On the Dream now. So does having mobility issues qualify? Obviously they are having issues with everyone requesting a ride.

Good Evening,

In anticipation of our visit to Disney Lookout Cay, for Guests with disabilities needing additional assistance, we offer a shuttle service along the pier to Mabrika Cove where you may transfer to the tram stop that will take you to Goombay Cultural Center Tram Stop.

If you are a Guest with a disability and require assistance, please meet in the WALT DISNEY THEATRE located on Deck 3 Forward Portside starting at 8:00AM until 10:30AM.

The shuttle operates on a first come first serve basis and wait times may be up to 1 hour after the all ashore time has been announced, depending on traffic flow. All Guests wishing to utilize this service must check in at the Walt Disney Theatre.

Please note, this service is available for Guests with a disability requiring assistance ONLY, and we kindly ask that other family members transit the pier on foot.

As a reminder, ALL Guests regardless of age must present either their DisneyBand+ or Key to the World Card at the gangway and ALL Guests 18 years and older are required to present a valid Government-issued Photo ID to port security when returning to the ship.

Thank you for your understanding and have a great evening onboard the beautiful Disney Dream.

 

[DWillowBay]

This would be a better question for Guest Services on the ship. They'll know better the parameters of this notice. Enjoy the island!

 

[disney2you]

Aren't mobility issues considered a type of disability? If you require assistance to get across the bridge then yes, use the golf carts.

I think they are just trying to account for demand issues getting to the island in the morning as everyone is trying to get off at same time. But when I was leaving, they were letting anybody into the carts and driving them back as it wasn't a giant crush of people.

 

[Erica1016]

We got the same notification on the Dream in December. My FIL struggles has mobility issues, but does not have any specific disability. He just can't walk long distances. We went to the designated location that morning and requested him a ride and it was no problem. No questions asked. We dropped him off and walked. His golf cart arrived about 5-10 minutes after we got there, so it did take a while, but not terribly long.

I think the problem they're having is entire parties wanting to stay together. We just dropped off one person and the rest of us walked. They did offer if one of us wanted to stay with him, but we opted not to so that there would be space for people who actually needed the ride. I think if you need the ride, ask for it. But be aware that you may be split up from your group for a bit.

 

[happycamper47]

It has always been restricted. In Jan on the Fantasy you had to go to Guest Services and make a reservation if you had a disability need, Maybe this system makes it more manageable. The return to the ship seems to be more lenient as to who they will transport.

 

[Erica1016]

I will add that we waited a while, maybe headed to the theatre around 9:15. By then, I think the biggest rush was over, so there were no issues and the wait wasn't too bad.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

When we were on the Fantasy last week I took my mom to guest services to request a ride (just for HER), as we were told to do via a message on the app. She was told no, that we could push her in a wheel chair if we wanted. She is tough and would never let us do this, would rather make herself sick walking.

She has a pretty obvious mobile disability (along with some invisible disabilities as well) to the point that they stopped her from walking down the stairs in the theatre during our muster drill. She ended up not going to the island at all (woke up not feeling well). I saw them taking full families on the carts when we (the rest of us) were walking. My husband, my dad and I actually enjoyed the walk. My kid loved being pulled in a wagon.

I wonder why different ships have different protocols. This would have been so much better.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This would have been so much better.

I think they missed the mark on how many people do have mobility issues that aren't considered "disabled". And miscalculated how many people just can't walk that pier (especially when the sun is streaming).

 

[insureman]

I think they missed the mark on how many people do have mobility issues that aren't considered "disabled". And miscalculated how many people just can't walk that pier (especially when the sun is streaming).

I think you're correct and they don't know how to fix it.

 

[dwg]

My wife cannot walk long distances due to her Asthma especially if it is windy which it was when we visited Lookout Cay. We went to the Walt Disney Theater and signed in to use the golf carts with no problem. I do not remember anyone asking why we needed to use the golf cart (as it should be). It was not too crowded so not a long wait. We also used the cart for the return trip. So that was good but...

The pier is long and open so it can be windy while on the pier and I am sure there are many guests that have a hard time walking the pier even if they don't have a noticable disability.

Disney did not think this through or if they did, what were they thinking. With the golf carts using the same pier as the walkers it is an accident waiting to happen. People are walking on the pier using the full width of the pier and the golf carts are not allowed to use their horns (I asked the driver) to warn the guests walking that they are right behind them. It is just a matter of time until someone walking gets hit. People are in the path of the golf carts and don't notice that the golf carts are right behind them or they get very close to walking into the golf carts as they are passing them. I think that Disney needs find a way to have have more of a tram that can accommodate more guests even if that means building a second pier or modifying the current pier to accommodate at least smaller versions of a tram that can run constantly between the ship and the island.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

When we visited on Treasure the week before last, my wife's knee was still paining her from twisting it on the ice. She was able to ride, no problem. I hustled out at rope drop to get us loungers in Serenity Bay and she got there a bit later - no problems

 

[anricat]

My daughter has hEDS and could walk that distance, but doing so would have meant she really couldn't have done much else on the island. We try to save up her physical expenditures and use them wisely and we wanted her to be fresh for the day. We requested a cart and they didn't bat an eye or ask any questions. She looks able-bodied (it's hard having an invisible disease and we've gotten looks when she gets up out of a wheelchair at Disney World). My husband and I walked and met her on the other end. We did the same thing coming back and it worked fine. There didn't seem to be any issues with availability. This was on the Fantasy last month.

 

[holula]

I was on the Dream in January and got the same message. I injured my ankle last July and it has really bad days still and I knew I wasn’t going to make it to LC without the cart. I just turned up to WDT and used the service with no questions asked. I was in the first group for the carts.

 

[Mags2002]

Mobility issues are definitely considered for a golf cart, you should be fine! From what I have heard, there has been problems so they have gone with the term “disability”

 

[RedHead0186]

My wife cannot walk long distances due to her Asthma especially if it is windy which it was when we visited Lookout Cay. We went to the Walt Disney Theater and signed in to use the golf carts with no problem. I do not remember anyone asking why we needed to use the golf cart (as it should be). It was not too crowded so not a long wait. We also used the cart for the return trip. So that was good but...

The pier is long and open so it can be windy while on the pier and I am sure there are many guests that have a hard time walking the pier even if they don't have a noticable disability.

Disney did not think this through or if they did, what were they thinking. With the golf carts using the same pier as the walkers it is an accident waiting to happen. People are walking on the pier using the full width of the pier and the golf carts are not allowed to use their horns (I asked the driver) to warn the guests walking that they are right behind them. It is just a matter of time until someone walking gets hit. People are in the path of the golf carts and don't notice that the golf carts are right behind them or they get very close to walking into the golf carts as they are passing them. I think that Disney needs find a way to have have more of a tram that can accommodate more guests even if that means building a second pier or modifying the current pier to accommodate at least smaller versions of a tram that can run constantly between the ship and the island.

People on the pier need to be aware of their surroundings. There are clearly marked lanes for pedestrians and for the carts. If people pay attention and stay in their lane (literally) there shouldn't be an issue. Sadly, on the Treasure a couple weeks ago I saw several people randomly meandering across the pier instead of staying on the pedestrian side. No one was hit (or even close), but a couple of carts did have to slow down until the person finally noticed they were in the way and moved back over.

DCL had to adhere to some pretty strict ecological guidelines when developing Lookout Cay. That's why there's a long pier instead of close up like it is at Castaway Cay (so they didn't have to dredge the seabed to make it deep enough). That's also why the pier isn't super wide, because it disrupts less of the sea bed and marine life below it. I doubt DCL would build a second pier, even if they were 'allowed' to.

 

[DMickey]

Mobility issues are definitely considered for a golf cart, you should be fine! From what I have heard, there has been problems so they have gone with the term “disability”

I was on the Dream in January and got the same message. I injured my ankle last July and it has really bad days still and I knew I wasn’t going to make it to LC without the cart. I just turned up to WDT and used the service with no questions asked. I was in the first group for the carts.

Did you have to go to guest services and register first? I'm just wondering if there is anything I can do by calling first. We leave in a month

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We were on the Fantasy in January and DW used the golf cart service. She signed up in advance with Guest Services and arrived at the WDT about 10 minutes prior to her scheduled transfer time. At that time, they were permitting one family member to accompany, although I don’t mind the walk so I just headed over after she had checked in. The golf cart with her aboard passed me as I neared the end of the pier at the island, so our timing worked well. This was much better than our experience with the Dream in November at the end of the WBTA cruise. That time, using the same procedure, I waited nearly 30 minutes on the island for her to arrive.

Returning to the ship, DW and I waited together until she was aboard a golf cart. I then walked out to the lighthouse and back before heading back to the ship, so I don’t know if I could have ridden along in that direction.

 

[Erica1016]

Did you have to go to guest services and register first? I'm just wondering if there is anything I can do by calling first. We leave in a month

I just replied to you in the other thread. You don't need to do anything ahead of time. They'll send something out the evening before telling you where to go for the golf cart assistance. Depending on what time you're getting off, there may be a wait, but it seemed relatively efficient when we had to use it.

 

[holula]

Did you have to go to guest services and register first? I'm just wondering if there is anything I can do by calling first. We leave in a month

No I didn’t. I just turned up. There wasn’t a need to pre register.