Are you heading out to Disneyland this summer? Have to use a wheelchair for some reason? Read this for helpful hints.
Main Street USA
Disneyland Railroad- you can stay in the Wheelchair- EXCEPT at Main Street Station! You cannot get on or off at Main Street with a W/C unless you are able to drag it up and down the steps and get in and out of it. Probably not a good idea!! However I don't consider it a ride as much as a resting place or a short cut from one area to another.
The first 50 years attraction- This is in the Area where Mr. Lincoln usually is. This is great for a shady air conditioned rest.
Any of the restaurants on Main Street are good for a sit down and rest.
Plaza Inn- They have good food, indoor seating but a little tough to navigate with a wheelchair (be warned!!)
Best restroom- towards the rear of Carnation Café there is a great little handicapped restroom. Rarely is there anyone in there unlike the ones near the main gate.
Adventureland-
Tiki Room- shady and air conditioned a great place to take a break (full Wheelchair access)
Near the Bengal Barbeque there is some nice shady seating plus room for wheelchairs.
If it is re-opened the Aladdin story telling is nice. This isn't the Aladdin show but you basically sit there and they tell the story of Aladdin and have the kids participate.
Best restroom- there isn’t a really good one but the one unless you can access the one in Aladdin’s Oasis (they are only open during the show.) The ones at the entrance of the land are OK but usually crowded.
New Orleans SquarePirates will be open again soon and it is *almost* like taking a rest!! Nice and cool and fairly wheelchair friendly. This is one of the rides which can take MUCH longer in the WC access line, so if you can walk in definitely walk in!!!
The Disney Gallery- they have an elevator if you cannot take the stairs ask a Cast Member to help you find the way.
Royal Street Veranda- shady area near the restaurant but there are a number of shady areas in this part of the park
Best Restrooms- near New Orleans Square Depot. These are popular rest rooms and can be crowded but they are the only ones you can access unless you eat at the Blue Bayou.
Critter Country- it is a little bit of a hike getting in and out of this area when you are pushing an adult in a W/C, if we are really tired we usually skip it.
Winnie the Pooh is one of the 3 rides that can take a wheelchair as is (the person can stay in the W/C.) The others are Small World and Buzz Lightyear (and Cars in CA Adventure.)
Best Restrooms- and only ones are in the Hungry Bear Restaurant. They are nice and large but can be tricky to get to in a wheelchair (restrooms are on the first floor and eating is upstairs.) Once you figure out how to get there you are good!
Frontierland
Do not go to Tom Sawyer's Island with a W/C unless you just want to sit in the shade while the kids chase around. We give my son a walkie talkie and let him roam around. But all-in-all the island is not a good place for Wheelchairs.
Mark Twain Riverboat- shady if you stay on the first floor and very relaxing. Also if your children are some of the first ones on the boat and w/c are usually the first passengers onboard, ask if the kids can pilot the boat. It is a great photo opportunity.
Golden Horseshoe Stage- nice break from the heat and sun
Rancho del Zocalo- great Mexican food and lots of shady places to sit.
Best Restrooms- Big Thunder BBQ or try the ones next to the Rancho del Zocalo restaurant. No one seems to realize the restrooms and a shortcut to Fantasyland are tucked back behind the restaurant.
ToonTown- not much shade plus the downhill and uphill pushing to get a WC in. We don't go there if we are tired.
Chip and Dale Treehouse has a little bit of shade but all in all there isn’t much shade in this part of the park because it is newer.
They do have 2 play areas for the kids which might have shade but rarely have someplace to sit for the people who aren’t in wheelchairs!
Best Restrooms- the only ones are Goofy’s Gas Station but they can be really crowded and they are small. Avoid the rest rooms here if possible with a wheelchair.
Fantasyland- there isn’t much shade in Fantasyland
Village Haus Restaurant has seating and shade
At the front of the castle near the Plaza Gardens stage there is a bit of shade. This isn’t too far from where the princess’s photography meet and greet area.
There is a small amount of shade in the area around the Mad Tea Party Tea Cups.
Best Restrooms to the left of Small World (before you enter ToonTown.)
TomorrowlandHoney I shrunk the audience (show)- if you are hot and tired this makes a GREAT place to take a break!!!! The person in a W/C can stay inside the W/C for the show. Air conditioning is wonderful and the show is cute.
Buzz Lightyear is also shady and cool and takes the person on the ride in their wheelchair if they want to stay inside; this is great at the end of the day if you are getting tired. Be sure to stop at the computer stations at the exit of the ride to send your free Buzz photo home to your email address or send it to friends as well. There is usually a small line but it is worth it!
Innoventions- really FUN place to go for shade and air conditioning. They have an interactive Stitch area that is AWESOME if your kids are the right age to enjoy it. I thought it was really cool technology! J Be sure to check in there (on the second floor) first as sometimes you have to get reservations for later. The kids can play all sorts of Disney video games while you take it easy and there is some seating so this makes a decent place to take a break.
The area near the exit of Space Mountain where the bathrooms are located is a great shady cool place to rest a bit. There are benches for seating and a water fountain as well. If you ride Space Mountain in a Wheelchair this is where you get in line (at the exit of the ride.) The line to ride can be longer for people in wheelchairs. Get a Fast Pass if you can and hit it later without a big wait.
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port- good Italian food, big portions (most are at the park.) Also there is a good amount of inside seating.
Best Rest Rooms are the ones at the exit of Space Mountain.
OK, those are my hints and tips for summer at Disneyland in a wheelchair or if your health isn't 100%.
