Hi there!  It’s January 2023 and we just returned from a long weekend in Orlando, Florida.  Caitlin has extra days off from school and January is always a good month to trade dreary Michigan weather for the sunny skies of Florida.  This post shares our experiences visiting EPCOT theme park and Universal Island of Adventure. I’ll also share some tips for traveling with a loved one with disabilities or special needs. 

Try a Smaller Airport for Less Crowds and Hassle

We tried something different and departed from a smaller airport, Bishop International, in Flint, Michigan.  It was a direct flight to another smaller airport in Sanford, Florida.  Both airports were less hectic than the larger international airports flying out of Detroit and Orlando.  The lines at security and baggage check were much shorter.  And it was a lot less crowded in the terminals.  In Flint, the long term parking lots are a short walk or shuttle ride to the terminal.  The only thing that makes me nervous about flying out of Flint is that there are not many alternative flights if yours is delayed or canceled.  For example, our flight on Allegiant Air was only available on Thursday and Monday and we could only depart or arrive on those days.  Thankfully, we had no issues with our flight and made it to our destination as scheduled!  Sanford is further north than Orlando International Airport but with less crowds and hassle, it was definitely worth the additional driving time.

TSA Cares for Assistance at Airport Security

TSA Cares is a service provided by the TSA to help people with disabilities through the security screening process. I filled out the form on their website Passenger Support | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov) earlier in the week and received a response about 24 hours later confirming my inquiry and some general information.  By filling out this form, it informs both airports of your request for assistance.  The email referred me to this link https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures.  There’s a lot of information on all the accommodations that are available during the screening process.  When we got to the airport (both in Flint and Sanford)  the security checkpoints were not crowded at all.  The TSA officers were very accommodating and helpful and I didn’t even mention at all that I signed up for the service.  The information that I received thru their website prior to leaving helped me understand what to expect. I think flying out of the smaller airports also made a difference in making the screening process easier. 

Costco Membership for Best Prices on Rental Car

I have a Costco membership and I use Costco Travel to book rental cars when we travel. Making a reservation on Costco Travel is easy and it compares prices across all the major car rental companies.  The prices are good and they have good cancellation policies.  We went with Alamo because they had the best price.  The Alamo rental building at the Sanford airport is the furthest from the terminal, about 700 ft, but a smooth walk/roll on an outdoor covered walkway.  We usually go with a minivan when we travel which gives us plenty of space for Caitlin’s manual wheelchair and walker and it’s easy to step in and out of.  The checkout at Sanford airport was fast and they had a lot of vehicles to choose from.  I try not to forget to bring the handicapped placard for our car so that we can park in handicapped designated parking wherever we go.

Make the Most of a Slow Start

Our first stop after leaving the airport was the Black Hammock Airboat Ride in Oviedo.  Black Hammock is about 20 minutes south of the Sanford Airport on the shores of Lake Jesup.  It is one of the few (or maybe only) airboat rides in the area.  It could have been a fun, short excursion but it didn’t work out for us!  Unfortunately, it was too windy for our liking and we decided not to go on the boat ride.  We made the most of our visit by going to their well stocked gift shop where we picked up a magnet to add to our collection.  Caitlin meets people wherever she goes and she struck up a conversation with the cashier.  Caitlin is really good at keeping a chat going by asking a lot of questions.  She discovered that the cashier had never seen snow before!  Caitlin’s response was “Really?!”  It is so interesting what you can learn from others with a few simple questions.  We also visited the birds and alligators that live there.  The food was decent at their on-site restaurant.  But their bathrooms were a wreck and not accessible at all! We managed to squeeze into the one tiny stall.  It was disappointing that our first outing on vacation was a bit of a bust.  But I like to look on the bright side… we were able to take the time to refuel, stretch our legs and take in the Florida landscape while meeting new people!  Overall, it was an interesting place if you’re looking for an adventure off the beaten path. 

Stay in a Familiar Hotel

After lunch we made our way to the hotel.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Major Drive near Universal Orlando theme park.  I really love Holiday Inn Express and stay there whenever we have a chance.  Their rooms, breakfast (the cinnamon rolls are delicious!) and other amenities are pretty consistent across the US and knowing what to expect makes travel easier.  Their customer service is also very good.  Earlier in the week, as I was double checking our reservations, I realized I did not book an accessible room.  I sent an email to the hotel requesting an accessible room and also if the two rooms I booked could be next to each other. The manager called me the following morning and was so helpful in modifying the reservation and blocking two rooms.  After checking into the hotel, we spent the rest of the day relaxing.  Caitlin checked out the fitness room and the pool area.  We ordered carry-out from Lee Bistro Asian Cuisine and had a low-key dinner in the hotel dining room.  It was a good way to wrap up our long travel day before hitting the theme parks in the following days!

Disability Access Service at Walt Disney World

The next day we woke up refreshed from our day of travel and ready to go to EPCOT theme park at Walt Disney World!  It’s widely known that Disney does an outstanding job accommodating people with disabilities and we’ve experienced it first hand on previous visits to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom.

Before you even leave for your trip, I suggest you go to the Walt Disney World website to the Help&Rules / Guests with Disabilities section.  This section contains extensive information on all accommodations in the parks.  I also recommend downloading the Guide for Guests with Disabilities for the park that you’re visiting.

Here’s an example of helpful information on the Guide for Guests with Disabilities: 1. The location of companion and accessible restrooms. There are many throughout the park. 2. if the ride or attraction can accommodate a wheelchair. If someone is not able to transfer, most rides can accommodate wheelchairs and those attractions are indicated on the Guide. Disney cast members always asked if Caitlin was able to transfer to the ride on her own. She is able to transfer from her wheelchair to the ride and sit in the regular seat but needs more time to get seated properly.  They are able to slow down or stop the ride to give her more time to enter and exit. 

One of the best accommodations at Disney World theme parks, in my opinion, is the Disability Access Service.  This allows a person with a disability and their party (I believe the max is up to 5 additional people) to not have to wait in the standard ride queue. I encourage you to read all of the details about the DAS.  Not everyone qualifies just because they use a wheelchair or scooter.  The program is intended for those that are not able to tolerate the standard queue because of their disability.  It also does not completely eliminate your wait time to get on rides.  There is still a wait but you don’t have to spend the time in the standard queue.  The Disability Access Service doesn’t cost anything.  But if you don’t qualify for the DAS, an alternative is to purchase the Lightning Lane pass for each member of your party which will also allow you to bypass the standard queue.  

Our first stop in the park was Guest Relations to get set up with the Disability Access Service.  They also have an option where you can get it set up ahead of time through a video chat with a Disney Cast Member.  If you choose to go to Guest Relations, it’s helpful if you have the Walt Disney World app downloaded on your phone.  The cast member will ask a few questions, take a picture of the person needing access and enter information into the computer system and then program a button for the DAS in the app on your phone..  

Basically the way it works is that you go into the app and schedule a return time for a ride.  The return time is usually about an hour.  While you’re waiting,  you’re free to check out other rides that might not have a long wait or go shopping or get a snack etc…  When your time is up, you go to the ride and check in at the Lightning Lane.  There still may be a wait in the Lightning Lane queue but it’s a lot shorter than the standard queue.  And depending on the ride, you may be directed to a separate area within the queue to further accommodate your disabled party member.  Only one ride at a time can be scheduled in the app.  But, as soon as you check into a ride, you can immediately schedule another ride in the app.  The app will also tell you if a ride is temporarily down.  And it will also tell you how long the wait time for other rides is.  All of this information was very helpful in planning our day. 

EPCOT Highlights

Caitlin loves the thrill of amusement park rides, meeting people and being where all the action is and EPCOT delivers on all of this! 

The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a great ride to get started with.  The line is usually shorter and it can be done while you’re waiting for a ride that you may have scheduled using the DAS.  There’s an aquarium, play area and gift shop that will keep you busy while you wait.

Mexico has to be one of our favorites in the World Showcase.  I just love the music, the colors and the upbeat energy.  The Grand Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros ride is really fun and accessible.

I read a review that the Biergarten restaurant in Germany was the best value in the park. With entertainment and an all you can eat buffet, I would have to agree! The hostess mentioned that you could go out on the dance floor if you wish. Caitlin did not forget about that and she was the first one down there when the music started playing!

There is an excellent film/Audio-Animotronics show at The American Adventure. The grand theater was a great place to take a break from all the walking. Prior to the show, there is an acapella singing group that performs in the domed lobby of the theater. We enjoyed it up close and personal!

Living with the Land is a leisurely and educational attraction that was fun for all in our party. There is usually a short wait and we rode it while waiting for Soarin Around the World that we had scheduled with DAS. For Soarin, you do have to transfer from your wheelchair but you can roll right up to the attraction seat and there is extra time to transfer and get situated.

What’s great about the Disability Access Service is that the return time is flexible meaning that you can arrive any time after your designated time. This was very helpful because there is so much to explore in the park. We spent a good amount of time strolling through all of the countries in the World Showcase without feeling rushed.

Two of our favorites rides are Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Test Track.

In Jan/Feb, EPCOT has the Festival of Arts and I captured some of the artwork on display.

Attraction Assistance Pass at Universal Island of Adventure

After logging nearly 20,000 steps at EPCOT my legs were a little tired heading into Universal Island of Adventure on Sunday!  It was all good though and we decided to go at a more leisurely pace (but we still ended up with 15,000+ steps for the day!)  

Before going to the park, I suggest you go to the Universal Orlando Resort  website to the Accessibility Information section.  This section contains extensive information on all accommodations in the park and at each ride.  I also recommend downloading the Guide for Rider Safety and Accessibility.  There is a ton of information in this guide.  The Attraction Assistance Pass is mentioned on page 3 of the guide.  There is very little information about it.  The only way to obtain the pass is by visiting Guest Services at the park.

Before going into the next section about the Attraction Assistance Pass I’ll start off by saying that I very much appreciate that both Disney and Universal go above and beyond what is required for accommodating their guests with disabilities. I can see that they have good intentions for making the theme park experience accessible and fun for everyone.  However, in comparison, there was a clear difference in how each park approached the disability pass that was hard to ignore! Getting the pass at Universal was definitely not as easy or as welcoming as it was at EPCOT. I hope I don’t sound like I’m complaining because I am grateful to both Universal and Disney for having this complimentary service available.  

Our first stop at Universal was Guest Services.  There was a well dressed employee by the name of Carlos standing at the front of the entrance.  He was friendly and asked what we needed help with.  I told him we were here to get information on disability access.   He replied that the park is very accessible and that we should go out in the park and give it a try and if we still had questions that there are other Guest Service locations in the park that could help.  I sensed that he was discouraging me from going into the building to inquire more.  I knew better than to leave because we had been to the park before and knew the access pass was available.  I told him we just went to EPCOT, mentioned the DAS pass and that we were looking to get the same type of pass.  He said they were a different park and had different processes and encouraged us again to go out in the park.  Not once did he mention that the Attraction Assistance Pass was similar to the DAS nor did he encourage us to go in and get it!  I asked him if the Express Pass was an option and he said yes but they were sold out for the day (and therefore, not really an option on that day)!

At this point I decided it was time to stop chatting with Carlos and go inside the building to talk with someone else.  The employee inside was very nice.  She asked us a few screening questions.  Just like Disney, not everyone qualifies just because they use a wheelchair or scooter.  The program is intended for those that are not able to tolerate the standard line queue because of their disability.  She gave us the pass and explained how to use it and we were on our way.    The lesson learned here is to bypass the “Carlos” barrier if at all possible!  

Basically, here’s how the Attraction Assistance Pass works.  Guest Services registers your party in the computer system and gives you a paper pass.  You take the paper pass to the ride attendant and they will give you a return time and sign the card.  The return time is usually half the time of the standard queue line.  So for example, if the wait were 120 minutes, they would give you a return time of 60 minutes. However, if the wait is less than 30 minutes then you have to go in the standard queue.   When it’s time for you to return, the attendant will scan your card, validate your card with their initials, then direct you to the Express Pass entrance.  There may still be a short wait and on some rides you may be directed to a more accessible area.  At Universal, because it is a manual system and not on an app, you have to physically go to the attraction to get the return time.  You can only have one unused return time at a time on the card.  Overall, it worked out great!  We were able to schedule about one ride per hour and while waiting, we enjoyed attractions with lesser wait times, shopping, snacks etc…  

Universal Island of Adventure Highlights

I think the best thing about Universal Island of Adventure is how distinctly different each district of the park is.  You’re immersed in totally different worlds when wandering from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Jurassic Park to Seuss Landing and more! All your senses are awakened as the sights, sounds and smells all contribute to the theme of each area.

Every inch of Seuss Landing is colorful and bright and silly! Even though it’s geared toward younger kids, there were plenty of big kids like ourselves that were having a blast!

As you enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the snow-covered buildings are so realistic that you wished you would have brought your winter coat! It was by far the most popular and crowded part of the park. We checked in to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction with the Attraction Assistance Pass. With about 45 minutes to wait, we watched an entertaining musical performance that helped to pass the time. The Forbidden Journey attraction has a private queue for people with disabilities. You take a long walk thru the building, up and down a couple of elevators to get there. In the area, the ride seats are completely stopped and you can take your time getting situated. There was nobody else waiting and the attendant offered for us to ride multiple times if we wanted to. My husband, son and brother-in-law went first. About 5 minutes later they returned. Then my husband and son stayed on for a second turn while Caitlin and I got on for our first ride. When the ride was over, the attendant said we could ride again if we wanted because there was no one waiting and they didn’t like to send empty cars out. We passed on the offer because once and twice on the twisting-turning-upside-down ride was definitely enough for all of us!

Walking thru Toon Lagoon was a blast from the past. There were cafes and shops themed around some of the popular comics from back in the day: Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Cathy and Heathcliff to name a few.

A must do in my book is The Amazing Adventures of Superman ride in the Marvel Super Hero Island part of the park. The graphics and storyline are … well … Amazing!

Rider Switch at Disney or Child Swap at Universal

Another service to consider when traveling with a loved one with a disability is the Rider Switch at Disney or Child Swap at Universal. Basically the way it works is that if the child is not able to go on the ride, one parent can wait with the non-riding child while the other one rides and when they return, the other parent can then have a turn without having to wait in line again.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Direct flight from Flint, MI to Sanford, FL.  Black Hammock Airboat Tour and Lunch.  Check In/Rest at Holiday Inn Express on Major Dr.  Dinner was Chinese Food carryout at the hotel.

Day 2 – Breakfast at Hotel, EPCOT Theme Park, Lunch was snacks around EPCOT, Dinner at Biergarten in Germany

Day 3 – Breakfast at Hotel, Universal Island of Adventure, Snacks around the park and late Lunch at The Burger Digs in the park, Late dinner was McDonalds carry-out back at the hotel

Day 4 – Travel back to Michigan. Monday we had a midday flight back to Michigan which did not leave us enough time to do any more activities.  This was ok though because sometimes I don’t mind getting home early to unwind before returning to work and school the next day.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope these tips were helpful!