Disney Wonder Activites

and we are back.....

Lets begin with our arrival to the Seattle Port. After the drive though the downtown area, very exciting, I mean panic inducing anxiety, we finally found our way towards the cruise dock. I have to admit when we turned the corner and the ship came in to view I teared up a bit. It was stunning and I felt sure this was the trip of a lifetime.
My tears of joy quickly turned to tears of frustration when I discovered that there was no accessible shuttle from parking back to port. (as I was told when I called to make special arrangements for us to get from the lot to the ship.) No one had any clue what to do, security told me to leave her with the luggage and ride the shuttle back alone, same with the shuttle staff and the lot check point.
(Disney was extremely sorry about this and made certain I had a ride back to my car when we returned.)
For future use, the protocol for this to be avoided is that you call ahead and the shuttle service is arranged via a wheelchair accessible taxi at no cost to the guest.

I got through security very quickly after my 2 hour parking issue. It is amazing how quickly a manager comes when you get snippy at the metal detectors. They fast tracked us in front of the first class line.

Now back to the ship.

Our cruise on the Disney Wonder had endless opportunities and activities, too bad for us that we were unable to gain access to some of the sections. The areas were ADA accessible, and from what I saw of them they were really cool.

We were not permitted in unless it was "open house" programming. All other times were considered secure programming where only children within the specified age limits would be allowed to enter. It was very secure, kids over 12 were not permitted in the youth areas, teens past 18 were not allowed in the teen lounge. Very strict rules and for good reason, parents want to ensure that their children are safe. The Disney executive I spoke with has already started a dialog on how to make these areas more available to children with medical needs, while also making sure that people without the need do not try to take advantage of the accommodations.

In the past people with needs like Jazmine would have been able to bring on a helper at a discount but due to program abuse they had to stop allowing it and charge the same rate for everyone.

Prior to my purchase of this vacation I spoke with the Disney staff regarding the special needs issue and sharing the details of possible medical intervention. I asked for accommodation and was informed that my request would be arranged. Once on board I found out that I was given false information regarding the accommodations available.

(Disney management on board helped arrange for some special activities for Jazmine and offered to have the programming manager work with her 1 to 1 during special activities, but I declined to leave her for safety concerns)

Even with this hiccup, we stayed busy. The daily schedule had options for character meets, tea parties, comedy shows, and movies. Lounge areas were kid friendly and many areas had games to play. Adults had different activities the spa, cash prize bingo each day, special programming on wildlife and glaciers, fitness activities, plus large areas dedicated to 18 and over for enjoying views, relaxing and nightlife events.
(I regret not trying to sneak Jaz into these places, she certainly is starting to look old enough)

The live theater shows were 5 star all the way. I have been to Disney on Ice shows and the on board entertainment was SO much better. Toy Story the Musical and Disney Dreams were so amazing that Jaz opted to skip the sit down meals and see the shows twice. (since there were 8 other places to get meals it was not a problem). They did not allow any photos during these shows, but they were so good that you didn't want to miss a second of it fiddling with your camera. Seating in the Walt Disney theater was always available and staff was on hand to fetch a chair for the companion.

Shopping on board was limited, but offered everything at regular price you would pay on land. I did not visit the duty free shop for smokes or booze, but they had a price list in the room and it seemed like totally regular costs to me.

We had a wonderful tea party with Ariel and Tiana, a private meeting with Goofy and every character greeted Jaz by name and made a few extra minutes to chat with her whenever we saw them in route. (which was A LOT). The characters are everywhere on board. They have time to be playful with kids, do photos and autographs.

Even with the false information we were given, it did not sour us on Disney Cruise Line for vacation options. (15 night Hawaii cruise? one can dream)
Mistakes happen, and now I have the contacts and experience to plan for the future...

Look for another share on the activities we did on land in a few days.

Tour the Disney Wonder

This spring we took a trip to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder.

Let me show you around ship!

We will start with the ADA accessible room. Our room was one of the interior ADA rooms with no view or balcony. It was not by choice or to help the budget, but because these rooms are limited and this was the last one.

The room was big, much bigger than I thought 250 sq ft would seem. The doors were plenty wide for the wheelchair, however I got a peek at the regular rooms and the bathroom entrances had a step and were very narrow doors. (If traveling with a person needing mobility aides the regular rooms may be a big challenge.)

A view from the your front door. The area where the wheelchair is parked had the option to be either a couch with pull out bed or a set of bunk beds. I preferred the extra floor space and did not ask to have them down. Plus, my "host" was so nice I did not want to make extra work for him.

    

 Beds were extremely comfortable. Supportive, fluffy pillows, silky soft sheets, and made everytime you came back to your room.

The "ever important" shower seat. I personally found it to be adequately sized but the placement of the grab bar took away from the space and comfort of the user. 

This would be better placed in the corner. If you need any additional supports in a shower chair then I would recommend bringing your own items. We were able to use this but not while at sea, the boat movements were slight but why take the extra risk?

Lets head outside the room. (We found all the open deck doors to have a very challenging bump to navigate, it was approximately a 2 inch lip and our wheels got caught. There were extra wide doors with push button opening on each deck for accessing these areas.)

The children's pool seen here is a shallow pool with the two separate sections, water features and a slide long enough to be fun but not too fast for the little kids. The other have far bigger pools, but hey we were heading to Alaska. None of the pools on the Disney Wonder would be accessible without transfer from chair. 

This pool is deeper than the kids pool and has extra seating and had surrounding quick food options with fun character themes and funnel vision. 

Funnel Vision...we just loved! It is shown here from Deck 10 and can be viewed from Deck 9 either at the pool or the surrounding areas. The sound quality was fantastic and picture did not disappoint. This screen had programming listed in the daily guide which included classic Disney movies and a showing of Tron Uprising.




18 and over only!
The Disney Wonder had many places for the adults aboard to enjoy kid free areas.

Hope you have enjoyed this quick zip through the Disney Wonder. 

Look for a follow up post regarding our ups and downs on this trip including some highlights from our shore visits.