In the summer, fun should have no limits. From the jaw-dropping beauty of a walk in the woods to the stomach-churning drops of a wooden roller coaster, everyone should have the chance to experience the best of summer all season long.
Thankfully, some of North America’s favorite attractions are more accessible than ever—and in many cases, offer special accommodations for guests with disabilities and their families to make their visits as stress-free as possible. When planning your summer itinerary, here are some hot spots to keep in mind:
The Saint Louis Zoo
Handicare headquarters’ hometown zoo, voted as the nation’s top zoo by USA Today, offers wheelchair-accessible attractions throughout the park. Equal Access Passes give visitors with disabilities access to paid attractions without waiting in line while its downloadable visual schedule gives a run-down on the best times to visit popular exhibits to avoid crowds.
Morgan’s Wonderland and Inspiration Island
Located in San Antonio, Morgan’s Wonderland is the world’s first theme park designed for individuals with special needs and built for all. The park offers 25 attractions, including rides, playgrounds and water features to cool down, and admission is free to guests living with serious, long-term physical and cognitive disabilities.
Canada’s Wonderland
Canada’s Wonderland is about fun for everyone. This exciting and popular amusement park provides accommodations so that guests with limited mobility, hearing or vision impairment, ADS and related disorders, and any other impairment that might require special attention. Learn everything you need to know about navigating and enjoying the park.
Disney World and Disneyland
All Disney parks offer the Disability Access Service, which allows guests with disabilities and members of their party to schedule ride times at attractions to skip standing in line. Plus, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort have Attraction Access overviews online that explain whether a guest can remain in their wheelchair during a ride or must be transferred from wheelchair to ride in order to help you plan your visit.
National Park Systems
Both the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada outline accessible experiences on each individual park’s website, from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to Glacier National Park in British Columbia. In the U.S., the Access Pass, available for a $10 processing fee, gives guests with a permanent disability free access to 2,000 recreational sites across the nation.
Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch
Almost anyone can ride the range at this dude ranch! Stagecoach Trails in Yucca, Arizona was designed to be fully handicapped accessible. Both the lodge and guest rooms exceed ADA requirements, and the ranch offers accessible horseback riding equipment to give guests the chance to ride around their arena, and if able, to hit the desert trails with the wranglers (weight limits apply).
MarineLand
MarineLand in Niagara Falls, Canada is known for their attractions and exciting shows featuring dolphins, orcas and beluga whales. What’s also great about this park is that MarineLand offers discounted admission for individuals with disabilities, as well as a ride wristband for one rider and caregiver to skip the line. Almost the entire park is wheelchair accessible.
Holiday World
At Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, guests with disabilities can snag the Ride Boarding Pass that allows you to secure a boarding time for popular rides and enter through the exit gate. You can also pick up an Accessibility Guide at guest services or download it from the Holiday World website before your trip.
Sesame World
Kids can come face-to-face with their favorite Sesame Street characters at the first theme park designated as a Certified Autism Center. Plus, Sesame Place offers the Ride Accessibility Program, which allows you to fill out a questionnaire online to match the abilities of your family members to the requirements of each ride. Bring the completed form to the park, and guest services will create a personalized list of accessible attractions and rides.
Everyone at Handicare wishes you a fun and safe trip no matter where you travel this season. If there is anything we can do to help make your summer more mobile, please contact us today to learn more about our products.
