Going to a theme park with any young kid can be stressful, overwhelming, and exhausting. In fact, I don’t even enjoy them, but when you have kids, you end up doing a lot of things that you would not normally do. Kelcie kept asking to go to Universal Studios and Kayla really wanted to go to Disney World. Since we vacation in Florida every June, I decided to bite the bullet and go to both parks.
We went to Universal Studios for two days. The good thing was that Kelcie’s friend came along so they could enjoy the theme parks together. I was stuck with Kayla. And my husband was smart and stayed home!
After doing some research and having experienced Universal previously, I had a game plan for Kayla. Universal Studios offers a “Disability Pass” for individuals who need accommodations for any reason. Although some people think of this pass as a way to “cut” the line, it is not meant for that. For Kayla, the pass was used to access rides in a way that benefited her. For example, the pass allowed her to be pushed to the front of the line versus walking and standing in long lines. It could also be used to get a time to come back to the ride if there was a long line, and give her the ability to remain in her stroller during a 4D ride.
The experience we had at Universal Studios from going through security, getting the “Disability Pass,” to going on the rides was outstanding. The ease of getting on rides was a breeze. Employees would tell us where to go, what to expect, and how long we would have to wait. They also were very aware of asking her mobility level and if she would need any help. Another example of amazing service we received was having the stroller delivered to the end of the ride.
Everyone we encountered was friendly and respectful. Not only did I notice their respect for Kayla, they were friendly towards everyone that was entering the rides. When we encountered a character to meet, the staff were courteous in asking Kayla if she wanted to meet them or just keep her distance.
Kayla would not have been able to enjoy Universal Studios if they hadn’t made their parks accessible to everyone. She would not have been able to enjoy rides with her sister, laugh at the Minion 4D show, give a hug to the Lorax, get soaking wet on “One fish, two fish,” or meet Barney. Universal Studios went above and beyond our expectations for accommodating children with special needs.