Pier on Disney's private Island

I have mobility issues and was wondering how long is the pier at Disneys private island? Do they supply a tram to take you down the pier?

Thanks

They do have a tram. They also have the big wheeled sand wheelchairs on the beach, I believe.

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There is a tram to take you to the beaches, but not to take you down the pier. My daughter also has mobility issues. There are sand wheelchairs just off where you exit the ship, but let me warn you--these are HARD to push. I've done Castaway Cay with a friend who was almost exclusively in a chair and with my daughter who at this point has more ability to walk but uses a chair for long distances. I could not push either of them in the big tire sand chairs, while their normal chairs were no problem for me. A normal wheelchair is no problem on the paths and the CMs will stow it on the tram if you are able to transfer. However, a normal chair doesn't work well on sand....so unless you have a muscular teen to push the sand chair, it can be a problem. You can also choose to bring a scooter or other motorized device onto the island--same sand issues though.

It is a significant walk from the ship to the tram. Concierge guests can arrange to be transported by golf cart literally from the ship to the tram or to their cabana (if they reserved one) or to the beach of their choice. I have never addressed the issue of whether this service is available to a mobility impaired guest--I just pushed the wheelchair!

DH has mobility issues and we call for an island taxi to take us to the tram/beach. It is a golf cart and you ask the CM to call for a golf cart. We usually have to wait 15 minutes but it really helps. Its called the island taxi on castaway cay.

DH has mobility issues and we call for an island taxi to take us to the tram/beach. It is a golf cart and you ask the CM to call for a golf cart. We usually have to wait 15 minutes but it really helps. Its called the island taxi on castaway cay.

Thanks, Shelly. Good to know that they will do this for mobility impaired guests in addition to concierge booked guests.

Do you mean the ship's pier, or the big wooden scenic "pier" that looks out over the main beach area?

I tried making it to the latter from the former, and all the way out to Cookie's Too, by solo manual chair just to prove it could be done--

And while sand is one thing (didn't have the sand chair), the sidewalk/paved pathway there and back is perfectly navigable without taxi, but long slopes up and down may require more than a few pushes along the way. (My thanks to anonymous do-gooders, which I seemed to attract on my own.) :)

The big scenic overlook is all on wooden boardwalk, so it's no trouble to get out to a view of the big blue water, but hitting a little beach sun-time may be a group effort.

I wondered whether I could make it out to Serenity Beach, but after finding out the "bike trail" was an abandoned airstrip, I....reconsidered.

That's exactly what I meant by saying that the paths and paved areas were no problem with a standard wheelchair. Whether someone can self-propel a standard chair on these paths depends upon their upper body strength and may well be related to why they need the chair. If someone uses a manual chair and can self-propel in their daily life, they'll be fine on the paths at Castaway Cay. If their problem also involves shoulders, arms, etc., that's a long way to self propel.

Thanks for all of your help, after some re thinking, I have decided to take my scooter so the pier will not be an issue anymore and getting around in the other ports will be much easier.

DH has mobility issues and we call for an island taxi to take us to the tram/beach. It is a golf cart and you ask the CM to call for a golf cart. We usually have to wait 15 minutes but it really helps. Its called the island taxi on castaway cay.

Lots of questions about this...

Do you arrange this onboard or after you get off the ship?

We go to Serenity Bay. Will this taxi take us there or just to the tram to go there?

Is there a fee for this service?

My Mom is mobile with a cane but cannot walk long distances. There are three of us, but she is the only one with the issue. Do we all ride in the taxi together or do we need to walk and meet her there?

Thank you!!

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The way it works for concierge guests is that you let them know you want the service and about what time. It is arranged on board. The "taxi" is a golf cart and will hold 3 or 5 guests + driver (2 sizes) and they will take the family. Yes, it will go to Serenity Bay. No charge.

My guess is that it is similar for mobility impaired guests. DCL doesn't advertise the service as there are a limited number of carts and drivers and lots of people who don't need it might suddenly be requesting it. You can also pick up a sand chair right off the ship and use the tram--they'll load the wheelchair onto the tram for you, but you'd need to push her to the tram (which also goes to Serenity Bay).

Just a thought--if your mother can't walk long distances, you might want to consider a wheelchair on the ship. The ship is quite large...depending on how steady she is on her feet, etc. she might need more than her normal "at home" assistance.

DCL seems to be a bit inconsistent when it comes to mobility issues.

I asked for assistance for my mom from concierge (we were staying in concierge), but they said there wasn't anything to help get my mom from the ship to the tram....

actually, my experience with DCL is why i bought a wheelchair to take with us on our next cruise (on RCCL in alaska), even though my mom doesn't need a wheelchair (she walks very slowly with a cane)...but i bought it just in case because of my negative experiences with DCL...

anyway, we had to walk from the ship to the tram....and we even had a cabana, but that didn't seem to be of any help getting from the ship to the tram...

for the life of me, i can't remember getting back to the ship..

we waited until the very end (since we were hanging out in the cabana), so i think we got a ride all the way back from serenity bay (since it was so late by that point)...but i don't remember...

however, i do remember how difficult it was to get my mom and sister from the ship to the tram...

but perhaps DCL has improved this since we were on the Dream a few years back...

Beth, I'm with you on inconsistencies regarding disability issues. We've even had different answers within 2 hours.

You can often find wheelchairs at second hand shops for very low prices. Obviously these are "transport chairs" rather than custom fitted chairs for someone who uses a chair at all times. We found it to be an excellent $25 investment for many times and places when one is not readily available. This is certainly not DCL only.

DCL is also inconsistent with their policy concerning "loaner" wheelchairs on board. At one point we were told there are no loaner chairs but there are some stored in the medical center for RENT after an injury and this is usually covered by health insurance. Another time, we found perhaps 20 chairs by the deck 2 forward elevators available for guest use. We've also had situations at the terminal--a chair is always ultimately available, but "available" might mean a 20 minute wait. Bottom line--having her own chair saves time and removes availability issues. And for $25, if something happens to it, no big deal. They fly free, so no problems there.

yes, i purchased a transport chair for our trip to alaska.

since i live overseas, i ordered the chair from Amazon and had it shipped to our hotel in anchorage (free shipping!!)

and then on the return flight, i simply checked it in with our luggage - also no charge.

i was going to purchase one of the less expensive ones, but then opted for a super lightweight and exceedingly comfortable model.

It turned out to be worth every penny. My mom didn't use it often, but it was so comfortable, she didn't refuse when i thought it would be easier.

and since it was so lightweight, i brought it with us everywhere just in case she might want to use it.

Even on a long hike we were on, when she actually walked with her cane, i pushed the chair just in case she tired out.

and she did sit in it during our visits to mendenhall glacier, etc. So it definitely was a good thing to have along.

and it didn't take too much space in our stateroom either given that it's a transport chair

So...just to let you know...once onboard, I called Guest Services and they told me that all I needed to do was call them about 10 minutes before we were ready to get onto the island and they would have a cart waiting for us at the gangway. Sounded pretty nice.

In the end, however, we didn't even get off the ship. We decided that it was going to be a lot of effort to go to Serenity Bay for what would likely be just an hour. We stayed onboard and had much of the ship to ourselves. We ended up getting my Mom into Donald's Pool and that worked very well...and then we did AquaDuck with no line. A great time to be on the ship.

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So...just to let you know...once onboard, I called Guest Services and they told me that all I needed to do was call them about 10 minutes before we were ready to get onto the island and they would have a cart waiting for us at the gangway. Sounded pretty nice.

 

In the end, however, we didn't even get off the ship. We decided that it was going to be a lot of effort to go to Serenity Bay for what would likely be just an hour. We stayed onboard and had much of the ship to ourselves. We ended up getting my Mom into Donald's Pool and that worked very well...and then we did AquaDuck with no line. A great time to be on the ship.

 

 

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this is what we're planning for our august cruise - staying on the ship instead of getting off at CC...

at most we'll get off for lunch and a short bike ride..

but the rest of the time we'll stay onboard...

where did you eat lunch? what was open on board when the ship was in CC?

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We stayed on board on our first Fantasy cruise--it was an excellent time to take photos and enjoy the ship. I thing we may have been the only guests on board.

One restaurant will be open for lunch. On our cruise, it was Enchanted Garden...if I'm remembering correctly. Funny that I clearly remember daughter requesting a chicken caesar salad which was not on the menu and the server saying that since they were "so busy," he was sure they'd make special arrangements for her. It was really odd to be the only people in this huge dining room with lots of staff standing around as they had nothing else to do.

this is what we're planning for our august cruise - staying on the ship instead of getting off at CC...

at most we'll get off for lunch and a short bike ride..

but the rest of the time we'll stay onboard...

 

where did you eat lunch? what was open on board when the ship was in CC?

 

.

We just ate in Cabanas. It was open with regular service.

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DCL seems to be a bit inconsistent when it comes to mobility issues.

 

I asked for assistance for my mom from concierge (we were staying in concierge), but they said there wasn't anything to help get my mom from the ship to the tram....

 

actually, my experience with DCL is why i bought a wheelchair to take with us on our next cruise (on RCCL in alaska), even though my mom doesn't need a wheelchair (she walks very slowly with a cane)...but i bought it just in case because of my negative experiences with DCL...

 

anyway, we had to walk from the ship to the tram....and we even had a cabana, but that didn't seem to be of any help getting from the ship to the tram...

 

for the life of me, i can't remember getting back to the ship..

 

we waited until the very end (since we were hanging out in the cabana), so i think we got a ride all the way back from serenity bay (since it was so late by that point)...but i don't remember...

however, i do remember how difficult it was to get my mom and sister from the ship to the tram...

 

but perhaps DCL has improved this since we were on the Dream a few years back...

This was our experience aboard the Magic with our party which included two 80 year old ladies, one of which needed help. Help to get to the tram was requested but none provided by concierge host. The return trip however was facilitated by the cabana host and a golf cart all the way from serenity bay to the ship. The concierge team's tip reflected the service provided (or not). A sour end to the trip. Side note; I offered the cabana attendant, (not a concierge host), a generous cash tip on the spot and he refused.

This was our experience aboard the Magic with our party which included two 80 year old ladies, one of which needed help. Help to get to the tram was requested but none provided by concierge host. The return trip however was facilitated by the cabana host and a golf cart all the way from serenity bay to the ship. The concierge team's tip reflected the service provided (or not). A sour end to the trip. Side note; I offered the cabana attendant, (not a concierge host), a generous cash tip on the spot and he refused.

that is soooooooooooo interesting!!!!!

it's amazing to me that you had exactly the same experience!!

after reading some of the other comments here, it seems we would have been much better off just asking guest services instead of the concierge hosts.....in general, i found the concierge hosts to be useless in offering any kind of actual assistance...they were great at smiling and chatting up a storm (the better to churn good tips for themselves)...

too bad i'm not taking my mom on DCL with us this time, as i'd love to see how DCL guest services handles situations like this..

i was really very unimpressed by the concierge hosts...

they were very much all talk and no action..

i asked for their assistance for my mom also in the theater and they couldn't help there either..

she's legally blind and can only see a slight amount from the front row..

i asked for help but they said they couldn't do anything..

on royal i asked guest services and they reserved seats in the front row for not only my mom, but all four of us - me, DD and DSIL...

sadly, on DCL, after the first night where i could only manage to get us into about the fifth row, where she can't see anything at all, my mom stopped going to the theater shows...

sad as i think she would have enjoyed it...

anyway....i think it was a concierge issue more than a guest services issue...

.

You know, there is something wrong with what you've described, Beth. We've been on several cruises with deaf passengers. In the theatre, there has always been a reserved section for them--starboard side, the first few rows--with the team of interpreters standing at the front. We've tried to get seats on the starboard side, center section near the front where we could see both the interpreters and the stage as they are really fun to watch and my daughter studied ASL in both high school and college. Angela, one of the interpreters, was particularly sweet and spent some time teaching her Disney signs, talking about her work as an interpreter, etc. during the high school years. Sometimes there is one deaf guest, other times a group of 10 or so. In all cases, the reserved section was for the deaf individuals and their families.

But my point is that there were arrangements made, as there should be. By the same token, arrangements should have been made for your mother to meet the needs of her disability. The concierge staff should surely understand the need for such arrangements, even if they have to work thru GS to make it happen.

I really don't want to get into the discussion of whether the ADA applies to the ships--DCL has chosen, whether by legal requirement or choice, to follow the requirements of the ADA. It sounds like they need more consistency in this!

We have found situations of the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing in disability issues. The first time I cruised with a friend who is 100% wheelchair dependent, I called GS and inquired about how we were to handle the muster drill; the voice on the phone said that we were exempt from the drill. Then, after the horn sounded, we got a call from GS asking whether she would need assistance for the drill. DUH, get it together people.

You know' date=' there is something wrong with what you've described, Beth. We've been on several cruises with deaf passengers. In the theatre, there has always been a reserved section for them--starboard side, the first few rows--with the team of interpreters standing at the front. We've tried to get seats on the starboard side, center section near the front where we could see both the interpreters and the stage as they are really fun to watch and my daughter studied ASL in both high school and college. Angela, one of the interpreters, was particularly sweet and spent some time teaching her Disney signs, talking about her work as an interpreter, etc. during the high school years. Sometimes there is one deaf guest, other times a group of 10 or so. In all cases, the reserved section was for the deaf individuals and their families.

 

But my point is that there were arrangements made, as there should be. By the same token, arrangements should have been made for your mother to meet the needs of her disability. The concierge staff should surely understand the need for such arrangements, even if they have to work thru GS to make it happen.

 

I really don't want to get into the discussion of whether the ADA applies to the ships--DCL has chosen, whether by legal requirement or choice, to follow the requirements of the ADA. It sounds like they need more consistency in this!

 

We have found situations of the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing in disability issues. The first time I cruised with a friend who is 100% wheelchair dependent, I called GS and inquired about how we were to handle the muster drill; the voice on the phone said that we were exempt from the drill. Then, after the horn sounded, we got a call from GS asking whether she would need assistance for the drill. DUH, get it together people.[/quote']

 

it was very upsetting to be sure..

fortunately, my mom still had a wonderful time on the cruise and still talks about how lovely our suite was and the cabana and the ship..

and especially the service in the dining rooms....which was beyond fantastic..

 

i'm just sorry i didn't think of going to guest services myself to ask for help..

i figured if concierge couldn't help me, it just wasn't possible...

 

oh well...

 

on the next cruise i took her on (the royal caribbean radiance of the seas in alaska), we were just in a regular stateroom so i only dealt with guest services......

but in that case, royal was really very geared to her disability..

they already contacted us in advance...

when we walked up for check in (in seward alaska), they sent us straight to the disability desk and basically rolled out the red carpet for her..

it was quite wonderful...

they told her someone would meet her on the ship to take her around and show her the ship....which indeed happened...someone from guest services gave her a gift and showed her around the ship and told her to contact her for anything....

 

also they put these crazy big navigators in our room every night....in super large print.....she couldn't read those either...her sight isn't good enough even for that....but it was a very nice thing to have...

 

also they offered that someone would read the menus to her in the dining room...we declined of course, because i was traveling with her..

but it's a service they offer for blind passengers..

 

so royal was really on the ball..or at least the radiance was....