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jhharlan

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Guest Assistance Passes aka Disability Passes

All three major amusement parks (Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando) provide assistance passes for people with disabilities. You can get them at Guest Relations as you enter the park. However, the passes are different at each park, in both appearance and how they can be used. Below is a summary of the assistance pass for SeaWorld Orlando.

Tip: Keep your Assistance Pass in a separate zipper-style plastic bag so it doesn’t get ruined on the wet rides.

Tip: If your special needs child must remain in his/her stroller during the queue, make sure you ask for the "use stroller as wheelchair" accommodation.

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld's Accessibility Guide has information that may be helpful.

UPDATED JULY 2013:
SEAWORLD HAS CHANGED THEIR DISABILITY PASS PROCEDURES. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND PLAN YOUR TRIP ACCORDINGLY.

SeaWorld’s Ride Accessibility Pass (RAP) is now similar to Universal Orlando Resort’s and Walt Disney World's pass.

After you enter the park, turn the corner to the right, and Guest Relations is in the row of buildings on the left hand side.

Upon arrival, explain to the cast member that you need a guest assistance pass that enables your family member an alternate entrance because they have difficulty waiting for long periods of time. For our son, being in his presence about 2 minutes is enough explanation that he has a disability and needs the type of pass that allows him not to wait in long lines. Other families may need to bring a letter from their child’s doctor stating the child has a disability and cannot wait for long periods of time. Please note: this letter is not required but merely a suggestion to help getting an assistance pass go smoothly.

If needed, request that your pass indicate that your stroller will be used as a wheelchair in order for your child to stay in the stroller throughout the queuing.

You will be provided one pass in the name of the person with a disability that also allows up to 5 additional guests for the rides and attractions listed on the front of the Ride Accessibility Pass. On the back of the pass, seven attractions are listed that now require a return time in order to avoid waiting in the regular queue. Rides and attractions not listed on the back can be accessed though the alternative entrance, which is typically the exit to the ride or the Quick Queue line.
For those seven attractions listed on the back, here is the new procedure as we experienced it:
1.       Go to the regular entrance of the attraction you wish to ride.
2.       Present your pass to the cast member at the ride’s entrance.
3.       If the current wait time is less than fifteen minutes, you will be directed to get on the ride.
4.       If the current wait time is more than fifteen minutes, the cast member will write a time to return to the attraction.
5.       When you return to the attraction at your appointed time, show the pass to the cast member and they will direct you where to enter the ride queue, typically the Quick Queue line.
6.       You need to return to the ride within one hour of the time written on the pass.

Unlike Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Resort, SeaWorld Orlando allows guests to obtain return times for more than one attraction at a time before riding the next ride.

A potential problem with this new procedure is persons who have trouble understanding they have to get a return time instead of entering the ride’s line immediately. To help minimize this issue, we recommend that someone in your party obtain returns times for all attractions as soon as you receive your assistance pass and then take your family member to the ride at the return time to avoid confusion or potential meltdowns.

Note for those guests who are season pass holders: SeaWorld allows us to keep the assistance pass for two weeks with the expiration date listed on the pass. This eliminates the need for us to go to Guest Relations every time we visit SeaWorld.