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Disney parks offer devices for visually impaired visitors
November 3rd, 2009, 3:00 am · 13 Comments · posted by Sarah Tully
After becoming legally blind at age 30, Brenda Woodrum missed seeing the details of one of her favorite Disneyland rides, Pirates of the Caribbean.
So, Woodrum teared up when she heard a description of cannons shooting from pirate ships on the ride using a new listening device that just became available at Disney parks.
“It was really an emotional experience,” said Woodrum, 47, of Fullerton. “I remembered what was there, but sometimes I’d ride it and not know what was there. I had kind of a sense of loss.”
Starting Sunday, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure for the first time began offering hand-held devices that give audio descriptions of scenes in 19 attractions for visually impaired guests.
Disney parks are believed to be the first ones to offer such a service, Disney officials said. Knott’s Berry Farm does not have a similar service.
Five devices are available at each Disney park, said Mark Jones, manager of Disney domestic services for guests with disabilities. Guests must give a $100 refundable deposit to use the “audio-description service” devices. In March, Walt Disney World parks began providing the service, now available at 30 locations.
Disney added the audio service to its devices that already provide assistance for guests with hearing disabilities, which were introduced in 2002, Jones said.
Visitors pick up the devices at guest-relations offices at both parks, choosing either two-ear or one-ear headsets.
Upon entering an attraction, the devices trigger emitters within the ride that begin the audio description. It’s designed so that guests should have to do no more than adjust the volume, Jones said.
On the pirates ride, the audio description begins as soon as guests walk in the building and enter the queue.
As the ride starts, the narrator talks about sparkling fireflies, lily pads and a man smoking a pipe. He warns that the boat will plunge down a waterfall. Later, the narrator continues to describe the liquor pouring down a bony frame of a pirate skeleton, Captain Jack Sparrow popping up, a “stout” lady up for sale and the mayor dunking in a well.
The explanation pauses for songs and audio from the story plot.
As a member of a Disney group for disabled employees, Woodrum, a reservation sales agent for Walt Disney Travel Co., gave input about the devices as Disney developed them. The group is called CastABLE.
Woodrum first tried out the devices last year, eventually trying them out on six rides. She gave feedback on the timing of some of the descriptions, but otherwise, she enjoyed them right away.
“It’s an incredible experience,” said Woodrum, who visits Disney parks about once a month. “There’s so much detail there. You get full immersion into the attraction.”
The number of Disneyland Resort guests who have used the devices so far was unavailable Monday.
Disney first hoped to buy already existing devices, Jones said. But when officials couldn’t find what they wanted, Disney engineers designed them in house. They hired an outside manufacturer, Softeq, to put them together. WGBH, a PBS producer, provided the audio content, Jones said. Officials declined to release the cost of the product.
Disney hopes to add the service to other attractions in the future, possibly starting with shows.
Attractions with the service at Disneyland:
- Enchanted Tiki Room
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- it’s a small world
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures
- Storybook Land Canal Boats
- Disneyland Railroad
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- “Honey I Shrunk the Audience” movie
Attractions with the service at Disney’s California Adeventure:
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!
- Muppet*Vision 3D
Previous Disneyland Resort posts:
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very cool Thank you Disney!
Is this really a big deal? Who cares? They’ve had audio tours for the blind for years there. Maybe they should try to sink some of that creativity into figuring out how to make it so you can actually get on some rides for your $90 ticket.
That might be a good place to start.
What a wonderful way to use DVS technology to improve the experience for blind and visually impaired park guests! A previous person commented that they have had audio tours for years, but he in incorrect. An audio tour is completely different from DVS anyway.
My family visits Disneyland every year and one of my son’s, who is now 15, is blind. I have spent many visits describing the rides and attractions to him…on Small World, California Screamin, Soarin or Indiana Jones. It is nice to know that on our next visit, he will have access to more of the park’s attractions through DVS. Thank you Disney!
I wish Disney cared as much about their 3rd shift mechancis as they did their guests. “Money over morale” is the Disney way. Put us back on 4-10’s, our families miss us!!!
The article wasn’t about Disney as an employer. If you don’t like your job and/or the way you are treated, quit. It’s not very complicated.
What’s a mechansi? Is that some sort of Eastern European dancer?
My family misses me when I am at work, too. So what?
When did this become about me Me ME? I thought this was an article about what Disney was doing to better serve their GUESTS.
Get another job Jason - in case you don’t realize it, 3rd shift “Mechanic” is probably one of the best jobs an uneducated, marginally skilled, lazy guy can get. You know exactly how much “work” you do, and you know what your labor rate tops out at, so stop complaining.
Very cool. Hopefully they buy a few extras. It would be disappointing for a family to bring their sight impaired family memeber to Disneyland hoping to get one of these devices and they already ran out of the the 5 they had. I think they can afford it.
Disney should care about their guests. How do you think you get paid, Jason?
This is an excellent step in making Disneyland more accessible to even more people. Good job for them.
It’s nice to see how accomodating Disney has been to their guests and how they continue to provide new options to help disabled guests.
Disney has been using reflective technology to help guests with hearing disabilities. I noticed this at Country Bear Jamboree at the Magic Kingdom at WDW in 2007. But that’s clearly not practical for a ride such as Pirates of the Caribbean.
Disney has special cars and makes special accomodations to help those with physical handicaps so they can enjoy just about any park attraction. I saw how quickly they can load a ride vehicle during my 2009 trip while waiting in line at Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy at DIsneyland.
It makes sense that Disney should come up with a solution to help visually impaired or blind guests. In fact, based on the device shown in the picture, two data streams could be sent at the same time, thus using one device to facilitate both hearing and visually impaired guests. Consolidate resources(handheld devices and emitters) would save costs while boosting functionality. Disney already has experience with emitter technologies with their now defunct PAL Mickey product, so it just makes sense to simply re-use the same technology for a more useful application.
If Disney is broadcasting out attraction and entertainment information for use withcell phone and web mobile apps, why not go the extra bit and make this information available to those renting the visual and/or hearing impaired devices as well?
Excellent if we push for combined technologies for people with hearing loss also, along with accessibility for visual loss! Go for it, keep talking, thanks.
For many people, our ability to speak for our needs now (we with disabilities) is a threat sadly. They may fear we use resources they need for themselves. Yet the more we rally together for equal rights, the more we can support people in employment rights also, fair pay, etc.
This is awesome! I love Brenda im so excited to see her on here. Blind and visually impaired guests and cast deserve to have something great like this at the park. When someone is completely blind its a whole different experience.
What if you were blind from birth, you dont know what the color purple is?
And hey Jason maybe you shold count your blessings that you have a job and have all of your abilities. Some are not that lucky.
I love to hear that there are companies like ‘Disney’ who really care about there guest. I think it is a wonderful happening thank you ‘Disney’ !