Walt Disney World Embraces Guests of All Shapes, Sizes, and Abilities

New Book to Guide Vacationers with Special Needs

America's most popular resort destination made it to the top of the charts for many reasons -- a hug from Mickey, a childhood revisited, a cleaner, safer, friendlier world... Chief among them is Disney's hospitality. Every visitor is a guest, and Disney's parks, restaurants and hotels strive to embrace everyone. It's hardly a one-size-fits-all world at Disney's Orlando property, yet everyone seems to fit. Sometimes these efforts are obvious -- you'll see more wheelchairs and electric scooters in Disney parks than you're likely to see anywhere else unless it's a medical center or retirement community. More often though, it's the invisible -- accommodations available for those who know to ask: devices to help a hearing- or vision-impaired guest enjoy a show * theme park maps and translation devices in six languages * "Special Assistance" passes for children with autism or ADD * a sheltered spot to breastfeed an infant * chefs and waiters schooled to serve a wide spectrum of special dietary needs * rides sized to fit guests of various disabilities and dimensions... You could fill a book, and indeed, that's what PassPorter Travel Press and authors Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma are going to do!

"PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs" will deliver more than 400 pages of in-depth information for Walt Disney World vacationers of all abilities. Scheduled for release in spring of 2005, this new addition to the PassPorter Travel Press catalog will offer in-depth coverage of every ride, attraction and resort on Walt Disney World property from a distinctive "special needs" perspective. The book is intended to supplement existing, general-purpose guidebooks, such as PassPorter Walt Disney World, rather than replace them.

Consider the typical multi-generational family planning a vacation -- pregnant and nursing moms, parents with infants, cousins "keeping Kosher" or Halal, grandparents with declining mobility, a child with food allergies, an uncle struggling with obesity, a teenaged daughter recently "converted" to vegetarianism.. everyday people coping with everyday needs. And Disney World does more to accommodate their many needs than nearly anyplace else.

 "In the six years PassPorter has been publishing its Walt Disney World guidebooks and interacting with its readers, we've found these everyday special needs combine to make up one of the single largest categories of 'frequently asked questions,'" said PassPorter's publisher, Dave Marx. "We know this is more than a niche -- nearly every vacationing family may need some kind of special advice."

To bring this publishing vision to pass, PassPorter has recruited authors Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma, respectively founder/publisher/editor and senior editor of www.allearsnet.com, the most often cited and respected independent guide to Walt Disney World on the Internet. As Dave Marx explained, "We knew Deb and Debra would be perfect for the job. Their input as expert peer reviewers for our 'regular' Walt Disney World guidebook has been invaluable. Deb's site already contains many valuable articles addressing what we consider 'special needs,' and AllEarsNet's sensitive, comprehensive, accurate, and eminently readable approach to travel information was just what we needed. They have the expertise, they have the skill, and they have the desire. What more can a publisher want?"

Look for "PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs" (ISBN 1-58771-018-8) in spring 2005 at booksellers nationwide. In the meantime, visit http://www.passporter.com and http://www.allearsnet.com for updates and further information.