Disneyland Makes Dreams Come True for Mountain Shadows Residents
From the charm of Main Street, to the whimsy of Mickey’s Toontown, Mountain Shadows residents explored Disney’s Magic Kingdom, where life is a fairy tale and dreams really do come true.
Thanks to Disney’s Community Involvement Program, which allows people with disabilities to enter the park for a greatly reduced fee, over 100 Mountain Shadows residents visited Disneyland during February and March. “We made more than 20 trips to Disneyland during those two months,” said Donna Ponomarenko, Mountain Shadows Activities Director. “We’ve been taking residents to Disneyland for many, many years.”
Many Disneyland attractions offer access for guests with wheelchairs or mobility disabilities. During their visit, Mountain Shadows residents enjoyed attractions including It’s a Small World, Alice in Wonderland, the Indiana Jones Adventure, the Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Splash Mountain and many more.They were also treated to Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams, Snow White’s Enchanting Musical, and a tour of Mickey’s House, where they had the opportunity to meet the world’s most beloved mouse.
“All of the residents had a blast!” says Donna. “We took two vans each trip.There was one staff member for each resident. I went with Karen Trogdon, Willow House resident. We went on 15 different rides!”
Says Karen, “I’ve been to Disneyland a lot of times, but this year was very special to me. I loved The Mad Hatter ride, but my favorite part was seeing Mary Poppins. I had always wanted to see her. I had my picture taken with her and she gave me her autograph! It was a dream come true. And being there with Donna made the whole day even more special to me.”
Walt Disney’s dream was to make Disneyland the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Our dream here at Mountain Shadows is to help our residents have the courage to pursue theirs. “All dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them.”
—Walt Disney