Handicap Accessibility
On Property
When you visit Moody Gardens, you will find the entire property is designed to accommodate people with disabilities. There are more than 70 accessible parking spaces and curb ramps. All buildings have ramps that lead to entrances, and all of the restroom facilities are handicap accessible. Moody Gardens has several vans with wheelchair lifts for on-property transportation.
Wheelchairs
There is no charge to use Moody Gardens wheelchairs during your visit. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Visitor Center and Aquarium. Guest Services staff will ask that you leave your driver's license as a form of deposit. Your license will be returned to you when you return the wheelchair.
Attractions
The fun and educational attractions at Moody Gardens are wheelchair accessible and welcome service animals. The Rainforest and Aquarium Pyramids offer unique visual and tactile experiences. The theaters feature accessible seats with removable arms and areas for personal wheelchairs. Theaters can also provide close captioning devices to any patron that request it. The Colonel Paddlewheel Boat has a ramp that will allow guests with wheelchairs to access only the upper deck of the boat. There are also male and female restrooms which are both wheelchair accessible located on the upper deck. Guests can park in the West Lot to be closer to where the boat is docked.
During the summer months, guests can enjoy the interactive splashpad, river, and wave pool at Palm Beach with ramps leading into the water. For guests wishing to stay overnight, the four-diamond Moody Gardens Hotel is the place to be beautiful handicap accessible rooms.
Service Animals
Service Animals are permitted on the property however; the service dog/animal must be wearing the service vest or the service animal patch must be visible in order for the service animal to be allowed on the property with the guest.
Please remember that animals are not permitted or allowed in the attractions or in the buildings unless they are trained service animals. Service animals can only be a dog or a small horse.
According to Texas Law, service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people
alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person's disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person's disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work or the individual's disability prevents using these devices.
Website Accessibility Statement
Moody Gardens Hotel is committed to providing a website that can be accessed by all, including users with disabilities.
Moody Gardens Hotel strives to maintain compliance with the World Wide Web’s Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA) on our website, and:
We have built our website using standard-compliant HTML and CSS
We have ensured that the website content is structured in a logical manner using informative headings and labels where relevant, and are usable by customers who use assistive technology/screen readers.
We have provided consistent navigation across the website
We have ensured that images have alternative texts and descriptive links.
In addition, we offer rooms with accessibility features, which may be booked by calling 409-741-8484.
Please be aware that WCAG 2.0 AA Guidelines are evolving and our efforts to comply with these guidelines are ongoing. If you would like to report any accessibility issues, please contact us at accessibility@moodygardens.org and we will make all reasonable efforts in order to update the page(s) and ensure their accessibility.
We strive to have a website that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. However, if you encounter any difficulty in using our site, please contact us at accessibility@moodygardens.org. We will work with you to ensure that you have full access to the information available to the public on our site. Our customer service agents are also available at 409-741-8484 to provide you with assistance with and information about our hotels and programs. If you have any questions about the accommodations at our hotel, please call or email and our team will be delighted to assist.