Abu Dhabi and Ferrari World

Abu Dhabi is the capital and second most populous city in The United Arab of Emirates.  It was not too far from Dubai and was only a 2 hour taxi ride to this city.  My friend, brother and I decided in advance that this city should also be a must see since we wanted to go to the amusement park Ferrari World located at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and a Rolling Stones concert held at the concert stage attached to Ferrari World.  There is also the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is the largest mosque in the UAE and made out of beautiful marble.  We wanted to also visit Emirates Palace which is a famous 5 star hotel in the city.  Our UAE trip in February 2014 continues on.  So we booked a taxi van and crammed all our luggage, commode and manual chair inside the van.  It was a tight fit but we were prepared for the 2 hour ride from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

dress code sign at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

We were only in Abu Dhabi for a few days so the first major tourist attraction we wanted to visit was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; named after one of the late presidents of the UAE.  When we arrived, we were in such awe of the beauty and of the grand scale of this mosque.  I am not a religious person but this was a definite highlight of our UAE trip.  There is a big sign at the front about proper attire to wear during your visit to the mosque.  Don’t worry if you didn’t bring the right clothes to enter, they have abaya and scarves for you to borrow.  It is free to enter the mosque and they do provide free guided tours and free headset tours.  We were here in the daytime but was told that evening visits would be a totally different experience because of the lights etc.  We couldn’t return in the evening because of the Rolling Stones concert.

feet must be washed before entering prayer area

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is very wheelchair accessible as there are ramps everywhere and elevators to go to the other floors.  Wheelchairs are provided and their is a club car service that can be used if informed by staff.  Just make sure you wash your feet at the basin before you enter the prayer area.  After a bunch of photos, it was time to go to the Rolling Stones concert.

such a nice mosque

The concert is held at the stage in Ferrari World in Yas Island.  It is a man made island in Abu Dhabi that is home to hotels, restaurants, shopping, Yas Waterworld, Yas Beach, Yas Marina and of course Ferrari World.  The concert area was actually really accessible and they even had a raised platform not too far from the stage so that it is easier for us to see.  The only problem was that they only let 1 attendant accompany a wheelchair guest so my brother stayed with me while my friend stayed a bit closer to the front stage.  They had an accessible bathroom really close to the raised platform and that was really convenient.

raised wheelchair viewing area with accessible bathroom right beside it

Since it was a Rolling Stones concert, it was so packed full of people.  There was even a security guard that helped us in and out of our area when we needed to use the bathroom.  He would help usher people out of our way.  I was so glad that we had a little section for wheelchairs that was raised.  Not only was it easier for me to see, I did not have to be trampled in a big pile of people.  Our area was not as full.  The concert was great and kudos to the staff for helping us make it a memorable experience.

Rolling Stones concert at Ferrari World

Having only a couple days in Abu Dhabi, I did not have enough time to explore the sidewalks and streets.  I would suspect it being similar to Dubai; being the newer area to be more accessible than the older area.  Again, we relied on regular taxis because my friend just transfers me to the front seat of the taxi and my manual wheelchair is collapsed at stowed at the back.  We had to check out the famous 5 star hotel Emirates Palace.  It was opened in March 2005 and was built as a landmark showcasing Arabian culture.  It cost $3 billion USD to build and is owned by the government.  We looked around and it seemed wheelchair accessible but obviously did not check out the suites.  I am sure it will be wheelchair accessible since it is only a decade old.  The lobby was really beautiful and parts of the décor was made of gold and marble.  Very luxurious and am sure it is expensive to stay in.  Too rich for my blood but it was definitely a great place to visit and take photos.

lobby inside Emirates Palace hotel

Our next stop was Ferrari World.  It is a themed amusement park and the only Ferrari branded theme park.  It opened in November 2010 and boasts over 20 rides and attractions including Formula Rossa,the world’s fastest roller coaster.  They let us have a free companion ticket with a paid wheelchair ticket.

entrance to Ferrari World

The park itself was pretty accessible as I can be wheeled around the park without any issue.  We saw models of Ferraris everywhere.  First we had to get food at the food court.  A few slices of pizza really hit the spot.

Ferrari’s everywhere

pizza lunch at the food court

The first ride I wanted to try was Bell’Italia.  We sit in little Ferraris and get to go slow around a track to see a tour of a miniature Italy.  It is not accessible as I have to transfer out of my wheelchair and be lifted into the mini car.  It is a family ride so it is slow moving.  I don’t mind that at all since I have no balance sitting in the car and had to sit next to someone so I don’t lean over.  We got to go on 2 laps of the ride since it wasn’t busy.  Once the ride was done, we went to see a tire-changing contest at one of the race cars.  Another ride I tried was called Speed Of Magic.  It is a faster family ride and requires you to wear glasses for this 4D ride.  Again for this ride I needed to transfer out of my chair and into the seat.  I had to have my brother and friend sit real close to me to wedge me in as I have no hand grip to hold onto the grab bars when the ride turns, shakes and rattles with what is on screen.  My favorite part of the ride/show was when we see a simulated waterfall and get to experience the feeling of dropping down which was pretty exciting.

Bell’Italia ride

Ferrari World also has shows that we can watch.  We saw a dance/acrobatic show at RED.  Nothing spectacular but was good to see dancing combined with bmx biking, mega wheels and acrobatics.  My brother and friend went on the Formula Rossa ride, which is the fastest roller coaster in the world.  I was debating on going on this ride but wasn’t allowed to since I had no grip to hold on and no leg movement to brace myself in the ride.  I been on a few roller coasters before as a quadriplegic and wasn’t too upset being declined on this one because I didn’t want to fall out of this ride if I wasn’t able to hold on.

accessible seating for the show at RED was at the very front

So the last ride I went on was called Made in Maranello which was a tour of the historic Ferrari factory.  They actually had a ride that was accessible and I was able to stay in my wheelchair and park inside the ride car.  This was another slow ride that I enjoyed as it moved around to different set pieces explaining how a Ferrari was made.  It was relaxing and informative.  There are many other things to do at Ferrari World including other rides, go-karting and shows.  Overall, Ferrari World is a definite must-see and worth to check out if you have a whole day to explore it.

Speed Of Magic ride before we put on our 3D glasses

So Abu Dhabi is a city you should visit if you are visiting Dubai anyways.  It is a short 2 hour cab ride and has a few exciting things to see.  We have the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Emirates Palace Hotel, concerts, Yas Island and Ferrari World.  I didn’t get to explore too much of the city since we only had a couple days.  Accessibility seems to be on par with Dubai.  I think 2 or 3 days is plenty of time to see Abu Dhabi, what do you guys think?

accessible ride at Made in Maranello