Panama City Beach Launches "Fun.For.All” Initiative to Promote Accessible Travel During

National Mobility Awareness Month

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Visit Panama City Beach is pleased to announce the launch of its new “Fun.For.All” initiative, which promotes accessible travel and highlights the destination’s commitment to welcoming all visitors. The announcement comes at the start of National Mobility Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and solutions for mobility challenges that affect over 18 million people in North America.

“Accessible travel is a top priority for our destination and community,” said Dan Rowe, Visit Panama City Beach president and CEO. “We believe every traveler should be able to experience our beaches, restaurants, hotels and resorts, as well as the endless activities and events we offer year-round.”

The destination’s Fun.For.All initiative is in alignment with VISIT FLORIDA’s statewide accessible travel campaign, “Limitless Florida,” which highlights resources and activities across the state for visitors with special needs. Throughout Panama City Beach, travelers can access the beach using elevated boardwalks, beach wheelchair rentals, Mobi-Mats and accessible fishing piers. Visitors can also enjoy an array of accessible attractions, restaurants, and accommodations that elevate the vacation experience.

See below for a sampling of mobility services, itinerary options and more.

Mobility Services

Bay Town Trolley

Getting around Panama City Beach is convenient, safe and affordable with the destination’s local public transit system, the Bay Town Trolley. For visitors with speech, hearing or vision impairments, the trolley can provide aids and services including qualified sign language interpreters and documents in Braille upon request. Each trolley is also wheelchair accessible and service animals are welcome.

Mobi-Mats

These long, rubber mats extend from the sand all the way down to the shoreline, allowing beachgoers with wheelchairs, walkers, canes or other mobility aids to easily access the beach. Mobi-Mats can be found at several beach access points in Panama City Beach, so all travelers can spend a serene day by the water or view a stunning beach sunset.

Mobi-Chairs

Floating beach wheelchairs called Mobi-Chairs are designed with comfort and portability for those who enjoy getting in the water. The Mobi-Chair is easy to maneuver and allows for a smooth and stable transition from the sand to the water. Flotational wheels and armrests enable balance, so users can relax and recline as they float.

Where to Stay

Panama City Beach has countless accessible-friendly accommodations. Below is just a small sampling of what guests can experience when visiting the destination.

https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/plan-your-trip/accessibility/

Panhandle Getaways

Panhandle Getaways offers a selection of properties with accessible features in Panama City Beach. Travelers can find vacation rentals ranging from beach houses to resorts are service animal friendly, and include elements such as wheelchair accessible facilities, accessible guest rooms and parking spots, elevator access, wheelchair rentals, elevated boardwalks, and swimming pool lifts.

Holiday Inn Resort

The Holiday Inn Resort provides a gulf front vacation experience with many accessibility options for families and guests of all ages. These features include accessibility to the hotel’s common areas such as the public entrance, elevators, public restrooms and the spectacular pool and pool deck area. Guest rooms include mobility accessible tubs and roll-in showers.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

In addition to offering spacious and modern accommodations, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Panama City Beach provides full accessibility to the hotel’s front entrance, elevators, and public restrooms. From the front entrance, there are accessible routes to the pool, exercise facility, meeting room, business center and guest rooms. Wheelchair accessible rooms are available upon request with roll-in showers and a private balcony overlooking the gulf.

Where to Eat

Panama City Beach has many types of accessible-friendly restaurants, offering a variety of fresh coastal cuisines inflected with Cajun, Gulf Coast and American Southern traditions. Below is just a ‘taste’ of what the destination has to offer foodies and seafood enthusiasts.

https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/plan-your-trip/accessibility/

Runaway Island

This wheelchair accessible restaurant on Panama City Beach offers amazing Gulf of Mexico views, live entertainment, and frosty drinks. The spacious venue has two levels of inside dining space and an elevator that provides access to both levels, where guests can enjoy Runaway Island’s fresh seafood with local flair and an array of inventive cocktails.

Pineapple Willy’s

A waterfront dining spot known for live music and delicious seafood, Pineapple Willy’s is ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible, welcoming all guests to relax and dine inside or outside. Located on Panama City Beach, Pineapple Willy’s offers accessible entry on the street side entrance with an added ramp and paved parking lot. The inside of the restaurant features ramps and ample space to accommodate those using mobility aids. In addition to accessible indoor dining, outdoor picnic style tables provide end space for wheelchair seating on the pier.

Where to Go

St. Andrew’s State Park

Positioned between the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay, this haven for marine life features wheelchair and mobility aids, including beach wheelchairs, elevated boardwalks, accessible fishing piers and campsites with concrete pads.

Shopping at Pier Park Mall

This 1.1 million square-foot, open-air regional lifestyle center brings unique shopping, tourist attractions and dining to the heart of Panama City Beach. Pier Park Mall offers a selection of department stores, one-of-a-kind boutiques, and specialty shops, in addition to a range of diverse dining options. Accessible parking spots are available for visitors, and all stores and restaurants adhere to the requirements of the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

WonderWorks

WonderWorks is a multi-level, wheelchair accessible amusement park that actively combines entertainment with education, working to challenge the mind and spark the imagination. All levels of the attraction are accessible by wheelchair, and trained service animals are permitted to accompany visitors with disabilities. For visually impaired visitors, there are several exhibits that focus on the sense of touch and feel including Hurricane Shack, Titanic, Bed of Nails, Pull Yourself Up, Sound Lab and Wonder Simulators. For the hearing impaired, many exhibits within the WonderWorks attraction are visual and include signage to explain how they work.

Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise

This exciting, scenic cruise offers 2 hours of family-friendly fun with dolphin sightings, pirate activities, and more. The Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise experience is wheelchair accessible with a ramp entrance that accommodates a standard width wheelchair, and staff members are available to assist with boarding. The main deck of the ship is wheelchair accessible, and wheelchair users are able to stay on the deck throughout the duration of the cruise.

For more information on the initiative, please visit: https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/plan-your-trip/accessibility/ .

For Fun.For.All images and campaign elements, visit https://bit.ly/3M6fkHj.

For general images of Panama City Beach, visit https://bit.ly/2AqNp5g.

About Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@VisitPanamaCityBeach).

About Visit Panama City Beach

Visit Panama City Beach is the official destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Florida. The award-winning organization has earned industry accreditation (DMAP) from Destinations International, the world’s leading authority in destination marketing, and exists to drive economic opportunity, job creation, community sustainability and quality of life for its residents through marketing, promotion and stewardship of the destination’s REAL.FUN.BEACH. brand and attributes, tourism development, special event production, and managing beach re-nourishment and maintenance programs.

Media Contacts:

Brittany Chapman                              Jayna Leach / Lacee Rudd

Lou Hammond Group                          Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau                 

727.244.1555 / 727.483.0707               850.233.5070 / 850.233.5070      

brittanyc@louhammond.com               jleach@visitpanamacitybeach.com

                                                          lrudd@visitpanamacitybeach.com