Trip Report Broken lifts, EMTs, and spitters (oh my!): WDW with a wheelchair and DAS

I’m back, Magicians! For those who don’t know me, my name is Emily. You may recognize me from my sister @krause's Disneyland trip report from this past April, which was in celebration of my 30th birthday! I also wrote a report in September 2018 from a trip with my friend Kaitlyn and @krause wrote one other from a WDW trip from February 2018 for a trip with her family, myself and our parents. The last time I was in WDW was November 2019 (don’t remember a report? You can blame @krause for that as she took the notes) and I cannot wait to get back!

Let's get to the details!

Who: Myself, and my friend Jenny. This is us (I'm on the right):

Some background on Jenny: Jenny was born with cerebral palsy which, for her, means some physical and cognitive disabilities. Jenny will be using an electric wheelchair on our trip. Her physical disabilities affect her life far more than her cognitive disabilities and she lives very independently. That being said, we know that getting the DAS pass will make this trip much more comfortable for her and so we plan to try to get the DAS using the online chat option when the time comes. Jenny has been to WDW before, as a child in 1996 and then again as a teenager (2006ish?). She remembers very little about her ‘96 trip and as a teenager she only did one day at Magic Kingdom, so lots will be new to her!

Some other (probable) players include: My parents, and my sister Kaely, her husband and two children. They are at WDW similar days as us (arrive and leave two days later than we do) and are staying off-property. Our trip dates just happened to coincide but we plan to meet up with them for dinner one night and potentially in a Park if possible. Here's us on our 2019 trip (not sure where the @krause crew was during this photoshoot):

From L to R: Mom, Dad, my sister Kaely, her kids G and B (who are much bigger now!), her husband K, and myself.

When: October 25-November 3, 2022. We are flying in the afternoon of the 25th from Winnipeg, Canada where we both live.

Where: Pop Century Resort. This is only my second stay on property after staying at Port Orleans Riverside in February 2018. I liked the idea of having Skyliner access so that we don’t have to load the wheelchair on a bus each time we want to hit a park. I have not yet been on the Skyliner so having a wheelchair on there actually scares me a little bit but I’m pushing through the fear!

Up Next: The "Why"

 

[MinnieM123]

Face painting! Jenny saw the different face painting examples and knew immediately that she wanted to be a princess!

This is the face of no regrets!

I really like Jenny's face paint design -- the CM did a very nice job!

 

[MickeyCB]

I think this is one of the cutest photos! It just screams we had a great time!

 

[AKemily]

I did not see any answers so I guess Morocco and Norway?

And with respect to these two events…

You are such a great for friend

(JK of course- you are a great friend)

Max

I really like Jenny's face paint design -- the CM did a very nice job!

Yes, I thought so too! You can go back and have it fixed for free the same day as well. Jenny accidentally rubbed it a few times but it still looked great so that wasn't necessary! She did have sparkles in her hair for a few days though despite showering

I think this is one of the cutest photos! It just screams we had a great time!

Thank you! We really did have an awesome trip!!

 

[AKemily]

October 29, 2022
Day 5: Magic Kingdom

The evening earlier Jenny let me know that she felt she needed time in the morning to reset and continue resting. We had a Sanaa reservation scheduled with @KMD and company at 1:10 so Jenny and I decided I would hit MK alone in the morning and she would meet me there a few hours later. Jenny’s sense of direction is essentially nil haha (might sound bad but it’s true and she would agree) so we were both a bit worried about her finding the bus station but we figured with enough time she would be able to find assistance if needed.

I took this picture at 8:02am, early entry began at 8:30.

My goal for this morning was to do everything that Jenny couldn’t/wouldn’t do, namely, the mountains. The only mountain open for early entry is Space Mountain so I joined the crowd at the Tomorrowland entrance. First a photo opp, because, why not?

I didn't know how to stand by myself lol.

I figured as a single rider I would not be a crazy person trying to get to the front of the group and just take my time in the walk over to the ride once the rope dropped. But then I saw a couple who got there at 8:23 (two minutes til rope drop) weave their way to the front of the group, and another couple, and another couple. I made it my personal goal to beat all of them on the ride.

And I won Nailed the ride photo too???

I always get the two tracks mixed up.

I took my time wandering in the direction of Frontierland, knowing the land wasn’t open yet. When I got to the area where Fantasyland turns into Liberty Square (around Memento Mori/Columbia Harbour House), there was another rope drop with a dozen or so people. While I waited, I looked for Pascals. I found several but won't bore you with all the photos.

The Welcome Show fireworks went off (“That’s a good sign”, I said out loud to myself) and the rope dropped. Off we go!

Me and a few other people went down the “boardwalk” along the river. Eventually some cast members led us with a rope so that people wouldn’t stampede and we merged with the other rope droppers near Splash.

Time for the wildest ride in the wilderness!

I was going to hit Splash next, but unfortunately it was down. I decided since I wouldn’t be able to do it again with Jenny, that I would head over to Pirates.

I guess a ride photo never showed up of my solo sail

Up next: More solo MK and reuniting with Jenny

 

[AKemily]

Day 5 continued

Splash was still not open and I was in need of coffee, so I mobile ordered from Sleepy Hollow. I sat for 5 minutes on the rocking chairs in Liberty Square and sipped my coffee.

As I sat, I noticed that Splash had reopened and the wait was already 20 minutes! That was my cue to go.

I was so glad to do Splash. My last couple trips I thought it might be the last time I had the chance before the retheme, but this time I really do believe that is the case. And I did NOT want my last Splash experience to have been my Disneyland experience in April. The Disneyland Splash is truly terrible. I LOVE WDW’s! I hope they do the new animatronics in a similar fashion to the Splash animatronics... none of those projected faces, please.

I sent my family another Where in the World? from a place I had never been to before.

I hadn’t been in Storybook Circus yet this trip, so I wandered over there. I took a spin on the Barnstormer to remind myself of how much of a disappointment it is It really is unbelievably short.

I had been in touch with Jenny at this point. She had made it to the bus stop at Pop and was on her way. I made my way to the front of the park through Tomorrowland.

I caught the Mickey and Friends Cavalcade on my way out.

I headed to the Pop Century bus stop and was pleased to see a bus arrive as I did. A text message from Jenny popped up - “Here!”. Perfect.

I waited as all the able-bodied people exited the bus. Then I watched the bus doors close… and the bus drive off.

That was when I received a Facetime from Jenny. A second bus dropped her off at a different bus stop! Crisis averted.

It was still a little early, so we went back into the Park and hit the gift shops on Main Street. The shops were ridiculously packed but Jenny found a couple things she wanted. Shortly after, we headed back out of the Park and caught a bus for AKL.

We got to AKL maybe 20 minutes before our reservation and before @KMD & co. We checked out the Savannah but it was hot and other than a few zebras there was not much to see. We decided to wait in the a/c. The family showed up a few minutes before our reservation and we were able to check in.

As always, we had a great meal - the bread service can’t be beat (unfortunately, I did not think to take pictures of any of the food).

While @KMD might have a different review, we had a great time seeing my family and talking about our trips. We checked out the Savannah once more before leaving and then headed our separate ways.

Up next: More MK with Jenny

 

[amjt660]

I hope they do the new animatronics in a similar fashion to the Splash animatronics... none of those projected faces, please.

While I agree that the face projected animatronics are not the same and at times .....

they are more cost effective than traditional animatronics and give the imagineers more flexibility in their initial setup and future modifications

So unless they re purpose the old ones - i would expect all new ones to be projected.


Max

 

[rshell68]

What an awesome MK morning for you! Glad Jenny was able to refresh herself. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!!
ps...you were at the Frontierland Shootin' Gallery

 

[AKemily]

While I agree that the face projected animatronics are not the same and at times .....

they are more cost effective than traditional animatronics and give the imagineers more flexibility in their initial setup and future modifications

So unless they re purpose the old ones - i would expect all new ones to be projected.


Max

Well I hope you're wrong but you're probably right and I should prepare for some level of disappointment Tbh, projected faces would still be better than Journey Under the Sea style animatronics (Ariel's not looking great). Also, I should say I am looking forward to the retheme, I think Princess and the Frog will be great!

What an awesome MK morning for you! Glad Jenny was able to refresh herself. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!!
ps...you were at the Frontierland Shootin' Gallery

Yes, it was fun to have a solo morning! I kind of always dreamed of having some time alone in the parks, and I definitely got that this trip. I will say that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be (rides just aren't as fun without friends) but it was fun to explore!

And you win!

 

[AKemily]

Day 5 continued

Jenny and I were headed back to MK for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Jenny felt refreshed after her morning in the room and was ready to go! We had accomplished the majority of the rides on Day 1 and decided to try to get some meet and greets done.

When we got into the Park it was 3:10 so first we stopped to watch the parade! We found a spot behind a family that was sitting up against the tape and I thought that was perfect. Unfortunately, when the parade began the family decided to stand up. Of course, they are free to do so, but I was hoping they would remain sitting since standing made it harder for Jenny to see past them. That being said, we still enjoyed the parade. Mickey and Minnie’s float must have had issues, because they came by in this car.

I had meant to get a DAS with Tiana and Rapunzel but realized that I had actually got it for Cinderella and Elena. Ah well! As soon as we scanned in I snagged a DAS for the other princesses.

Jenny hadn't ever even heard of Elena but I would say it was one of our better meet and greets still. Jenny and Elena bonded over arepas or something haha.

While we waited for our new DAS, we decided to hit the Carousel. Jenny wanted to do this as she had memories from her trip as a child and she wanted to send her Nana a picture on it.

The Carousel has a separate entrance for wheelchairs. There was no line when we got there so we should have got onto the next ride, however they had an issue where the Carousel did not stop at the right place meaning the ramp would not lower down in front of the accessible bench. That meant they had to send it around again once more. Luckily, it stopped in the right place that time and we could get on.

Originally, I sat beside Jenny on the bench but then another lady came who wanted to sit so I switched to a horse. Once I was already up there, the lady changed her mind I guess but at that point I was up there so I stayed.

I don’t have memory of doing the Carousel in the past and it will not be a priority for future trips haha but it was fine

We then went to meet Tiana and Rapunzel. Tiana is Jenny’s favourite princess.

Rapunzel is right up there as one of my favourite princesses (tie between her, Anna and Belle). I have to say though, I don't have a clue what any of the princesses talked about - I was just on camera and autograph duty (you can see the photo frame we were getting signed below).

I think I had got us a Buzz DAS so we headed in the direction of Tomorrowland and decided to see Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. It was a good show and Jenny was on the screen!

I'm sure there were times where Jenny and I made our way across the park that she was thinking "Are we there yet?"

Up next: The rest of our Magic Kingdom day

 

[AKemily]

Day 5 continued

*Warning: Lots of text ahead*

After the Laugh Floor we did Buzz (accessible drive-on vehicle) - twice. I smoked Jenny both times

We stopped by Joffrey’s for a coffee and then had a DAS for Haunted Mansion before getting in line for the fireworks accessible area.

The Park was PACKED this evening, and maneuvering our way all the way over to Haunted Mansion was slow and stressful. By the time we got there and saw the length of the Lightning Lane, we both decided it simply was not worth the stress of it all. We decided to head over to the accessible viewing area and wait in the (relative) peace and quiet.

The area in front of Haunted Mansion was packed but it was our quickest way to the hub. As we made our way through the crowd (with Jenny behind me), I heard her exclaim “Why would you do that? Why would you spit on me?” That got my attention. “Did someone just spit on you?” “Yes, that kid did - he looked right at me, smirked, and spit on me!”. I have to say, there’s a lot that I will let kids that I don’t know get away with, especially at Disney where energy is low and emotions run high. But I wasn’t letting this slide. As I marched up to this child’s father, I could see the fear in the kid’s eyes (he was probably around 8 years old, give or take). It went something like this:

Me: “Excuse me, sir?” (What can I say, I’m still a polite Canadian)
Dad: *looks around at me, confused*
Me: “I need you to know that your child just spit on my friend.” *I point at Jenny*
Kid: “Dad, I’m sorrrrry!”
Dad: *Looking appalled* “Oh my goodness, you need to apologize right now!”

At this point, I was satisfied that the dad knew, and that the kid knew he screwed up so I told him to forget it - we needed to get out of that crowd anyway. I was glad the kid confessed right away because there are definitely kids out there these days that will lie and parents out there that will defend their kids against any wrongdoing no matter what. Anyway, this is mishap #4 big time.

Jenny and I got to the fireworks accessible viewing area around 6:50 (fireworks were at 8). We had discussed just leaving at this point but we did want to see the fireworks at least once more and I didn’t know if we’d be up for it our last night (or if weather would interrupt it). We decided to stay and were glad at least to be sitting still.

In line, Jenny said, “I have a question.” “Okay…”, I said. Jenny pointed up to the sky - “did God make those clouds or did Disney make those clouds?” I assured her that Disney did not, in fact, manufacture the clouds.

Once Jenny had her place and I was given the password (“Rapunzel”), I headed over to Casey’s for a mobile order. It was bonkers there but I managed to get our food and head back to Jenny with little issue.

We had another awesome firework show and then waited for the massive crowds to dissipate a bit before joining them. Jenny held my hand and drove behind me so I wouldn’t lose her. I will say that the train tracks were an issue for us on the trip because her wheels fit so perfectly in them and she’d get stuck. We got used to chanting "Confidence! Drive over them with confidence!" whenever we neared the tracks because if she thought too much about it she would go slow and for sure get stuck

We made it to the bus stop in one piece at 9:00. It took about 35 minutes before we were on the bus. The layout on this bus had me sitting behind Jenny at a window seat and a person sat beside me, blocking me in to the row. That meant that I couldn’t help Jenny when a man came on the bus with a double stroller and tried FOLDING IT OVER HER HEAD. It was one of those massive double strollers with a solid metal frame and the one wheel in the front. For some reason this man felt it was a good idea to wait until he was ON the bus to fold it. The only room he had to do this was in the space above Jenny, apparently. Inevitably, he ended up hitting Jenny with the stroller. She cried out “Don’t! Don’t hit me with the stroller!”. He said “Oh no, don’t worry I won’t!” and continued to try to do it, hitting her again. When she said again, “Don’t hit me with your stroller!” he again said he wouldn’t to which she said “you ALREADY DID!” He gave up and got off the bus - I don’t know where he ended up but neither of us were sorry to see him go! Mishap #5. Luckily, Jenny was not seriously harmed.

We were glad to make it back to our room shortly after 10.

Up next: Day 6 Hollywood Studios

 

[Swissmiss]

Your post made me sad that some people could be so thoughtless, clueless, rude, mean (so many adjectives went through my head) to Jenny.

And I don’t think I commented on it before but I loved how the face painting she had done at AKL went so well with the shape of her glasses

 

[amjt660]

Not sure what to say about the spitting.

It is good that the child confessed but the judgement error to do it in the first place in not acceptable.

No matter how advanced we get with technology and knowledge the human race still has a long way to go in my opinion

I hope Jenny was not impacted too much by it and that it did not spoil the rest of her night


Max

 

[Zipadeelady]

Poor Jenny. Tell her I'm sorry and I love her.

 

[k8einwdw]

You were much nicer than I would have been



I'm glad the spitter's dad handled the situation instead of making excuses for his kid. I can't believe the bus driver let the other person come onto the bus with an opened stroller. Normally they'll stop you and tell you to fold it before you get on.

 

[DisneyJeff]

I'm glad you said something to the father instead of just ignoring it. If you didn't say anything, the kid would probably feel like he could get away with stuff like that. Hopefully, he learned something that day.

 

[MickeyCB]

The area in front of Haunted Mansion was packed but it was our quickest way to the hub. As we made our way through the crowd (with Jenny behind me), I heard her exclaim “Why would you do that? Why would you spit on me?” That got my attention. “Did someone just spit on you?” “Yes, that kid did - he looked right at me, smirked, and spit on me!”. I have to say, there’s a lot that I will let kids that I don’t know get away with, especially at Disney where energy is low and emotions run high. But I wasn’t letting this slide. As I marched up to this child’s father, I could see the fear in the kid’s eyes (he was probably around 8 years old, give or take). It went something like this:

Me: “Excuse me, sir?” (What can I say, I’m still a polite Canadian)
Dad: *looks around at me, confused*
Me: “I need you to know that your child just spit on my friend.” *I point at Jenny*
Kid: “Dad, I’m sorrrrry!”
Dad: *Looking appalled* “Oh my goodness, you need to apologize right now!”

Dad's trying but that kid is going to be in the future monsters of America club. Was going to use a stronger word but figured it would get deleted by the mods.

We made it to the bus stop in one piece at 9:00. It took about 35 minutes before we were on the bus. The layout on this bus had me sitting behind Jenny at a window seat and a person sat beside me, blocking me in to the row. That meant that I couldn’t help Jenny when a man came on the bus with a double stroller and tried FOLDING IT OVER HER HEAD. It was one of those massive double strollers with a solid metal frame and the one wheel in the front. For some reason this man felt it was a good idea to wait until he was ON the bus to fold it. The only room he had to do this was in the space above Jenny, apparently. Inevitably, he ended up hitting Jenny with the stroller. She cried out “Don’t! Don’t hit me with the stroller!”. He said “Oh no, don’t worry I won’t!” and continued to try to do it, hitting her again. When she said again, “Don’t hit me with your stroller!” he again said he wouldn’t to which she said “you ALREADY DID!” He gave up and got off the bus - I don’t know where he ended up but neither of us were sorry to see him go! Mishap #5. Luckily, Jenny was not seriously harmed.

And what the H**l?! Is she invisible?!
A large part of the human race just stinks.
(Again was going to use another word but restrained myself.) I'm not a polite Canadian, just someone who doesn't want to get kicked off the boards.
You are an amazing friend to this woman who deserves better from humans.

 

[LeighM]

I can't imagine ever thinking it was okay to spit on anyone when I was a child. My punishment would've been much worse than an apology. I'm sorry she had to experience that.

 

[fractal]

While I agree that the face projected animatronics are not the same and at times .....

they are more cost effective than traditional animatronics and give the imagineers more flexibility in their initial setup and future modifications

So unless they re purpose the old ones - i would expect all new ones to be projected.


Max

They also are more challenging to photograph.

 

[RememberWhen]

Just reading your trip report (sorry for the overload of likes!) and I’m really appreciating all the insight into accessible Disney. My cousin and his wife are headed down in a few weeks and she’s in a wheelchair. I’ve been their Disney helper, but there are so many things I haven’t noticed as an able-bodied person that I haven’t been as able to answer her questions all the time without doing a bit more research. I had no idea there was a wheelchair area for MK fireworks! Do they have that at Epcot too? Thank you for all the awesome info!

 

[pkkurz]

Just reading your trip report (sorry for the overload of likes!) and I’m really appreciating all the insight into accessible Disney. My cousin and his wife are headed down in a few weeks and she’s in a wheelchair. I’ve been their Disney helper, but there are so many things I haven’t noticed as an able-bodied person that I haven’t been as able to answer her questions all the time without doing a bit more research. I had no idea there was a wheelchair area for MK fireworks! Do they have that at Epcot too? Thank you for all the awesome info!

There are 2 handicapped viewing areas in Epcot, one between Port of Entry and Disney Traders. The other is close to the Rose & Crown. The typically open one hour before the scheduled start time for the show.