Parties with Wheelchairs??

Hi everyone, so I just got back from WDW early this morning and thought I'd share a little bit about my first trip traveling with someone in a wheelchair.

We were with a 12 year old boy who had broken his leg a few months prior and was therefore in a wheel chair (though he was able to transfer). Including him, we were a party of 8.

When we were entering test track they split our party up 4 and 4, and let half the party go straight on the ride while the half (i was in this group) had to wait in the other line. To make a long story short; the ride broke down and we were left waiting in line for another hour and a half while the rest of our party had to wait outside the ride for us.

We asked to stay together but the woman directing us told us it wasn't necassary to keep all 8 of us together (there were only another couple going through the handicap entrance). I don't know what kind of compansasion (if any) is appropriate for this but, I thought it was a huge inconvenience.

Also, on Toy Story Mania they would only let 6 of us through the handicap entrance, forcing a 12 year old and a 14 year old to wait in the regular line by themselves.

Next, on kilamanjaro safari, we waited 45 minutes in the handicap entrance (at the front of the line) when the wait for standby was 50 minutes.

On Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger spin once you get to the section where you board, we were directed to where passengers get off, which was a small inconvenience.

On The Haunted Mansion, we were directed through the exit which was nice, but we weren't able to see the beginning "pre-show".

At most shows we were sat in the very back row (with the exception of The American Idol Experience, Monster's Inc. Comedy Show and the American Adventure - which had no handicap seating, we were at the front)

Some standouts in being very accessible were; splash mountain, big thunder mountain, stitch's great escape, Tomorrowland Speedway, Test Track, Universe of energy, It's a Small World, the backlot tour and The Great Movie Ride.

One thing that irked me was how rude some people can be, for example rides with pre-shows (test track, dinosaur, tower of terror, rock n' roller coaster etc) we would be asked to stand near the door, and people would race out ahead of us. It was extremely rude especially when we are actually trying to get out - I understand people want to get on the ride asap but it would be greatly appriciated if we could be let by so it we dont run over your feet!

 

[magicmom1]

Well Katie this has been a discussion on several other threads. I too travel with my father who is in an electric wheelchair. He has only been in this wheelchair for 2 years and prior to that we had NO IDEA of what you get put through when you are traveling with someone who is disabled. We are usually a party of 7 and they have never separated us. We NEVER go in the Summer so maybe this is one of the reasons for separating your party.

My big gripe is that the last time we went my father was told that he would have to leave his $10,000 electric wheelchair and transfer to a regular wheelchair.

1. He is not going to trust anyone with leaving that chair to a cast member who does not know how to operate it and break the very sensitive joystick that is on it.

2. He weighs about 300 lbs and the only regular wheelchairs are the ones that your 12 year old was riding in. They DO NOT make any concessions for "larger" guests who have to transfer so pretty much the answer is then you cannot ride this ride!

So essentially my father is a full paying customer who is not able to ride most of the rides now because NO ONE has thought to put larger wheelchairs at these rides that he has to switch from even if the cast member knew how to operate his chair. Keep in mind that this is a family who has been to Disney at least 150 times since 1971 and we totally understand that there have to be some rules but how about some thought for people who are disabled.

I know that there is an investigation into Disney from the American Disabilites Groups because Disney has now become more non-accessible for certain groups of disabled people. Most of the rides were built in 1970 and the disability laws have certainly changed since then so they are trying to get Disney to get up to speed with the disabled guests of this milenium instead of last.

Hopefully something will come of this. I know that my father has been contacted by the Miami chapter of the American Disabilities Group because he is so well educated on ALL the rides at Disney prior to being disabled and since being disabled. Most would agree that the major problem is with the Magic Kingdom because it is the oldest park but that is the only park that most guests can even think of riding rides in because they have the least amount of rides with medical warnings which also afflict most guests with disabilities.

I am sure hoping for a change so that my father and his grandkids can enjoy Disney just as much as we used to when we were my kids ages. I can't believe that the Happiest Place On Earth would be intentionally excluding guests who have disabilities but this is what my family has run into over the last 2 years.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

when my family went we had my grandparents in ECVs and a CM told us that each wheelchair only allows up to 6 guests to enter the rides with them.

 

[EpcotServo]

Sorry if you were displeased with your experiences.

I traveled to Disney frequently for several months in a wheelchair and I was never treated better.

:shrug:

 

[KC82271]

We were recently there with a child with autism. They asked at guest services how large the group was - it was 4 adults and 3 children - and they were all allowed to enter with the child.

 

[corey154]

I think Disney does the best it can to accomidate its guest. No matter what they do someone has a gripe. We should be thankfull that they do as much as they can do help you out. It could be worse.

 

[djwaverboy]

Omg!!!!!!

ok Let me get this straight.......You are displeased because your entire party could not enter the ride all together? ummm.... well to be honest I believe everyone should wait their turn. May be next Time you can have one adult in your group wait in the stand by line and when the person is ready to board you can all ride together. same thing as a baby swap. Make sure you speak with one of the CMs before to make sure it is ok. so if the regular line is 90+ mins you will wait for same amout of time as others in the park. Same goes for bus line back to the resort. this way you will be treated as everyone else and there for you can not complain they did not give you the same treatment as other guest who spend the same amount of money as you.

 

[kirksheppard]

I think that there are a lot of very entitled people at Disney World in and out of wheelchairs. Unfortunately, the ones in wheelchairs are enabled by Disney World.

There are several legitimate reasons why someone in a wheelchair should be given front of the line access but a broken leg is not the kind of condition that should get 8(!!!!) people to the front of the line. . . you should wait like everyone else.

I like DJ's response a lot.

 

[disneynut4u]

The first time we took my dad in a wheelchair, there were 7 of us. We never had to split up on rides. The only time we ever encountered snide remarks was waiting for buses. Because there were 7 of us, we did feel that us getting on first, with our father, was a little unfair for those who had been standing in line a while, so we developed our own strategy. We put one person with dad in the wheelchair, and the rest of us got in the regular line. Dad & the "pusher" would hold back until we got at the front of the line. We would let others ahead of us so that we would be first on for the next bus. There was much less headache doing it that way.

This past May, there were only 5 and we didn't have any problems whatsoever in using the handicap lines. We were just thankful that we didn't have to stand in any long lines, because the heat was really affecting him.