Wheelchairs at WDW

[dox]

Leaving to WDW later this week and quite excited, but also a bit nervous.

This is the first time I've been back to WDW with my parents in over 15 years. My mom is now 80 and although she insists she doesn't need a wheelchair, the reality is she will need one for most of the day. This is my first time traveling with someone in a wheelchair and not really sure what to expect. I was hoping some of you who have done this can share tips, ideas of what to expect, things to watch out for, etc.

My biggest concern are the rides. I don't think she plans to ride much, but for those she does plan to ride, does she get to bypass the queue? I'm most worried about Splash, which I now she loves because if she can't bypass the queue there is no way she will be able to go up the stairs if the whole queue is open. How exactly does that work?

Also, I understand that castmembers cant help people get on rides, but what happens on rides like HM and PPF, where she may be a bit slow on the conveyor. Any advice, tips would be most appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[The Mom]

There is a way to bypass the stairs at Splash Mountain. If the line cannot accommodate a wheelchair, there is an alternative entrance which the CM will direct you to as you approach with the wheelchair. This is most common in the MK, as the newer parks have queues that will accommodate wheelchairs & scooters.

You might end up waiting longer on some attractions, as they have a limited number of cars/boats/etc that are wheelchair accessible.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Rides with conveyors (HM and SSE etc) see the conveyor slow or even stop while guests with mobility issues board

 

[jonimcd]

On HM and SSE, they will slow or even stop the conveyor for you to board. On both of those you board at the exit. For HM, you go through the regular line until you get to the break off point. The CM will point it out for you once you get in line. On SSE, you go straight to the exit where the put your name on a waiting list and you wait in line at the exit. Sometimes it is just as long as the regular line, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.

On PPF, because of how the way the ride is built, it cannot be slowed or stopped. Your mom will need to be able to transfer quickly from the moving conveyor belt.

In MK, most of the lines have alternate routes. Some break off from the regular line while others are completely separate. The cast members will point them out for you. At Pirates, they will want your mom to transfer to one of their wheelchairs and leave yours at the front of the queue. You will then leave that one to get on the boat and get a different one at the exit to get back to your chair. In Epcot, just a few of the older rides have separate lines like SSE and the boat in Mexico. There isn't anything at DHS and AK that require a seperate line except for some of the shows. They will separate you in these lines so that they can get you seated first and out of the way. At Kilamanjaro, they will separate you at the end, so you can take as much time as you need to board.

 

[disneynut4u]

My dad must be in a wheelchair when we go. The conveyors throw him for a loop. He gets slightly dizzy & lightheaded transferring from the chair to the conveyor, but my sister & hold on to him & he does ok. We've not had conveyors stopped for him. Your mom should be ok on this, though. Just be next to her. Dad only rides the "tame" rides, and we've never had a problem. WDW is about the ONLY amusement park that is handicap friendly. We've been to Six Flags over Texas and if you're in a wheelchair, you can just about forget getting on to anything. We stopped going after we discovered that.

As for the other rides, you bypass the lines for EVERYTHING! This is cool. You also get VERY good seating at the shows as well.

We love that Disney understands how difficult handicapped guests have it and they go out of their way to help. If you have any problems, just ask a CM and they'll do whatever it takes to help you. We love them for that!!!!

 

[dizzney]

Had to use a scooter which I rented for the entire length of my last trip due to a knee injury, you should think about renting from Buena Vista Scooters or Walker Mobility for the length of stay as its less expensive and you have it at the hotel, well worth it.

CM's are very accomodating and direct you easily to where to go, I didnt ride splash or space mountain since it would have been a problem climbing in and out of the ride but did everything else,

I found that Disney is the place to vacation if you have mobility issues.

Good luck!

 

[Babylon Control]

If in doubt always ask the CM working the line, they'll be able to tell you what you need to know. As for Splash Mountain, you will take her through the main line with everyone else up to a point, in other words, up to the point that the line proceeds up the stairs. At this point there is a break in the rope with a handcapped flag on it. Wait here here and a CM will come by and let you through a short walkway towards the exit of the attraction. They may hold you here for a few minutes if a couple logs have just let off. When you're given the all clear, they'll tell you to keep to the right and make your way up the exit ramp and towards the loading area. You will load from the exit side of the attraction. You will NOT load immediately, as most people assume. It may take a couple logs before you are loaded because they have to fit you into the flow of guests loading from the regular queue. This is the case at almost every attraction.

 

[karenatwdw]

We have gone with our son who is in a wheelchair some rides you don't wait in line. But many are built so you can wait in line with the wheelchair. On the ones that you have to bypass the line they usually make you wait some time I think it is so people do not take advantage of the system. You also need a pass and the person who it is for has to be there when you get it and they only let so many people skip the line if it does not accomadate a wheelchair. We were with a group of 6 they let 1 person go with the one in the w/c while the rest waited in line they are very nice and good to people with handicaps but they are alot tougher a friend of mine who works for disney because of all the people who say they are handicaped and really are not. Everyride is differant and when you get your pass you have to explain what the persons issues are you can't just say they are old or they get tired but they are helpful.

 

[tizzo]

Looks like others have mostly covered it. I'll add that Disney parks are extremely accommodating to those with mobility issues. And some of those accommodations involve some of the niftiest technology I've seen in the parks.

In particular, there are two pieces of accessibility technology that I've only seen once each.

On the Jungle Cruise, I saw a person in an ECV loaded into a hidden wheelchair ramp that appeared to be on top of the boxes in the center of the boat. A cast member pulled something that caused a ramp running the length of the boat to unfold and simultaneously rotate out towards the dock, so that when fully opened the ramp ran across the width boat instead of along the length of it. The ECV was then driven up the ramp by it's occupant, at which point the cast member folded the ramp back up, causing the platform along with the ECV to be rotated so it faced the front of the boat. Like I said, pretty nifty, and it appeared as though the whole mechanism was operated with no power source other than that supplied by the cast member operating it.

I saw something similar on Aladdin. One of the magic carpets has a back that opens into a ramp and rotates just like I described above. They load the wheelchair in, and close the ramp, which causing the platform containing the wheelchair to rotate so the passenger is facing forward, making the closed ramp the rear of the car. Again, all apparently operated by only the arm strength of the cast member.

Besides being cool to see, the process of loading was very fast.

 

[pcarathers]

We have gone with our son who is in a wheelchair some rides you don't wait in line. But many are built so you can wait in line with the wheelchair. On the ones that you have to bypass the line they usually make you wait some time I think it is so people do not take advantage of the system. You also need a pass and the person who it is for has to be there when you get it and they only let so many people skip the line if it does not accomadate a wheelchair. We were with a group of 6 they let 1 person go with the one in the w/c while the rest waited in line they are very nice and good to people with handicaps but they are alot tougher a friend of mine who works for disney because of all the people who say they are handicaped and really are not. Everyride is differant and when you get your pass you have to explain what the persons issues are you can't just say they are old or they get tired but they are helpful.

My dad uses a wheelchair every time we go, and we've never had an issue of them "splitting" our group up. There have been as many 7 of us and we have always gotten to stay together. The only time we would split up is when it was time to get on a bus back to the resort. just one of us would load dad up and get on with him, the others would get in the general line. We would hold dad back until we were for sure to get on the same bus, but we've never had an issue and we've never had a special "pass" from guest relations.