Why Are EVC Guests Sent Through the Toy Story Midway Mania Queue?

[Timekeeper]

Over at Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom, they now require all ECVs to be parked outside and a red attractions wheelchair be used if needed.

I have a feeling that Toy Story Midway Mania may eventually go this route.

Great point, and I'm inclined to agree with you.

 

[Rob562]

BUT this picture is from 2008. In recent years, I have not seen the whole indoor queue used even when the line reaches outside. I wonder if that part of the line has something that people were touching and dirtying/breaking too much? :shrug:

If I were to hazard a guess, it'd be because of the fire doors that are there along the front wall of the building.

On more that one occasion, I've seen fidgety kids waiting in line who start playing with the doors when the queue loops past them. The doors have pneumatics on them, and as soon as the crash-bar on one of the doors is pressed, both doors in that pair spring open. (I presume if the fire alarm goes off all of these doors spring themselves open) The door then stays open for a good 10-20 seconds before automatically closing again.

With the doors open, it lets a bunch of A/C out. It also opens the possibility of line-jumpers coming into the building, either intentionally, or if the outdoor queue extends past the doors, I'm sure there's at least a few dim-witted Guests who'd see an automatic door opening mean that it's time to walk into the building just like in other places around the parks...

Keep Guests out of this section of the queue, and you lessen your chances of issues.

Of course that's all total speculation on my part...

-Rob

 

[Tori]

Most of the time, the CMs will direct you to where you need to go. Haunted Mansion also has a "back entrance". I believe many other attractions do as well like POTC. The handicapped folks should be given priority!:shrug:

They no longer do that at Haunted Mansion since the queue changed. Everyone goes through the normal line.

Not the case at all. I know from personal experience.

Then how did you get the wheelchair up the stairs?

 

[fosse76]

I am going to guess - and it's only a guess, but like most other things with ADA compliance it would make sense.

1) ECV's - in order to be considered an ECV (and not a scotter, moped, etc) must meet certain requirements - minimum turning radius, minimum slope it can go up, minimum weight handling, etc.

2) In order to be ADA complaint, the queue must meet certain minimum requirments that accomidate the requirments for the ECV's.

That's not to say that the queue may be at the very edge of being compliant, but if it is ADA compliant, it should be able to handle a compliant ECV

Actually, the queue doesn't need to be ADA compliant...only the ride's load/unload platform must be reasonably accessible. However, due to the nature of theme/amusement parks and their rides/attractions, the ADA doesn't generally apply to the rides themselves.

 

[TheBeatles]

Some Guests have problems taking ECVs through Philharmagic's queue and it's not particularly difficult to navigate.

Personally, I think it's an issue of who is driving.

 

[Timekeeper]

They no longer do that at Haunted Mansion since the queue changed. Everyone goes through the normal line.

This raises another issue that I've noticed that could be its own thread but I'll keep it here as directly related to wheelchairs in queues -

The HM queue is comprised of cobblestone and anytime a guest in an EVC (or even a regular wheelchair) goes through the queue, it causes quite a bit of noticeable vibration (to the chair/guest) and anyone within 30 feet of the poor guest will notice, and often laugh.

First, this simply cannot be comfortable for the poor guests in the chairs. Granted, some people pay money for vibrating chairs, but there's a time and a place for that, and that typically doesn't include dozens of onlookers.

Second, other guests must wonder why in the world is Disney sending these poor guests through a long cobblestone queue?

As an aside, I'm not a professional EVC mechanic, but all of that intense vibration can't be good for the device itself. Not an issue if it's a Disney EVC, but not ideal if it's a guest's personal device.

I'm all for equal wait times and appropriate exceptions, but I always feel bad when I see a guest in the HM queue who looks like they're riding a paint bucket mixer through the line.

 

[shellybaxter]

As an experienced ECV user I can tell you that an ECV - even a large one - can and will go through the stand by queue at Toy Store Midway Mania without problem. You just have to know how to drive. It's not that difficult. I've never had to do a three point turn. I've always just driven through with no problem.

 

[rct247]

BUT this picture is from 2008. In recent years, I have not seen the whole indoor queue used even when the line reaches outside. I wonder if that part of the line has something that people were touching and dirtying/breaking too much? :shrug:

The problem with that part of the queue is that it is next to the automatic emergency exit doors. If these doors are leaned on or opened, they all open out automatically, and stay open for a few seconds. The result caused guests from outside to start peaking in and jumping the line. Guests figured out that their party could also meet them this way. Open the doors and the rest of their group can come in to meet them. It got to the point that a CM had to be positioned there so now they don't fill that portion of the queue for safety reasons and also to avoid any problems with guests.

 

[BrittanyRose428]

The Test Track queue is kind of like that too. Last time I went on Test Track with my grandpa it was a struggle to get the ECV through the line. And the merge part just seemed like more of a mess to get everyone to move to let him through. If the line was shorter he probably would have just parked outside and had less of a headache.

 

[Tom Morrow]

The handicapped folks should be given priority!:shrug:

Um, no. They should be accommodated for. The whole point of the ADA is to ensure they are accommodated for and treated as equals.

 

[G00fyDad]

Um, no. They should be accommodated for. The whole point of the ADA is to ensure they are accommodated for and treated as equals.

^^ This. :wave:

 

[fosse76]

Um, no. They should be accommodated for. The whole point of the ADA is to ensure they are accommodated for and treated as equals.

Exactly. And the reason that most of the time theme/amusement parks send guests to the exit for boarding is that they were generally more accessible (and easier to modify for accessibilty) than the regualr queue. I assume, since the ADA was before FP was created, Disney sends guests through FP because they were designed with that accomodation in mind. As they do more and more refurbs and enhancements to the regular queue, people are going to discover that EVC use is no longer going to grant them quick access.

At Disneyland, the wait time for people with the accessibility pass was actually longer than standby (I was there president's day weekend). I believe most of the accessibilty at DL was through the exit.

 

[flynnibus]

Exactly. And the reason that most of the time theme/amusement parks send guests to the exit for boarding is that they were generally more accessible (and easier to modify for accessibilty) than the regualr queue. I assume, since the ADA was before FP was created, Disney sends guests through FP because they were designed with that accomodation in mind. As they do more and more refurbs and enhancements to the regular queue, people are going to discover that EVC use is no longer going to grant them quick access.

At Disneyland, the wait time for people with the accessibility pass was actually longer than standby (I was there president's day weekend). I believe most of the accessibilty at DL was through the exit.

It's a lot simplier than that... Disney had been accomodating to handicap far greater than required for a long time. As things in WDW were built, they were built with accessibility in mind. As ADA came along, WDW simply continued what they were doing but with the new codes taking it further.

DL simply doesn't have the space in their queues. They don't have space, nor do they emphasize the queue element at all in DL. That's largely why their queues aren't accessible. DCA on the other hand was built with accessibility in mind. But neither put much effort into queues.. so most remain outdoor, or at best, shaded, switchbacks with only a handful of exceptions (like Indy)

 

[mrksmpsn]

ECV Driving Skills

It does take some skill to navigate the TSMM que, but not as much as the one at the Living Seas. Now there is a challenge!

I understand why folks like to skip the queues to go on more rides over the course of the day, but whenever we have had a ECV and was instructed to go in a back way to see an attraction I always felt I've missed part of the attraction. Disney themes the queue areas, plus many of them, like the Haunted Mansion, have things in them that contribute to the story. If you have to bypass the queue you may be losing some of the story.

Rather than start a discussion about the pros/cons of waiting in line to experience the queue theme/story vs. seeing more attractions in a day, it is probably best to just concede to each his own. When I have to use an ECV or wheelchair I just want to be fair to the other guests though.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Maybe Disney accounted for the maneuverability of the Disney-issued-ECV's, and not other makes and models that guests might bring to the parks themselves...? :shrug: Different ECVs will obviously come in different shapes and sizes, with different turning radiuses, etc.

I don't think I've yet seen an ECV larger and less maneuverable than a Disney issue.

:lol:

 

[Mrs.Skellington]

My father in law is 82 years old and disabled. At home, he does not walk very far and can get around with a walker. At the parks however, he needs the use of a wheelchair. He is not allowed to use an ECV because he is not allowed to drive anymore. (Something to do with old age and not paying attention to our feet so we don't want anyone else's feet mushed too:ROFLOL. We always utilize fastpasses.
For Toy Story, they bring our entire party through the fastpass section and before the stairs, we go right. We do have to wait until they have the "handicapped" ride cars for us to get in. Most of the time, it takes us about 10-20 minutes to get on once we enter the cue. Oh and we go during low times.
For Haunted Mansion, (before the refurb) they would take FIL and one pusher, and bring them through the back, and the rest of our party would go through the cue. This was because of the turnstills. They are no longer there so I would guess that is not a problem anymore.
They did have to stop Space Ship Earth for him to get on. But the other moving entry rides we did not have to stop. We would pick him up and put him on. In his "old age" he has shrunk down to a whopping 120lbs.
The new parks cues are more ADA accessible although the loading and unloading of the ride vehicles that are ADA accessible are few and far between.