Lines oh the Lines

[barbarasc]

WE have not been to the parks since 2000. Our daughter now 25 is both physical and intellectually disabled :-( Jen does not have the ability to wait in long lines which leads me to this question. Last time we where at WDW we were given a pass that allowed us to enter each attraction thru the Exit bypassing the lines. Is this still an option? Jen will be limited to the attractions she will be able to see based on her disabilities but want her to enjoy as many attractions as possible and if she has to wait in long lines the end result will not be a good one.

Any information anyone can share would be wonderful!

After the parks we are heading over to the Dream for a cruise which is what we have been doing since 1999. Jen LOVES DCL and we have our fingers crossed the WDW will be a good experience for her as well.

[SueM in MN]

In 2000, many lines were not wheelchair accessible, so the only way for someone using a wheelchair to get in WAS to use the exit.
Most attractions now have Mainstream Lines, which means that the regular line is accessible. In most cases, guests using wheelchairs wait in the same line as everyone else.

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post 6 is about Guest Assistance Cards (GACs).
These are not meant to shorten or eliminate waits, but will help meet needs related to a disability. Not all attractions have any special accommodations.

We do get a GAC for our DD who has multiple disabilities and uses a wheelchair because she can't walk. We try to limit using it and basically use it as 'insurance' and for a few particular attractions where we know the regular line causes issues for her. We often go a whole day without using it, despite her having some major issues with waiting.

We do use Fastpasses as much as possible to shorten waits. We also use information from touringplans.com or easywdw.com to help us find the park and the times it will be least busy. We do not follow a plan exactly, but more use it for a guide of which places to stay away from and which areas to go to.
That is also very helpful for things a GAC can't help with - like getting around the park in the leas crowded areas.

[barbarasc]

Thank you so much!!! We are hoping this visit to WDW will be a positive experience for our DD but we're not sure how she will tolerate the experience. The Disney Dream awaits her after the park which will certainly make her smile We are only visiting WDW for 2 days and will limit the hours we spend making sure we don't over do it which is so easy to do.

I do wish that WDW offered a discount for our kiddo's like Seaworld and Bush Gardens does but that's another story

[joanchris]

Originally Posted by barbarasc

I do wish that WDW offered a discount for our kiddo's like Seaworld and Bush Gardens does but that's another story

My daughter can "do" more at Disney than she can at any other parks (maybe not Seaworld, since there's so much to see), it's the one place I don't mind paying full price for her. IMO, it's worth every penny for her to be able to go and and do so much, and not just watch and wait. We cannot get her out of her chair for rides and such anymore, yet she still was able to go on so much.
As was mentioned, most of the lines are mainstreamed now, one place that we needed the GAC (or a Fastpass, it didn't seem to matter which we used) was Toy Story Mania, she loved that ride! But the wait was still quite long, waiting for the correct car to come along, waiting for the other chairs to go on in front of us, the time it took to strap the chair down. I don't think it saved much time, and was certainly slower than if we had just used fastpasses without having a wheelchair.

[SueM in MN]

Toy Story Mania is unusual because there are stairs in the queue - they are just after the point where the Fastpass and regular lines merge.
Anyone who is not able to use the stairs for any reason needs to use the path that bypasses the stairs. This makes that area extremely busy at times and the wait can be very long. When we have gone with part of our group going up the stairs and boarding in the regular way, they have always boarded before those of us who were waiting with DD in the accessible line.

[anonymousegirl]

Originally Posted by SueM in MN

Toy Story Mania is unusual because there are stairs in the queue - they are just after the point where the Fastpass and regular lines merge.
Anyone who is not able to use the stairs for any reason needs to use the path that bypasses the stairs. This makes that area extremely busy at times and the wait can be very long. When we have gone with part of our group going up the stairs and boarding in the regular way, they have always boarded before those of us who were waiting with DD in the accessible line.

I found that there isn't very much of a line early in the morning for the non stairs loading area. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be hard to be at the parks within the first hour of opening.

[joanchris]

Originally Posted by anonymousegirl

I found that there isn't very much of a line early in the morning for the non stairs loading area. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be hard to be at the parks within the first hour of opening.

Our first day at HS we went and got fastpasses first thing, then the rest of us rode Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller coaster...went back for our return time and waited.....Our second day there, once we knew we didn't need fast passes, we went to Toy Story first, after getting fast passes for the other rides. A much better situation, especially since it was Christmas week!

[barbarasc]

We have our fingers crossed hoping our daughter can see and participate in a lot of the attractions. I certainly do not mind pay the cost to do the parks but we are fearful that there will a lot of attractions and/or shows that Jen will not be able to do/see. Jen has a serious seizure disorder so attractions/shows with strobe lights or blinking lights in general will be out of the question. Bush and SeaWorld seems to have a better handled on this sort of situation. We are open minded and are hoping for a magical experience And after the parks it is off the the Dream for another amazing cruise!

[SueM in MN]

Originally Posted by barbarasc

We have our fingers crossed hoping our daughter can see and participate in a lot of the attractions. I certainly do not mind pay the cost to do the parks but we are fearful that there will a lot of attractions and/or shows that Jen will not be able to do/see. Jen has a serious seizure disorder so attractions/shows with strobe lights or blinking lights in general will be out of the question. Bush and SeaWorld seems to have a better handled on this sort of situation. We are open minded and are hoping for a magical experience And after the parks it is off the the Dream for another amazing cruise!

Check out post 24 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. It lists attractions with flashing lights.

The majority of people with epilepsy are actually not sensitive to strobe or flashing lights, so they may not be a problem for your DD unless you know that she is actually in the small number who are sensitive to them.
That post lists some suggestions from the Epilepsy society for dealing with flashing lights -the best thing to do is actually cover one eye - most people close both, which still gives the same light stimulation to both eyes.
Big things to be watching are to not get off schedule eith medications, not let her get dehydrated and to get enough sleep. Dehydration and lack of sleep both lower the seizure threshold.

My youngest DD has partially controlled seizures - with medication, still has 4-6 seizures per month. She has been on all attractions. She has had seizures at WDW - none of them related to attractions. First Aid in each park is a good place to lie down after a seizure - cool, quiet and the have private or semi private cubicles with cots and a chair for a companion to sit down next to the cot.

[barbarasc]

Originally Posted by SueM in MN

Check out post 24 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. It lists attractions with flashing lights.

The majority of people with epilepsy are actually not sensitive to strobe or flashing lights, so they may not be a problem for your DD unless you know that she is actually in the small number who are sensitive to them.
That post lists some suggestions from the Epilepsy society for dealing with flashing lights -the best thing to do is actually cover one eye - most people close both, which still gives the same light stimulation to both eyes.
Big things to be watching are to not get off schedule eith medications, not let her get dehydrated and to get enough sleep. Dehydration and lack of sleep both lower the seizure threshold.

My youngest DD has partially controlled seizures - with medication, still has 4-6 seizures per month. She has been on all attractions. She has had seizures at WDW - none of them related to attractions. First Aid in each park is a good place to lie down after a seizure - cool, quiet and the have private or semi private cubicles with cots and a chair for a companion to sit down next to the cot.

I noted the thread about the lights and will avoid those attractions as DD is light sensitive DD is 25yrs and have multiple disabilities, her level of understanding in about 3yrs - so instruction is impossible. She is also non-verbal so she can't tell me if something is bothering her....we pick up on behaviors....we can it Jen "speak"

I am so hopeful that Jen will enjoy WDW - I hope that the environment in it of itself will make her smile! We are stay at AoA so will be split the day up making sure we don't over do it. We are traveling mid-may so it should be great pool weather!