Epcot - post what you know about attractions here

[SueM in MN]

This thread will be about Epcot.

We are trying to get as much info about rides/attractions so that we can make a helpful guidebook about the Epcot attractions.

These are the questions we are hoping to be able to answer. It's a long list and if each person can add a few pieces, we will have a lot more information than we have now - so don't feel like you have to answer every question by yourself
Please post whatever information about Epcot you can add on this thread.
Please only post park information here. If you want to discuss the idea of making a guidebook, Click here to get to the MASTER INDEX THREAD that gives information about the idea.http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21012175#post21012175

Disney Ride Questionnaire

Information about you (or the person you assisted)

1. What type of needs for accomodation did you have?
2. Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc?
3. If so, how large (approximate) is your device?
4. Did you use assistive listening devices, captioning, interpretation, etc.

Approach to the Ride

1. Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill?
2. Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location?
3. Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance?
4. Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line?
5. Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue?
6. Any other information?

The Queue

1. Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride?
2. Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not?
3. Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem?
4. How wide is the queue (approximation)?
5. Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue?
6. Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue?
7. Is the queue uphill or downhill?
8. Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough?
9. About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)?
10. Is the queue area noisy?
11. Is the queue dark or bright?
12. Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue?
13. Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc).

The Preshow:

1. Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area?
2. Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)
3. Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?
4. Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?
5. Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?
6. Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?
7. How long is the pre-show?
8. How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)
9. Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?

The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

1. Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)?
2. How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle?
3. Did you have to sit with any people not in your party?
4. Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area?
5. If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on?
6. Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it?
7. Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?
8. Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time?
9. How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench?
   How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver?
10. How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring?
11. Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)
12. Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers?
13. How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support?
14. Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc)
15. Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself?
16. Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle?
    If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)?
17. If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer?
18. What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side?
19. Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit?
    
20. Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit?
    How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?
    How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user?
    Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?

Theatres:

1. How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?
2. Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?
3. If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?
4. Do the bench seats have backs?
5. Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?
6. Where does the rest of your party sit?
7. Any other information?

The Exit:

1. What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun?
2. Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking?
3. Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat?

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I'll attempt this based on my May 2007 visit, but I do have a memory problem, so I may forget things or remember things differently than how they really are. Correct errors as you see fit....


For all rides:

Information about you (or the person you assisted)
What type of needs for accomodation did you have? Both the friend who came with me and I are disabled. My friend has MS and I have multiple physical and mental disabilities. My friend has problems walking distances, can't balance on moving sidewalks/floors, has balance problems, has pain, has stamina issues, and all the other problems of MS which can vary from mild (i.e. can walk fairly well for shorter distances) to severe (i.e. paralyzed) from day to day. I have sensory issues, stamina issues, pain issues, balance issues, anxiety issues, memory issues (did I mention that yet? ), and more (life is fun!).

Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc? My friend was in a rented ECV. I utilize a service dog whose tack includes a mobility harness and small pack.

If so, how large (approximate) is your device? The ECV was the regular-sized one from Walker Mobility. My dog is medium-large with a metal-and-leather stiff-handled mobility harness on her back.

Did you use assistive listening devices, captioning, interpretation, etc. Nope.



The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? Not that I recall.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? I think we loaded in the regular place (she transferred from the ECV to a ride vehicle).

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Not that I recall.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? I'm not sure.

Any other information? I think she and I went in separate ride vehicles due to the size of my dog.


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? I think most of it was indoors, the part being outdoors wasn't shaded that I recall.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No. We went in a low-traffic time of year, so most queues were not zig-zaggy but straight.

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Not sure.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Flat.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate.

Is the queue area noisy? I don't recall it being too bad.

Is the queue dark or bright? I think it was medium.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? Outside it does, but going in a low-traffic time, we never used any outside overflow traffic areas.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Waiting.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?

How long is the pre-show?

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? I don't recall.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Two adults (or one adult and a service dog).

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? Nope.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular, I believe.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on? N/a.

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? I think so, since the vehicles are a continuous line and very similar to the Haunted Mansion vehicles. I can't estimate the width.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you? I don't recall if they stopped it or she walked alongside a CM, using them for balance support (holding onto their half-raised forearm).

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? If they didn't stop it, yes. It must've been enough time 'cause we did it, LOL. I do recall some of the places using moving walkways were rushed and became dangerous, but I don't know if this was one of them.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? You walk into it as it is on the same floor level as you.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? It is just a two-seater vehicle which can seat just one person if you need it, so there isn't far to walk or scoot down.

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? I think is was pretty stable. You could grab the back shell of the vehicle or the front lip (or maybe grab bar) or the side of the vehicle if you needed.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?) Nope.

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers? We're both ambulatory, so I don't know.

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? I don't recall.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) If you're in the same vehicle, yes, as they are right next to you without anything in between you (a bench seat). If you're not in the same vehicle, no, as the vehicle turns.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? I believe it has a drop-down grab bar. I can't recall if it touches or not. I think it goes down automatically.

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)? My friend used a CM for balance at some of the rides with moving sidewalks (when the sidewalks weren't stopped for her).

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked nearby, out of the way.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? I believe you enter on the left. Not sure about exiting, but I think it is the same.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? I think the ride is a full circle, so it is where you parked it.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? Nope.

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? I would assume one and no.

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into the building where there are aquatic-themed things to explore (we didn't do that).

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Not sure.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Flat.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Living With the Land

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? Yes, the building is on a big hill.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? We loaded in the regular place (she transferred from the ECV to a ride vehicle).

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Not that I recall, but I think you had to skip some of the line and go through a gate when using an ECV/WC as that part of the line wasn't accessible.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? Yes, as you can watch the boats from the lunch seating area in the building.

Any other information?


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular, but with a gate to skip the zig-zag line area.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? It is completely indoors.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No, as you skip the part that isn't accessible to ECV/WCs.

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Not in the ECV/WC area, but in the regular area.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Flat.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate.

Is the queue area noisy? At regular eating times, I bet it would be, since the line is right next to where ppl eat. Go during an off-time for less noise.

Is the queue dark or bright? It wasn't dark, but it wasn't too bright for me, either.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? Yes, unless you go through the accessible gate.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Waiting.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?

How long is the pre-show?

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? Yes.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? I'm not sure - maybe 5 or 6 in a non-WC row? There are many rows to the boat.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? No, but others may have to if there is a long wait.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on? N/a.

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? No.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? Nope.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? It is a boat, so you step down into it or roll your WC down the ramp into it for the WC seating.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? For the regular seats, you may have to scooch all the way to the left side. For the WC seating, the ambulatory person is on the left with the WC on the right (loading side).

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? It is a boat, so it does rock a bit. You could grab the back of the seat if you transfer, but there is WC seating.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers? I don't think so.

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? I don't recall.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) Yes.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? I don't think so.

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? I think so.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)?

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked nearby, out of the way.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? You enter and exit on the right.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? The ride is a full circle, so it is where you parked it.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? Yes. The WC area is on the back of the boat (yes, it feels like you are segregated from everybody else). We didn't use a WC, but walked on. (I think they gave us this spot for the extra room for my dog, but maybe also for the ramp.)

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle? None.

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? One, I think. Yes, there is seating to the left of the wheelchair spot for others to sit.

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there? They sit to the left of the WC. Yes, more than one person can sit there (both my friend and I sat there).


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into the building you entered from.

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Same. Stroller parking is all outside, so it is far from the ride.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Flat, but exiting the building is downhill.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Soarin'

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? The building is on a big hill.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? No.

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? No.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? I don't think so.

Any other information?


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Fastpass (without a ticket).

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? It is all indoors.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? Nope, it was accessible to the ECV the whole time.

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Don't recall.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Slightly downhill, I believe.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate, but it seemed pretty long.

Is the queue area noisy? I don't recall it being too bad.

Is the queue dark or bright? I think it was bright.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? At the end it might, but I don't recall. The FastPass lane is next to the regular lane, though, so there are others next to you separated by the lane dividers.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? There is a small preshow that I thought was pretty stupid.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?) TVs overhead. You have to stand there to watch it, which was hard on me.

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it? Accessible.

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there? You remain in them.

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like? No seating. It is a small zig-zaggy row area.

How long is the pre-show? Several minutes. I'm bad at estimating.

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?) It is small, but I didn't feel crowded. I don't know if we had less people than usual in our pre-show area, though, 'cause it seemed like there should've been more (especially since there were people waiting in the lines).

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share? Bright. I think the TV noise was pretty loud.


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? No.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Many.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? Yes.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on?

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? No.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? No. She took us in first before the abled ppl. Service dogs aren't allowed, so we had to ride separately. I rode first, so my friend on her ECV and my dog waited just outside the exit doors (I could see them 'til the doors closed). She told me to choose whichever seat I wanted. I chose the leftmost seat in the first row, despite my fear of heights!! Just don't look down! Anyway, she made sure I was settled before she let the other ppl into the room. First-class care!

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? It is a seat that hangs from above, so you just sit in it.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? They are single seats, so you don't schooch down the row at all.

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? It is stable, but I don't think there is much to grab onto (although there might be hand grabs between each seat - I just can't recall if those really exist or not!).

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers? No.

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? Full support. No support below your knees, as your lower legs dangle in the air on this ride.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) Yes.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? Yes, there is a seatbelt and a chest harness (like those on rollercoasters) that come down. You have to fasten the seatbelt yourself, but the harness comes down on its own before the ride begins.

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle?

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)?

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked just outside of the doors to exit the ride room.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Front. Yes.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? Where she parked it just outside of the exit doors of the ride room.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? None exists.

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user?

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into a hallway that exits into the building you entered from.

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Not sure.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Flat, I think, but possibly uphill.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Spaceship Earth

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? No.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? Yes, through a door on the left side of the building. I believe it has a door opener button.

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Yes, there is a special waiting area with benches for disabled ppl and their parties. It is at the exit of the ride, just inside where the handicapped entrance is.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? No.

Any other information? They load the disabled ppl in a big group, so there is a bit of a wait, some longer than others depending on when you arrived to the handicapped area.


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Handicapped door which brings you to a waiting area which brings you through the exit.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? The regular line is both indoors and outdoors, but the handicapped area is all indoors.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem?

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Not sure.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? To go from the handicapped waiting area to the exit you go up a ramp.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? The handicapped waiting area is a fairly small area at the exit. You wait there until they say you can get on.

Is the queue area noisy? It is pretty noisy from all the activities in the room.

Is the queue dark or bright? I think it was medium.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue?

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Not for the handicapped area - don't recall from previous trips if there is one for the entrance area.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?

How long is the pre-show?

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? Not really.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Two adults (or one adult and a service dog), I believe.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? Nope.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? The exit.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on? Yes, although it was organized chaos.

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? I think so, since the vehicles are a continuous line. I can't estimate the width.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you? I think they prob'ly stopped it 'cause there were other disabled ppl loading, as well.

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? If they didn't stop it, yes. It must've been enough time 'cause we did it, LOL. I do recall some of the places using moving walkways were rushed and became dangerous, but I don't know if this was one of them.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? You walk into it as it is on the same floor level as you.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? It is just a two-seater vehicle which can seat just one person if you need it, so there isn't far to walk or scoot down.

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? I think is was pretty stable. You could grab the back of the vehicle or the front lip (or maybe grab bar) or the side of the vehicle if you needed.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers?

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? Full, I believe.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) If you're in the same vehicle, yes, as they are right next to you without anything in between you (a bench seat). If you're not in the same vehicle, no, as the vehicle turns.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? I believe it has doors that close. Can't recall if there is also a grab bar or not.

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)? My friend used a CM for balance at some of the rides with moving sidewalks (when the sidewalks weren't stopped for her).

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked in the ECV/WC parking area of the handicapped area at the exit.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? I believe you enter/exit on the left (entering at the exit).

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? Where you parked it at the exit/handicapped waiting area.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit?

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user?

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into the building where there are things to explore (we didn't do that).

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? The exit is in the same room as the handicapped entrance, but on the opposite side of the building as the regular entrance.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? You have to go down a ramp into the room from the ride exit.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Mission: SPACE

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? Not that I recall.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? I think we loaded in the regular place (she transferred from the ECV to a ride vehicle).

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Not that I recall.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? I'm not sure.

Any other information? Service animals not allowed on ride (for good reason, LOL!).


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular or single rider (can't recall).

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? I think most of it was indoors, the part being outdoors wasn't shaded that I recall.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? A little bit in the turns with the ECV possibly (I may be getting it mixed up with Test Track's line).

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Don't recall.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Don't recall.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate.

Is the queue area noisy? I don't recall.

Is the queue dark or bright? I think it was bright.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? I think so.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Yes, there is a preshow.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?) I think it is on overhead TVs.

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it? Accessible.

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like? Standing only.

How long is the pre-show? A few minutes, I think.

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?) I think you line up by ride vehicle on designated spots on the ground, so there is no overcrowding/crammed up next to ppl, which is nice.

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share? The TV sound is loud.


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? No.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Four or five, I think.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? If you have less than the number needed to fill a vehicle and there is a long line, yes. When I went, I got my very own ride vehicle (not sure about when my friend went [had to do service dog rider swap]).

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular. (We went on the original spinning version, by the way.)

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on?

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? No.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? No, they give you the time to get settled and set up and make sure everybody in every vehicle is in the restraints correctly before beginning the ride.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? You walk into it (a step up, I think) and it is a very narrow footspace with individual seats.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? It depends on which seat you sit in. Both sides of the vehicle open for entering and exiting.

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? Completely stable. Not sure about grab bars.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers?

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? Fully supported - and you need it, too!

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) If you're in the same vehicle, yes, as they are right next to you. You'd only be able to reach the hands/legs of the person/people right next to you. But don't worry about holding hands - you have a job to do pushing fake buttons or "steering"! (LOL.)

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? You bet your sweet bippy! I don't recall if there is a seatbelt or not, but there is a chest harness that comes down and locks ya in tight for all those beautiful G-forces!

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Maybe.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)?

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked just outside of the exit of the ride room.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Pick one - you can use either.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? Just outside of the exit doors of the room the ride is in. This is also where she waited for me and vice versa during our service dog rider swap. (We did not have to go through the line the second time - I went second and they just took me through the exit doors of the room and put me in a vehicle.)

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit?

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user?

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into a store (we didn't shop it).

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Not sure.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Flat.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Test Track

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? Not that I recall.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? The entrance is the same, but then you get separated out from the line at one point.

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? To get your ECV/WC to the exit side (enter/exit happens at the same place, just different sides of the vehicle) you have to use an elevator once you are separated from the line.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? She didn't walk through any lines - she needs to take the ECV right up to the loading spot.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? I'm not sure.

Any other information? Service animals not allowed, so we did rider swap.


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular entrance, but when I went (first) after I got off the elevator I was put into the single rider line 'cause the CM was too impatient to wait for another CM to be available to explain the situation to them.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Indoors.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? Some of the corners were a bit tricky with a beginning ECV user.

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Wide U-turns, yes.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't recall.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Uphill.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate.

Is the queue area noisy? Incredibly noisy, but I was able to deal with it at the time.

Is the queue dark or bright? Bright.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? Yes.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Waiting.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?

How long is the pre-show?

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? Yes.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Three people per row, two rows per car.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? Yes, which is an uncomfortable situation as there are no seat dividers and your legs might touch the other person.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on?

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? No.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? No, as they check seatbelts and such before they launch the vehicle.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? You have to step down into it, as it is below floor level.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? It depends on the seat, but there are only three in the row.

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? It is stable. I think you can hold the back of the seat when getting in.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers?

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? Full.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) If you're in the same vehicle, yes, as they are right next to you without anything in between you.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? I believe it has seatbelts just like car seatbelts (lap and chest).

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? If they are strong.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)? Not sure, as I was around the corner when my friend got in.

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? It was parked around the corner, in a special waiting spot halfway down the exit hall (right where the exit hall makes a U-turn).

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Enter right, exit left.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? In the ECV/WC holding area as described above.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit?

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle?

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user?

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there?


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into the ride photo area (swipe your PhotoPass card to get your photo on it! Rider swap folks will have to get the CM to go back to find the first rider's photo - keep an eye on how long ago it was for ease in finding it). The ride photo area exits into a car showroom, which I think then exits into a store.

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Not sure.

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Slightly downhill, I believe.

 

[BroganMc]

Information about you (or the person you assisted)
Traveling

One adult female with Rheumatoid Arthritis and limited mobility. One senior male with osteoarthritis and limited stamina due to heart disease.

What type of needs for accomodation did you have?

Adult female (me) uses a power wheelchair with a manual wheelchair footprint; also a walking stick. Can walk but cannot manage steps, escalators and distances over 10 feet. Also is unable to bend knees fully so has difficulty with low seats and lack of leg room. Adult male uses an ECV to manage distances. No other accommodations needed.

Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc? Adult female uses Quickie V-121 foldable power wheelchair. Adult male uses Pride ECV.

If so, how large (approximate) is your device?

Wheelchair is approximately 25" wide and 30" long with footrests.

Did you use assistive listening devices, captioning, interpretation, etc. No.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? No.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? No. If you require the wheelchair car, you are directed to wait off to the side approximately 5 feet from the moving walkway.

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? No.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? Outside the building, but since the ride terminates inside the aquarium portion of the pavilion, taking your ECV is suggested.

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? No, unless you enter through the gift shop entrance/exit to the left of the main entrance.


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? There is no FastPass for this ride. Use the main queue.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Indoors.

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No. But it is designed in a zig zag way. Larger ECVs may have difficulty if driven too fast.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Yes. Several.

Is the queue dark or bright? Dark.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? No.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). Take your sunglasses off before entering. The queue is designed with an "underwater" theme so it does have low lighting.
The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? Yes.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? In the wheelchair vehicle, one wheelchair and one pedestrian.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular boarding area but we were pulled off to the side to wait for the wheelchair car.

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? Yes.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you? The walkway is slowed down to a crawl's pace allowing more than sufficient time to board a pedestrian and wheelchair.

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? The time allowed was more than sufficient. I'd estimate approximately 3-5 minutes though boarding us took less than 2 minutes.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? The wheelchair car has a special pull out platform. The CM pulls the seat directly forward, you drive straight onto the platform, the platform base rotates (ala Journey Into Imagination) and the CM pushes the seat back into place.



Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers? Transfers are not necessary with the wheelchair car.


Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? No.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? Yes. See above.

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle? 3-5 minutes. It is a short ride.

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? One wheelchair, one pedestrian.

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there? Directly beside them. Only room for one pedestrian.


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into the building where there are aquatic-themed things to explore (we didn't do that).

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? 10-15 feet from the loading area is the exit (on the other side of the wall. The exit from the building is through the gift shop, approximately 30 feet from the building/ride queue entrance.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Friendships

Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? No.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? Not to the pier, but to the boat you have to enter at the back.

Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Not that I recall.

Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line?

Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? You can see the boats on the lagoon.

Any other information? The wait may be long, as you have to wait for one of the boats to arrive, and there is no seating. The pier is great for taking photos from while you wait, however!


The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular.

Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? It is all outdoors, with the only shaded spots being at the front of the line on the pier itself (there is a roof covering).

Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No.

How wide is the queue (approximation)? I am horrible at estimating.

Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Not sure.

Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Don't believe so.

Is the queue uphill or downhill? Slightly downhill before the pier.

Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth until you get to the wooden plank pier. There were some rough surfaces at the Parks that hurt my friend's back when driving the ECV over them, but I don't recall any here.

About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Can't estimate.

Is the queue area noisy? No.

Is the queue dark or bright? Daylight.

Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? No.

Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). It wasn't scary for us.


The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Waiting.

Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?)

Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities?

Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it?

Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there?

Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like?

How long is the pre-show?

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?)

Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share?


The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? You can't really see it 'til the ship gets there.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? Several per row.

Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? You probably would, as the boats are small.

Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? You board via a ramp they place on the back of the boat. You then maneuver inside the boat, where there is an ECV/WC parking area before the seats begin.

If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on? They disembark the previous passengers before letting new ones on.

Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? No.

Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?

Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? No.

How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? If using the ramp, you walk or wheel across the ramp from the pier to the boat. If using the regular entrance, I think you just step onto the boat.

How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver?

How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? It depends on the condition of the lagoon.

Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?)

Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers?

How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? No head/neck support in the seats.

Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) If you wish.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? No retraint, no ECV/WC tiedowns.

Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes.

If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)? Ramp from pier to boat.

If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? You stay on it.

What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? The right.

Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? You stay on it.

Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? Yes. You enter by wheeling up a ramp. There is plenty of space for a few ECV/WCs on the boat.

How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle? None.

How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? I would think up to four could fit inside. Others can sit on seats in front of you.

Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there? They could be close, depending on where/how the ECV/WC is parked. Multiple ppl sit in each row.


Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there?

Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded?

If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first?

Do the bench seats have backs?

Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre?

Where does the rest of your party sit?

Any other information?


The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit onto another pier.

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking?

Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Slightly uphill.

 

[BroganMc]

Mission: Space



Approach to the Ride
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? Level.

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? No.
Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? Yes. Outside the pavilion.
Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? No.
Any other information? There are two ride queues: Orange and Green team. One is for the more active centrifugal motion ride and the other for a flight simulator type ride. Both are accessed from outside the pavilion.

The Queue
Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular. FastPasses aren't necessary for this ride as it scares most riders away.
Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Indoors.
Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No.

The Preshow:
Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Don't remember.

The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:
Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? Yes, briefly. You may look at the capsule as the riders exit and wait for the next ride.

How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? 4.
Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? No.
Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Regular.
Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? Yes. Under 3 minutes.
How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? There is a 6-10" step up into the ride capsule. I was lifted up by a member of my party.
How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? Once standing inside the capsule, I simply sat down at the end seat. Other riders boarded from the opposite end of the capsule. (It is a straight row across of 4 seats.)
How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? Very stable, but I do not recall grab bars. This would be a difficult ride vehicle for slide transfers as the seats are recessed behind the capsule wall.
Is there a particular seat or row that is best to transfer to? Why did you think that row/seat was better (more room, better ability to grab something, etc?) The end seat does not require walking across the capsule.
Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) Yes. You sit beside someone.
Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? Yes. A pull-down shoulder harness. I believe it comes down automatically and stops at your shoulders.
Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes, provided you can stand and they can lift you. It is a very narrow doorway into the capsule.
If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)? I stood, was lifted up from behind and stood inside the capsule. The reverse was done on my exit.
If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? Pulled aside to a back wall away from the ride vehicles.
What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Right. Yes.
Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? All my assistive devices were left outside along the back wall. They were brought back to me after the ride.

The Exit:
What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit the ride area into the Mission Control gaming area where you can play video games.

Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Approximately 30-40 feet from the entrance.
Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? Flat

Special Note I rode the centrifugal motion ride. It is extreme motion with strong G forces. Looking anywhere but straight ahead made me dizzy and disoriented. Afterward, I had a pain in neck for two hours. Avoid if you are prone to blood pressure & heart problems, nausea, or fainting.

 

[SueM in MN]

Good start.
I like the idea of copying the questions and responding to them.
I have one request though. To make it easier to go thru and compile information, I would like people to delete any of the questions not being answered or those that you would answer "I don't know".

That will make it much easier to pull the information out later.

Thanks.

 

[zaksmom]

We are going next week and I'll refresh my memory on things. I'd like to add one thing to MISSION:SPACE. As my son looses the ability to ride on his old favorites we were delighted to experience this ride last year.

How did you get into the vehicle?
One of the cars had a blue handicapped symbol on it. The end seat had a seat that swung out of the car. Dad got into the car, I transferred son to the swung out seat (it had no back). He hung on and we rotated it into the car, Dad taking over the holding from inside. I buckled him in front outside if I remember correctly and climbed over him to the middle seat. We never had to pick him up into the car. We used this seat Nov 2006. We rode the Green ride.

Personal info?
23 year old male, quad CP, limited weight bearing ability, quickie folding manual chair, about 24 inches wide.

 

[KPeveler]

wow this is a great start - i will start formatting this later today!

 

[KPeveler]

Here are the Epcot Attractions

Future World
• Spaceship Earth
• Innoventions
• Mission: SPACE
• Test Track
• Journey Into Imagination With Figment
• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
• The Land
• Living with the Land
• Soarin'
• Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a new ride chronicling
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Body Wars (seasonal)
• Cranium Command (seasonal)
• The Making of Me (seasonal)

World Showcase
• IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth:
• Mexico Pavilion
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
• Norway Pavilion
• Maelstrom
• China Pavilion
• Reflections of China
• Italy
• The American Adventure Pavilion
• The American Adventure show
• Morocco Pavilion
• France Pavilion
• Impressions de France
• United Kingdom
• Off Kilter Shows
• Canada Pavilion
• Oh Canada movie

 

[Shorty82]

Soarin'

How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?) It is small, but I didn't feel crowded. I don't know if we had less people than usual in our pre-show area, though, 'cause it seemed like there should've been more (especially since there were people waiting in the lines).

The Soarin' preshow area has numbered circles to stand on representing each seat and row. That's why it didn't seem crowded most likely.

Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself? Yes, there is a seatbelt and a chest harness (like those on rollercoasters) that come down. You have to fasten the seatbelt yourself, but the harness comes down on its own before the ride begins.

There's no chest harness on Soarin' There's a seatbelt and an optional strap that goes between the legs for small children and others if they want it.

Unless you lean forward you can't see down so being so high up isn't so bad.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Journey Into Imagination with Figment

Information about you (or the person you assisted)

What type of needs for accomodation did you have?
4 people

Me (Christamae): Severe Muscular Dystrophy: heat and sun sensitivity, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, no balance, orthopedic problems, feeding tube, trach, and vent. Breathing treatments, medication, and specialized gtube formula needed throughout the day.

Sister (Danielle): Moderately severe Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, very limited balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing.

Mom (Christine) Mild/moderate Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, generalized muscle weakness, impaired balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing. Can walk short distances on smooth, level surface.

Grandma (June): severe arthritis, heart bypass, wet macular degeneration (legally blind in one eye), impaired hearing. Normally walks on regular outings but uses a wheelchair at extended outings ie zoo, Muir Woods, etc


Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc?

Me: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom foot plates, and midline control and homemade vent tray, Flexiflo feeding pump, Mic-Key GJ tube, Bivona trach, Newport HT50 Ventilator

Danielle: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom tray, and midline control

Mom: standard Invacare electric wheelchair

Grandma: rented ECV from Randy’s

If so, how large (approximate) is your device?

Me: 44-46 inches
Danielle: 42-44 inches
Mom: 38-40 inches

Approach to the Ride

Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? No
Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location?No
Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? No
Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line?adjacent to the line entrance
Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue?No

The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular
Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Mostly indoors. Sometimes extends outside but not for long
Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? No
How wide is the queue (approximation)? Big enough for a wheelchair and companion
Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? No
Is the queue uphill or downhill? No
Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Mostly indoors, all smooth
About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Short
Is the queue area noisy? No
Is the queue dark or bright?No
Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? No
Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). The queue is short but there is a fairly large, interactive play area after the ride and a long walk to get outside. If you bring your wheelchair through the line and transfer, the wheelchair will either be parked in a small alcove about 20 feet from the ride exit or brought to you. I suggest taking your wheelchair through the queue because you will likely need it for the play area and lengthy exit

The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? No pre-show

The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:

Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)?No
How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? 2-5 people depending on size, children vs. adults, etc
Did you have to sit with any people not in your party? In the same car but not the same row
Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? Wheelchairs were pulled to the side at boarding to either transfer and have their wheelchair moved to the ride exit or to wait for the wheelchair accessible vehicle
Is there a moving walkway? About how wide is it? Was the moving walkway slowed or stopped for you? Did you have to ask for this? Did you feel the speed was appropriate for you?No moving sidewalk
Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time? No time limit
How do you get into the vehicle? To transfer-slide across a bench
How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver? Not far-and if you're traveling with other people you can arrange to sit on the outside edge
How stable is the ride vehicle while boarding? Are there any bars or supports or parts of the ride car you could grab when transferring? Very stable
Was there a specific ride vehicle that was made for easier transfers? No
How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support? Just a bench back
Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc) Yes
Does the ride have an restraint? No restraint
Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes
If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer? Grandma just parked about 5 feet away and walked
What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Right, yes
Where was your wheelchair, ECV, cane, etc while you were on the ride? Was it brought back to you at the exit? CM takes to the exit. CM asks if you need the wheelchair brought
Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? Danielle, Mom, and I did. You pull straight on between two bars. Your front wheels go over a slight bump. Then the CM turns the platform forward. Make sure you are centered between the two bars. My fit was a little tight and I took off my footplates
How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle? About 5 minutes
How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? One, yes
Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there? Adjacent bench for one

The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? You exit into a fairly long indoor hallway that leads to a large interactive play area, then a shop, then outside
Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Compared to the stroller parking? Far away

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Information about you (or the person you assisted)

What type of needs for accomodation did you have?
4 people

Me (Christamae): Severe Muscular Dystrophy: heat and sun sensitivity, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, no balance, orthopedic problems, feeding tube, trach, and vent. Breathing treatments, medication, and specialized gtube formula needed throughout the day.

Sister (Danielle): Moderately severe Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, very limited balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing.

Mom (Christine) Mild/moderate Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, generalized muscle weakness, impaired balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing. Can walk short distances on smooth, level surface.

Grandma (June): severe arthritis, heart bypass, wet macular degeneration (legally blind in one eye), impaired hearing. Normally walks on regular outings but uses a wheelchair at extended outings ie zoo, Muir Woods, etc

Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc?

Me: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom foot plates, and midline control and homemade vent tray, Flexiflo feeding pump, Mic-Key GJ tube, Bivona trach, Newport HT50 Ventilator

Danielle: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom tray, and midline control

Mom: standard Invacare electric wheelchair

Grandma: rented ECV from Randy’s

If so, how large (approximate) is your device?

Me: 44-46 inches
Danielle: 42-44 inches
Mom: 38-40 inches


Approach to the Ride

Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? Yes
Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? No
Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? Yes
Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? No
Any other information? You approach the wheelchair waiting area and are greeted by a CM who tells you if there are any wheelchair spots available. Usually there aren't and the CM will tell you the show times with available seats and give you a slip for that return time

The Queue

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Wheelchair entrance. You approach the wheelchair waiting area and are greeted by a CM who tells you if there are any wheelchair spots available. Usually there aren't and the CM will tell you the show times with available seats and give you a slip for that return time
Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Starts outdoors, then goes indoors
Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? No
How wide is the queue (approximation)? At least wide enough for a wheelchair and companion
Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? No
Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Yes. Wheelchairs go through a gate
Is the queue uphill or downhill? No
Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Smooth
About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Very long
Is the queue area noisy? The indoor portion is
Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? No
Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). No

The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Preshow
Where is the preshow located? (on TVs overhead? in front of you?) On TVs overhead
Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities? At least one in the wheelchair row was captioned
Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it? Accessible
Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there? Parked and lined up. Strains your neck a little
Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like? No seating
How long is the pre-show? 5-10 minutes
How crowded is the preshow area Crowded. Everyone being told to move in, move over, etc
Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share? Noisy

Theatres:

How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there? 8 or 10 or 12 seats-not sure which
Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded? Individual, padded
If it is an individual seat, do you have to fold down the seat first? Yes
Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre? Rear
Where does the rest of your party sit? Wheelchairs split up, Dad with me
Any other information? For all the effects, you need to transfer

The Exit:

What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? Outside, shade then sun

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Living with the Land

Information about you (or the person you assisted):

What type of needs for accomodation did you have?

4 people

Me (Christamae): Severe Muscular Dystrophy: heat and sun sensitivity, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, no balance, orthopedic problems, feeding tube, trach, and vent. Breathing treatments, medication, and specialized gtube formula needed throughout the day.

Sister (Danielle): Moderately severe Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, very limited balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing.

Mom (Christine) Mild/moderate Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, generalized muscle weakness, impaired balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing. Can walk short distances on smooth, level surface.

Grandma (June): severe arthritis, heart bypass, diabetes, wet macular degeneration (legally blind in one eye), impaired hearing. Normally walks on regular outings but uses a wheelchair at extended outings ie zoo, Muir Woods, etc

Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc?

Me: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom foot plates, and midline control and homemade vent tray, Flexiflo feeding pump, Mic-Key GJ tube, Bivona trach, Newport HT50 Ventilator

Danielle: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom tray, and midline control

Mom: standard Invacare electric wheelchair

Grandma: rented ECV from Randy’s

If so, how large (approximate) is your device?

Me: 44-46 inches
Danielle: 42-44 inches
Mom: 38-40 inches

Approach to the Ride:

Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? When you enter the building you go down two big hills. The approach to the ride itself is flat
Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? Yes
Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Yes, you have to take an elevator to access the floor with the rides
Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? Close
Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? You can see it but you can't try it out
Any other information? It's right by a restaurant so is loud and busy. It can be hard to get to the ride

The Queue:

Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride?To use the wheelchair accessible boat you have to use the FP line. If you don't have a FP ticket you'll be given a return time stub equal to the time listed under standby
Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Indoors
Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? What type of problem? It's a little tight and has a fairly steep downhill portion
How wide is the queue (approximation)? Barely wide enough for a wheelchair
Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? Yes
Are there turnstiles anywhere in the queue? Yes, you go through a gate
Is the queue uphill or downhill? A small portion of the queue to the wheelchair accessible boat is downhill
Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? indoors & very smooth
About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Short
Is the queue area noisy? Yes (right by a CS restaurant)
Is the queue dark or bright? Neither
Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? Yes
Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? (Scary, Claustrophobic, etc). If you need the wheelchair accessible boat, you need to approach the CM stationed at the FP queue and explain your needs. At first the CM was confused and said that only a Hoveraound or manual chair could ride. After a demonstration of the wheelchairs ability, he agreed to let us ride. So you may have some difficulty

The Preshow:

Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Waiting area

The Ride Vehicle and Boarding:
Can you see the boarding area before actually getting on (to help with planning)? You can see it but can't experiment
How many people can sit per row/ride vehicle? The wheelchair row about 4, standard row 8
Did you use the regular boarding area or another boarding area? If you need the wheelchair accessible boat, you need to approach the CM stationed at the FP queue and explain your needs. To use the wheelchair accessible boat you have to use the FP line. If you don't have a FP ticket you'll be given a return time stub equal to the time listed under standby. Once you enter, you wind down a short line with a small hill. Then you wait off to the side for the wheelchair accessible boat
If you board at the exit, were people getting off in your path to get on? Not really
Is there a moving walkway? No
Did you have a limited time period to board? No
How do you get into the vehicle? The wheelchair accessible boat is accessed via small, steep, narrow ramp. Then you have to maneuver into the cut out in the front left side of the boat
How much back/head/neck support is there? There is a bench
Can you reach other members of your party while riding? Yes
Does the ride have an restraint? No
Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle? Yes. Dad helped stabilize Mom as she walked down the ramp in the wheelchair accessible boat
What side do you enter the vehicle from? Do you exit from this same side? Right, yes
Did you use a wheelchair accessible ride vehicle? How do you enter this vehicle? How well did your wheelchair fit? The wheelchair accessible boat is accessed via small, steep, narrow ramp. Then you have to maneuver into the cut out in the front left side of the boat
How much of an extra wait did you have for this vehicle? If you don't have a FP, you are given a return time equal to the standby wait time. Then you have to wait for the wheelchair accessible boat. No longer then 10 minutes
How many wheelchairs can fit in one vehicle? Is there room for someone to accompany the wheelchair user? One, yes
Where did they sit and how close are they to the wheelchair user? Could more than one person sit there? Adjacent bench, yes

The Exit:

What do you exit into? Where you boarded, indoors, by a CS restaurant
Where was the exit compared to where you enter? Same place
Is the exit uphill, downhill or flat? You exit up a steep ramp. Then flat

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Additions to Soarin'

8. Did you have a limited time period to board? If so, aproximately how long did you have to get on? Did you feel like it was enough time?

No time limit. People in wheelchairs are boarded before everyone else. Once you are in your seat and your wheelchair moved then other people board. We were checked on several times to make sure our seatbelts were fastened and we were ready

9. How do you get into the vehicle? (Examples would be stepping down into a boat like POTC; step up into a ride vehicle such as Mission:Space; or across to a seat/bench? 16. Is it possible for someone to help you get in and out of the vehicle?
If someone helped transfer, what type of transfer was done (sliding board, stand and pivot, lift, etc.)?
How far down, up or across do you have to maneuver?

There are multiple ways and this is truly the easiest transfer. I was carried and there was plenty of room in front for Dad to set me down. You could also pull right up to the seat for a stand and pivot. Or grab the two handles on both sides of the seat to lift yourself in

13. How much back/head/neck support is there? Is there any trunk support?
14. Can you reach other members of your party while riding? (hold hands, support, etc)
15. Does the ride have an restraint? What type? Does it touch you? Do you have to fasten and unfasten the restraint yourself?

There is a full back, handles on both sides, a lap belt, and an additional loop that you can have between your legs for more stability. I want to stress how smooth and gentle the ride is. I have no balance and severe muscle weakness and was still able to ride. It is the only ride I transferred to. Dad sat on my left with one arm behind my back/neck and the other in front of my body kinda holding my left arm. Grandma sat on my right and further stabilized by holding my right arm. However, don't tell the cast members that you are going to do this [need support/assistance to stay upright] or they won't let you ride

17. If you had a wheelchair or ECV where was it during the transfer?

In the room. CMs offer to bring them to your seat

The Queue

Is very, very long with many hilly portions, is quite wide, and the FP and main lines are parallel

Approach

You go down two long inclines and must use a small, very busy elevator to access the floor with Soarin', Living with the Land, Sunshine Seasons, and the companion restroom

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

American Adventure

Information about you (or the person you assisted):

1. What type of needs for accomodation did you have?

4 people

Me (Christamae): Severe Muscular Dystrophy: heat and sun sensitivity, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, no balance, orthopedic problems, feeding tube, trach, and vent. Breathing treatments, medication, and specialized gtube formula needed throughout the day.

Sister (Danielle): Moderately severe Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, pain issues, severe generalized muscle weakness, very limited balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing.

Mom (Christine) Mild/moderate Muscular Dystrophy, fatigue issues, generalized muscle weakness, impaired balance, orthopedic problems, impaired breathing. Can walk short distances on smooth, level surface.

Grandma (June): severe arthritis, heart bypass, diabetes, wet macular degeneration (legally blind in one eye), impaired hearing. Normally walks on regular outings but uses a wheelchair at extended outings ie zoo, Muir Woods, etc

2. Were you using any assistive device, such as a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, ECV, walker, special needs stroller, etc?

Me: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom foot plates, and midline control and homemade vent tray, Flexiflo feeding pump, Mic-Key GJ tube, Bivona trach, Newport HT50 Ventilator

Danielle: customized Invacare electric wheelchair with head rest, many supports, custom tray, and midline control

Mom: standard Invacare electric wheelchair

Grandma: rented ECV from Randy’s

3. If so, how large (approximate) is your device?

Me: 44-46 inches
Danielle: 42-44 inches
Mom: 38-40 inches

Approach to the Ride:
Is the approach to the building/attraction uphill? No
Is there a handicapped entrance in a different location? No
Do you need to go to a special area/use an elevator to access the ride entrance? Once inside the building you have tot take an elevator to access the theatre
Where is wheelchair/ECV/stroller parking for those who choose to walk through the line? Outside the building. The actually theatre is a pretty lengthy walk
Is it possible to view a ride vehicle before getting into the queue? No
Any other information?

The Queue
Did you use the regular entrance, Fastpass or Exit to get to the ride? Regular
Is the queue indoors or outdoors? Shaded or not? Indoors
Did you have any problems with navigating the queue? No
How wide is the queue (approximation)? the width of a hallway
Are there sharp turns/U-turns in the queue? No
Is the queue uphill or downhill? Yes
Is it indoors (very smooth surface) or is the surface rough? Indoors. But carpet which could present a problem for unsteady walkers, people that use walkers, people pushing wheelchairs, etc
About how long is the queue (distance, not wait time)? Very long
Is the queue area noisy? No
Is the queue dark or bright? No
Does the queue wind around so that your area of the queue is close to other parts of the queue? No
Anything else about the queue that you want to mention? People in wheelchairs and their parties are taken to the theatre before everyone else

The Preshow:
Is there any preshow or is it just a waiting area? Sometimes Voices of Liberty sings
Where is the preshow located? Below in a kind of indoor courtyard
Is the preshow captioned or otherwise accessible for people with hearing disabilities? I suspect that some sessions have ASL
Is it accessible to people using wheelchair/scooters, or do you bypass it? Accessible but you have to leave early to enter the theatre
Where are wheelchairs/ECVs parked during the preshow and can you see from there? Anywhere in the general vicinity
Is there any seating in the preshow area? if so, what is it like? Some seats with backs and benches scattered throughout the room
How crowded is the preshow area (such as, do they keep telling people to go all the way to the front?) It's a very large area. Some people come just to watch Voices of Liberty. A CM announces when American Adventure starts for those that are waiting to see it
Is the preshow and/or boarding area dark, bright? noisy? any other information to share? It is echoey

Theatres:
How much wheelchair/ECV seating is there? At least 5, I think 12
Are there individual seats or bench seats? Padded or not padded? Individual, padded seats
Did you sit in the front or the rear of the theatre? Rear
Where does the rest of your party sit? Dad next to me, everyone else scattered throughout the wheelchair seating
Any other information? Getting into the wheelchair seats requires a little maneuvering and tight turning. The theatre is completely dark while the movie and animatronics perform which could be frightening. Some of the fighting could also be frightening. And very young children may be bored

The Exit:
What do you exit into? through a store? into another building? outside? If outside, is it shaded or directly into the sun? Down a medium sized hallway, then outside into the sun