FP with a wheelchair or scooter

[Bearland]

We will be traveling with grandparents to WDW in December. Grandma developed severe mobility problems a few weeks ago. She will likely need to be in a wheelchair or scooter for the entire trip, but she may be able to make some transfers to a ride vehicle with a lot of help from family. I am sure that I will have a lot of questions over the next few weeks. I really want to make the trip as smooth as possible for her, and I greatly value all of your input.

It is my understanding that most lines will accommodate either the wheelchair or the scooter, so that the family will just use the regular line. However, we need to make our FP selections this week. I thought that I remembered reading that some attractions require wheelchair users to receive a time to come back because of only so many wheelchairs being able to be accommodated on a ride at a given time. Is there a listing of these rides somewhere? Would we be wasting our family FP if we scheduled one for one of these rides, or would the CM still honor the FP, despite the wheelchair?

Also, our family is on the large side. For half of the trip, we will have seven people, including grandma. At the end of the trip, we will have eight people, including grandma. Would we all still be able to wait in line together and finish the ride at similar times? Or will we have trouble with the size of our group?

 

[SueM in MN]

We will be traveling with grandparents to WDW in December. Grandma developed severe mobility problems a few weeks ago. She will likely need to be in a wheelchair or scooter for the entire trip, but she may be able to make some transfers to a ride vehicle with a lot of help from family. I am sure that I will have a lot of questions over the next few weeks. I really want to make the trip as smooth as possible for her, and I greatly value all of your input.

It is my understanding that most lines will accommodate either the wheelchair or the scooter, so that the family will just use the regular line. However, we need to make our FP selections this week. I thought that I remembered reading that some attractions require wheelchair users to receive a time to come back because of only so many wheelchairs being able to be accommodated on a ride at a given time. Is there a listing of these rides somewhere? Would we be wasting our family FP if we scheduled one for one of these rides, or would the CM still honor the FP, despite the wheelchair?

This is copied from post 11 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread:
(There is actually a lot more info there, but I only copied the part that answers your question).

At WDW, there are a handful of attractions that do not have accessible entrances and may give out times to return to the attraction -
Big Thunder Mountain RR and Jungle Cruise at MK and Spaceship Earth at Epcot do not have accessible entrances and may give out return times. The return time will generally be similar to the wait in the Standby line and will be valid for a 1 hour time window.

There are a few that have a separate accessible boarding area, but for those, guests wait in the regular line (or Fastpass line if they have Fastpass Plus) until almost at the boarding area, then they move to the accessible boarding area.

Small World is kind of a hybrid attraction. The regular line is accessible to the last turn on the front side. Guests without Fastpass Plus wait in the regular line until they get to that point. Since the Fastpass line for SW is not accessible, guests with Fastpass go directly to the accessible boarding area.

In general, for those few attractions listed above, if you have a Fastpass, you will probably be routed directly into the boarding area. Without Fastpass, you will be given a time to return.

Everything other than these attractions I have listed say to enter through the mainstream or standby queue.
The maps are very easy to read (although the type is small) and I recommend getting one for each park. The access information is listed right on the map with all the other information. There are icons that show which attractions you can stay right in the wheelchair or ECV for the whole attraction and which you need to transfer to a ride car.

Information about attractions with moving walkways and stairs has been moved to post 28 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

Also, our family is on the large side. For half of the trip, we will have seven people, including grandma. At the end of the trip, we will have eight people, including grandma. Would we all still be able to wait in line together and finish the ride at similar times? Or will we have trouble with the size of our group?

The size of a wheelchair party at WDW is listed as 6 (5 plus the person with a disability). Be prepared that you might be asked to split into 2 groups, with no more than 6 people per group.
If you are asked to split, it will usually be because the boarding area is small or that the ride car only accommodates that many if she will be using an accessible ride car.
In most cases, you will be waiting together in the regular line for most of the time (or Fastpasses line, if you have Fastpasses)

 

[smidgy]

we were at WDW this last late august wiht my husband in a wheelchair. it went very smoothly.. most lines were wheel chair accessible.. those that were not (such as splash mt.) there was a point where they brought you to the exit to board.

as far as fast pass, we just used the Fp entrance and if there was a need to use the exit , they led us to it.

as far as handicapped entrance for shows. for nemo we had a FP and since my husband has low viison, they brought us down to the fron ahead of time. for lion king, we did NOT have FP.. there were 2 seperate handicapped lines. we were in the NON FP line.. they let in the handicapped FP first, then we were let in.. there were PLENTY of spaces up front for wheelchairs and scooters when we were let in.

for beauty and the beast, they sent us down the ramps to the front (but I don't think there is a FP for that?

just let the CM know what your needs are.. we found it worked out great!

 

[lanejudy]

She will likely need to be in a wheelchair or scooter for the entire trip, but she may be able to make some transfers to a ride vehicle with a lot of help from family.

If transfers may be challenging, I suggest she stick with a wheelchair (as opposed to an ECV). She'll have fewer transfers and will be able to stay in her wheelchair for some rides. It sounds like you'll have plenty in your party to help push.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Bearland]

The size of a wheelchair party at WDW is listed as 6 (5 plus the person with a disability). Be prepared that you might be asked to split into 2 groups, with no more than 6 people per group.
If you are asked to split, it will usually be because the boarding area is small or that the ride car only accommodates that many if she will be using an accessible ride car.
In most cases, you will be waiting together in the regular line for most of the time (or Fastpasses line, if you have Fastpasses)

Grandma is not interested in thrill rides, so we are no concerned with those. For It's a Small World, would the CM likely let seven of us board with six of us in the six available seats and grandma in the wheelchair? For rides, such as Spaceship Earth or Jungle Cruise with a separate boarding area, would the family of 7 or 8 people (three of which are small children), ever be able to wait together but then be split at the boarding area to board into separate boats/ride vehicles? Or can we only approach the ride with 6 or less people with the wheelchair and the others waiting/riding separately in the normal stand-by line? Would getting our fastpasses for these rides help our chances of CM allowing the group to wait together? The other attractions that come to mind that grandma used to like are Haunted Mansion, Little Mermaid, Toy Story Midway Mania, Buzz Lightyear, Gran Fiesta Tour. Are some of these more strict or more likely than others to allow us to wait together with one or two people over the limit?

I want to plan in advance as much as possible because Grandma wants to spend time with the grandkids (and vice versa), but she will also likely always want Grandpa with her. The two of them cannot take care of the kids boarding and unboarding by themselves, but we also do not want just one adult left out of the group. If they do not let us all wait together, we would have to negotiate in advance which one or two kids get to wait (and then ride) with grandma, grandpa, and likely dad for both grandma's help/kid duty and which one or two kids need to wait and ride separately with mom.

 

[SueM in MN]

Grandma is not interested in thrill rides, so we are no concerned with those. For It's a Small World, would the CM likely let seven of us board with six of us in the six available seats and grandma in the wheelchair?

Small World, 3 Caballeros in Mexico at Epcot will seat one wheelchair and 6 other guests.
Toy Story Mania will depend on where you board. If she stays in the wheelchair, you will need to be at the accessible boarding area and the accessible ride car only seats 6. The regular ones seat 8, if she gets out and can use the boarding area for the new track.

For rides, such as Spaceship Earth or Jungle Cruise with a separate boarding area, would the family of 7 or 8 people (three of which are small children), ever be able to wait together but then be split at the boarding area to board into separate boats/ride vehicles? Or can we only approach the ride with 6 or less people with the wheelchair and the others waiting/riding separately in the normal stand-by line?

Those 2 attractions have separate waiting areas for guests using wheelchairs. They can get crowded, so it might depend on how busy it is at the time.
If you had 10 or 12 or more, I would say chances are not good. But with 7 or 8 for those 2 rides with small children, it's more likely you could.

Would getting our fastpasses for these rides help our chances of CM allowing the group to wait together?

No. it really has to do with how many others are waiting.

The other attractions that come to mind that grandma used to like are Haunted Mansion,

You will be in line together and in the rooms inside together. After the stretching room, guests with wheelchairs/ECVs are sent thru a door into a hallway to board at the exit. You probably could all go together, but ask. Even if you are not, you will end up the ride at the same place at close to the same time.

Little Mermaid,

eveyone waits in the same line. Just before boarding, there is a pull off point for guests with wheelchairs/ECVs. Boarding and unloading for everyone is at the same place, just at different points on the track. 7 or 8 is probably not an issue, but ask.

Toy Story Midway Mania,

I already mentioned.

Buzz Lightyear,

everyone waits in the same line and there is a pull off point right before boarding where guests with wheelchairs/ECVs are sent thru a hall to board at the exit. Whether 7 or 8 will be OK will depend on how many people are already waiting there. So, you will need to ask at the time.
If you separate, you will probably finish within one ride cycle time of each other.

Gran Fiesta Tour.

the accessible boat only holds 6 seated guests and one wheelchair.

Are some of these more strict or more likely than others to allow us to wait together with one or two people over the limit?

it really depends on the attraction, how the boarding us set up and how busy that area is at the time. With 7 or 8 and many bring Kidd, they are more likely to be blé you work things out then with a bigger group. Just ask.

I want to plan in advance as much as possible because Grandma wants to spend time with the grandkids (and vice versa), but she will also likely always want Grandpa with her. The two of them cannot take care of the kids boarding and unboarding by themselves, but we also do not want just one adult left out of the group. If they do not let us all wait together, we would have to negotiate in advance which one or two kids get to wait (and then ride) with grandma, grandpa, and likely dad for both grandma's help/kid duty and which one or two kids need to wait and ride separately with mom.