wheel chair and lines question.

[violeo]

Hello everyone on the disboards! So i will be going to WDW with my family early 2012. This will be the first time going since my father's health has declined. He can't walk for a long periods of time due to a deteriorating lower disk plus many other health problems. I have been kicking the idea of hiring a VIP tour guide so we can by pass lines on rides. However when i spoke to a rep at disney while booking my hotel she stated that i should save the money go to the guest service area get a wheel chair and that should be sufficient to bypass lines. I'm not looking to take advantage of any situation. I guess what im asking is if 1. is it true if my father is in a wheel chair we can by pass lines and 2. is it horrible for us to take advantage of by passing the lines. i appreciate any and all responses.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

A wheelchair (or ECV) will not allow bypassing of lines.

The lines for almost all attractions at WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that the queue is set up to allow wheelchairs and/or ECVs to go through the line just as a person without a mobility problem. As it was built prior to the ADA, the Magic Kingdom is most likely to have non-mainstreamed lines. Some attractions, such as Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion you will go part way through the regular queue and then be diverted. Other attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain or SpaceShip Earth you will initially be directed to an accessible entrance.

All the theaters are set up with seats (usually in the back row) removed so a wheelchair or ECV can pull into a space and there will be regular seating on either side of the space for the others in the party.

Where there are quantity limits on space, or other limitation involving accessibility, you may have to wait longer to see a show or ride an attraction than people without disabilities.

The normal (and official) response of Guest Relations to people with mobility and/or stamina issues is to recommend rental of a wheelchair or ECV. The Guest Assistance Card (GAC) is intended for "invisible" disabilities not related to mobility or stamina. A wheelchair or ECV is sufficient to notify Cast Members of special assistance normally needed. However, if a person has other issues, such as auditory or visual, they would probably also need a GAC.

Note that a GAC is not intended to allow bypassing of lines, and it so states on the card itself. The only people who will get the special Front Of The Line GAC are where a terminal or medically fragile child is traveling on a trip from Make A Wish or similar foundation.

 

[KPeveler]

Just agreeing with CF - You can definitely rent a wheelchair, which you will want to do regardless of lines. There can be a mile of walking between attractions easily.

A wheelchair will NOT allow you to bypass lines. In fact, there is no way to bypass lines. I am not even sure if all VIP guides let you do it.

Most lines are mainstreamed, which means your father can take the wheelchair in lines with no difficulty. He can take the chair right up to the ride, and you will not be "taking advantage" of anything.

I am a full time wheelchair user and I wait in every mainstreamed line just like anyone else. It's actually kind of nice NOT to be singled out because of my disability for once. At Disney I feel like just a regular person.

 

[Piper]

Not only is there no skipping lines, you should be prepared to actually wait longer than "able" guests at some attractions. If there are multiple guests with disabilities at an attraction, you will have to wait until the other guests have had their turn.

There are limited numbers of guests who might need assistance allowed on many rides at a time. You may have to wait for a specific ride vehicle or for others to exit the ride. You may be taken to a different place to board, but be prepared to wait at that place until the specific vehicle loads. You can see that if there are others waiting for that vehicle, it may take a while. (Small World and the Safari at AK come to mind)

Many guests see those in wheelchairs being diverted to a different area to wait and think they are getting right on.....NOT! I was at WDW in December with a family reunion. Many times they had to wait for me to finish even though we were together in line. Sometimes the younger ones (teenagers) rode a second time and even finished that before I exited.

 

[SueM in MN]

Agreeing with the previous posters.
The Disney rep you spoke to was in error. It's important to remember that when calling Disney, you are almost always talking to someone at a call center. Some of those CMs have actually never been to WDW.
Most lines are Mainstreamed and do not have a 'handicapped' entrance. Post 11 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has a list of the "Mobility Entrances" from the special WDW maps for guests with disabilities. In most cases, it does say "use the Regular entrance".

From what I have read about the VIP tours, most do not alllow for any shorter waits. In some cases, the tour guide will expedite Fast Passes by going to get Fast Passes for you while you are on other attractions. But, from what I have read, the tour guides have to follow the same rules for getting Faat Passes as everyone else. They just do the running for you.

You may want to look using a touring plan - one that is recommended often is touring plans.com
With a touring plan, you can avoid long lines and long waits because the touring plan will point you toward the places and attractions that are least busy.
Also, keep in mind that the attractions that typically have the longest waits are those that have Fastpasses available. So, you could avoid long waits with using Fastpasses.
And, those with the longest waits are also the 'thrill' type attractions that do have warnings for those with neck or back problems not to ride.