Alternate Entrance at PoTC

[Orangeandwild]

I am disabled and ride my own scooter in the parks always on every trip. My DH was hurt in an accident and this coming trip will have to ride a scooter due to injuries and is not able to walk either or push me in a wheelchair for PoTC. I had heard there is an alternate entrance for those who cannot walk the line into the ride to board the boats. How do I get to it or let them know we need to use it this trip?

Thanks so much....

 

[SueM in MN]

there is a way into the ride loading area that some people have called an alternate entrance. It is behind the scenes (backstage) so a CM has to accompany you there. It just takes you to the rear of the boarding area.
It is NOT a shorter total distance to walk though because you have to go around the attraction to get to the backstage area and that distance is roughly the same as going thru the regular line. I also believe there are steps.

Once you are there, you can explain your situation to the CMs at the entrance. They may be able to work something out that allows you to bring your ECV to the boarding area and have the CM bring it to yhe exit. That's very dependent in staffing and how busy it is.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Be prepared to not be able to ride, and happily surprised if you do. The last time I was there we had 2 people in scooters and the other with issues that meant she could not push the wheelchair. They did not let us use another entrance and our only option was to park the scooters, use their wc and then have to get back to the scooters at the entrance. So it was not possible for us to ride. I was also there with my children a year before that and they again said we had to use their wc. Since my kids can't push me (and I wouldn't risk my life to have them! ) we skipped it.

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of all we did at WDW, but if you have your heart set on riding and they are unable to allow the use of an alternate entrance I hate to have you very disappointed. If you are able to approach it with an attitude of "If we get on great, and if not we will just do something else" it will keep the magic going!

 

[Orangeandwild]

Thank you all, I think we may just skip PoTC if the alternate entrance has steps which neither of us can do right now or they want us to use the WCs which we can't do either...It will be there in the fall when we go I am sure

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you all, I think we may just skip PoTC if the alternate entrance has steps which neither of us can do right now or they want us to use the WCs which we can't do either...It will be there in the fall when we go I am sure

And, if you are concerned about distance, it is no shorter walk to the boarding area.
Because of the way the ride is constructed, it's not possible to board at the exit and have your wheelchair or ECV waiting for you when you get off.
You actually board in one building, at ground level. The exit is in another different building at one level below ground. After guests get out, the boats continue ip a steep ramp through an area just high enough for an unoccupied boat to go thru, so it's not possible to board at the exit and continue thru to the regular boarding area as it is on some attractions.

So, if you bring your own wheelchair or ECV into line, a CM has to bring it from the boarding area to the exit while you are riding.
That is why they prefer/almost require someone to use one of the attraction wheelchairs. That way, as long as there is A wheelchair at the exit, there is one for you to take when you exit.
If they have to get A SPECIFIC wheelchair to the exit, it is much harder to make sure that wheelchair is at the exit when the guest arrives.

 

[Disney Enabler]

If you really want the best experience then plan a trip to Disneyland. The ride is very accomodating. You park your scooter right on the loading/unloading dock. The "original" ride in this case really got it right.

 

[BillSears]

If you really want the best experience then plan a trip to Disneyland. The ride is very accomodating. You park your scooter right on the loading/unloading dock. The "original" ride in this case really got it right.

Except the boat is lower down in the water and has more of a gap then at WDW. I can make the transfer into the boat at WDW but not at DL.