After our long day at
D23 yesterday (emotionally exhausting) Katy and I decided to sleep in today since we weren't dead set on seeing any of the morning exhibits or presentations. We arrived at D23 around 12:30 or 1:00, and we wanted to see the Buena Vista Street presentation at 2:45 on Stage 28. OKAY, cool. The CM from the Welcome Center told us yesterday that we just needed to show up about 30 minutes before the presentation and that we would be granted entrance no matter what.
Since we had a bit of time before we needed to be upstairs, we made our way around the show floor for a bit since we hadn't gotten to see much of it yesterday. We didn't actually stop in too many booths since we were limited on time still, but it gave us an idea of what we would want to go back to later.
So we did what the CM said, showed up at Stage 28 and we see our "friend" (the expo employee) from yesterday who turned us away from the Voices of Disney. I told him we were here to see Buena Vista Street and his words were (in a snarky tone) "and you are just NOW getting here" (this was 30 minutes prior to presentation). He acted like he was going to turn us away again because how DARE we not wait in line for 3 hours like everyone else. We told him we had been guaranteed admission by the Welcome Center and that they wanted us there about 30 min prior to the start of the presentation. He didn't want to deal with us at this point so he passed us off to another employee (she seemed to have more power than he did) and we told her what the Welcome Center had told us, and she said that because we used the "right terminology" she believed us, and let us in. Without her, I don't think we would have seen Buena Vista Street yesterday. At this point, we are halfway through day two and STILL have yet to see ONE thing! Thankfully that was now changing. We went to the preview, got a LOT of good pictures, and I can't wait to get them on my computer so I can post some of them here.
After we left Buena Vista Street (which was really neat) we met up with our new friend (the OP) who was waiting in line for a 6:30 show and this was THREE hours before the show was even scheduled to begin. There was a line for the 4 something show, then behind that was the 6:30 show. She told us that at one point a convention center employee had come along and told everyone that they were REQUIRED to stand in line, and even made her stand despite her disability (unacceptable!). We told her she should come downstairs with us to the Welcome Center (we needed to go AGAIN) but her husband was away for a minute, so we waited with her until he got back.
During this time a convention center security guard came around to our part of the line and told everyone (most people were sitting for the 3 hour wait) that they HAD to stand because it was a "fire lane" and it was against code to have them sitting. There was another person near us who we think had CP and was in braces who began to stand, and we flat out told him to stay sitting, they couldn't make him stand the WHOLE time. The lady security guard came and told the OP specifically (very rudely) that she was required to stand. We explained that due to her disability she needed to sit, and the woman suggested that we (Katy and myself) wait in line for her, and she can go sit on a bench and meet up with us later. Now remember, we are not an official part of her party, we were waiting with her until her husband arrived and we could go downstairs to talk to the Welcome Center about access issues. The line started moving shortly after this (they were letting in the line in front of the 6:30 line) and the people in line were directed into a room with a queue that winds back and forth through the room, which was clearly not ADA accessible. Our friend went into the room while Katy and I waited outside for her to come out.
Another woman who was in line was in an
ECV, and had tried to navigate the queue previously, but almost knocked down a pole and hit people since she is not a full time user and had rented the ECV due to a leg injury. She opted to stay outside of the room, leaving her husband in line to hold her place, and re-join him after they went through the part of the line in this room. She had some heated conversations with hired expo staff, and ultimately ended up getting out of the ECV and walking to her husband for something...we didn't ask (although we had been talking to her previously). Shortly after this our friend came out of the room and was shaking like a leaf needing to take meds. There were two cambros (hot/cold drink holders) in the hall near us so she went to the cambro to discover that it was empty (which I knew since I had tried to refill my water bottle shortly before she came out) so Katy gave her a bottle of Gatorade so she could take meds and hopefully stop shaking.
Since her husband had now joined her in line, we caught an elevator (one that no one was using) and went downstairs to the Welcome Center. We talked to a CM (yes, and actual Disney employee DOES work at the D23 Expo) named Kristen and told her that we had several issues to talk about, but that the OP should go first so her immediate concern could be addressed and she could re-join her husband upstairs. She/We told Kristen about what her needs were and how they could be accommodated, and Kristen agreed. Rather than just sending her up there with a written paper, the CM walked her upstairs to talk to the hired expo staff and let them know that the OP and her husband were to be admitted to the 6:30 presentation. She (Kristen) told me and Katy that she would be right back, but if Sherry (anther Disney CM) became available before she got back we could talk to her also. The staff asked KRISTEN if she had a pass for them to be admitted, and she was like I WRITE THE PASSES...I'm telling you NOW, do you really want me to waste the paper?!?
A few minutes later Sherry was done with the guest that she was talking to and came over to see if we needed help. We told her yes, that we had been working with Kristen, but she told us to talk to her if available first. We explained what had happened the day before (prevented from seeing a presentation due to our disability, expo staff very rude and unaccommodating, talked to a woman at the Welcome Center who gave us directions for today and said that everything would be fixed, etc) and what had happened previously in the day (it took an hour to go up 1 floor, when talking to an expo security guard stationed at the escalator we said that if we couldn't get on the elevator that we would take the escalator instead he said "oh no you will not" in a very rude voice.
When we got upstairs we needed to use the restroom, and were told we couldn't enter the area for the Treasures of Disney exhibit (where the bathroom was) because we hadn't been waiting in line (I'm sorry, I gotta GO...where would you like me to go??) and when they let us in, hallway where the bathroom was did not have lights on, so we couldn't see the floor, but even worse we couldn't see the door to the bathroom! (A nice convention center employee who was pushing a cart of soda went and opened the door for us so we could use the bathroom) the same employee as yesterday almost prevented us from seeing another presentation, yada yada yada). At this point Kristen had returned from upstairs and was listening also. Both Kristen and Sherry were APPALLED at how we had been treated over the last couple days, and wanted to make things right. Sherry asked us how we would feel about seeing The Lion King in 3D, and that was the show we wanted to see that night anyways, so we said we would love to. She wrote out a guest recovery slip for us and Kristen walked us over to the arena where the movie would play. Kristen told us that prior to seeing what we want tomorrow, to just come to the Welcome Center and she or Sherry would personally escort us upstairs to make sure we did not have further access issues at the stages.
When Kristen left us she said that if we had ANY issues, the Disney CM's who were working the show were Alex, Matt and Adrian, so if we needed anything to find one of them for help, and if needed they would contact the Welcome Center. (Pixie Dust alert) A few moments later I was talking to the person behind us in line and when I turned around there was a man, a Disney CM based on the nametag, standing in front of me and Katy. Kristen had gotten Bill Rogers (the voice of Disney parks) to come and personally talk to us since we had missed his presentation yesterday. In his Disney voice he said how sorry he was that our time had been less than magical, and that even he was surprised how many people were at the presentation the night before, etc. I was just STUNNED that he was there, kinda at a loss for words. That definitely put a bright spin on an otherwise dim day!!
So we finish entering the arena and are seated at the back of the bottom level (actually really good seating...too much closer would have been too close to the screen). In the arena the hired expo employees kept trying to separate wheelchair parties since the row in front of us was "reserved". I told them that by LAW they had to allow a member of the persons party to sit next to them for any personal needs, etc. If the lady could not sit in front of her father, then at least go get another folding chair and have her sit next to him, but to place her behind him in another section was unacceptable (it was up steps, so he wouldn't be able to get to her). They decided that it was OKAY to seat the guest of a wheelchair user in that row after all...I thought so!
The Lion King 3D was AMAZING!! It could probably have a thread of its own dedicated to it (it might already, I haven't checked through the D23 threads). The directors and the guy who did all the 3D effects came out and talked prior to the start of the movie, and when the movie started it was just fantastic! Unlike most 3D movies, the Lion King was 100% in 3D...it doesn't switch back and forth from 2D to 3D.
When the movie was over Katy and I left the arena quickly (prior to the mob leaving) and headed over to Coco's for dinner. That is a whole story in itself, but I'm not gonna go there. I will let Katy tell it if she wants.
Day 2 down...we have done TWO things!!! Tomorrow (now today) we wanted to see the Cars Land presentation, but decided we are too emotionally exhausted and will just use the time at the expo to see the show floor more (we need to look at the parks and resorts booth), shop, and head over to the parks for some FUN!!
Looking back on the set up of the stages, they did not have dedicated wheelchair spaces, they took out seats for the number of wheelchairs that happened to be in line and allowed access to the show. This of course is in violation of ADA regulations that state you must have dedicated accessible seating for people with disabilities, and AB's can't use it unless all regular seating is full and no PWD need to use that area.
There are way too many ADA violations to count at this years expo, and I seriously doubt that I would go again unless I was assured that these issues were resolved.
The biggest challenge is a total lack of information for the CMs working the event. There is no consistent standard between CMs for access. When I asked where a person could sit who needed to read lips (in the sessions) I was told that there was no reserved seating for those with hearing difficulties and that I would have to "get there early enough" to get a seat near the front for each session. But the lines are starting 45 minutes to 60 minutes before the sessions, not to mention the hours it's taking for queueing for the the arena sessions. There is no "guest assistance pass" so I would have to explain my situation to every CM I encountered every time I tried to go to a session. And different people gave me different answers. The lighting is very bad in places. The queue for Mickey's of Glendale is extremely dark. Additionally, quite a few of the queue lines (that one in particular) don't allow enough turning radius for people using ECVs. I saw 1 woman park her ECV and then, with difficulty, walk over to the queue line with her cane and stand in line. There didn't appear to be any alternative for her. The "store" itself was far too small to accomodate an ECV with spacing so narrow between the racks and shelves that there would be no way to maneuver. I think even a person using a wheelchair with a smaller turning radius would have challenges in that store. 
