Darkness in lines

[ellataylor]

Hi there,

Does anyone else have issues with darkness in lines? I use an electric wheelchair and found it quite stressful manoeuvring it around the twists and turns in certain WDW lines in the darkness . I particularly remember The Journey of The Little Mermaid, POTC, Frozen Ever After, and Remys being problematic and actually quite stressful. It actually puts me off going on these rides which is really sad as these are among our family’s favourites. I get really anxious about holding up the line or attracting unwanted attention by getting wedged in a corner or bashing into a railing!

Anyway was just wondering if anyone else had dark line anxiety like me and have found a way around it? A headlamp maybe?!

 

[DisneyOma]

POTC allowed your electric wheelchair in the queue?

 

[ellataylor]

I think it was a dedicated path for wheelchairs, I know it felt dark and dingy!

 

[Narcoossee11]

If you are with family/others, get them to make a barrier around you.
Several ahead, some behind.
They guide you around those proplem spots.

 

[bluecruiser]

What helps me is battery-powered rechargeable headlights that I attach to my chair. They're not that large and can be adjusted so they aim where you need them. Many options on Amazon.

Adding: You can also get similar red tail lights for the back of your chair. Helps others see you from behind in dark queues.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think it was a dedicated path for wheelchairs, I know it felt dark and dingy!

Pirates at WDW doesn’t have a dedicated path for wheelchairs.
As you get near to the boarding area, there are 2 boarding area. Guests using wheelchairs or other mobility devices are routed to the one that is lower than the other, but it’s not dedicated.
The lower boarding area has a path that leads past the loading area to a walkway that goes outside and backstage so CMs can move mobility devices down one floor and to another building where the unload area is.
The higher up loading area ends in a dead and where guests get on, so there would be no way to get a wheelchair out of there

 

[ellataylor]

Thank you for the helpful tips! My upcoming trip is just with my adult daughter but she will definitely help to guide the way. The headlights sound fab!

Thanks for the clarification around the queue on POTC, it helps so much to be prepared

 

[AC7179]

The last time we were at MK, the HM cue was terribly dark. It felt unsafe with my elderly mom with cognitive issues. I broke out my cell phone flashlight and got fussed at by the CM but I honestly didn't know what else to do at that point.

 

[iuki]

Pirates at WDW doesn’t have a dedicated path for wheelchairs.
As you get near to the boarding area, there are 2 boarding area. Guests using wheelchairs or other mobility devices are routed to the one that is lower than the other, but it’s not dedicated.
The lower boarding area has a path that leads past the loading area to a walkway that goes outside and backstage so CMs can move mobility devices down one floor and to another building where the unload area is.
The higher up loading area ends in a dead and where guests get on, so there would be no way to get a wheelchair out of there

i was always told I had to transfer to their manual wheelchair or walk. I have an electric wheelchair. Would they allow me to use that in the line?

 

[iuki]

What helps me is battery-powered rechargeable headlights that I attach to my chair. They're not that large and can be adjusted so they aim where you need them. Many options on Amazon.

Adding: You can also get similar red tail lights for the back of your chair. Helps others see you from behind in dark queues.

I attached a bicycle light to the handle of my ECV that I used to own.

 

[mamabunny]

I attached a bicycle light to the handle of my ECV that I used to own.

Yep, I have used bike lights for years as headlights and tail lights, on both ECVs and wheelchairs.

The main thing I try to do is place the red tail lights as low as possible, and especially the white "head light(s)" very low, making sure that they are aimed so that they don't blind the little stroller nuggets. They don't have an option - they are stuck in that stroller, and I can't bear the thought of hurting their eyes.

I like the little round button lights, or the "frog lights" that self-wrap. Most of WDW is lit well enough that you don't really need them - it's just mostly in queues and for visibility by others that I have them. Most of the time, my undercarriage lighting is more than sufficient for the purpose, and is mounted so that it "glows" the ground underneath my chair, providing some lighting in the queue, and the visibility that I want everywhere else.

Also remember to turn your lights off when you don't need them, to help preserve battery life!

 

[ttintagel]

The last time we were at MK, the HM cue was terribly dark. It felt unsafe with my elderly mom with cognitive issues. I broke out my cell phone flashlight and got fussed at by the CM but I honestly didn't know what else to do at that point.

The place where it's particularly dangerous for me is getting from the stretching room to the load area. Visibility for me in that area is absolutely zero, and I've been knocked over more than once because I can't see people coming at me.

 

[SueM in MN]

i was always told I had to transfer to their manual wheelchair or walk. I have an electric wheelchair. Would they allow me to use that in the line?

ECVs are not allowed in Pirates and they actually prefer everyone transfer to an attraction wheelchair. The reason is that the unload area is in another building and down one floor from the load area. They have sometimes had difficulty moving people’s personal wheelchairs to unload area in time. There are attraction wheelchairs in the unload area, but the area is pretty small for putting a lot of wheelchairs.

I have read a variety of experiences with power wheelchair - people told to park it with the ECVs, people using it in line and people told they could use it in line, but it needs to be pushed in freewheel mode.

 

[iuki]

ECVs are not allowed in Pirates and they actually prefer everyone transfer to an attraction wheelchair. The reason is that the unload area is in another building and down one floor from the load area. They have sometimes had difficulty moving people’s personal wheelchairs to unload area in time. There are attraction wheelchairs in the unload area, but the area is pretty small for putting a lot of wheelchairs.

I have read a variety of experiences with power wheelchair - people told to park it with the ECVs, people using it in line and people told they could use it in line, but it needs to be pushed in freewheel mode.

Thanks for the clarification. My EWC can be put in manual mode just like the Fold and Go. Haven’t been to WDW for approximately 4-5 years.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the clarification. My EWC can be put in manual mode just like the Fold and Go. Haven’t been to WDW for approximately 4-5 years.

I guess you’ll find out what happens.
All power wheelchairs can be put in free wheel to push - need it in case it runs out of power or possibly some other situation. My DD’s weighs about 430 pounds without her in it, so we don’t push it much - we don’t bring it to WDW because it’s too expensive and fragile to risk air travel

 

[Lilsia]

The place where it's particularly dangerous for me is getting from the stretching room to the load area. Visibility for me in that area is absolutely zero, and I've been knocked over more than once because I can't see people coming at me.

That room is extremely dark and I think dangerous. And I don't have any serious night vision issues either.

 

[AprilsZoo]

The last time we were at MK, the HM cue was terribly dark. It felt unsafe with my elderly mom with cognitive issues. I broke out my cell phone flashlight and got fussed at by the CM but I honestly didn't know what else to do at that point.

Its understandable that you would try to light your own way like you did, but the main problem with doing that is that if you do not keep the phone light directed only at the floor, and it shines upward *at all* it can effectively blind someone else who is struggling to see in the poor light. I have low vision in dim situations, but it is 10x worse if a bright light is “flashed” at me. I was blinded more than once by a flash photo being taken by someone in a queue or on a ride (despite the warnings* ). After that, my low vision effectively becomes NO vision for up to several minutes.
*I even did it to myself once on HM at the mirrors at the end of the ride… many years ago now, I had my spanking-new iPhone, back when the flash on the camera was a new feature.… I just wanted to get a quick shot of the ghosts in our doombuggies (this was also before they had the ride photos). I forgot about the automatic flash feature. So not only did I not get the photo(s), I ended up blinding *myself* and could barely get off the ride. DH had to tell them to stop the walkway, and then lead me off while trying to herd our monkeys, er, boys off the ride as well. I felt like a complete idiot..

In the future, I suggest you take your loved one by the hand and stand still or step to the side of the group. Then when the CM comes along to “bring up the rear” tell them you are unable to see well and that in the low light, you do not feel safe to move from where you are standing. Be specific that it‘s a safety issue. They all carry small flashlights that they can use to illuminate the path forward. They will assist you and hand you off to the next CM in the queue. We’ve done this at DL in HM & at least one other ride (although which other one it was I cannot remember right now… it’ll come to me, and I’ll edit this part )

Another tip: when you are with someone slower or vulnerable or with whom you worry about becoming separated— as you are entering or exiting a pre-show area of the queue, allow most of the guests to move forward (or to move past you) before taking your place at the end of the bunch. Let everyone else push and shuffle for position… the extra couple minutes your party may wait to board the ride, will be worth avoiding the stress of trying to keep track of everyone as you struggle to stay together.

For some reason, this was the hardest “trick” for my family to do consistently on this last trip. It’s just habit or maybe natural instinct to go with the flow of people when they start moving. I’d take about 10-15 seconds before starting to creep ahead slowly so others would go around me, but more often than not, I ended up separated from the rest of my party, because they had just moved with the pack, and then they had to stop and let others go past until I caught up to them... Even when I reminded them of the plan as we entered the queue, like 80-90% of the time we’d have the same problem. You’d think they’d get better at it after a few times… When we did manage to all hold back, it was so much less stress because we could stay together so much easier. Even when the next batch of guests came along behind us, we were generally almost to the point of loading, so it was rare that we had any issues at that point.

 

[AprilsZoo]

Does anyone else have issues with darkness in lines? I use an electric wheelchair and found it quite stressful manoeuvring it around the twists and turns in certain WDW lines in the darkness . I particularly remember The Journey of The Little Mermaid, POTC, Frozen Ever After, and Remys being problematic and actually quite stressful

I had a lot of trouble maneuvering in the 7DMT queue once it transitioned to indoors. Even with the headlight and undercarriage lighting it was super hard for me to see where the rocky walls were especially. I guess they just blend into the texture of the floor too well or something, so dh had to give me verbal cues in those spots so I wouldn’t misjudge the space.