Das and FP

[LadyD]

Just out of curiosity, how familiar are you with the FOP FP+ queue? That queue is different than just about any other ride queue at the parks. You mentioned starting and stopping is a problem in line. FoP has a queue with several staging areas where you walk to a room and then stand in one place for about 5 minutes before walking to the next room to wait again and then repeat that again. If you weren’t aware of that, I thought it might be valuable for your planning to be aware even with a FP+ there is a lot of starting and stopping (and walking uphill just in case elevation changes are challenging for you) for that ride. It is really disappointing just what a nightmare the regular or FP+ queue can be to navigate if you have a disability, and the whole ride in general with how it functions.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Just out of curiosity, how familiar are you with the FOP FP+ queue? That queue is different than just about any other ride queue at the parks. You mentioned starting and stopping is a problem in line. FoP has a queue with several staging areas where you walk to a room and then stand in one place for about 5 minutes before walking to the next room to wait again and then repeat that again. If you weren’t aware of that, I thought it might be valuable for your planning to be aware even with a FP+ there is a lot of starting and stopping (and walking uphill just in case elevation changes are challenging for you) for that ride. It is really disappointing just what a nightmare the regular or FP+ queue can be to navigate if you have a disability, and the whole ride in general with how it functions.

It's comparable to Sorin in that you walk up a hill to get to the bldg, you stand on the dots and watch a video. Since Thanksgiving the up escalator has not been working everyday, so you walk up stairs and an incline to get out of the bldg. I cannot do stairs, so I have taken notice to the nonworking escalator I need to wait in long lines of wheelchairs to take an elevator.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

In fact there are several attractions where you must stand and watch a video. Dinosaur you have a slew of stairs down and up, inclines are at many attractions

 

[SueM in MN]

At both Dinosaur and Flights of Passage, guests using wheelchairs/mobility devices can be routed to avoid those things.
In Dinosaur, there is a small elevator just outside of the preshow room.
We’ve been to Flights of Passage about 5 times and inside the building had some (not very steep) ramps in the queue, but were not on the floor that needed an elevator or escalator after riding.
After exiting the Flights of Passage building, there are ramps, stairs and steep ramped stair bypasses.

 

[LadyD]

In fact there are several attractions where you must stand and watch a video. Dinosaur you have a slew of stairs down and up, inclines are at many attractions

There are other ones that have you stand and wait, but FoP have more of them. After you scan in at the FP+ station, you walk up the ramps until you hit the next scan station where you wait. Then you walk a short distance to wait on the ramp to load into the first video room. Then you load into the first video room and wait for that show. Then you load into the next video room and wait for that one to finish before finally loading onto the ride. Other queues don’t have as many points where you’re just standing and not moving at all. At least with the other queues there is room to keep moving around at the back of the video rooms.

 

[Raven01]

That’s my fault - I was trying the ask a general question and my details got us off track.

I really appreciate the help! I do understand that Disney revamped their ride queues to mainstream mobility aids.

To clarify - it’s me, DD (aka, “the toddler”), and two grandparents. Grandpa has his own disability issues, so he and grandma are one team. I’m planning as if I’m traveling solo, but asked about FOP because it’s the one ride we all want to do that FP may not happen for. We are focusing on other rides for the little one, and we have been before, so headliners like Space Mountain, Splash, etc we can skip without a problem.

Thank you for the information on that queue. I basically operate in the world of “take some Advil and deal with it”. But I want to enjoy my trip, I can’t deal like I used to, and my little one is always my priority. I don’t want her to miss out because of me. It’s a balancing act for sure. The information allows us to plan our days to minimize the physical effects. I am also using a Touring Plans to minimize walking. So while a DAS may help, I’m also preparing with the idea we won’t have one.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

There are other ones that have you stand and wait, but FoP have more of them. After you scan in at the FP+ station, you walk up the ramps until you hit the next scan station where you wait. Then you walk a short distance to wait on the ramp to load into the first video room. Then you load into the first video room and wait for that show. Then you load into the next video room and wait for that one to finish before finally loading onto the ride. Other queues don’t have as many points where you’re just standing and not moving at all. At least with the other queues there is room to keep moving around at the back of the video rooms.

True, FoP is a further walk. It has the 1st room where you move around, 2nd room is where you stand still to watch the movie. That's the area I need to put my back on the wall and stretch it. Haunted mansion has 2 rooms but a much shorter walk, no hills.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

At both Dinosaur and Flights of Passage, guests using wheelchairs/mobility devices can be routed to avoid those things.
In Dinosaur, there is a small elevator just outside of the preshow room.
We’ve been to Flights of Passage about 5 times and inside the building had some (not very steep) ramps in the queue, but were not on the floor that needed an elevator or escalator after riding.
After exiting the Flights of Passage building, there are ramps, stairs and steep ramped stair bypasses.

OMG...thank you for that info on the elevator. I personally can't do those stairs since my surgery. I knew there had to be one somewhere. I haven't done Dinosaurs in 2 years and I was just at Disney in June. I'm going this coming weekend too

 

[SueM in MN]

OMG...thank you for that info on the elevator. I personally can't do those stairs since my surgery. I knew there had to be one somewhere. I haven't done Dinosaurs in 2 years and I was just at Disney in June. I'm going this coming weekend too

I used to have pictures, but my computer decided to delete some.
Let the CM at the entrance to the preshow room know that you need to avoid the stairs.
Just after you exit the preshow room, it will be to your left.
It’s a very small elevator that takes you directly down to the unload side of the track. That is a very small area, so be prepared for congestion.

 

[SueM in MN]

One kind of weird thing I found out a few years ago is that there are ‘elevator consœurs’ who make and post videos of elevators all over the world.
Their videos are often kind of shaky because (like this video) they might be sneaky onto the elevator. They are also usually much more interested in documenting things like the elevator permit, Wright allowance, model number than where the elevator is going. This video at least gives a couple of glimpses.

 

[mamabunny]

That’s my fault - I was trying the ask a general question and my details got us off track.

I really appreciate the help! I do understand that Disney revamped their ride queues to mainstream mobility aids.

To clarify - it’s me, DD (aka, “the toddler”), and two grandparents. Grandpa has his own disability issues, so he and grandma are one team. I’m planning as if I’m traveling solo, but asked about FOP because it’s the one ride we all want to do that FP may not happen for. We are focusing on other rides for the little one, and we have been before, so headliners like Space Mountain, Splash, etc we can skip without a problem.

Thank you for the information on that queue. I basically operate in the world of “take some Advil and deal with it”. But I want to enjoy my trip, I can’t deal like I used to, and my little one is always my priority. I don’t want her to miss out because of me. It’s a balancing act for sure. The information allows us to plan our days to minimize the physical effects. I am also using a Touring Plans to minimize walking. So while a DAS may help, I’m also preparing with the idea we won’t have one.

You are awesome to worry about DD, but (and *please* don't take this the wrong way) unless you document every moment of this trip, frankly, she will remember very little about it - and that might be OK. I'm widely considered to be a "weird mom" because I refused to take *any* child to WDW before their 10th birthday; personally I think it's not always as much fun for babies and toddlers as we (the adults) think it is. They typically sit in strollers that are the closest thing down to the hot pavement all day, they can't really hear their loved ones over all the music and commotion going on, and they can't see them either, and then - to add insult to injury - as long as they are in the stroller, their view is primarily butts and ankles.

I'm *not* one of those grinchy people who says that babies and toddlers should be banned at Disney - far from it! But I just want you to remember for a minute that what she will mostly remember from this trip (if she is less than about 5 to 7 years old) will be the emotions associated with it, and not necessarily the kind of memories that an adult will form. So, she probably really won't remember much of her first trip on Peter Pan, or whatever her "first ride" is. Don't worry about knocking off rides on a bucket list - if you want her to have fun, let her lead the way. It may be that rides really aren't her thing at this age. And if *all* she wants to do is rides, well, you have been working a plan for that!

She won't "miss out" - she will still be at WDW, with you and the grands! She will be loved and happy and in a place where magical things happen all the time! There are smiley Cast Members who give you stickers, and smashed penny machines and you can get BUTTONS to wear that say "My First Trip" with your name on it! and then everyone says hi to you! There are Mickey Bars to eat and balloons to buy and so.much.popcorn! And if she doesn't ride Haunted Mansion on this trip, or if she never gets to do Flight of Passage until she's older... trust me, there are *far* worse things that could happen. She may be one of those littles who can't stand fireworks, or who is scared of the full-suit characters, but OK with the face characters. And she may be one of those kids who just wants to ride the boats and the train and the monorail and look at everything and then swim in the pool! I know that often families feel like they have to do "everything" on this one trip because (fill in the blank) and I respect that. But I also know from experience that trying to do WDW on a hard-and-fast-take-no-prisoners type of touring plan can result in widespread unhappiness and *bad* memories, and that's the opposite of what you want. Some of my families best trips have been the ones where we (literally) found out last minute that we could fly in to Orlando, and all of the ADRs were booked and all of the FPs were gone, and we had *more* fun than when we try to plan it all out perfectly!

One more thing to remember - many little kids never really understand how many rides there are at WDW, simply because so many of them are inside "show buildings" that house the entire ride, so there is no real visual cue about what is inside. Littles can *see* rides that are out in the open (like Dumbo or Barnstormer), but things like Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion (for example) you could quite possibly stroll right past, and she would never know. Shows like Mickey's Philharmagic, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor and Muppets 3D would also be great for her - (as well as you too! ) and there are many of those kinds of experiences all over all 4 of the Parks.

She will be happy because you are happy - and whatever it is that makes you laugh and smile will be great for her too. Enjoy this precious time, but remember that (aside from pictures and videos) eventually, she probably won't really remember WDW as much as she remembers the souvenirs you brought home. And she will remember the love.

With my whole heart, my wish for you and your sweet little girl is to have a *Magical* trip!

 

[DisneyOma]

You are awesome to worry about DD, but (and *please* don't take this the wrong way) unless you document every moment of this trip, frankly, she will remember very little about it - and that might be OK. I'm widely considered to be a "weird mom" because I refused to take *any* child to WDW before their 10th birthday; personally I think it's not always as much fun for babies and toddlers as we (the adults) think it is. They typically sit in strollers that are the closest thing down to the hot pavement all day, they can't really hear their loved ones over all the music and commotion going on, and they can't see them either, and then - to add insult to injury - as long as they are in the stroller, their view is primarily butts and ankles.

I'm *not* one of those grinchy people who says that babies and toddlers should be banned at Disney - far from it! But I just want you to remember for a minute that what she will mostly remember from this trip (if she is less than about 5 to 7 years old) will be the emotions associated with it, and not necessarily the kind of memories that an adult will form. So, she probably really won't remember much of her first trip on Peter Pan, or whatever her "first ride" is. Don't worry about knocking off rides on a bucket list - if you want her to have fun, let her lead the way. It may be that rides really aren't her thing at this age. And if *all* she wants to do is rides, well, you have been working a plan for that!

She won't "miss out" - she will still be at WDW, with you and the grands! She will be loved and happy and in a place where magical things happen all the time! There are smiley Cast Members who give you stickers, and smashed penny machines and you can get BUTTONS to wear that say "My First Trip" with your name on it! and then everyone says hi to you! There are Mickey Bars to eat and balloons to buy and so.much.popcorn! And if she doesn't ride Haunted Mansion on this trip, or if she never gets to do Flight of Passage until she's older... trust me, there are *far* worse things that could happen. She may be one of those littles who can't stand fireworks, or who is scared of the full-suit characters, but OK with the face characters. And she may be one of those kids who just wants to ride the boats and the train and the monorail and look at everything and then swim in the pool! I know that often families feel like they have to do "everything" on this one trip because (fill in the blank) and I respect that. But I also know from experience that trying to do WDW on a hard-and-fast-take-no-prisoners type of touring plan can result in widespread unhappiness and *bad* memories, and that's the opposite of what you want. Some of my families best trips have been the ones where we (literally) found out last minute that we could fly in to Orlando, and all of the ADRs were booked and all of the FPs were gone, and we had *more* fun than when we try to plan it all out perfectly!

One more thing to remember - many little kids never really understand how many rides there are at WDW, simply because so many of them are inside "show buildings" that house the entire ride, so there is no real visual cue about what is inside. Littles can *see* rides that are out in the open (like Dumbo or Barnstormer), but things like Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion (for example) you could quite possibly stroll right past, and she would never know. Shows like Mickey's Philharmagic, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor and Muppets 3D would also be great for her - (as well as you too! ) and there are many of those kinds of experiences all over all 4 of the Parks.

She will be happy because you are happy - and whatever it is that makes you laugh and smile will be great for her too. Enjoy this precious time, but remember that (aside from pictures and videos) eventually, she probably won't really remember WDW as much as she remembers the souvenirs you brought home. And she will remember the love.

With my whole heart, my wish for you and your sweet little girl is to have a *Magical* trip!

My 24 year old can tell you all about meeting Goofy when she was 2. My 27 year old can tell you pretty much everything about her first trip when she was 5. So it may vary from child to child. And that magic span where they believe that the characters are real? Priceless!

 

[Raven01]

You are awesome to worry about DD, but (and *please* don't take this the wrong way) unless you document every moment of this trip, frankly, she will remember very little about it - and that might be OK. I'm widely considered to be a "weird mom" because I refused to take *any* child to WDW before their 10th birthday; personally I think it's not always as much fun for babies and toddlers as we (the adults) think it is. They typically sit in strollers that are the closest thing down to the hot pavement all day, they can't really hear their loved ones over all the music and commotion going on, and they can't see them either, and then - to add insult to injury - as long as they are in the stroller, their view is primarily butts and ankles.

I'm *not* one of those grinchy people who says that babies and toddlers should be banned at Disney - far from it! But I just want you to remember for a minute that what she will mostly remember from this trip (if she is less than about 5 to 7 years old) will be the emotions associated with it, and not necessarily the kind of memories that an adult will form. So, she probably really won't remember much of her first trip on Peter Pan, or whatever her "first ride" is. Don't worry about knocking off rides on a bucket list - if you want her to have fun, let her lead the way. It may be that rides really aren't her thing at this age. And if *all* she wants to do is rides, well, you have been working a plan for that!

She won't "miss out" - she will still be at WDW, with you and the grands! She will be loved and happy and in a place where magical things happen all the time! There are smiley Cast Members who give you stickers, and smashed penny machines and you can get BUTTONS to wear that say "My First Trip" with your name on it! and then everyone says hi to you! There are Mickey Bars to eat and balloons to buy and so.much.popcorn! And if she doesn't ride Haunted Mansion on this trip, or if she never gets to do Flight of Passage until she's older... trust me, there are *far* worse things that could happen. She may be one of those littles who can't stand fireworks, or who is scared of the full-suit characters, but OK with the face characters. And she may be one of those kids who just wants to ride the boats and the train and the monorail and look at everything and then swim in the pool! I know that often families feel like they have to do "everything" on this one trip because (fill in the blank) and I respect that. But I also know from experience that trying to do WDW on a hard-and-fast-take-no-prisoners type of touring plan can result in widespread unhappiness and *bad* memories, and that's the opposite of what you want. Some of my families best trips have been the ones where we (literally) found out last minute that we could fly in to Orlando, and all of the ADRs were booked and all of the FPs were gone, and we had *more* fun than when we try to plan it all out perfectly!

One more thing to remember - many little kids never really understand how many rides there are at WDW, simply because so many of them are inside "show buildings" that house the entire ride, so there is no real visual cue about what is inside. Littles can *see* rides that are out in the open (like Dumbo or Barnstormer), but things like Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion (for example) you could quite possibly stroll right past, and she would never know. Shows like Mickey's Philharmagic, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor and Muppets 3D would also be great for her - (as well as you too! ) and there are many of those kinds of experiences all over all 4 of the Parks.

She will be happy because you are happy - and whatever it is that makes you laugh and smile will be great for her too. Enjoy this precious time, but remember that (aside from pictures and videos) eventually, she probably won't really remember WDW as much as she remembers the souvenirs you brought home. And she will remember the love.

With my whole heart, my wish for you and your sweet little girl is to have a *Magical* trip!

And this post made my heart soar.

My little one is my world.

We are planning a slow trip - so if she wants to play, she can. But I’m a planner, and by planning for our particular issues, I hope to minimize problems as best I can.

And if we get there and need to buy a balloon and an ice cream to rest? I’ll be oh so happy.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

And this post made my heart soar.

My little one is my world.

We are planning a slow trip - so if she wants to play, she can. But I’m a planner, and by planning for our particular issues, I hope to minimize problems as best I can.

And if we get there and need to buy a balloon and an ice cream to rest? I’ll be oh so happy.

My son was days shy of 2 when we went, literally only spoke 4 words, was incredibly shy/anxious/nervous around strangers, and had very little knowledge of Disney characters. I cried when he ran up to Mickey to hug him and held a 10 minute conversation with Pluto through babbling and gestures while holding his hand. By the end of the trip, he was speaking dozens of words, couldn't stop hugging every character he saw, and was babbling away at every CM who said hi to him. It's been 10 months and he still talks about meeting "Gickey, Pu-oh, and Tigga" and asks when we will, "Go back Di-ney Wold?"

Toddlers grow and take in so much knowledge at that age. They may not remember the details of everything after a while, but those experiences still have an impact on them. The amount of growth my son had on that trip was incredible to witness and it was so special seeing the parks through his eyes.

Good luck with your planning, but keep in mind that sometimes the best moments are completely unplanned. Travelling with little ones is magical. Try not to stress the details and enjoy every minute!

 

[Mrsjvb]

I didn’t intend to get into these details. I really just wanted to know about how the DAS pass works with FP! But I hope that gives some insight into why “the toddler” is part of my equation.

but as far as being issued the DAS they are NOT part of the equation. the fact that you are the sole caregiver of a toddler is irrelevant to whether or not you qualify for a DAS. that fact will NOT be considered at GR when you request one. It is not Disney's responsibility to wrangle your kid or provide you with assistance in doing so.\. it is YOURS.

 

[Hoodie]

If your dad's disability involves spinal issues, you may want to ask separately about that (as to get new input than those in this thread). FOP has an odd vehicle that has a back brace. Depending on his issues, it may be extremely uncomfortable or even impossible for him to do. To be honest, I haven't even attempted it because my back issues get aggravated when trying to stabilize myself when moving (like standing on a bus or even the monorail) and I'm afraid the side to side/tilting motion will knock me out for the rest of the trip.

This video shows the configuration about 1 minute in.

 

[Raven01]

It is not Disney's responsibility to wrangle your kid or provide you with assistance in doing so.\. it is YOURS.

You’re right, and I do take care of her - hence the reason I’m researching the tools Disney provides to meet their customers’ specific needs. Frankly, the idea that I can never go to WDW with her young because I can’t push myself in a wheelchair or use the EVC is, at least to me, preposterous. But I think of disabilities on a case by case basis, and recognize what works for one family may not work for others.

Regarding FOP, Grandpa has a myriad of issues, including his spine. Thanks for the info - he is likely to want to try the ride, but at least he will be prepared.

 

[redberyl]

You’re right, and I do take care of her - hence the reason I’m researching the tools Disney provides to meet their customers’ specific needs. Frankly, the idea that I can never go to WDW with her young because I can’t push myself in a wheelchair or use the EVC is, at least to me, preposterous. But I think of disabilities on a case by case basis, and recognize what works for one family may not work for others.

Regarding FOP, Grandpa has a myriad of issues, including his spine. Thanks for the info - he is likely to want to try the ride, but at least he will be prepared.

I think you are confusing your needs and your child's needs. You need to be able to sit instead of standing in a line. So bring a seat- that means a wheelchair. DAS is not needed for that. Your child needs someone to push her stroller-so bring someone along who is capable of pushing the stroller. Again, DAS not needed. I have two handicapped kids both in strollers/wheelchairs, and am a single mom. they are too big for double strollers. Obviously I can't push them both. So I hire a mothers helper to come with me, for the sole purpose of pushing the second stroller. It is not ideal and it is expensive, but that is the appropriate accomodation. DAS is not intended to help you take care of your child.

 

[DisneyOma]

You’re right, and I do take care of her - hence the reason I’m researching the tools Disney provides to meet their customers’ specific needs. Frankly, the idea that I can never go to WDW with her young because I can’t push myself in a wheelchair or use the EVC is, at least to me, preposterous. But I think of disabilities on a case by case basis, and recognize what works for one family may not work for others.

Regarding FOP, Grandpa has a myriad of issues, including his spine. Thanks for the info - he is likely to want to try the ride, but at least he will be prepared.

Do you take her to other places? How do you manage there?

 

[Mrsjvb]

You’re right, and I do take care of her - hence the reason I’m researching the tools Disney provides to meet their customers’ specific needs. Frankly, the idea that I can never go to WDW with her young because I can’t push myself in a wheelchair or use the EVC is, at least to me, preposterous. But I think of disabilities on a case by case basis, and recognize what works for one family may not work for others.

Regarding FOP, Grandpa has a myriad of issues, including his spine. Thanks for the info - he is likely to want to try the ride, but at least he will be prepared.

again you are expecting Disney to provide you with assistance they are not obligated or required to provide. its not their problem that you cannot push a stroller. its not their problem she is too young to safely and responsibly walk next you you in an ECV. they cannot and will not provide individual personalized accommodations for every single guest. they do meet ADA requirements in providing a broad and general accommodation that works with the vast majority of guests. if those accommodations are not what YOU want, then that's your problem to deal with.. either by accepting that Disney is not a viable option( which, BTW is the norm for most of the population even without any disabilities to contend with) or you adjust your expectations and plans to work around the limitations.

which basically means in your case: bring someone with you as a helper.