Disabled adult and abled preteen

MudQueen22

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 14, 2014
Messages
1,019
I do not use a wheelchair or other assistive device, but I do have scoliosis and a spinal injury that keeps me from riding the vigorous roller coasters. My preteen, however, loves them. At our nearest Six Flags park, they would let me walk through the queue with her, walk straight through the cars upon loading, and wait on the other side (behind the safety line) while she rode the ride.

Will Disney let me do this? Is there something I would need to get from guest services (some version of a DAS) that would allow me to do this? Again, there are no outward signs that I have a physical disability. I don't wear a brace or use a wheelchair, etc. I hate to need to explain to every cast member that I'm just escorting my child and not riding, because I know a person walking through a queue and not riding is atypical and probably gets their count off.
 
People go through the queue and use the "chicken exit" every day, not a big deal. I don't think you'll have any problem. Just to note, though, you probably will need to leave the area and meet her outside or wherever the ride exits, not immediately where folks debark from the ride vehicles. Assuming your pre-teen would be able to ride alone and get off/out to meet you by herself, that will work fine.
 
People go through the queue and use the "chicken exit" every day, not a big deal. I don't think you'll have any problem. Just to note, though, you probably will need to leave the area and meet her outside or wherever the ride exits, not immediately where folks debark from the ride vehicles. Assuming your pre-teen would be able to ride alone and get off/out to meet you by herself, that will work fine.
I think that is what I'm not altogether comfortable with. I don't like the idea of leaving her to navigate the exit by herself.
 

How would I go about doing this with her?
most rides exit into a store or walk way I would walk the line with her and go to the exit and meet her there. unless she can walk thru walls or not read directions she should be fine getting to the point you can meet her. if fact most times the chicken exit takes you to this area you just can not see the ride as such. the 2 rides that I am not sure of how it would work but bet someone else will know are Pirates and Big Thunder Mountain. the one I know how it works is Haunted Mansion. you take the center elevator down and she rides you and she both come out in walkway then walk past ride photo and walk into gift shop. you can not see the ride but you are close to same spot if that makes sense
 
I do not use a wheelchair or other assistive device, but I do have scoliosis and a spinal injury that keeps me from riding the vigorous roller coasters. My preteen, however, loves them. At our nearest Six Flags park, they would let me walk through the queue with her, walk straight through the cars upon loading, and wait on the other side (behind the safety line) while she rode the ride.

We gave my younger son one of our old cell phones so we could always get in touch with him as he has many medical issues. Every kid is different of course in maturity/responsibility level but he enjoyed having the responsibility and proving he could do some things on his own, etc.
 
most rides exit into a store or walk way I would walk the line with her and go to the exit and meet her there. unless she can walk thru walls or not read directions she should be fine getting to the point you can meet her. if fact most times the chicken exit takes you to this area you just can not see the ride as such. the 2 rides that I am not sure of how it would work but bet someone else will know are Pirates and Big Thunder Mountain. the one I know how it works is Haunted Mansion. you take the center elevator down and she rides you and she both come out in walkway then walk past ride photo and walk into gift shop. you can not see the ride but you are close to same spot if that makes sense
I agree with the ‘walk thru the line and go to the exit and meet her there’.
You don’t need DAS or anything else to do this and ALL attractions will have a way for you to change your mind before boarding.
Some have a marked ‘chicken exit’. If not, or if you don‘t see it, let the CM at the boarding area know you want to exit, but your child will ride.
Expect that you will be directed to the exit and won’t be allowed to wait for your child at the unload area. For your child, the exit is usually very obvious - it’s the only way you can go. Rides often exit into a nearby themed gift shop.

Before getting into the line, you can ask the CM near the entrance where the ride exits. They won’t usually ask why, but if they do, you can just say someone is meeting you there.
Pirates isn’t a roller coaster and doesn’t have warnings, so I’m guessing you will ride it. If you don’t, that’s one without an easy way to exit without riding because the exit is in a different building. The easiest way out there would probably just to leave the same way you came in; if you don’t leave that way, you will need a CM to accompany you backstage to the exit - the place you would be taken is NOT the same place as the regular exit.
Pirates exits in the Pirated themed gift shop. As you enter the shop, continue all the way to the back left of the shop. There won’t be anything marked, but you will see guests coming out of a passage there.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad loading is on one side of the ride car and unloading is at the same place on the other side of the ride car. So, you would just step thru and continue to go out of the building and wait there.
Haunted Mansion, I think the poster who wrote the instructions here confused it with another attraction or Disneyland. It isn’t a thill ride and doesn’t have any warnings, so you will probably ride it. The part of the attraction before boarding is called the Stretching Room; when that part is done, one door opens up into another room where the line for boarding begins. If you choose not to ride, let the CM know when you are exiting the Stretching Room and they will direct you through a door to an exit hallway. Just continue out into the courtyard which is where your child will end up after the ride (there are no photos or gift shop).
 
I can ride Pirates and Haunted Mansion since they don't have the violent jerky movements. Pirates does have that big drop, but I've managed it okay.

I am more concerned with BTTM, Everest, etc.
 
Honestly, navigating the exits should be just fine for your preteen, the exits only go one direction and there is almost always somewhere right by the exit to wait. If that concerned, there is a company called Freedom Pop that offers something like 200 minutes of free cell phone service per month, get a SIM from them and pop it into a cheap unlocked cell phone, then she would have one to call you with if you did get separated (can happen even without going on any rides).
 
Space Mountain is one that the ride exits at a different spot than the entrance
 
I can ride Pirates and Haunted Mansion since they don't have the violent jerky movements. Pirates does have that big drop, but I've managed it okay.

I am more concerned with BTTM, Everest, etc.
BTM it depends on how many trains they have on the track on if it exit the opposite side but it is easey to just walk around

EE exit into the gift shop there is a get you have to go past but you can wait on the other side of the gate RNR is the same way. same with space the CM can show you where the exit are where you can wait
 
I do not use a wheelchair or other assistive device, but I do have scoliosis and a spinal injury that keeps me from riding the vigorous roller coasters. My preteen, however, loves them. At our nearest Six Flags park, they would let me walk through the queue with her, walk straight through the cars upon loading, and wait on the other side (behind the safety line) while she rode the ride.

Will Disney let me do this? Is there something I would need to get from guest services (some version of a DAS) that would allow me to do this? Again, there are no outward signs that I have a physical disability. I don't wear a brace or use a wheelchair, etc. I hate to need to explain to every cast member that I'm just escorting my child and not riding, because I know a person walking through a queue and not riding is atypical and probably gets their count off.


There is a specific age rule for riding "unsupervised"- I think it is 7 or 8. I assume your child is older, but just double check in case!
 
Most of the rides you are concerned about dump into a gift shop with a place to buy a ride photo. We always set the meeting place by the ride photos viewing place. (This was precovid so it may have changed.)
 
It’s been a few years but for Space I went through the line and then was sent to the baby swap area at where the ride unloads.
 
My girls have been going on thrill rides without me for years. They would go through the lines either together, or by themselves and I would just meet them at the exit. I know it is hard, but she will be fine. There is nowhere that she can get "lost" coming off of the rides through the exit.
 
My girls have been going on thrill rides without me for years. They would go through the lines either together, or by themselves and I would just meet them at the exit. I know it is hard, but she will be fine. There is nowhere that she can get "lost" coming off of the rides through the exit.

Yup. My mom can't do most thrill rides. When I was younger she'd go through the line with me and take the chicken exit, but by the time I was maybe 11 I just went by myself and she waited at the exit. I never had any issues. Everyone comes out the same place, there's really no way to get lost.
 
My girls have been going on thrill rides without me for years. They would go through the lines either together, or by themselves and I would just meet them at the exit. I know it is hard, but she will be fine. There is nowhere that she can get "lost" coming off of the rides through the exit.

Exactly. The ride exits dump everyone at a very particular spot, so as long as you camp out there it's pretty difficult to get lost. BTMRR, for example - there are the two tracks, each with their own exit, but they still pop out at the same place on the sidewalk (plus you would know which side she boarded on when you took the chicken exit). Everest, SM, Mission Space all dump you into the gift shop, so as long as you're waiting right outside the shop it would be very difficult to lose track of her. Keep in mind that you would only be the length of the ride ahead of her - we're not talking the whole length of the line to be separated, just the roughly 3 minutes. I second having an old cell phone with either texting or a few minutes on it so she can call if she gets turned around or doesn't see you when she's in the exiting crowd, but she will be fine. There are plenty of things I've had trouble finding at a Disney park, but a ride exit has never been one of them!
 
DAS would give you nothing to help, BTW. If you get a DAS, you would have to actually go on the ride.

Everyone exits together, so she would just follow the person in front of her. No possibility of getting lost if you are right at the point where the exit queue opens to the rest of the park, be that onto a walkway or into a gift shop.
 















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