Disneyland Wheelchair Experts Needed

[JeannieNM]

HI
I am a T5 paraplegic and I use a standard size manuel wheelchair. It has been several years since I have been to DL so I decided to print out and read their mobility guide. Now I have more questions then I have answers. Your help is most appreciated.

1) is there a phone number I can call and speak to someone at DL who is very knowledgeable about wheelchair access? If so may I have the number?

2)Under Pinocchio's Journey the guide says you can request a wheelchair accessible car but the graphic says you have to transfer. What is this car like?

3) Under Splash Mountain the guide says there is a suggested transfer device. What is this? Is it a lift?

4) Under big Thunder Mountain the guide says there is a specially designed car. What does this look like?

5) How early do you have to get to the special wheelchair viewing area for Fantasmic to get a space? Can your family join you there?

6) Haunted Mansion says there are specially designed vehicles? What are they like?

7) On Soarin' how is the specially designed seat different from the regular seat?

Thanks for all the help!

Jean

 

[scroot]

You have some very specific questions which is good. DW and I go to DL lots as we live in AZ. DW has JRA and is in a wheelchair. It has been one year since our last visit and we will be going again in September.

We have never been offered a special vehicle at any of the attractions listed in the original post. Nor have we been offerd special devices to help load or unload. Our experience is that they ask us, "can you transfer?" when we answer "yes" there might be a couple more questions. Should we stop the belt at HM, or "Can you transfer in under X amount of time" (otherwise there will be an emergency stop!) We have found it best to take it attraction by attraction. For us it is a much more choatic experience than WDW.

Our experience has been that the CM's are hit and miss at DL. Some are very helpful--others not so much. My guess is that you would experience the same thing with any phone call you might make.

Fantamsic is hard to gage as the new upgrades might make the crowds even more challenging. We plan on getting to the Wheelchair section (we like the one by the haunted mansion) at least 2 hours before the show. The front row is reserved for wheelchairs with additional guests allowed in the area behind the chairs. I am sure there is a maximum number but I don't know what it is as there is normally just 2 of us. The thing about the wheelchair section is that it isn't the best viewing area--it is way off to the side so some of the laser effects aren't really viewable. Still a great show and much better, imo, than the one at WDW.

Good luck.

 

[BillSears]

I can answer some of these and I even have pictures...but the pictures are at home so I can't access them. Hopefully I'll remember to come back to this thread sometime this weekend to add pictures. BTW I'm a 50 year old guy who's been a T8 Para for 33 years. Dl was fairly easy to get around for me but I did find some rides impossible for me to get into and out of, Pirates was one of them. However in my younger days I would have been able to make that transfer.

2)Under Pinocchio's Journey the guide says you can request a wheelchair accessible car but the graphic says you have to transfer. What is this car like?

It's pretty much a regular car but there is a side cut-out that can be moved to make transfers easier. Basically it makes the opening much larger and easier to do a sliding transfer.

4) Under big Thunder Mountain the guide says there is a specially designed car. What does this look like?

It's a car with a folding side panel. the side folds down and makes sort of a step to transfer. I transfer to the folded side then down to the seat. It makes it much easier then trying to transfer up and over the side of the regular car.

6) Haunted Mansion says there are specially designed vehicles? What are they like?

The HM special vehicle is a Doom Buggy that has had the side cut out to make a sliding transfer easier. There are 2 of them at DL and this is the car they direct you to if you ask for the walkway to be stopped.

 

[JeannieNM]

I am also 50 and a middle aged mom. I do not do any transfers that anyone would consider hard any more. My husband used to help lift me in and out of things but he is 50 and he will not be with us in DL. However my nephew and niece and their kids will be with us so we may try some of these wilder transfers.

I look forward to seeing your photos.

Thank you

Jean

 

[BillSears]

I don't have a picture of the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggy but it was the same buggy as at WDW. Hopefully someone can supply a picture a picture of the accessible car.

In the meantime this is a picture of a regular car. The accessible one just has the side cut away so that you can transfer right into the seat

Here's the car for Pinocchio. You can see they opened the side on the back seat. Once you're in they close the side of the seat back up. They have the same car design for Snow White too so it's pretty easy to ride that as well.

This is the Big Thunder Mountain at WDW but the DL version is the same car. You can see the folded side. I transfer onto that side and then down into the seat the guy is sitting in.

I know you didn't ask about this ride but I thought the transfer seat was interesting on California Screamin. They took out one of the seats and built a tiered transfer area to lower/raise yourself one step at a time.

Have a great time at Disneyland! I really enjoyed it on my visit.

 

[OrthoDad]

We live in AZ, and have two sons with cerebral palsy (one in a WC full-time), so we go to DL a lot and have a lot of experience.

It looks like Bill has gotten you some good information about the special transfer cars. I don't know about a phone #. I agree about the CM's: some are amazingly special who go out of their way to help folks in WC's. Some are less so.

One comment about the Fantasmic viewing area: it will fill up fairly early, just like all of the F! viewing areas...but the accessible viewing area is off to stage left...and it doesn't give a great view. We always get there 2-3 hrs early, and camp out, like so many other guests. We put the chair up against the rope in the back. We have found that the F! CM's have been great, and will help you find a nice place to view it.

W

 

[JeannieNM]

Bill - thank you for the wonderful photos. I will give some of these rides a try especially since my niece and nephew can pull me out if I get stuck. I do not have the upper body strength I one had.

OrthoDad- thanks. We bought the dessert package because I am not willing to wait 2 or 3 hours for much of anything. I think this is our 5th or 6th trip to DL but I only remember watching F! their once for that reason. Several of those trips we had so much family that I was lifted on and off rides. Other trips it was me and two girls and I just chaperoned and the girls rode. This is our first trip back since I think '05.

Thanks again for the help!!!!

 

[Laz]

I am going to DL with a young lady who uses an electric chair. This will be her first trip to an amusment park. She needs assitance to get in and out of the chair and can only help a little bit. Would it be better to use a manual wheelchair and push her (she can not move the chair herself), or is the electric chair fine?

 

[JeannieNM]

JMHO- I would stick with the electric chair. Save your energy for helping on and off of rides etc. The electric chair will also keep her independence up.
Have fun.
Jean

 

[Laz]

JMHO- I would stick with the electric chair. Save your energy for helping on and off of rides etc. The electric chair will also keep her independence up.
Have fun.
Jean

Thanks. She is so excited she is about to bust!

Me too

 

[JeannieNM]

Bill on the thunder mountain how do you get yourself back up to the fold dow seat. Can you describe in detail for me. I just can not figure out how I would get back up. As always, thank you for your help.

 

[BillSears]

Bill on the thunder mountain how do you get yourself back up to the fold dow seat. Can you describe in detail for me. I just can not figure out how I would get back up. As always, thank you for your help.

I usually put my left hand on the top black padded bar in front of me, it's in a fixed position and won't move. I place my right hand on the seat where I'm transferring to. Then I lift up onto the folded down part. It's about 6 inches and probably no harder then lifting myself out of my car and into my chair.

 

[JeannieNM]

Bill thanks. I looked a lot further then 6 inches. I should be able to do 6 inches. I get in and out of my car easily most of the time. I appreciate all your help.