Do cast members ever wheel guests up to attractions where ECVs are not permitted? Etc

[gingerblue]

Just got back from Disney. It was my husband and I. There were several rides that didn't allow ECVs up to the loading areas, so my husband just wheeled me up in one of the provided wheelchairs. I was able to ride Space Mountain, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror. Those are our absolute favorites, and we always ride them when we go. I can walk a bit, but not those long distances to the loading areas. Especially not without my husband to let me lean on him!

However, I'm going with my husband AND my toddler daughter soon and I'm wondering how the heck I am going to manage to ride anything that doesn't allow me to bring my ECV right up to loading. I doubt very much they'll let my husband and daughter accompany me up to the ride loading so that I can ride and then he can ride (taking turns to watch my daughter). And if my husband can't wheel me up to the ride loading area, who will? Do cast members ever wheel guests up to attractions where ECVs are not allowed?

 

[honugirl]

In my experience, no, they won't wheel you up there. If you ask nicely and there's possibly a manager there, they may let you take the ECV up there depending on it's size or let you use an alternate entrance. But that's not an everyday occurrence. Good luck! Have a great time.

 

[gingerblue]

Argh- what on earth do solo travelers do when they want to ride some of the attractions that won't allow ECVs up to loading? I truly hope the cast members make an effort to accommodate those folks.

It really surprises me that Disney, of all places, still has rides that don't accommodate ECVs. Especially the newer ones, like Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. I guess they assumed that because we're disabled, we won't be able to ride those anyway

 

[honugirl]

Argh- what on earth do solo travelers do when they want to ride some of the attractions that won't allow ECVs up to loading? I truly hope the cast members make an effort to accommodate those folks.

It really surprises me that Disney, of all places, still has rides that don't accommodate ECVs. Especially the newer ones, like Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. I guess they assumed that because we're disabled, we won't be able to ride those anyway

When I was a solo traveler, I just toughed out walking the lines. It made me more tired and more achey, but there was nothing else I could do other than not ride (which on some rides is NOT an option ). It's impossible for me to push a wheelchair up the lines. I did encounter a very nice manager who allowed me to take my ECV (a very small one) through the wheelchair line at Star Tours and they let me use the alternate entrance at ToT. But, they told me on ToT that it is not a common occurrence to let people go that way and that I could only do it once or twice.

I know why CM's can't push the wheelchairs, it's not only a liability issue, but also a staffing and safety issue. But it's frustrating when you are a solo traveler.

 

[gingerblue]

They really need to make some sort of alternate entrance. I can understand why it's important not to make it public knowledge, but for people with legitimate disabilities and with a GAC card, it should be offered.

I'm glad you were able to go. I think I can probably handle the walk to Rock and Roller Coaster, but unless I can find someone to wheel me to and from Space Mountain, I may be out of luck. I hope the renovations provide access for the loading area- then all that's left is Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.

This last vacation I was sitting in the provided wheelchair in front of Tower of Terror, waiting for my husband to park my ECV, and several people stopped and offered to wheel me up. I thought that was incredibly sweet.

 

[honugirl]

They really need to make some sort of alternate entrance. I can understand why it's important not to make it public knowledge, but for people with legitimate disabilities and with a GAC card, it should be offered.

I totally agree with you. Some alternate entrances should not be public knowledge, but for some of us, it's just too much to try and walk that far. I know when I did, I fell into bed every night downing a cocktail of medications so I could sleep.

I'm glad you were able to go. I think I can probably handle the walk to Rock and Roller Coaster, but unless I can find someone to wheel me to and from Space Mountain, I may be out of luck. I hope the renovations provide access for the loading area- then all that's left is Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.

I think Space Mountain might be down for refurbishment. I haven't checked lately. It would be nice if they were able to provide access for ECV'ers.

This last vacation I was sitting in the provided wheelchair in front of Tower of Terror, waiting for my husband to park my ECV, and several people stopped and offered to wheel me up. I thought that was incredibly sweet.

That's very sweet! Wow. How nice.

 

[mechurchlady]

Explain to the CM greeter that you need to baby swap and that your husband needs to push you in your chair. The CM will probably let you go through if you explain. Rules are rules as they do not want people setting a new way of doing thing, sorry could not spell the word I want. Hey, Joe pushes people so I guess it is ok that I do also. Some CMs might push a guest and get hurt.

Tower of Terror at DLR does not take in the regular line large ECVs like the park ones. The lady looked at the time and gave me one for about equal to the time that I would have entered the main area if I had waited. So I ended up with a fast pass which meant that I spent 30 minutes at Animation and another hour in Hollywood then came back at me leisure all because that stupid stinking horridly designed line did not let me wait like regular guests. I love that line and hope to meet another line like that, yep, nice to have a fastpass that is not tied to my admission/annual pass and gets me in any time of the day.

 

[Schmeck]

If the attraction has a height limit, then the CM cannot let a child under the height requirement into the queue. Disney has to keep the area in accordance to their insurance policy.

 

[Piper]

Argh- what on earth do solo travelers do when they want to ride some of the attractions that won't allow ECVs up to loading? I truly hope the cast members make an effort to accommodate those folks.

It really surprises me that Disney, of all places, still has rides that don't accommodate ECVs. Especially the newer ones, like Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. I guess they assumed that because we're disabled, we won't be able to ride those anyway

When I go by myself, i just have to skip Pirates....it's the only one like that I could have safely ridden. The others are too rough for me. I do miss not going on Pirates, but I just tell myself that I am lucky to be able to do so many other things.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

When I go by myself, i just have to skip Pirates....it's the only one like that I could have safely ridden. The others are too rough for me. I do miss not going on Pirates, but I just tell myself that I am lucky to be able to do so many other things.

Same here, I simply do not go on POTC when travelling solo. I can understand them not being able to allow my powerchair into the line and I can not manage a manual chair. Must say though, that I do not do POTC a lot at all, because of the 'long way down' to get into the boat anyway.

On my first trip I somehow was so caught up in the disney bubble that I totally forgot that POTC was a 'transfer ride'. So, I was in the process of driving my powerchair right into the line. Sure enough a CM approached and explained to me about the need to transfer. So I went "How could I have forgotten about that? I noticed it on the map and knew I couldn't do it". So, I was about to make my turn and go to the next ride. CM asked me to wait a sec. Called in another CM and to my big told that CM to watch the line, because he would have some important pirate business to take care of with the lady pirate. Long story short; got a manual chair, I transfered (ouch), took me around back -ran into some caractres as a nice bonus- and on POTC we went. Great memory, as soon as I got into the manual chair untill we said goodbye he kept in his role of pirate perfectly. Gave a lot of background info on the ride etc.

That being said, it was a special experience and ABSOLUTELY not the norm.

My personal view? How could I be bothered? You win some, you loose some. OK, so I can't do every ride when travelling solo. OK, so I can't do every ride when not travelling solo. So what? I'm too busy being focussed on all of the uncountable other things that I can do.

 

[gingerblue]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Pirates. Now that's a hike. I go and walk into line because I do like to get up and move a bit but it totally exhausts me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When I go by myself, i just have to skip Pirates....it's the only one like that I could have safely ridden. The others are too rough for me. I do miss not going on Pirates, but I just tell myself that I am lucky to be able to do so many other things.

Same here, I simply do not go on POTC when travelling solo. I can understand them not being able to allow my powerchair into the line and I can not manage a manual chair. Must say though, that I do not do POTC a lot at all, because of the 'long way down' to get into the boat anyway.

Ditto here. I did finally ride early last fall, with the help of several managers/supervisors, due to an incident/minor injury elsewhere in the park (because there was no CM where there should have been - and I know now never to let a well-intentioned Guest and my idiot self try to do something that seems safe and simple), and because I asked, nicely.

I got to take the ECV all the way to/through Tower of Terror once - not intentionally trying to break rules but because the Greeter was busy with another Guest and so I just went on up the queue. But if you are truly traveling solo, and talk to the Greeters, most times there is an alternative - or the attraction was built with a queue that can handle ECVs.

 

[mouserus]

Try going to the shops that exit the rides! Sometimes the cashier can take you back through the exits. We've never done it before but I have seen people shuffled back through there. Good luck.

 

[SueM in MN]

Try going to the shops that exit the rides! Sometimes the cashier can take you back through the exits. We've never done it before but I have seen people shuffled back through there. Good luck.

I'm quite certain that the cashiers would not be able to take guests into the attraction - they work in a different department of the park.
Sometimes guests on Make a Wish trips who are in very fragile health are escorted into the exit, but that would be a very special circumstance and the people I have seen doing that were being escorted by ride CMs.

Also, that specifically would not work for Pirates because it is not possible to to get on the ride at the exit for Pirates. Exiting involves going up a very steep moving ramp (like an escalator without steps).

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Argh- what on earth do solo travelers do when they want to ride some of the attractions that won't allow ECVs up to loading? I truly hope the cast members make an effort to accommodate those folks.

It really surprises me that Disney, of all places, still has rides that don't accommodate ECVs. Especially the newer ones, like Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. I guess they assumed that because we're disabled, we won't be able to ride those anyway

I used to be an attractions CM in Fantasyland. It is not that we don't believe that you can ride the ride, but space requirements or layout prevent it. Sometimes we build a ride with certain intentions and those intentions don't pan out. For instance: The Small World rehab was supposed to be accessible through the entire queue, but after being built it was nixed by the Fire Marshall (not sure why exactly) so it's the same boarding procedure as always. Many of the rides are older and take a lot to refurbish them through the line or would require a huge overhaul or more space than they have to work with.

I had a friend at Pooh who was injured because a Greeter who was trying to be nice allowed a compact personal ECV up the FP line. The turn to the loading area was too sharp and he ran over her foot bruising every bone and muscle. She was on crutches for quite awhile. Sometimes there is simply no good way to make the line accessible with the space/layout given from when the ride was originally built. Believe me, we want everybody to experience it as much as possible.

As far as a CM pushing people: it will vary from case to case. I have never been told specifically not to push somebody (never had it asked). I suppose if I was a greeter and not Fast Pass Return I would consider it if I felt that I would be physically capable of pushing the person. I would probably bring them up the exit so we wouldn't get stuck behind somebody on the ramp. But that would only work if I a greeter and FP return person were both present- that's not always the case during the non busy times of the day.

Try going to the shops that exit the rides! Sometimes the cashier can take you back through the exits. We've never done it before but I have seen people shuffled back through there. Good luck.

The shops cannot do that. They are not attractions CMs. It can be dangerous to go up the exit depending on the design of the ride. At the very least the attractions CMs need to be aware. Many rides cannot be advanced if a person comes into the unloading area, and if a car is in motion it requires that we stop the ride which is not a good thing to have to do. If you see people going up the exit, it is because there was an exigent circumstance and an attractions CM gave them the okay.

The best thing for you to do is to talk to the person at each attarction and let them know the situation. HOpefully they will be able to come up with an appropriate accommodation for you.

 

[LindaBabe]

Argh- what on earth do solo travelers do when they want to ride some of the attractions that won't allow ECVs up to loading? I truly hope the cast members make an effort to accommodate those folks.

It really surprises me that Disney, of all places, still has rides that don't accommodate ECVs. Especially the newer ones, like Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. I guess they assumed that because we're disabled, we won't be able to ride those anyway

What do we do? We don't ride! Winnie the Pooh comes to mind.

 

[mechurchlady]

DLR Tower of Terror allows ECVs in the fastpass line so they give the guest a return time to be fair. I had not problem with my ECV at DLR and most CMs would have let me get close to the vehicle to board. Explain nicely that you need to get real close to the ride vehicle to board.

One roadblock is when there is one person working there and they don't have a second person moving things. At Pooh she was the only person so I parked on the side whereas at Pirates I could have rolled up to the vehicle because they had dudes to move the ECV and wheelchairs.

 

[bidnow5]

I have to chose which one of the non ECV rides to go on each day I can usually do one a day no way I could do two. My wife can't push me in a wheel chair and I can't wheel myself.