door widths and general travelling with wheelchairs

[goingroundthebend]

My son could get away with not using his wheelchair when in the room , could use mix of crawling walking with help and being carried as he is very small.And dont need a roll in shower either

Does anyone know how big the doors are on the bedrooms?.I could always take the wheels of to make it bit narrower but it is solid frame seat so cant fold.He is currently on a 10 by 10 seat and ceratinly wont be any more than a 12 by 12.

How are the buses and the park in general for wheelchair users regarding access .He also has global devlomental delay which does affect his understanding of lots of things as well as problems understanding language .he has no spoken langugae at the prsent .

I know in the uk we can get fast track exit passes soit saves him getting seriously distressed if the qeues are to long.Do disney do anything similar

 

[peemagg]

As far as the doors, you will have no problem at all. I can take my scooter in without any problems and it is 23 inches wide. I want to say that the doors are 36 inches wide.

Buses at Disney are all accessible. They are all equiped with lifts or ramps to allow wheelchairs and scooters to get on easilly.

Disney has something called a GAC (Guest Assisstance Pass). If you look at the top of this forum there is a sticky. Go into the one named disAbilities FAQ's. It will explain about GAC's and buses and a whole lot more.

 

[SueM in MN]

My DD’s wheelchair is 24 inches wide from the outside of one wheel to the outside of the other (her seat is 14 inches wide). She has no problem getting through anywhere in our rooms at any WDW resorts.
The doors to get into the rooms will usually be 36 inches wide, whether or not it is a wheelchair accessible room. In rooms that are not considered accessible, the bathroom door may be narrower, but those in general are going to be at least 28 inches wide and may be as wide as 36.

As was mentioned, there is a lot more information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find it near the top of this board or by following the link in my signature. There is an index in post #1 that tells you where to find specific information. Post #6 is about Guest Assistance Cards and there are posts about accessibility and also about the buses and other WDW transportation.

 

[goingroundthebend]

thank you.Yes had bit of a read of it already and think he will qualify for shorter queue times .If its only few mins wait he could mange it so not something would abuse.

Thank you that answered my queary on bus and doors mind im used to tipping his chair up to get him on as atm he is still tiny .But we have now decided this time to have a villa but will be going back again and will do resort stay with just my younger two

 

[KPeveler]

thank you.Yes had bit of a read of it already and think he will qualify for shorter queue times .If its only few mins wait he could mange it so not something would abuse.

Thank you that answered my queary on bus and doors mind im used to tipping his chair up to get him on as atm he is still tiny .But we have now decided this time to have a villa but will be going back again and will do resort stay with just my younger two

You should not count on the GAC actually shortening your wait times. there are many factors to be considered. for instance, if there are 3 wheelchairs in front of you at Peter Pan, you have to wait for the ride to cycle 3 times (about 4-4.5 minutes) before you can get on. There is NO way to speed that up. I went to the park at a popular time, and in Disneyland they can only have 2 people with wheelchairs IN the Haunted Mansion at a time. I waited about 45 minutes, but in their "alternate" location, which is what the GAC specified.

At Jungle Cruise, I waited 45 minutes when the standby wait is 10 b/c I cannot transfer into the boat and had to wait for the special boat.

Yes sometimes a GAC may shorten wait times, but you should NOT include that as part of your touring plan. It is going to depend on the CMs at the ride, the standby wait time, the number of cars/trains running, how many wheelchairs/GACs went ahead of you, the season, the time of day, and so many other things.

Also, if it is a Fastpass ride and there are Fastpasses still available, they may request you get a Fastpass for the ride.

I am not saying a GAC will not help you (helps me and I am in my wheelchair too), but you should be ready for the fact you will wait just as long as the standby line at times.

Also, the GAC does not work for parades, fireworks, shows (have to wait for the next show to start anyway, which can take up to 20 minutes), character greetings, buses, restaurants, stores, and anything NOT in the parks.

If you want to get a spot right in front for a parade, especially in a wheelchair viewing area, plan on getting in place around 1hr early. Even then, it WILL fill up and be VERY crowded.

The best way to reduce wait times is to have a touring plan like Tour Guide Mike, or just be very flexible about what you will do.