ECV, FASTPASS and baby swap questions

[Mom of 3]

I'll be in an ECV this trip. I was reading in the handbook for people with disabilities that you should try to use the FASTPASS line. In addition to being in an ECV we'll also have our 2 year old with us and he won't be tall enough for some of the rides so we'll also have to do the baby swap thing.

Can someone explain:

Using an ECV in the standby line?

How does the baby swap work in FASTPASS line?

How does it work if the 2 year old is tall enough for a FASTPASS ride as he won't have a FASTPASS ticket?

Can someone give me any insights with both having one parent in an ECV and having a young child? I'm a little worried that things are going to be complicated.

Thanks,

Anita
DH, DS10, DS6 and DS2

 

[Michigan]

2 year old won't have a ticket and since you have to put your ticket in to get the fastpass the 2 year old doesn't need one. There are very few rides a 2 year old can't go on.

Baby swap works the same way it does without an ECV one person rides the ride and the other stays with the baby when the one that rode on the ride gets back they stay with the baby and the other person rides.

 

[aurorasleeping]

I just wanted to add a quick note, that might be good to know for guests using an ECV...

At many attractions you can bring your wheelchair through the standby line without a problem...however many of these rides can not (space issues) accomidate ECV's...in these cases the attraction should have a wheelchair nearby that you can transfer into after parking your ECV...just let the CM know you need it, and they should be happy to bring it to you! (Just please return it to the cast member after the ride, so the next person can use it!)

Also, even attractions without height requirements (or if your child is taller than the required height), you can still use baby swap if your child doesn't want to ride Sometimes that can save alot of screaming and bad dreams...

 

[SueM in MN]

I just wanted to add a quick note, that might be good to know for guests using an ECV...

At many attractions you can bring your wheelchair through the standby line without a problem...however many of these rides can not (space issues) accomidate ECV's...in these cases the attraction should have a wheelchair nearby that you can transfer into after parking your ECV...just let the CM know you need it, and they should be happy to bring it to you! (Just please return it to the cast member after the ride, so the next person can use it!)

And the parks maps and signs in front of the attractions let you know this information.
The icon for queues/attractions that are accessible to wheelchairs and ECVs is the wheelchair symbol.
The icon for queues that are wheelchair and ECV accessible, but the attraction is not accessible and you need to board a ride car is a wheelchair symbol with a stick person getting out of it.
The icon for queues that are accessible to wheelchairs, but not ECVs is a little stick person getting out of the ECV toward a wheelchair.
There are a few attractions (like Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse) that you must be ambulatory to experience - those have an icon of a person standing with a cane.

The icons can also be combined to show things like wheelchair (but not ECV) accessible queue and need to leave the wheelchair to baord a ride car. Icons for that would be:
Stick perons getting out of an ECV into a wheelchair, followed by stick person getting out of a wheelchair and standing.

 

[newtowdw1]

I don't need an ECV all the time, just for WDW or when we're going to be mobile for long times. I found it easier to keep track of my kids, as they usually held onto the arms of the ECV and walked with me. THe only danger is: DO NOT RUN OVER THEIR FEET! They tend to stand too close for you to manuever. I spent a lot of time saying, "No, back up. Back UP. CONNOR, BACK UP!!"

I wasn't sure when to use the FP line, the standby line or just punt. So I asked the kind CMs at the front of the rides. This is the best policy, I think. We traveled this year and last year with 2 kids (4/5 and 8/9)

For example, when I zoomed up to Star Tours the CM asked if I could walk a little bit. I said yes, parked, and she sent me up and around everyone else, up the far left wheelchair side. This was so much easier as I didn't have to walk the whole queue with all the zigzags. Last year DS (then 4) chickened out at the very last second. They let us sit on the benches, DH and DD went on. They put DS and I into the line, the doors opened, DS and DH went out and DD and I rode.

At Mission Space they said I could ride it right in, but then I found that I had to wait while they did something. When I explained that I could walk, they moved the ECV out of the way
to the exit and we went right on. The other times we rode I parked near the exit and walked in (the queue is pretty short).

At Test Track the gentleman sent us through the exit, with lots of directions. At each place we were given a card with the time written on it and the size of our party.

At Spaceship Earth we went through an exit, gave our name to the CM inside, and sat on a curved banquette in the AC (awww, heaven!). After a decent sized crowd had assembled, they led us onto the ride.

In general, I found DSMGM and Epcot to be extremely helpful and kind.

The monorail is easy, the ferry is easier. However, be aware that at MK (TWICE!) I was left behind at the entrance gate. DH, DS, DD go through, and the CM LEFT her/his post!! After sitting there embarrassed for minutes (no I'm not exaggerating!), with other guests trying to open the gate, I finally got the attention of another CM on an adjacent turnstile. He said, "Hold on, now, these people have been waiting!" Those people turned to him and said, "She's been waiting longer than us! Her family is way ahead of her! Let her in!" Thanks nice people! This happened TWICE at MK. So watch out!

I bought the Passporter for Disabilities book and found it very helpful. But, generally, I found just talking to the CMs the best policy. They really do help, and usually very cheerfully!

This may be too much info, but if you'd like more details on how I managed each ride, PM me and I'll happily bore you with more!

 

[annieb727]

At many attractions you can bring your wheelchair through the standby line without a problem...however many of these rides can not (space issues) accomidate ECV's...in these cases the attraction should have a wheelchair nearby that you can transfer into after parking your ECV...just let the CM know you need it, and they should be happy to bring it to you! (Just please return it to the cast member after the ride, so the next person can use it!)

So what happens if the only other person in your party who is able to push you in the manual wheelchair is supposed to wait with the kids who are too small to ride? Do they provide a CM to push you thru the line?

Thanks!
~annie~

 

[SueM in MN]

So what happens if the only other person in your party who is able to push you in the manual wheelchair is supposed to wait with the kids who are too small to ride? Do they provide a CM to push you thru the line?

Thanks!
~annie~

They don't provide a CM to push you. The manual wheelchairs are not easy to push long distances for someone who is not used to it, but not impossible.
I'd suggest you just calmly explain your dilemma to the CM at the entrance (there will be one there for the attractions where you can't take an ECV in). They may have a different entrance that you can be routed to that is a shorter distance or they might allow your whole family to be in line together.

Also, if you have one of the WDW ECVs, those are very large and cumbersome and they don't turn on a small space. The ECvs rented from off-site are generally going to be smaller and easier to drive. Some of the lines that are not accessible to the WDW ECVs are accessible to smaller ECVs.