few questions about transferring to a ride vehicle from a wheelchair

[evan.orwin]

If someone wanted to transfer from a wheelchair to a ride vehicle, say haunted mansion or pirates or spaceship earth, would we use a special entrance to do so? My cousin is in a wheelchair due to spina bifida and while most rides that he would have to transfer to, he will prob skip, he does want to do some things. We are just trying to decide if its worth the hassle. Obviously for rides like haunted mansion, they will have to stop the ride to load him. Any info or experience would be great. Thanks!

 

[KPeveler]

He will likely not want to ride Pirates, as you cannot take personal wheelchairs into the line, and it is nearly impossible to transfer to one of the Disney wheelchairs provided to take through the queue.

Haunted Mansion he will go through the regular line and pull off to the side before the turnstiles, then enter through the exit. He will have to skip the stretching room.

All rides with moving walkways except for Peter Pan and the TTA can be stopped.

Many rides including Spaceship Earth and Haunted Mansion have vehicles that have been altered to ease transferring.

When you get to the parks, pick up a Guidemap for guests with disabilities. This will tell you which rides you have to transfer for, which have accessible vehicles, and where you enter each attraction.

Most lines are mainstreamed, so you will all wait in the regular line together, and then CMs will direct you from there.

Also, check out the FAQs at the top of this page for more ride info.

This site has photos of most ride attractions and what the vehicles look like.
http://allears.net/tp/gal_ride.htm

 

[SueM in MN]

Posts # 18 thru 21 on page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread have information about which attractions at each park have a wheelchair accessible ride car that a wheelchair can be driven right in.
And post 11 of that thread has the access information (where you enter) from the WDW park maps for guests with disABILITIES.
You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

For Haunted Mansion, it is not that difficult of a transfer because it has a level floor and the transfer car has a door wider opening (ADA car). You can park a wheelchair as close as you need to park by the ride car with the moving walkway stopped. The guest would need to explain what is needed to the CM. Here is a picture of the transfer doombuggy.

As was mentioned, you probably be waiting in the regular line, but will skip the stretching room and board at the exit.

Pirates is a more difficult transfer. You MAY be able to bring a personal wheelchair into line - we have asked and been able to do it because DD can’t fit and sit securely in one of the attraction wheelchairs. They prefer that guests use an attraction wheelchair because it is difficult to get the wheelchair from the boarding to the exit.

The boat itself is hard to transfer to because it is low and there is a lip to transfer over. It would be sort of like transferring over the side of a bathtub, but the floor of the tub is below ground level. Because gravity helps you to get down, it’s easier to get in than out. This is a picture of the Pirates boat.

I have pictures of most everything if you want information about any other attractions.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Haunted Mansion he will go through the regular line and pull off to the side before the turnstiles, then enter through the exit. He will have to skip the stretching room.

If you ask nicely and say you want to see the stretching room, they might let you in with everyone else, then exit the way you came in before going around to the exit to load into your doom buggy. You might even get to see the 'shrinking room' as they reset the room for the next group to enter.

Andrew

 

[weswife]

Hi,
My DD has SB too! This was the 1st year we transfered her to rides out of chair. It went well! I got alot of info. on here! She enjoyed Soaring and Test track!!!!!!! Her Dad not so much! It was so much fun! She has alot of memories. I was very nervous and worried but she had an amazing time!!!!!!!

Any questions just ask. Have a wonderful trip!!!!!

 

[clanmcculloch]

He will likely not want to ride Pirates, as you cannot take personal wheelchairs into the line, and it is nearly impossible to transfer to one of the Disney wheelchairs provided to take through the queue.

We brought our rented wheelchair into the line last month. I believe it's just ECVs that can't go into the line. You do need to go in the left line so they can easily wheel the chair to the exit (on the right they'd have to carry it across a boat but on the left they can wheel it). They never asked us to transfer our daughter to a ride wheelchair and I did make a point of asking the CM out front because I knew I had read about that here.

 

[KPeveler]

We brought our rented wheelchair into the line last month. I believe it's just ECVs that can't go into the line. You do need to go in the left line so they can easily wheel the chair to the exit (on the right they'd have to carry it across a boat but on the left they can wheel it). They never asked us to transfer our daughter to a ride wheelchair and I did make a point of asking the CM out front because I knew I had read about that here.

I've used personal manual wheelchairs before and they have never let us do this... I will be sure to ask next time!

 

[BillSears]

I think POTC is a case of...If you can use a WDW wheelchair then they really want you to use a WDW wheelchair. However if your choices are to use a personal wheelchair through the line or don't ride at all. Then provided they have the staff they will let you take your own wheelchair through the line.

For my situation I couldn't get in and out of the boat if I had to use a WDW wheelchair because the footrests are not removeable. The WDW chair also doesn't have removeable armrest making the transfer tougher. I couldn't put my own cushion onto the WDW chair beause I'd be sitting on it in my chair and without the cushion I have trouble sitting correctly in the seat. Plus I often travel alone and pushing that "rental" chair would be pretty tough. So I've always explained this to them and taken my personal chair through the line.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think POTC is a case of...If you can use a WDW wheelchair then they really want you to use a WDW wheelchair. However if your choices are to use a personal wheelchair through the line or don't ride at all. Then provided they have the staff they will let you take your own wheelchair through the line.

For my situation I couldn't get in and out of the boat if I had to use a WDW wheelchair because the footrests are not removeable. The WDW chair also doesn't have removeable armrest making the transfer tougher. I couldn't put my own cushion onto the WDW chair beause I'd be sitting on it in my chair and without the cushion I have trouble sitting correctly in the seat. Plus I often travel alone and pushing that "rental" chair would be pretty tough. So I've always explained this to them and taken my personal chair through the line.

That is our situation too.
If DD can't bring her own wheelchair, she can't ride at all. We have been asked most times if she can transfer to a park rental wheelchair, despite her being small for an adult and having things like seatbelt and foot straps on her own wheelchair. When we say she needs her own wheelchair, usually the CM at the entrance has needed to check if someone is available to 'shuttle' her wheelchair to the unload area. Sometimes, we have had to wait a bit.

ECVs can't come thru the lines and they do prefer that guests use one of the park/attraction wheelchairs if at all possible.

In order to get a wheelchair from the boarding area to the unload area, they have to bring it physically into another building and down one whole floor from where you boarded. There is not an easy way to do it and right after the last renovation, there were a couple of times that people wrote on this board that they got to the exit before their wheelchair did.
That is why they prefer for people to use one of the park/attraction wheelchairs. They do keep some wheelchairs at the exit, so when a guest with a park wheelchair gets to the exit, it doesn't matter which chair they get - they are all pretty much the same. This is the same way that park rental strollers (which can't come on the train at MK) get handled on the train. You leave your stroller at the station you are leaving from and you pick up another park rental stroller at the place you get off.

 

[weswife]

Hi, my DD is too big for me to transfer but my DH can. My DD is an average size 17 year old. This year we did alot of transfers. We had great luck chair was always ready. When asked if DD could transfer we answered not without DH help. We explained we would need a few extra mins. Never a problem! My DH never felt rushed and took the time he needed to transfer her. My DD uses her own chair because of her needs. Some rides let us go twice so it worked out great! Made it easier for DD and DH!

Sue and Bill gave me alot of info.!!!!!! Thanks!!!!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi, my DD is too big for me to transfer but my DH can. My DD is an average size 17 year old. This year we did alot of transfers. We had great luck chair was always ready. When asked if DD could transfer we answered not without DH help. We explained we would need a few extra mins. Never a problem! My DH never felt rushed and took the time he needed to transfer her. My DD uses her own chair because of her needs. Some rides let us go twice so it worked out great! Made it easier for DD and DH!

Sue and Bill gave me alot of info.!!!!!! Thanks!!!!

Enjoy your trip!

A funny story to go with that.
A can't remember right now which attraction it was, but as we got to the boarding area, the CM asked if DD can transfer. DH and I shook our heads, no. We didn't notice that DD had shook her head yes. (DD can't speak).

When we got to the boarding area, the CM said, "OK, you can transfer to the next car when it comes." We could see that it was not the wheelchair accessible car that we expected, so we said, "We need the wheelchair car."
The CM apologized and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. When I asked her if she could transfer, she said yes."
We asked DD if she said she could transfer and she said she did. I said she was not able to transfer and kind of indignantly, she signed to me, "Yes, Dad help."
So, we told her from now on if anyone asks if she can transfer, she should answer no.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

A funny story to go with that.
A can't remember right now which attraction it was, but as we got to the boarding area, the CM asked if DD can transfer. DH and I shook our heads, no. We didn't notice that DD had shook her head yes. (DD can't speak).

When we got to the boarding area, the CM said, "OK, you can transfer to the next car when it comes." We could see that it was not the wheelchair accessible car that we expected, so we said, "We need the wheelchair car."
The CM apologized and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. When I asked her if she could transfer, she said yes."
We asked DD if she said she could transfer and she said she did. I said she was not able to transfer and kind of indignantly, she signed to me, "Yes, Dad help."
So, we told her from now on if anyone asks if she can transfer, she should answer no.

My favourite thing about that story is that the cast member listened to her over you guys! I'm so used to people talking to the people I'm with and listening to what they say rather than what I say even though I am verbal and can be quite loud and clear!