Handicap parking question

[brutus]

We are staying at the Beach Club in June.

My DW is handicap and although she is not in a wheelchair, walking long ditance is too much for her. I am not worried about transportation to EPCOT or MGM, that should be no problem with the direct boats.

However, do you think it would be quicker/easier to take the buses to AK & MK or to drive and park in handicap spots? Also would we have to pay for parking?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[OKW Lover]

Driving to AK is preferable because the handicap spots are up front and they have complementary chairs to use to go from there to the AK turnstyles where you can then rent a WC for the day. However, at the MK, you would be better off with the bus because handicap parking there still requires a tram to monorail/ferry to get to the MK.

If you decide that you will be renting a WC in the parks, they offer multi-day discounts - ask about this on your first day.

 

[brutus]

Thank you

 

[AMcaptured]

The handicap parking area at MGM is also very convenient and they also have wheelchairs in the parking lot ( they are diffeent than the theme park wc's) to assist in getting to the front gate if you need to rent one.

Have Fun

AM

 

[seashoreCM]

There are two categories of handicapped parking:

(1) the painted over spot next to the first space at the tram lanes in every row, follow the regular parking lot arrows and ask the attendant. Only folding wheelchairs of your own are permitted on the trams.

(2) the first expanse of parking lot nearest the tram unloading, no tram service to here. I think this was a mistake in construction but the handicapped spaces go out to the far reaches of the lot. I think more rows not going out so far would have been better.

I'm told that there are some times of day (I didn't know tides affect WDW waterways) that some boat docks cannot handle wheelchairs. The MK to TTC ferry is not affected.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm told that there are some times of day (I didn't know tides affect WDW waterways) that some boat docks cannot handle wheelchairs. The MK to TTC ferry is not affected.

It's not some times of day and it's not the tides.
It has to do with how rainy (or not rainy) it has been.
If it has been very rainy and the water level is high, the boats might float too high compared to the dock. If it has been very dry, the water level is low compared to the docks and the boat floats low.
If the distance is not that much, the boat CMs have ways to deal with it. One way is by using a ramp; they also can load the wheelchair/ECV first if they need the boat to float higher in the water, or last if they need the weight of the other passengers to weigh down the boat and make it float lower.

This is not a problem for the MK to TTC boats because of the way their dock is constructed (that is a floating dock). It can be a problem for the boats that go between WL/FW and MK - if it is, there will be signs indicating the dock is not accessible and giving instructions for how to travel.
It is not usually a problem for the boats that go between Epcot/MGM and the Epcot area resorts. (I have never heard of them being in-accessible).

The small boats that go between MK and the MK resorts have steps to get on and are not accessible.

 

[SueM in MN]

We are staying at the Beach Club in June.

My DW is handicap and although she is not in a wheelchair, walking long ditance is too much for her. I am not worried about transportation to EPCOT or MGM, that should be no problem with the direct boats.

Even though it doesn't seem far, the distance from your room to the dock and from the park dock to the park entrance is a bit of a walk.
Here's a link to the Beach Club map. The dock is the long skinny thing sticking out in the middle.
Here's a link to the DIsney MGM Studio map. The boat dock is at the bottom on the right side of the map.
Here is a link to the Epcot map. The boat dock is near the right side of the map where it says "International Gateway". To give some perspective about distance, it is 1.1 - 1.3 miles to walk around the World Showcase (depending on whether you walk closer to the water or closer to the buildings).

You may want to consider a wheelchair or ECV, even though she doesn't use one at home. It is not out of the ordinary to walk 3-6 miles in a day at WDW (I've heard up to 9 miles). If you follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES Board and go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you can find information about the different ways to get a wheelchair, which include borrowing a wheelchair from the resort (they can't be reserved and there is no guarantee they will have one), rent a wheelchair or ECV from the parks or from one of the offsite rental places.

However, do you think it would be quicker/easier to take the buses to AK & MK or to drive and park in handicap spots?

Here is what the official WDW Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities says about parking:
"Guests with the ability to walk short distances and step up onto the courtesy trams should park in the main parking lots of Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. The courtesy tram will transport Guests to the Entrance Complex. Parking for Guests with mobility disabilities or who are traveling with personal wheelchairs is available adjacent to the Entrance Complex at each of the four Parks.

Guests should inquire at the Auto Plaza for directions on parking options.'
If you are driving, the shortest walking distance is almost always going to be parking in the regular lot and using the parking lot tram. If you mention that one member of your party has a mobility problem, they will direct you to a spot closer to the tram pick up.
As was already mentioned, the handicapped parking lots are rather large and there is no tram service for the handicapped lots. Some of the farthest spots in those lots are farther to walk than walking to the tram pick up spot in the regular lot.
As was already mentioned, there are "shuttle" wheelchairs available in the handicapped parking lot, but there is no guarantee that one will be available.

For MK, I agree with the suggestion to take the bus. It leaves you off very close to the turnstiles and you don't have to take a boat or monorail from the parking area.

Also would we have to pay for parking?

Parking is free to guests staying at a WDW resort.