Handicapped seating for Fantasmic

[Schmeck]

We've saw the same thing. We were seated in the handicapped section with my mom who uses an ECV. There were empty handicapped seats around us, but the CMs would not let anyone sit in there, even after the show started. The show was standing room only and they made those standing stand in the very, very back behind us. Several tried to sit in the handicapped area after the show started and CMs immediately moved them back, saying they were for the handicapped only and only the handicapped and their parties were allowed to sit there. I really felt bad for them, since no one was using them.

They are also in violation of the ADA if they are holding seats for a specific class of individuals with no requirement for identity in that class, refusing to let others use them that are already there. Do they hold sections of seats open for those without disabilities even after the show starts?

 

[SueM in MN]

Yes, there are wheelchair spaces in the very front row, as well.

I don't think those are reserved, though, and I don't know whether cm's will ask able-bodied guests to move from them, as long as there is there is still space available in the back row.
Fantasmic wc spaces by joelkfla, on Flickr

Yes. Only a couple spots in the front row. How wet you get depends on how the wind is blowing.

It's really hard to tell how busy the wheelchair spots will be. Many people with special needs come during the slower park time so you may find that even though the park is not busy the wheelchair spots are.
Guess who either have wheelchairs or can't use the steps have to wait to be assigned seats and this can take a while. The last time we went to Fantasmic, we got there about 50 minutes before the show time, waited in line for about 20 minutes inside the amphitheater area and then were shown to the next to last seats where someone could stay in their wheelchair for the show.
If we had not been able to get that spot we would have had to leave because my daughter can't sit out of her wheelchair.

We did see people park EVCs and get seated into the seats ahead of us until the lights went out for the show.
The CMs do keep track of what spots are available in the handicapped seating areas, how many people they have waiting for them and whether they can transfer or not/how many steps they can go down, etc.

There was still a long line of people waiting behind us, so it's not an indication that the seats won't be filled if they're not filled 15 minutes or so before the show begins. They do keep seating people with disabilities up to the time that the lights go off as long as there are spots for them.
And since some cant do steps, or can only go down one or 2 steps, if those seats are not available they can't watch the show at all.

That is a big difference compared to Festival of the Lion King - if someone can't get into a particular Lin King show because the wheelchair spots are all filled, there are later shows they can go to. This has happened to us at Lion King and Indiano Jones; even though people were still walking in and getting seats, we were turned away because all the wheelchair accessible spots were filled. It's more likely in small theaters like the Tiki birds but it does happen even in the bigger places.

 

[Schmeck]

Yes. Only a couple spots in the front row. How wet you get depends on how the wind is blowing.

It's really hard to tell how busy the wheelchair spots will be. Many people with special needs come during the slower park time so you may find that even though the park is not busy the wheelchair spots are.
Guess who either have wheelchairs or can't use the steps have to wait to be assigned seats and this can take a while. The last time we went to Fantasmic, we got there about 50 minutes before the show time, waited in line for about 20 minutes inside the amphitheater area and then were shown to the next to last seats where someone could stay in their wheelchair for the show.
If we had not been able to get that spot we would have had to leave because my daughter can't sit out of her wheelchair.

We did see people park EVCs and get seated into the seats ahead of us until the lights went out for the show.
The CMs do keep track of what spots are available in the handicapped seating areas, how many people they have waiting for them and whether they can transfer or not/how many steps they can go down, etc.

There was still a long line of people waiting behind us, so it's not an indication that the seats won't be filled if they're not filled 15 minutes or so before the show begins. They do keep seating people with disabilities up to the time that the lights go off as long as there are spots for them.
And since some cant do steps, or can only go down one or 2 steps, if those seats are not available they can't watch the show at all.

That is a big difference compared to Festival of the Lion King - if someone can't get into a particular Lin King show because the wheelchair spots are all filled, there are later shows they can go to. This has happened to us at Lion King and Indiano Jones; even though people were still walking in and getting seats, we were turned away because all the wheelchair accessible spots were filled. It's more likely in small theaters like the Tiki birds but it does happen even in the bigger places.

Your scenario makes sense, but it still doesn't cover empty areas once the show starts. If there is a line of disabled guests, sure, of course those spots are needed for them, but people have described the places being left empty when the show started.

Actually, if people are turned away from standing room only, and the accessible seats are still empty, then it is definitely an issue that WDW needs to address.

 

[SueM in MN]

Your scenario makes sense, but it still doesn't cover empty areas once the show starts. If there is a line of disabled guests, sure, of course those spots are needed for them, but people have described the places being left empty when the show started.

Actually, if people are turned away from standing room only, and the accessible seats are still empty, then it is definitely an issue that WDW needs to address.

I think the reason they don't fill them is to avoid fights.

We saw a fight one time that nearly erupted into a fist fight. We were in the wheelchair spot almost as far over as you can get to the left of the theater. While we we sitting there, people kept coming from the standing room only area to sit there, despite the fact that they were still filling seats with guests with disabilities.
One family of about 5 in pafticular kept coming over and sat in the benches. Each time a CM brought another group to be seated, they told that family that they could not sit there. So, they were over numerous times.
There was another family with a small child who had asked early on if the mom and child could sit if there are were still seats left right before the show started.

When the CMs we done seating guests with disabilities and the show was about ready to start, there were 2 seats left and the CM supervising that area called over that woman and child to sit down.
When they came over, the family of 5 (plus some friends??) also came over and started yelling, "why does she get to sit there when you wouldn't let us?" there was yelling, swearing and some attempts to push from the family of 5.

The CM called a manger over and both told the family of 5 that they needed to Go back to the standing room area. The dad said they did not want to do that and they would stand behind us if they we not allowed to sit (kind of scary - I did not want them standing in back of us during the show). The CMs said they could not do that because they have to maintain an emergency aisle behind th seats during the show.

After a few minutes, they came to a truce, when the manager said either the people would go to the standing room only area or security would be called, the show would be delayed and they would be escorted out of the park.

This is probably more of a problem near the standing room only since there are many people there kind of waiting like vultures for a seat to empty in our experience. Away from that area, it's probably much less of a problem and we have seen CMs fill the seats right before the show starts.

 

[JaketheCM]

Hi Es45! I work the Fantasmic shows at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The top of each row has a place for a wheelchair and one space on a bench next to the wheelchair. The row in front of the wheelchair is reserved for those traveling with the wheelchair party. If you arrive 1-1.5 hours prior to show time, you will be able to use the reserved space.
Hope this helps!

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi Es45! I work the Fantasmic shows at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The top of each row has a place for a wheelchair and one space on a bench next to the wheelchair. The row in front of the wheelchair is reserved for those traveling with the wheelchair party. If you arrive 1-1.5 hours prior to show time, you will be able to use the reserved space.
Hope this helps!

This picture shows the arrangement.

There are blue boxes marked off for wheelchairs/ECVs to park in, with a bench between the parking spots. The 2 rows in front are marked for handicapped seating.