handicapped viewing for fantasmic/river of lights

[smidgy]

unless I am wrong (which I hope I am) all the wheelchair seating for Fantasmic is up at the top. we always try to sit as near to the front as possible as my husband has very low vision.

well, now he will be in a wheelchair at WDW due to recent major back surgery (fusion).. (poor guy can't catch a break).

we thought of doing the fantasmic dinner package but if he has to sit way in the back it isn't worth the time. he can transfer. (which he has done at Indiana jones, in order to sit in the front). but how then do we safeguard the wheelchair we will have to rent from an offsite provider?

we are probably cancelling our spring trip, due to his pain level, but hoping to keep out late august free dining bounceback. I was wondering what the handicapped seating is like for rivers of light. is that all up on top in the back also? (it's probably too early to tell)

double whammys (low vision and low mobility) suck

 

[SueM in MN]

For Rivers of Light, it is too early to tell yet. There are some pictures posted of seating areas, but I have read different guesses, including that those are Fastpass sedating or for a dessert party. Two things that are clear:
- the seating area appears to be only 6-8 rows deep, so even if the accessible seatingep is at the top, guests will be much closer than at Fantasmic.
- the show itself appears to be a massive size, so at least parts should be viewable.

Again, too early to know, but this picture appears to me to include some accessible seating (what look like short benches separarated by spaces in the front row).


This one is from a website called 'damouse'

 

[smidgy]

thanks sue.. do you know if there are any close up seats for wheelchairs at fantasmic?

 

[smidgy]

nebo can transfer. but some venues don't allow you to leave the chair nearby, because of emergency hazards. I bbeleive american gardens theater does not allow you to leave the chair at the edge and sit in a regular seat. but I believe they did allow this at indiana jones.

 

[stitchlovestink]

thanks sue.. do you know if there are any close up seats for wheelchairs at fantasmic?

Yes, there are front row seats at Fantasmic for WC/ECV users but be aware those seats are in that "wet zone". You don't get soaked, but because they use those water jets to make the water screens, you get "misted". If there is a breeze blowing in the right direction, you may get even more wet!! lol
I think the view down front is amazing though!!!

 

[smidgy]

thanks stitch!

 

[elmoandzoey]

How are those front row seats assigned for WC/ECV users? First come, first serve? If that is the case, do you have a suggestion how early to line up for this? We used to get the dining package in the past but since I need an ECV now, I am not so sure we'd be able to take advantage of it after all. I can walk but I have a very hard time doing stars without a railing (I need something to hold on to when going down) and I'd be worried about having to leave the ECV somewhere unattended in the masses of people. So I'd rather be sitting in it for the show.

I am also thinking we'd rather use the dining package for Rivers of Light. Since no one knows the layout yet, I rather have assigned seating, even if it means having to walk steps. Looking at those wheelchair spots up front, I am not even sure we could take advantage of those since it'll be me and 3 kids (11, 8 and 3) - the extra space seems to be rather sparce and they can't really sit away from me (or rather, I don't want them to sit away, unless it would like the row behind me). I also wouldn't want to do standing only with me in an ECV and the kids having to stand all the time.

 

[SueM in MN]

I was looking for a picture last night and fell asleep before I could post.

As was mentioned, you will at least get damp sitting in the front and you may get quite wet - depending on wind. The first time we sat there, we wondered why they were selling beach towels.
We figured that out pretty quickly once the show began!

You will also feel the heat from the 'fire' parts of the show.

How are those front row seats assigned for WC/ECV users? First come, first serve? If that is the case, do you have a suggestion how early to line up for this? We used to get the dining package in the past but since I need an ECV now, I am not so sure we'd be able to take advantage of it after all. I can walk but I have a very hard time doing stars without a railing (I need something to hold on to when going down) and I'd be worried about having to leave the ECV somewhere unattended in the masses of people. So I'd rather be sitting in it for the show.

I am also thinking we'd rather use the dining package for Rivers of Light. Since no one knows the layout yet, I rather have assigned seating, even if it means having to walk steps. Looking at those wheelchair spots up front, I am not even sure we could take advantage of those since it'll be me and 3 kids (11, 8 and 3) - the extra space seems to be rather sparce and they can't really sit away from me (or rather, I don't want them to sit away, unless it would like the row behind me). I also wouldn't want to do standing only with me in an ECV and the kids having to stand all the time.

For Fantasmic, the front wheelchair/ECV seats are first come, first serve. There are blank spots across the whole front row - you can see them on this picture, but not all are reserved for guests with mobility devices.



As you can see on the picture, there is space, but it is not signed as wheelchair. Also, the CMs selling toys and beach towels use the areas for manouvering and parking their carts out of traffic.

The best suggestion for time would be to ask a CM at the entrance before guests start lining up. Most guests with ECVs and wheelchairs are probably not even aware those spots exist, so there may no pr be a lot of demand.
There are stairs between the sections, but the very end sections on each side have ramps going down.

Regarding the Rivers of Light - we really don't know enough and even if there is more news, things can change.
For example, the exact sections that are assigned to Fastpass and dining package at Fantasmic have changed slightly multiple times over the years.

I don't know for sure that the picture I posted above of Rivers of Light shows wheelchair seating, but it certainly looks like it. Per the ADA, one Companion seat needs to be provided for each wheelchair spot. Disney has the rest of your party sit in the row(s) directly in front or behind.

 

[MinnieMSue]

We have had Fantasmic dining package and like to sit down front. I asked a cast member if the very front seats in dining section with space in between them were reserved for w/c and she told me they were not. We did sit there and we got quite misted. It was pretty chilly in late November. We spent the pre-show time chatting with a lady selling toys. A cast member off duty sitting behind us who works for the show told us a kid in a w/c was in the section to the left of us and got repeatedly blasted with water until they had to leave. That would be awful!

 

[Joanna71985]

Unless things have changed, the front rows aren't designated as WC seats (so anyone can sit there)

 

[elmoandzoey]

Thanks for all the info! I will follow Sue's advice and ask a CM before people line up what would be best about getting those seats. I'll also make sure to check out where the wind is blowing beforehand. When we did the dining package in the past, we'd always sit first or second row (bleacher section) and the mist was fine. We have two days at HS, so maybe we'll try the WC spots up at the top first and if that doesn't work, we'll come back and try front.

 

[smidgy]

this is all great info.. th espots at the top wouldn't work for us, as my husband has increasingly low vision. the need for the wheelchair is fairly new this last year, with back surgery.. sigh! thanks for all the info..
we are actually more interested in the rivers of light.//
in the fall. my husband can transfer so we were wondering if there was a was ( even if we have to book the dining package) we could sit u[p towards the front and leave the rented wheel chair up away somewhere

 

[elmoandzoey]

Just an update that I thought could be of interest for some people. I watched MakoMadness's update of the Avatar construction from last week and he also covered RoL. He showed the ADA ramp that goes down the side of the theater seating in front of EE - it's long, waves around and doesn't look to be very steep because it's not going straight. There seem to be a few WC places up front because there's open spaces in the bench seating and a railing behind where the spaces are (I've only seen that kind of railing when there's WC spaces in front). I couldn't make out if there are any front row WC spots in the other seating area as the complete front row was covered with building materials. I did see a ramp though that seemed to go all the way down to the front. Much to my delight I also noted that they have added railings to all the stairs!