How flat / hilly are the parks?

[Tinkerbell1986]

I have been to Disney before but in 1997 when I was 11 and no one in our party was disabled so I didn't notice how flat or hilly the parks are.

Next year I'll be going with my partner who is a manual wheelchair user. He definitely doesn't want to use an ECV but is wondering how difficult it is going to be for him / us to get him around the parks.

Therefore if anyone has been in recent times (particularly if using a manual wheelchair or with someone using one) then I'd be grateful for any comments on the effort needed to get a manual wheelchair around the parks.

I know this is a Disney forum but if anyone also has similar information about the non-Disney parks such as US, IOA, Busch, Seaworld, etc then that would be great too!

Thanks, Laura x

 

[Michigan]

If he pushes himself everyday he won't have a problem. My youngest has been pushing herself through the parks without help since she was 3.

The only park that I would say has hills is Animal Kingdom and it has a pretty big one when you first go in.

At Seaworld a person in a wheelchair and their compainion get their tickest for half off.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

The only park that I would say has hills is Animal Kingdom

Not true!

All the parks have hills. They aren't major hills, but they can get to you, especially if you don't regularly ride distances in a manual chair at home. For instance, at Epcot you have to ride up & down over bridges, or from first (ground) level to the second floor entrance to the Land Pavillion/Soarin'. At MK, you have to ride up from first (ground) level outside the entrance to the monorail (second) or Main Street (second), other parts are a little higher still. Disney Studios are fairly flat, but you have to ride up slopes to enter some of the theatres from the back, which have ramped seating auditorium style.

Animal Kingdom also has some mild changes in level, but these are made difficult for wheelchairs because all paths are 'landscaped' to look more natural (they are textured and bumpy to look like mud paths.

Perhaps after the first day he will change his mind about ECVs.

Andrew

 

[livndisney]

I have to agree there are hills,inclines and uneven walks in most of the parks.

Seaworld has some very steep inclines. It you ask you can usually be redirected to a more level entrance.

I think Universal and IOA are more level.

The ramp to the monorail at MK is KILLER!~!!!! There is an elevator to access the monorail at Epcot.

AK does have some uneven "paths" in keeping with the theme.

Epcot-the land is at the top of a VERY steep hill. There is an elevator (Near Garden Grill) to get to Soarin and the ground floor.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

And then there are the Ramps to the monorail and also to a few of the rides. and into restaurants.
Out of curiosity what has be got against ECV's?

 

[Tinkerbell1986]

He hasn't got anything against ECVs, he just doesn't want to use one. He has a manual chair of his own which he likes and would prefer to use that whilst we are on holiday than rent an ECV.

I think we should be ok.

Thanks for all your help.

Laura

x

 

[CPT Tripss]

What got me was that the streets and sidewalks have a fairly steep slope toward the curb for water run off. When I used the chair (it was a temporary disability) I had a hard time pushing a straight path . . . don't know whether this would be a problem for a regular user.

I was shocked at how hilly the parks were. Florida is not flat!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

What got me was that the streets and sidewalks have a fairly steep slope toward the curb for water run off. When I used the chair (it was a temporary disability) I had a hard time pushing a straight path . . . don't know whether this would be a problem for a regular user.

This is a problem I hit all the time, but I tend to find Disney is better than the 'real world'. A lot of the time there's a less sloping route, e.g. going down the road on Main Street, rather than the pavement, but it doesn't get rid of the problem entirely.

 

[BillSears]

This is a problem I hit all the time, but I tend to find Disney is better than the 'real world'. A lot of the time there's a less sloping route, e.g. going down the road on Main Street, rather than the pavement, but it doesn't get rid of the problem entirely.

I have to agree. As a full time manual wheelchair user WDW is much better about the sloping sidewalks/streets then the real world. If you're used to pushing around in a normal city or neighborhood then WDW is amazingly flat and level.

There are some spots that are tough though. I agree that the worst hill is probably the ramp leading up to the MK monorails, also the ramp leading up to the TTC monorails(I usually just take the Ferry). The bridge from the hub area to Adventureland is rough but doable provided I get a running start. The easiest park is the Studios followed closely by EPCOT, the worst is probably Animal Kingdom followed closely by the Magic Kingdom. But really all of the parks are much easier then me wheeling around downtown Baltimore.

 

[madenon]

It just keeps amazing me to read that some of you are able to get up the ramp to the monorail with a manual chair! Oh my god! That's such a steep and long ramp. Wow.

 

[BillSears]

It just keeps amazing me to read that some of you are able to get up the ramp to the monorail with a manual chair! Oh my god! That's such a steep and long ramp. Wow.

Yea, it is a really tough ramp. It's one of the few places where if I'm with other people I'll ask for some help pushing up the ramp. On the other hand I'll still push up it by myself if I'm traveling solo. When I push up the ramp I do have to tack a bit, the ramp is just too tough for me to push straight up it so I take it at a slightly less angle by traveling up it going side to side.

 

[hematite153]

Yea, it is a really tough ramp. It's one of the few places where if I'm with other people I'll ask for some help pushing up the ramp. On the other hand I'll still push up it by myself if I'm traveling solo. When I push up the ramp I do have to tack a bit, the ramp is just too tough for me to push straight up it so I take it at a slightly less angle by traveling up it going side to side.

I'm VERY impressed that you can get up that ramp!

I know that, as a full-time wc user, you have more practice, but, it's tough!

I have a hard time pushing my DW up the ramp--it's one of the few places where I raise the question of how she's doing and whether she can walk. Getting a running start helps, and the faster I go, the better. People always look at me funny, but it is easier if I run.

OP: The main hills at AK are difficult when it's crowded, and AK is tougher, overall, because of the textured ground.

But, I agree with others.... If he has his own chair, that he's used to, he should be fine.

 

[Tinkerbell1986]

It doesn't sound like it will be too bad then.

Lots of you have mentioned the ramp up to the Magic Kingdom monorail as being particularly difficult. If we park in disabled parking spaces at MK will we have to go up this ramp? I can't remember what the parking, monorails are like and getting into the park, etc.

Thanks for all your replies everyone, Laura x

 

[mechurchlady]

It doesn't sound like it will be too bad then.

Lots of you have mentioned the ramp up to the Magic Kingdom monorail as being particularly difficult. If we park in disabled parking spaces at MK will we have to go up this ramp? I can't remember what the parking, monorails are like and getting into the park, etc.

Thanks for all your replies everyone, Laura x

You can avoid the ramp by taking the ferry. From the parking lot go under a roadway and past the monorail station. It is a bit of a walk from handicapped parking to the ferry or monorail. I have only once used the monorail and said never again as my knees and ankles do not work well on steep downhill grades and I would have hated to have rolled all the way to Winter Garden. Disney may be disabled friendly but just not at them steep ramps.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

When I push up the ramp I do have to tack a bit, the ramp is just too tough for me to push straight up it so I take it at a slightly less angle by traveling up it going side to side.

Slightly off topic, but earlier this year I bought special brakes for my manual chair that include a second brake lever. - push it down and it engages the tire with a ratchet action so that the chair only moves forward and doesn't ride back while I am repositioning my arms. Works very well going uphill.

I still have to find a safe way of going downhill without burning my hands if I forget to bring gloves. The danger from kids with wheelies is nothing compared to me!!!

Andrew

 

[madenon]

Lol Andrew! We definately are such a big danger when going downhill the monorail ramp. It's the only place around WDW I don't totally feel at ease with people all around me. I've got it easy, I did it in my powerchair, but with the steep ramp, the kids suddenly running in front of you or stopping, the chair being sensative to the steep ramp etc...... I never felt really comfortable while going up or down the ramp with anybody around me.

Those brakes sound great by the way!!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Those ratchet brakes sound great! One way I sometimes use to get down really steep hills, is to hold one wheel completely still, then let the other one go. You'll swing round the braked wheel. Then swap over, stopping the other wheel and releasing the previously braked one. Repeat until you reach the bottom. It does look fairly ridiculous and is blooming slow going, but sometimes it's necessary (especially useful when it's wet and I have forgotten my gloves).

 

[Michigan]

I think the monorail ramp depends if you are an everyday wheelchair user. My girls ages 9 & 17 don't have problems going up the ramp but they do hate going up when there are a lot of people on the ramp because they have to stop to much. When that happens what they do is use one arm to pull them on the rail and push the wheel with the other. That way it the line comes to a complete stop they just turn their chair into the wall so they are sideways holding on to the rail and then they aren't holding theirself on the hill part.

Now going down they wait until everyone is off the ramp and just do down as fast as they can to see how far out the gates they can go without pushing just using their body to steer.

My oldest had the grade aid brakes when she was little. You have to have knobby tires to use them. Now she uses spinergy wheels and no tread.

 

[mechurchlady]

I wish I had that ratchet device on mom's chair. I was at an animal park on a hill wondering what would happen if my knees gave out and I got run over by momma, lol.

 

[cmwade77]

Really, none of the hills at WDW, including at Animal Kingdom, are anywhere near as bad as some at Disneyland, there are more of them though at WDW.

Off topic a little...Now if you go to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, there are a ton of hills there, but they also offer phones that you can use to call for a special tram for lack of a better word to help you.

Now I have pushed a wheel chair in both Disneyland and the Wild Animal Park; however, I would not want to push a chair at WDW, I would rather rent an ECV, due to the sheer size of it, I would be exhausted at the end of the first night and have a miserable remainder of the trip, luckily I am able to walk, but sometimes those I am with are not, so I would definitely look at getting an ECV, I would also recommend renting from an "offsite company" I put that in quotation marks as there is one the is actually located on Disney property that we had to rent from the last time we went and the ability to take it back to the hotel was well worth the extra couple dollars a day (we upgraded one level, otherwise it is cheaper than in the parks).