How much extra time do we plan for rides with a special needs child?

[SueSue]

We will be at WDW in early Nov. with our friends who have a DD in a wheelchair (she has cerebal palsy.) How much extra time should we allow at each ride to get her onto the ride? She cannot walk so will have to be lifted into the ride.

Am I correct in thinking that most if not all the attractions do not have a special wheelchair entrance - you just que up with everyone?

I will appreciate any advice you have to offer. This is our friends' first trip to WDW and I'm trying to make it very special for them. Thanks!

 

[Pooh67_68]

I can not answer this question for you, but you might get a lot more answers on the disAbilities thread.

 

[DramaTech]

Hi SueSue,

Each ride is different with regards to how long it will take to transfer, how the transfer can be accomplished, where the transfer can take place, and if you'll even need to transfer her at all.

You are correct...most of the rides' queues have mainstream access for us in wheelchairs. Although, there are a good number that do not.

You should call WDW and ask them to send you the 4 "Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities" (one for each park). They explain quite a bit about each ride.

Hope that helps, and feel free to ask me any other questions you have!

 

[seashoreCM]

In most cases the extra time to handle guests in wheelchairs is only a few minutes.

The most common exception is a ride, such as Kilimanjaro Safari, which has many ride vehicles some of which are not "accessible" and you have to wait for one that is.

Some rides are not suited for persons with certain injuries or disabilities or for some pregnant women, or for some very large or heavy people. For example, there are rides with violent motions that require that a person be able to hold his head erect. Since each person's disability differs, it is not always possible to predict in advance who should not ride which rides.

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

 

[SueM in MN]

My DD also has cerebral palsy and she has been on all the rides except Space Mountain, Rock N Roller Coaster and BTMRR. She needs to be lifted out of her wheelchair and put on all the rides. My best advice is to save MK for a day when they are feeling really energetic. Almost all the rides at MK require a transfer and since most of them are short, just as you are getting settled, it's time to get out.

You can follow the link in my signature to get to the disABILITIES Board.
Here's a link to the DIS page about touring with mobility disabilities. It has a list of rides that are Mainstream Access (which means wheelchair users wait in the same line with everyone else). There are some rides where wheelchair users board at the exit - this gives extra time, space and more control of the boarding process for CMs. In most cases, you will wait in the Mainstream line and just before you get to the boarding area, there is a bypass to the wheelchair accessible entrance.
On this page from the official Disney site, you can download copies of the Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities that DramaTech mentioned. They do give some general info about boarding. In general, boarding takes very little exta time, although for some rides, you will be waiting at the boarding area for a while because they can only have a certain number of people with special needs on the ride at a time for fire/evacuation reasons. Some shows have a limited number of wheelchair spaces and if they are all filled when you get there, you will have to wait for the next show even if there is still room left for general seating.
Kilimanjari Safari has a separate boarding area for guests with dsiabiliteis who have wheelchairs or ecvs. The trams (even most of the ones that board at the regular boarding area) can hold up to 2 guests remaining in their wheelchairs. The wheelchair boarding area has a ramp for putting the wheelchairs on the tram and the tram returns to the same area for unloading so guest who left their wheelchairs or ecvs at the boarding area can get them. The regular tram boards at one place and unloads at another.

 

[Fantasmic303]

SueSue,

I haven't visited with a wheelchair, so I'm not sure how useful it will be, but you may want to visit WDWIG.com. Here is a link to an FAQ portion of the site: http://wdwig.com/ecv_faq.htm

On the left side of the window is a list, with several links for people traveling with disabilities. You might find it helpful. I've also read about special VIP guest passes to bypass lines in certain cases, which you may want to look into, especially if you're travelling with several children.


Good luck - you're going to have a very magical time!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by Fantasmic303
I've also read about special VIP guest passes to bypass lines in certain cases, which you may want to look into, especially if you're travelling with several children.

The only VIP passes that let people bypass lines are for Make a Wish (or similar programs) or for really famous people.
What you may have heard about is called a Guest Assistance Card. It doesn't allow lines to be bypassed and doesn't usually shorten the wait in line (in fact, it may make the wait longer), but the Guest Assistance Card does help the CMs to know what sorts of special needs people need assistance with (sometimes it's things like waiting out of the sun or being able to treat a stroller like a wheelchair for a small child who diesn't have a wheelchair).

 

[Fantasmic303]

Actually, the "Special Guest Pass" is available to any medically eligible guest with a proper letter from a doctor and allows the child and up to four guests in a party to access the next ride vehicle. I volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and currently work for a children's mental health center, so I frequently encounter families with special needs. A couple of weeks ago, I got an All Ears Newsletter detailing the experience of a family with an autistic 4 year old, which I found to be of great interest. The family presented a letter from the doctor describing the boy's condition to Guest Relations CMs, who in turn gave them a "Special Guest Pass". I'm not positively sure what conditions are eligible for the pass, but I think the original poster should give it a shot. For anyone interested, I would also be more than happy to forward the newsletter to you, if you email me at Fantasmic303@aol.com . I'd like to post it here, but as the experience is both long and personal, I'm not sure if it belongs on a message board.

As for the term VIP - I'm sorry to have misused it, but in my time with Make-A-Wish, as well as my profession, it is not unusual for us to refer to all of "our" special kids as VIPs.

 

[SueM in MN]

Actually, the "Special Guest Pass" is available to any medically eligible guest with a proper letter from a doctor and allows the child and up to four guests in a party to access the next ride vehicle.

I'm quite certain that what you are describing (as reported in ALL Ears Net) and what I am talking about are the same thing, the Guest Assistance Card (GAC).
According to the American with Disabilities Act, places can't require proof of disability (like a doctor's letter) as a condition of providing accomidation. A lot of people (especially with invisible disabilities like autism) bring a letter along and show it to Guest Services. But, according to the law, they can't be required to have one to get the assistance they need. I can see how someone who showed a letter from their doctor might think that was a requirement. A lot of peole have posted on the DIS over the years that they had a letter from their doctor and were told Guest Services did not want to look at it. We personally brought something a few years ago and were told that they could not look at it.
GACS are individually issued by Guest Services for the number of guests in the party. Usually, they are not issued for more than 6 people (5 plus the person with a disability). If there are less people in the party, the GAC will be issued for that number (when DH and I went on a trip with only our DD who has a disability, we got a GAC for a total of 3 people).
The message on the GAC also changes based on the needs of the person it is issued to. In a post farther up, I mentioned waiting out of the sun or using a stroller as a wheelchair. Some other messages might be to allow someone without a wheelchair to use the wheelchair accesible entrance or to wait in a quieter, less stimulating place.
Here's a link to a recent thread on the disABILITIES Board regarding Guest Assistance Cards. It includes a reply from Safari Steve (a MK CM) and from someone who has used a Guest Assistance Card for her child with autism.

 

[FFerret]

My five yr old is autistic and we will be getting the GAC card when we arrive. Hopefully some of the pixie dust will hit him too and there won't be too many meltdowns

 

[ToriLammy]

Originally posted by SueSue
We will be at WDW in early Nov. with our friends who have a DD in a wheelchair (she has cerebal palsy.) How much extra time should we allow at each ride to get her onto the ride? She cannot walk so will have to be lifted into the ride.

Am I correct in thinking that most if not all the attractions do not have a special wheelchair entrance - you just que up with everyone?

I will appreciate any advice you have to offer. This is our friends' first trip to WDW and I'm trying to make it very special for them. Thanks!

We have 17 year old daughter with CP and a motorized wheelchair. We've been to WDW twice, in 99 and 2003. By how much extra time do you mean will it take longer for her to ride? Or will you have to wait longer because of the chair? Cause if that's the case, in most cases no. Disney has changed their Guide for People with Disabilities to really push the fastpass system. We used it alot and we found no difference between our 99 and 03 trips in regards to how long it took to ride. The only time you really have to wait is if the child (you didn't say how old she is) wants to ride in her wheelchair on the ride, then you might have to wait for that special car/boat that can accomodate a wheelchair. Jackie because she is a teenager took mercy on her dad (primary transferrer) and stayed in her chair on all rides that she could, the longest wait was at the Jungle Cruise because they only had one boat with a lift. When she was smaller and we went to Disneyland she would often let her dad transfer her cause it was faster. Otherwise, our wait, using fast pass was no longer than "normal" folks. Oh, and because Jackie has her own wheelchair, we have never had to use a GAC. Most CMs are more than accomodating of disabled children when the child is obviously in thier own, personal wheelchair. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

Tori

 

[SueM in MN]

Torilammy, I have a question for you.
We have taken DD, who is 18, to WDW many times with her manual wheelchair. On our next trip, we are planning to take her power wheelchair (Invacare Arrow). We're wondering if having the power chair will mean we need to do a lot more transfers. Are most of the special wheelchair cars also accessible to a power wheelchair?

 

[DramaTech]

Sue,

I'll jump in here. Yes, most of the wheelchair cars are equipped for powered wheelchairs. I have an Invacare Arrow Storm Series, and while I'm able to transfer, I prefer to remain in my chair. I have noticed that ECV owners might have a few problems on some of the rides, but since powered wheelchairs aren't that much bigger than manual wheelchairs, it usually isn't a problem.

Hope that helps. Gotta finish packing!

 

[ToriLammy]

Originally posted by SueM in MN
Torilammy, I have a question for you.
We have taken DD, who is 18, to WDW many times with her manual wheelchair. On our next trip, we are planning to take her power wheelchair (Invacare Arrow). We're wondering if having the power chair will mean we need to do a lot more transfers. Are most of the special wheelchair cars also accessible to a power wheelchair?

Yes, most special wheelchair cars are able to handle power chairs. There were a couple of rides where Jackie had to exchange her power chair (A Quickie) for a regular wheelchair - Pirates - because you don't exit at the same place you enter, they give you a regular wheelchair, fold it up and put it in the boat with you. Space Mountian, same sort of thing involving long ramps and moving walkway. But she road Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Small World, Winnie the Pooh, and the Boat ride in Mexico all in her power chair. The Land and the Energy Ride also accomodate power chairs. So I don't think you'll have to transfer as much as you planned Have fun!

Tori

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks to both of you.
I know the "exchange your power for a manual chair" for Pirates won't work for us. DD is kind of obsessive about her wheelchair and won't ride in a "loaner". It's good to hear some first hand accounts. When I emailed Disney and tried to find out, they just referred me back to the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.