HS Toy Story Mania: [Merged Threads]

[Mennamachine]

The boyfriend and I were at DHS this weekend for the AP preview, and for some reason our first ride was in the HA vehicle (neither of us is mobility impaired, and we went through the regular line. They were still working out the kinks in the ride, so that's probably why it got sent through without any wheelchair people in it). The HA vehicle has 2 seating areas like the non-accessible cars. The front one has only 2 seats/1 seat+wheelchair (depends on configuration) and the back one has 4 seats (two front and two back). So, a person, in his/her wheelchair, would have space for 5 others (or 5 others and 2 small children) in the HA vehicle. The gun on the seat that is wheelchair accessible has both a pullstring and a push button (BF was jealous because it is possible to push the button much faster than it is to pull the string and I nearly doubled his score). The string is pretty easy to pull, but the button requires almost no effort. It is much easier to push and significantly larger (approximatly 2 in in diameter) than the Buzz button.

I can't speak for wheelchair loading and unloading, as the car came to us in the regular standby line, but I just thought I would let you all know what I observed firsthand in the HA vehicle.

 

[SueM in MN]

The HA vehicle has 2 seating areas like the non-accessible cars. The front one has only 2 seats/1 seat+wheelchair (depends on configuration) and the back one has 4 seats (two front and two back). So, a person, in his/her wheelchair, would have space for 5 others (or 5 others and 2 small children) in the HA vehicle. The gun on the seat that is wheelchair accessible has both a pullstring and a push button (BF was jealous because it is possible to push the button much faster than it is to pull the string and I nearly doubled his score). The string is pretty easy to pull, but the button requires almost no effort. It is much easier to push and significantly larger (approximatly 2 in in diameter) than the Buzz button.

I can't speak for wheelchair loading and unloading, as the car came to us in the regular standby line, but I just thought I would let you all know what I observed firsthand in the HA vehicle.

Thanks for the description.
If I understand correctly, what shows in the pictures I posted are 2 seating areas that are part of one vehicle. Or, I guess, 2 cars that are connected together to go thru the attraction 'linked together', the same way that the Imagination ride has some cars 'linked'.
It's nice that they have different ways to do things (the pull string and the button) in the accessible car. My DD really likes Buzz Lightyear, but she's not able to pull the trigger on the gun. This sounds much more accessible.
I'm sure they are experimenting with different ways to do things, so they may keep trying different ways to do the handicapped boarding area.

I found a good video on youtube that shows part of the queue (including the stairs), an overlook of the handicapped boarding area and actually some of the ride. The person taking it actually put the 3D glasses over the camera lens - that video would show a 'one-eye' vision, so it looks like people who do not have vision in both eyes will still be able to play

 

[Mennamachine]

Thanks for the description.
If I understand correctly, what shows in the pictures I posted are 2 seating areas that are part of one vehicle.

It's one car with two seating areas that can rotate to face the screens. All of the cars have the two seating areas.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Yesterday I tried to ride again, but it was closed. I started talking to one of the people who were chaing people away and he was able to get me one of the managers who will be remaining on the attractrion and we had a long discussion.

The big thing is right now a lot of the questions cannot be answered since they are still trying to refine what they do. However, here goes with what information is available.

They have tried allowing Service Dogs on the attraction. It is not just the light and sound, but they seem be become very unhappy with the little amount of spinning that the ride vehicles do. Since a measurable percentage of the dogs were distressed, it was determined that they should not be allowed.

They do have two of the ride vehicles which are fully accessible. As the loaders get more experienced they should be able to have both in the stream, but this will lower the unload/reload time down to about 3 minutes from the current six. The Wave (what they call the disabled load/unload area) can only handle one vehicle at a time.

The vehicles and handle just about any standard footprint wheelchair or joystick-controlled power chair. It cannot handle ECVs.

The accessible space is the only one that has a button on the cannon as well as the pull cord.

They track each individual vehicle. If they have a fair number of people who do not have to remain in their chair on the line (such as people with ECVs or who cannot do stairs) they can bring a regulkar vehicle, time permitting, into The Wave and load that up. Since The Wave unload discharges into the regular unload, if they do this they can discharge into the regular unload and people with ECVs can easily recover their ECVs.

One thing they have tried as an experiment was to add an additional person to The Wave to discuss the loading with the next group in the queue and pre-stage the groups. She said this is working very well and may carry over to the full operation.

So it does look as if they have their act together.

 

[SueM in MN]

thanks for the further report.
I'm sure a lot of things that sounded like they would work in theory don't work in actual practice.
We'll be at WDW again in October and are looking forward to riding this.

 

[mechurchlady]

Have you thought aboout working for the newspaper? excellent reporting and thanks. I am glad they are working things out and oh boy no stairs for me.

 

[JudithM]

It sounds like those cannons are like the ones they use in DQ's Pirate game. Are they?

Funny you mention the DQ Pirates ride. That is exactly the comparison our friends gave us before we rode it the first time last weekend.

We had an opportunity to ride Toy Story Mania few times last weekend. On Saturday everyone went through the regular que. I use an ECV while at WDW & had no trouble getting through the line, onto the ride, off the ride, etc. My friends & I did leave the line just before the stairs. We all thought the Wave area worked quite well. We watched as the CMs rearranged the ride vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair. Sunday the fastpass line was open, & we were able to go that way. One does miss a lot of the colorful inside by using the fastpass line. This line went well, too.

Hopefully everyone will enjoy this ride! We sure did!!

 

[SueM in MN]

Sunday the fastpass line was open, & we were able to go that way. One does miss a lot of the colorful inside by using the fastpass line. This line went well, too.

Hopefully everyone will enjoy this ride! We sure did!!

Does the Fastpass line avoid the stairs or do you still have to do the stairs bypass?
(I know that the Fastpass line is often fully accessible when the 'regular standby' line is not.)

 

[MarieS]

Thanks for the update! We are looking forward to trying this ride in October.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Does the Fastpass line avoid the stairs or do you still have to do the stairs bypass?
(I know that the Fastpass line is often fully accessible when the 'regular standby' line is not.)

The manager I talked with Friday said that the fastpass line merges with the regular line just before the stairs, so anyone with a fastpass will get shunted over to the Wave and wait with the rest of the people for the accessible vehicles.

 

[SueM in MN]

The manager I talked with Friday said that the fastpass line merges with the regular line just before the stairs, so anyone with a fastpass will get shunted over to the Wave and wait with the rest of the people for the accessible vehicles.

thanks

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Thanks for the update!

Weird that SDs were stressed by the turning of the ride vehicles, since other rides have turning vehicles (such as Spaceship Earth, where the vehicles also tilt, and Buzz Lightyear, although each person controls their own turning on that one).

That will be good if they can get regular ride vehicles into the HC area. Seeing a photo of those stairs I can tell they wouldn't be a good idea for me, so I'd be going on the non-stair route, but don't want to take up an HC vehicle.

 

[lilladelilla]

I can help! I just came back from Disney and got on this ride, only to find out later that it was the first day the ride was open!!!

I'm hard of hearing, so I will be honest that I wasn't paying that much attention to the wheel chair accessible. I can tell you that the ride is a 3D, fast moving arcade type game, very, very fun! The ride has a monitor that is CC'd, we got to go on it twice since the CC didn't work the first time around.

They can hold it easily to help someone get in or out. From everything I saw it does appear to be HC accessible. But there are stairs, unfortunately.

If the HC access is a separate line you have to check out the main line if you can. There is a talking Mr. Potato Head there that is worth seeing. I'll say only that without giving too much away for others!

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

They showed Disneyland's talking Mr. Potatoe Head (as well as shots from the Disney World ride) on Friday's finale of "America's Funniest Home Videos". I thought the Mr. Potatoe Head was VERY well done ('cept maybe for the lame jokes, but that's to be expected!) and cool!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I can help! I just came back from Disney and got on this ride, only to find out later that it was the first day the ride was open!!!

I'm hard of hearing, so I will be honest that I wasn't paying that much attention to the wheel chair accessible. I can tell you that the ride is a 3D, fast moving arcade type game, very, very fun! The ride has a monitor that is CC'd, we got to go on it twice since the CC didn't work the first time around.

They can hold it easily to help someone get in or out. From everything I saw it does appear to be HC accessible. But there are stairs, unfortunately.

If the HC access is a separate line you have to check out the main line if you can. There is a talking Mr. Potato Head there that is worth seeing. I'll say only that without giving too much away for others!

Thanks for the information about CC. We didn't have anything about the CC before.
Is the CC in the ride queue to explain how things work or is it actually on the ride car also to explain how each arcade game works.

From the information we have so far, people using wheelchairs or ECVs (or those who can't do steps) wait in the regular line until just before the stairs. That's when they are sent to the handicapped entrance for boarding.

For Ms_Butterfly, some of the other reviews I have read about the ride talked about the spinning of the car, but also that the ride car came to a stop for one set of games, but then had a very fast and abrupt turn and trip to the next set of games. The turning combined with the fast might be what the service dogs didn't like.
The other things that turn (like Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion and Buzz go at pretty slow speed).
And, who knows, they may come up with something before it officially opens.

 

[lilladelilla]

The cc was just for the actual ride itself.

As for the turns, essentially the car spins around inbetween rounds. It is a bit of a head jerk motion, and then the round starts rather quickly. All very quick, very bright and visual. For a sensitive person (or service animal) it would be a bit much.

This is the only ride I saw the cc right on the small screen for each car and it was very good and smooth, once we got it working correctly.

 

[KPeveler]

now that TSMM has been open a while, has anyone been on it recently?

as i understand it, i will enter the fastpass or regular queue (depending on what i have) in my wheelchair. When I get to the stairs, in either line, i will be diverted with my party to the disabled loading area. there i will wait in what is effectively "the disabled queue" and be loaded onto a ride vehicle as it comes available.

is it easy to use a normal vehicle from that area? I do not have to stay in my wheelchair, adn would prefer to leave the WC car for others... are CMs good about pulling in regular ride cars and putting those of us who transfer and those in ECVs on? I know once at buzz i had to stand (yes, stand) behind a person waiting for the WC car, even though i could transfer, rahter than hte CMs just putting me on the ride!

i may wait for the WC car, not because of transferring, but because i have problems with arm control and having a push button rather than a pull string would be MUCH better for me...

just looking for updates!

 

[Talking Hands]

I can help! I just came back from Disney and got on this ride, only to find out later that it was the first day the ride was open!!!

I'm hard of hearing, so I will be honest that I wasn't paying that much attention to the wheel chair accessible. I can tell you that the ride is a 3D, fast moving arcade type game, very, very fun! The ride has a monitor that is CC'd, we got to go on it twice since the CC didn't work the first time around.

They can hold it easily to help someone get in or out. From everything I saw it does appear to be HC accessible. But there are stairs, unfortunately.

If the HC access is a separate line you have to check out the main line if you can. There is a talking Mr. Potato Head there that is worth seeing. I'll say only that without giving too much away for others!

Did you have to request the CC or was it in all ride vehicles? I truely hope it is in all vehicles since I will also have to use the Handicapped access with my wheelchair.

 

[pilgrimr]

I have a quick question about the ride. My DS (6) does not like wearing glasses at all. Will he be able to get alot out of the ride or is it bad without the glasses?

 

[toocherie]

here's another question (don't want to read through entire thread)--are there "guns" that are pushbutton rather than the pull string? my friend's son cannot do a repetitive motion like the pull string.