If a person in your party is in a scooter, does the whole party get to move up?

[nuge67]

I never understood that nor never noticed if the whole party of a person with a disability getting to move up in the line?

The reason I ask is because my mother in-law lives in Florida and has handicapped plates due to her back, leg and neck pain and disabilities and was told by a friend that she and her party can move up in the lines at Disney, I don't see how or why?

But another question is, for the most part, she will be unable to go on rides due to her disabilities, so how, or why, would they let us, or anyone else in the same situation, move up in the line? I really don't understand this at all?

 

[WheeledTraveler]

One of the stickies on the top of the disAbilities board is a FAQ. You should read through it as it will actually answer many of your questions.

Having a wheelchair or ECV does not allow you to "move up" the line. Most lines at WDW are mainstreamed so the wheelchair or ECV user just waits with everyone else in the main queue. They may split off at some point (which could be where others think they're "moving up") if there are stairs in the line or the boarding area is separate, but that's not "moving up" and can result in an even longer wait. An example is that, as a wheelchair user, last time I road Rock'n'Rollercoaster first I waited through the entire normal queue with everyone else. Then right before boarding I was sent down a small hallway to the other side where people exit. Then I had to wait for them to get to a point where they could board me (I was the only wheelchair user waiting, but this still was not an immediate thing). The people who'd been around me in the original queue had already ridden and exited before I ever boarded the ride. Of course, to anyone watching they wouldn't have noticed my waiting longer, but they would have seen me get sent down the side hallway and some might assume that I would then be boarded sooner.

For the attractions where there is a separate queue that's wheelchair/ECV accessible, again it might look like the person is being sent somewhere that will get them on sooner, but often the alternate boarding areas can take longer.

As far as party size goes, if the wheelchair/ECV user is planning on riding a ride, they and up to 6 members of their party may go through whatever the accessible entrance is. If your MIL isn't riding, she shouldn't be in the queue anyway so it definitely won't make any difference on everyone else's wait times in those situations. Depending on if she can transfer with assistance from a member of the party (CMs cannot help) and what triggers things like pain for her, there may be more rides she can ride than you think. Also, if she is using a scooter there are a few queues where scooter users need to transfer to a manual wheelchair to get through the queue (there should be park wheelchairs available by those rides so that another member of the party can push her through those queues).

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

I would be careful of any attraction that would toss her around such as dinosaurs in AK, Space mountian, tea cups -- unless you do not make it turn, splash mountian, test track as it has the quick stop and go, I am only naming a few ask the CM for such things as stops and starts, hard back and forth motions, etc. I would think pirates would be ok. Personally I can ride that one if I brace myself when going down the falls. Better safe then sorry. Feeling bad can ruin the whole day if there is an injury.

So many times GAC lines move much slower then reg lines. Would attractions such as Haunted need to be stopped for her to get on the doom buggy? It is no problem for them to do this but they will wait for ride to cycle if they have a rider that they had to stop for already. They do not want the ride to be stopping and going to many times in one cycle as it does effect the attraction for others.

Alot of times Daughter, her BFF, and I would take the reg line and then let cm know husband was in Gac line -- if he got there before us-- he would wait and vise versa. Part of the attraction can be and usually is the que areas. So much to see and do even in lines waiting. Going behind the sceens is not fun for kids and sort of ruins the experience.

Have a fun time.

I never understood that nor never noticed if the whole party of a person with a disability getting to move up in the line?

The reason I ask is because my mother in-law lives in Florida and has handicapped plates due to her back, leg and neck pain and disabilities and was told by a friend that she and her party can move up in the lines at Disney, I don't see how or why?

But another question is, for the most part, she will be unable to go on rides due to her disabilities, so how, or why, would they let us, or anyone else in the same situation, move up in the line? I really don't understand this at all?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The lines for almost all attractions at WDW are "mainstreamed". This means that the queue is set up to allow wheelchairs and/or ECVs to go through the line just as a person without a mobility problem. As it was built prior to the ADA, the Magic Kingdom is most likely to have non-mainstreamed lines. Some attractions, such as Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion you will go part way through the regular queue and then be diverted. Other attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain or SpaceShip Earth you will initially be directed to an accessible entrance.

All the theaters are set up with seats (usually in the back row) removed so a wheelchair or ECV can pull into a space and there will be regular seating on either side of the space for the others in the party.

Where there are quantity limits on space, or other limitation involving accessibility, you may have to wait longer to see a show or ride an attraction than people without disabilities.

The normal (and official) response of Guest Relations to people with mobility and/or stamina issues is to recommend rental of a wheelchair or ECV. The Guest Assistance Card (GAC) is intended for "invisible" disabilities not related to mobility or stamina. A wheelchair or ECV is sufficient to notify Cast Members of special assistance normally needed. However, if a person has other issues, such as auditory or visual, they would probably also need a GAC.

Note that a GAC is not intended to allow bypassing of lines, and it so states on the card itself. The only people who will get the special Front Of The Line GAC are where a terminal or medically fragile child is traveling on a trip from Make A Wish or similar foundation.