Its my first Trip with a disability please help with some of these questions..

[Globalfootprint]

Hello!!
So Iv been in a wheelchair for about 7 months now.
This will be our first overseas holiday since getting sick. Well first overseas as a family ever.. We are going to Disney World.. and HP world

When I went to Disneyland a few years ago I saw disabled people going through the exit line instead of lining in the normal line. I know the rules have changed now though.. Just dont know what they are or how it works..

I am in a manual wheelchair atm but we plan on hiring one at the parks each day we go... We will be going for 10 days in September. Is there a way to pre book the electric scooter with disney? I could g in my manual one but with 4 kids my husband will have to push me and wrangle our kids. (So no holiday for him)

IN regards to the lines.. If I am on an electric wheelchair does that mean there are some things I wont be able to do because it might not fit in the lining up line... With assistance I could probably walk 40 metres or so.. So thats not a problem... My husband would help me get on and off rides... I just want to be sure we can line up.

For shows is there anything in Particular I need to do to ensure we are all watching together?

I know at California Adventure you need to pretty much go straight to the Cars rid if you dont want to be waiting for hours in line.. Is there any rides we should do this too in WDW.. At any of the parks?

I also know you should be there at rope drop to get FP tickets for World of Colour... Are there any similar shows in WDW that I need to do this for?

This will be our one and only trip and due to my somewhat newness of my disability I am quite nervous and upset about it So I want things to run as smoothly as possibe..

Any other tips or advice for WDW with a disability are appreciated.. Same with any for US and HP World

 

[SueM in MN]

When I went to Disneyland a few years ago I saw disabled people going through the exit line instead of lining in the normal line. I know the rules have changed now though.. Just dont know what they are or how it works..

I just have a few minutes, but wanted to address this part.

Disneyland is a much older park and has many attractions where the lines are not accessible. This is why you saw guests using mobility devices lining up at the exit there.
Disney's California Adventure, on the other hand, is newer and had attractions built with accessible lines. So, in most cases, at that park guests with mobility devices are during the regular lines with everyone else. These are called Mainstream Lines.

WDW is much more like Disney's California Adventure. Almost all the lines are a Mainstream lines where guests with mobility devices wait in the same line as everyone else. In a few cases, the regular boarding area is not accessible, although the rest of the line is. In a handful of cases, the whole line is not accessible and you will go thru the exit - there are only a few of these.
Each attraction has a greeter who will direct you where to go if it is not a Mainstream Lne.

If you have not looked at the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board, I round suggest checking it out.
There is Aldo a DAS ((Disability Access Service) thread near the top of this board for WDW - check out post one of that thread.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I would look at renting the scooter from off site, so you will have at the resort and it will cost less. park scooters can not go out gates to get you tp transportation. make sure you ressies, both table serves and resort have scooter listed.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Hello!!

I am in a manual wheelchair atm but we plan on hiring one at the parks each day we go... We will be going for 10 days in September. Is there a way to pre book the electric scooter with disney? I could g in my manual one but with 4 kids my husband will have to push me and wrangle our kids. (So no holiday for him) not at Disney/the parks.. those are first come first served. HOWEVER if you book offsite it will be cheeper, plus if you use a preferred vendor it will be waiting for you at the resort and you can use it everywhere. the ones you rent at the park can ONLY be used at THAT park. .

IN regards to the lines.. If I am on an electric wheelchair does that mean there are some things I wont be able to do because it might not fit in the lining up line... With assistance I could probably walk 40 metres or so.. So thats not a problem... My husband would help me get on and off rides... I just want to be sure we can line up. most lines are mainstreamed..w which means you go through it with everyone else on your ECV or electric wheelchair. when /if necessarily you get diverted to an alternate loading area.

For shows is there anything in Particular I need to do to ensure we are all watching together? most handicapped accessible seating has ample space nearby to accommodate the family. in some cases they may be seated ahead dog you or one row behind.

I know at California Adventure you need to pretty much go straight to the Cars rid if you dont want to be waiting for hours in line.. Is there any rides we should do this too in WDW.. At any of the parks? between a good touring plan, plus prioritizing the use of your FP+ times there should not be hours inline for anything.

I also know you should be there at rope drop to get FP tickets for World of Colour... Are there any similar shows in WDW that I need to do this for? depends on you and whether you want to waste a FP+ ticket on something or just make use of the HA areas to view parades or shows.

This will be our one and only trip and due to my somewhat newness of my disability I am quite nervous and upset about it So I want things to run as smoothly as possibe..

Any other tips or advice for WDW with a disability are appreciated.. Same with any for US and HP World

go with the flow it WILL be harder in some ways and easier than other that DL. do notary to do everything and don't let it ruin your day if something does not go smoothly.

 

[Nanajo1]

I second getting a scooter from an off site vendor. There is good info in the sticky about different vendors. You will enjoy the resort and parks so much more if you have the independence of getting yourself around. Hubby will appreciate it too. If you have questions after you've read the stickies please ask.

 

[lanejudy]

Hello!!
So Iv been in a wheelchair for about 7 months now.
This will be our first overseas holiday since getting sick. Well first overseas as a family ever.. We are going to Disney World.. and HP world

When I went to Disneyland a few years ago I saw disabled people going through the exit line instead of lining in the normal line. I know the rules have changed now though.. Just dont know what they are or how it works.. As SueM mentions, DL is much older and different with regards to how many lines are accessible; most attractions are wheelchair accessible through the main queue at WDW

I am in a manual wheelchair atm but we plan on hiring one at the parks each day we go... We will be going for 10 days in September. Is there a way to pre book the electric scooter with disney? I could g in my manual one but with 4 kids my husband will have to push me and wrangle our kids. (So no holiday for him) Short answer, no you cannot pre-reserve an ECV from WDW in-park rentals, but you can from an off-site vendor. An off-site rental will be less expensive, and will allow you to use the ECV to/from transportation and around your resort. The disABILITIES FAQ sticky near the top of this forum has information about vendors. As note, most will not rent an electric "wheelchair" unless you use one at home, but an ECV (scooter) can be rented.

IN regards to the lines.. If I am on an electric wheelchair does that mean there are some things I wont be able to do because it might not fit in the lining up line... With assistance I could probably walk 40 metres or so.. So thats not a problem... My husband would help me get on and off rides... I just want to be sure we can line up. You should be able to do most rides, taking the ECV through the ride queues and transferring into the ride vehicle. There are a few rides that do not allow the ECV in line, at those attractions a wheelchair will be provided for your use. More info is available in the disABILITIES FAQ sticky. Note that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Peter Pan cannot have moving walkways slowed; this should be an option at all other rides.

For shows is there anything in Particular I need to do to ensure we are all watching together? Accessible seating usually has space for 1 companion. Depending on how busy it is, your whole family may be allowed to sit with you, or possibly in the row ahead of you.

I know at California Adventure you need to pretty much go straight to the Cars rid if you dont want to be waiting for hours in line.. Is there any rides we should do this too in WDW.. At any of the parks? FP+ is available at WDW and you may pre-book 3 rides each day, with more available after you use the first 3. I'd suggest you plan your FP+ for the popular rides.

I also know you should be there at rope drop to get FP tickets for World of Colour... Are there any similar shows in WDW that I need to do this for? As mentioned above, at WDW FP+ can be booked in advance. There are no paper FP tickets at WDW anymore (DL still uses paper FP). It's all on your MagicBand.

This will be our one and only trip and due to my somewhat newness of my disability I am quite nervous and upset about it So I want things to run as smoothly as possibe..

Any other tips or advice for WDW with a disability are appreciated.. Same with any for US and HP World

My responses are above in red. Note that while DL and WDW have similar rides, the parks and layout are much different. The disABILITIES FAQ sticky above has a lot of information you may find helpful. WDW now uses FP+ which can be reserved in advance, with more available onsite after using the pre-reserved rides. You might want to check out either the WDW website or YouTube videos of the rides your family may enjoy. Feel free to come back with more questions as they arise.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I completely agree with the others about renting an ECV/scooter from offsite. If you're using an electric wheelchair at home, there are also offsite rental companies that have them. If you're staying on WDW property, either should work as all the WDW buses, the monorail, and most of the boats are wheelchair & ECV accessible. If you're staying offsite and driving to the parks an ECV will be better because you can rent ones that break down to fit in a car. The main taxi company in the Orlando area does have wheelchair accessible taxis, although it's best if you can book that in advance (otherwise you may wait awhile for one to be free).

One thing I do want to mention is that US (including HP) no longer is allowing ECVs and electric wheelchairs into any of their queues. It's apparently been policy for a while, but they've started enforcing it more. (I don't have time now to find the link, but I've seen US's long official disability policy PDF that does state that they're not allowed in queues). I think they do have manual wheelchairs that you can transfer to at attractions, but I haven't been to test that out myself.

 

[Piper]

In your original post you mention going to "Disney World" then you talk about California Adventure. I am confused. Are you going to Florida or California? It will make a big difference in your planning. WDW has 4 parks, DL has 2. I am not sure if Universal in California has Harry Potter--I know the one in Florida does. We can help you better if we know where you are going.

 

[Globalfootprint]

Thanks so much for the great advice everyone.

Piper im going to Florida. I was referring to the time I went to Disneyland and California adventure on a previous visit.

I read a post on here when I first signed up, to this forum that said the ECVs from off site do not last the day and night where the disney ones will. Is there any truth to this.?

Oh also I did mean scooter. I just call the one I use here my electric wheelchair but i did mean scooter

 

[Nanajo1]

I have never had a problem with an off site sooter running out of power and I have done 4parks in one day from RD to closing. I make sure it is fully charged,don't do a lot a speeding and I turn it off if I'm just sitting. The size of the scooter should match the rider. If you are a heavier person then you need a more powerful scooter. The Disney scooters only have to go around one park a day,they are bigger. I like having the scooter at the resort. It makes me feel independent.

 

[ttintagel]

We've always had to recharge once during the day, even though we recharge all night and use the model recommended for our weight, but I've been told here on the boards that our experience is unusual so adjust your grain of salt accordingly.