Jungle Cruise boarding for manual wheelchair?

[Mary976]

Greetings all,

It has been several years since we have been to WDW. DD uses a manual chair (it's a standard size adult lightweight chair). Can someone please refresh my memory about the boarding process for Jungle Cruise?

Thanks much,
Mary

 

[KPeveler]

You will go in the exit for the ride. You can pull the chair up along side if she will transfer, or you can get the w/c accessible boat. If she takes the wheelchair boat, she will roll right on, no transfer required.

I am not sure if it has changed recently, but I would get a FP+ for the ride, as the line (even for wheelchairs) can be quite long.

 

[Mary976]

Thanks that's very helpful. She would like to stay in her chair if at all possible. I was thinking of going ahead and getting FP (the ride is a favorite and we will be at MK more than one day) so if that will work with the w/c boarding then I think that's what we will do.

Mary

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Last time I was there, they gave you a return time. As if you had a DAS card.

We were allowed right in through the exit, because we had a fast pass. Next time I won't waste a fast pass on it.

 

[SueM in MN]

The wheelchair accessible boat has a lift and can hold one wheelchair or ECV.
They pull the boat to an area between the usual load and unload area, raise the lift platform, turn the lift platform, unfold the ramp and then you drive the wheelchair straight on. Then the ramp is folded back up, the platform is turned to the front and the platform is lowered.
There are CMs milling around the area, looking for people with mobility devices who need directions. So, look for one of those CMs to ask what to do.
They will write out a return time ticket, whether or not you have Fastpass. This is so they have a standard way for 'admitting' guests to the accessible waiting/boarding area. If you don't have Fastpass, your return time will be roughly the same as the current Standby line wait time (same as if you are using DAS).
If you are using Fastpass, your wait time will be 'now' and you will be directed right into the accessible boarding area. If the area is already pretty full, you may be offered a different return time - with Fastpass the time they give you will be based on how long they estimate the current wait is in the accessible area, not the Standby wait time.

Once you are in the accessible line, the wait can be variable. It depends mostly on how many people are waiting to ride in their wheelchair and how many accessible lift boats are running.
They do handle the area pretty efficiently, from our experience. As you enter the area, they ask if you can transfer or not. Those who can transfer are pulled out to the side to park their mobility device and wait to board. Those who can't transfer are left in the line and are given an estimate of how long the wait will be/how many more boats to the accessible boat.
If you are very lucky, there will be no one ahead of you waiting to ride in their wheelchair and your wait will be no more than one ride cycle - the time it takes the accessible boat to make one trip and return.
If there are others waiting to ride it, your wait will be one ride cycle per guest waiting for the accessible boat. (1/2 ride cycle if both accessible boats are in use).

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Others have answered your question but I wanted to just say as a wheelchair user this attraction and being able to load the wheelchair on the ride is one of my favorite. Your DD will really enjoy it. You get to sit right in the middle of the boat! The CM are beyond nice. It's similar to IASW which I enjoy also. I was dissapointed to learn that the new Frozen ride in Norway was a transfer. I find the side of the boats like Pirates way to high with my fused hips and can't get in those boats.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just wanted to add that many people with mobility devices do choose to use Fastpass on Jungle Cruise.
Whether or not they are using Fastpass, guests with mobility devices will get a return time, which will have a beginning and window of time to use.

With Fastpass, the beginning time will be right away, so the wait will be just whatever it is in the accessible line.
Without Fastpass, it will be based on the Standby wait time, plus after that wait, there will still be the wait in the accessible line.
Just a few mintues ago, at 8:21 pm EST, July 14, the Standby wait was 45 minutes (which is probably down compared to a few hours ago). Even if you don't want to use one of your 3 original Fastpasses, it might be a good choice to schedule one of the additional ones each guest can use after using the first 3.

Right now, it's actually the 3rd longest wait after 7 Dwarfs and Space Mountain.
.

 

[BillSears]

I tend to use a FP+ for this ride because it's a major push back up the hill for me when I'm doing a solo trip and I don't want to have to go up twice. But even with a FP+ I've waited about a half hour for my turn to ride the accessible boat. It seems they often just have one boat running and with 3 people in front of me waiting that's at least a half hour or more.

It is a shame that this happens. They really need to bring in that second boat as soon as they see the line backing up.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Thanks that's very helpful. She would like to stay in her chair if at all possible. I was thinking of going ahead and getting FP (the ride is a favorite and we will be at MK more than one day) so if that will work with the w/c boarding then I think that's what we will do.

Mary

don't bother wasting FP. either way you can expect to wait.. either because only one boat is operating (I think they have 2 or 3 total but will only run 1 at times) or because other people are ahead of you who need it. if they do not send you directly to the exit you will get a thingy to come back later and show. most I had to wait was the length of the ride since we literally JUST missed them driving up to load and it was already past the loading area for WC.

my advice is to duck. knocking your head on the overhang is NOT fun

 

[BillSears]

Don't forget it's three rides in one! First you spin on the Teacups, then you drop on the Tower of Terror, and last you get the actual Jungle Cruise.

 

[KPeveler]

I tend to use a FP+ for this ride because it's a major push back up the hill for me when I'm doing a solo trip and I don't want to have to go up twice. But even with a FP+ I've waited about a half hour for my turn to ride the accessible boat. It seems they often just have one boat running and with 3 people in front of me waiting that's at least a half hour or more.

It is a shame that this happens. They really need to bring in that second boat as soon as they see the line backing up.

I am not convinced that they can even use the second boat at the same time as the first. I thought one was used as a backup for the other, for when the battery powering the lift needs to be charged. I would not be surprised if they do not want more than one wheelchair out there at a time for safety reasons.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am not convinced that they can even use the second boat at the same time as the first. I thought one was used as a backup for the other, for when the battery powering the lift needs to be charged. I would not be surprised if they do not want more than one wheelchair out there at a time for safety reasons.

that's possible.
We've been on it when they were running 2 boats. I'm not sure how the lift is powered, but it may be no different that the ramp for buses and then wouldn't need to be down for charging.
But, for evacuation purposes, they might not want more than one boat with a wheelchair out on the 'rivers' at a time.

 

[KPeveler]

that's possible.
I think we've only been on it once when they were running 2 boats. I'm not sure how the lift is powered, but it may be no different that the ramp for buses and then wouldn't need foe gown for charging.
But, for evacuation purposes, they might not want more than one boat with a wheelchair out on the 'rivers' at a your.

In Disneyland, there is a battery that powers the lift for both the Jungle Cruise and Small World boats, and they get pulled off occasionally when the batteries die. I am not sure how the Disney World boat works.

 

[BillSears]

I am not convinced that they can even use the second boat at the same time as the first. I thought one was used as a backup for the other, for when the battery powering the lift needs to be charged. I would not be surprised if they do not want more than one wheelchair out there at a time for safety reasons.

They do run 2 at a time but not all of the time. Jungle Cruise is one of my go to rides when I'm feeling too tired to make transfers so I tend to do it 2-3 times a trip. Sometimes even twice a day so I can get the day and night cruise in. I've seen the 2 boats out plenty of times.

It's wonderful that they've added the lift boats. I remember dragging myself across the docks and in and out of the boats in my 20s. Once I hit my mid 30s I just couldn't do it anymore so I was really happy when they added the lifts. But the crowds have gotten larger and the number of people needing the lifts has increased so I'd like it if they ran 2 boats more often.

 

[SueM in MN]

They do run 2 at a time but not all of the time. Jungle Cruise is one of my go to rides when I'm feeling too tired to make transfers so I tend to do it 2-3 times a trip. Sometimes even twice a day so I can get the day and night cruise in. I've seen the 2 boats out plenty of times.

It's wonderful that they've added the lift boats. I remember dragging myself across the docks and in and out of the boats in my 20s. Once I hit my mid 30s I just couldn't do it anymore so I was really happy when they added the lifts. But the crowds have gotten larger and the number of people needing the lifts has increased so I'd like it if they ran 2 boats more often.

I looked online for the DL boat and it appears to be the same (or really similar) to the WDW boats.

We've had the same experience with 2 boats running. You can tell for sure they are running 2 when you see one of the lift boats going out and see the next lift boat arrive (with a different person on it) in less time than it would take for one whole ride cycle.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Its a shame that when you book your FP+ you can't mark it in MDE as needing the accessible boat. That way you can get a unique slot no waiting.