Manual wheelchair and queue exit/reentry

[voxparse]

Have any other manual wheelchair users figured out how to exit a queue reliably? I have other disabilities that can create a situation where I need to exit the line quickly but more often than not there are ECVs in the line and I can’t maneuver past them to exit.

 

[voxparse]

Nobody? I guess I figured if I couldn’t figure it out it was likely there isn’t a good option but I was really hoping there was something I was missing.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Nope.

I had DAS for a condition unrelated to using a mobility device… in my case an ECV. When the changes were made to DAS, I no longer qualified. With an ECV there is no way out of a queue if I need to leave… I travel solo so it’s on me. My time in the parks has changed. I look for standby lines with wait times less than 15-20 minutes. I purchase LL from time to time, though unfortunately it’s an expense I cannot afford every day.

I can’t run the risk of being trapped.

 

[voxparse]

Nope.

I had DAS for a condition unrelated to using a mobility device… in my case an ECV. When the changes were made to DAS, I no longer qualified. With an ECV there is no way out of a queue if I need to leave… I travel solo so it’s on me. My time in the parks has changed. I look for standby lines with wait times less than 15-20 minutes. I purchase LL from time to time, though unfortunately it’s an expense I cannot afford every day.

I can’t run the risk of being trapped.

Exactly the same concern here. I don’t have any particular issue waiting in line but I have to be able to exit in a timely fashion. Some queues are better than others. We also purchase LL to help but man it seems there isn’t a good answer for people who need to exit quickly and unexpectedly.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Exactly the same concern here. I don’t have any particular issue waiting in line but I have to be able to exit in a timely fashion. Some queues are better than others. We also purchase LL to help but man it seems there isn’t a good answer for people who need to exit quickly and unexpectedly.

I hear ya!

I try to do early entry and extended evening hours but realistically at my age, 72, with physical challenges, this is the exception, not something I can ever rely on.

It is what it is, but I’m sad for us both. Keep thinking there has to be a better solution.

 

[PurpleKomodo]

This is my primary concern with my kiddo no longer qualifying for DAS under the new rules. He is medically complex and we use a power wheelchair in the parks so we can keep all his respiratory equipment with us in case we need it. There is no way we would be able to get out of a line if we had to deal with a medical situation. So, we have resigned ourselves to just holding up the line if we have to stop for airway clearance. If that makes people around us or cast members upset, we will just shrug and encourage them to share those concerns with those who make decisions about the DAS rules and who qualifies. While my child has no behavioral difficulty with waiting in line, his medical condition creates a lot of unpredictability. Our next trip in September will be our first time not having DAS for him. I don't know how it is going to go, but hoping I can provide some real world feedback to Disney if it goes poorly.

 

[lanejudy]

Our next trip in September will be our first time not having DAS for him.

Was he denied DAS already? Sept. is still more than 60 days out.

 

[OurBigTrip]

This is my primary concern with my kiddo no longer qualifying for DAS under the new rules. He is medically complex and we use a power wheelchair in the parks so we can keep all his respiratory equipment with us in case we need it. There is no way we would be able to get out of a line if we had to deal with a medical situation. So, we have resigned ourselves to just holding up the line if we have to stop for airway clearance. If that makes people around us or cast members upset, we will just shrug and encourage them to share those concerns with those who make decisions about the DAS rules and who qualifies. While my child has no behavioral difficulty with waiting in line, his medical condition creates a lot of unpredictability. Our next trip in September will be our first time not having DAS for him. I don't know how it is going to go, but hoping I can provide some real world feedback to Disney if it goes poorly.

Couldn’t the same thing happen in the LL?

 

[bluecruiser]

Couldn’t the same thing happen in the LL?

Of course it's possible, but less likely to happen due to the shorter time waiting in LL.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Of course it's possible, but less likely to happen due to the shorter time waiting in LL.

As the poster apparently hasn’t applied yet, they may or may not be rejected for the DAS. But this situation is one that may or may not happen, so I can certainly see why Disney would reject the request.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I would try for DAS and plead your case. Be explicit in explaining your issues. I haven't applied since the changes, but was able to qualify even using an ECV as recently as 2022. We plan a 2 week trip in 2026 and I think I will apply. I have passed up many rides in the past decade and I believe it's time I can fully enjoy myself with my family.

Like prepping for a job interview, I would write down all the reasons you need it and have your notes handy. Give examples. Be polite but firm. Best of luck!

 

[voxparse]

I was just there last week and when I would ask a CM at the beginning of the ride how to exit in a medical emergency, most of them sent me straight through the Lightning Lane or gave me a return time while explaining there is no easy exit once in the standby line. Newer rides seem to be the exception like Tron where they seem confident in the available exits.

I'm sharing this here to alleviate stress for some folks hopefully. Its not a guarantee as you are at the mercy of whatever CM you happen to talk to but I never explained anything sensitive or shared anything specific. All I did was ask "hey if I need to exit for a medical emergency are there exits in the standby queue at regular intervals or CMs that can help me".

Please note I have several things working in my favor in that I am obviously disabled and also happen to be a middle aged white guy with all of the privilege that comes with (including people assuming I'm former military for no apparent reason). I am also devastatingly handsome and smell like fresh baked cookies.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I was just there last week and when I would ask a CM at the beginning of the ride how to exit in a medical emergency, most of them sent me straight through the Lightning Lane or gave me a return time while explaining there is no easy exit once in the standby line. Newer rides seem to be the exception like Tron where they seem confident in the available exits.

I'm sharing this here to alleviate stress for some folks hopefully. Its not a guarantee as you are at the mercy of whatever CM you happen to talk to but I never explained anything sensitive or shared anything specific. All I did was ask "hey if I need to exit for a medical emergency are there exits in the standby queue at regular intervals or CMs that can help me".

Please note I have several things working in my favor in that I am obviously disabled and also happen to be a middle aged white guy with all of the privilege that comes with (including people assuming I'm former military for no apparent reason). I am also devastatingly handsome and smell like fresh baked cookies.

Must be the cookies!

 

[maxiesmom]

I had a small panic attack about this in the lightening lane for guardians last month. For some reason the line stopped for quite a bit. There I am on my scooter, thinking, how the heck would I get out of here if I all of a sudden needed to? My sister was with me, so I could leave the scooter with her if I had to, but if I ever go on another solo trip I would definitely think twice about scooting into the lines.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Disney must have the data, but I wonder how many people have medical emergencies in queues. I know that it is a frequent topic of conversation here and a lot of guests go out of their way to mitigate problems on their own (eg with my husband’s panic attacks we know in advance what he can/cannot do and don’t put him in situations that might trigger something), but is this a 100x/day problem, and once/day problem, a once/month problem, etc? Having those numbers probably goes a long way to explaining some of Disney’s decisions.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I was on my scooter in the LL of TSM last month. The standby was backed up through outside so very long. They went down to only one track running so even the LL was crawling at best. Midway through in the standby line a poor woman on a scooter needed to leave… there were two CMs trying desperately to help her… trying to move people, steer her backwards… she was in tears. And while some people tried to help, not all were kind. I get it… the backup in the line was real and the wait long but I’m also sure she had not gotten in line anticipating this. The tracks went down and things slowed to a crawl. It was a powerful reminder to me of the potential for disaster I could find myself in. So knowing what could happen, unless a line is less than 20 minutes or I have a LL, I just don’t try. It may not be a perfect system but is really the best I can do.