Manual wheelchair and queue exit/reentry

voxparse

Abide
Joined
Sep 29, 2022
Messages
288
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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!

:tink:
 
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. 8-)
 
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. 8-)
Must be the cookies!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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. 8-)
This is a good thought. We also have some of the advantages you spoke about. My kiddo is very obviously disabled and is quite frankly, really cute. ;-) Before the changes to DAS, we would literally roll into Town Hall and the CM would say, "You are here to set up DAS?" We were not even really ever asked why he couldn't wait in line (even when they went to the video call). We would explain that he was medically fragile, uses a power chair, and has a trach, which can lead to unexpected respiratory emergencies. His diagnosis also leads to significant fatigue, especially when he is in the heat for long periods of time. The old days of DAS really felt like we were given the pass to help give us equal access to the park. Everything takes us longer than a family that is not dealing with the disability related care that we are. Sometimes his needs are not predictable and I suspect we will miss some LL windows because of that. But, we have always found the park cast members to be really kind and accommodating, so I am really not super stressed about it. More just frustrated at the turn DAS has taken.

I know some commenters suggested that we try for DAS and see what happens. I don't think we will and there are a couple of key reasons for that. First, other individuals with the same disability as my child have been denied. While his disability requires complex care, it does not fall under "Autism or similar" by any stretch. There are not behavior or cognitive impacts. It is all physical, but also goes beyond, "mobility needs." We have fallen into a DAS no-mans-land. Second, the change in max party size also makes it no longer a viable choice for us. We are a family of 5 and always bring an extra adult to assist with caregiving (grandparent or staff person), which makes our total party 6. I have zero interest in spending our entire trip splitting up and playing texting tag to try to coordinate meet-ups in the middle of lines.

But all that is really here nor there related to the point of this thread, which is that in most lines, those that use mobility equipment in lines are not able to exit safely if needed. Putting those people through the Lightning Lane makes a lot of sense for a couple of key reasons. First, a shorter wait time lowers the risk of needing to try to leave the line. Second, for wheelchair users who are unable to transfer and are needing a WAV, they often wait significantly longer once at the front of whatever line they came from for that vehicle to come around. Allowing them to go through the LL helps mitigate that extra wait so they aren't waiting double the stand-by time to ride.

I don't want to seem short, but I also quite frankly do not care whether other people in this forum think my kid should or should not qualify for a DAS. There is no way for me to explain the ins and outs of his care or how it impacts how we navigate the parks, and I won't try. We have not attempted a trip without it, so I am hopeful that it will be okay because I am savvy and can maximize LLs. But, I also know that I am now paying nearly 1K for even a short trip to have a hope at similar access that we previously had under DAS. I will always own my privilege because we are able to do that, but it doesn't always feel super fair to be honest.
 
This is a good thought. We also have some of the advantages you spoke about. My kiddo is very obviously disabled and is quite frankly, really cute. ;-) Before the changes to DAS, we would literally roll into Town Hall and the CM would say, "You are here to set up DAS?" We were not even really ever asked why he couldn't wait in line (even when they went to the video call). We would explain that he was medically fragile, uses a power chair, and has a trach, which can lead to unexpected respiratory emergencies. His diagnosis also leads to significant fatigue, especially when he is in the heat for long periods of time. The old days of DAS really felt like we were given the pass to help give us equal access to the park. Everything takes us longer than a family that is not dealing with the disability related care that we are. Sometimes his needs are not predictable and I suspect we will miss some LL windows because of that. But, we have always found the park cast members to be really kind and accommodating, so I am really not super stressed about it. More just frustrated at the turn DAS has taken.

I know some commenters suggested that we try for DAS and see what happens. I don't think we will and there are a couple of key reasons for that. First, other individuals with the same disability as my child have been denied. While his disability requires complex care, it does not fall under "Autism or similar" by any stretch. There are not behavior or cognitive impacts. It is all physical, but also goes beyond, "mobility needs." We have fallen into a DAS no-mans-land. Second, the change in max party size also makes it no longer a viable choice for us. We are a family of 5 and always bring an extra adult to assist with caregiving (grandparent or staff person), which makes our total party 6. I have zero interest in spending our entire trip splitting up and playing texting tag to try to coordinate meet-ups in the middle of lines.

But all that is really here nor there related to the point of this thread, which is that in most lines, those that use mobility equipment in lines are not able to exit safely if needed. Putting those people through the Lightning Lane makes a lot of sense for a couple of key reasons. First, a shorter wait time lowers the risk of needing to try to leave the line. Second, for wheelchair users who are unable to transfer and are needing a WAV, they often wait significantly longer once at the front of whatever line they came from for that vehicle to come around. Allowing them to go through the LL helps mitigate that extra wait so they aren't waiting double the stand-by time to ride.

I don't want to seem short, but I also quite frankly do not care whether other people in this forum think my kid should or should not qualify for a DAS. There is no way for me to explain the ins and outs of his care or how it impacts how we navigate the parks, and I won't try. We have not attempted a trip without it, so I am hopeful that it will be okay because I am savvy and can maximize LLs. But, I also know that I am now paying nearly 1K for even a short trip to have a hope at similar access that we previously had under DAS. I will always own my privilege because we are able to do that, but it doesn't always feel super fair to be honest.
Before committing to buying LL, I would still try, your summary here is pretty good as to why the other accommodations won't work well. There is a strong possibility that he will be denied; however, they may offer other alternatives that aren't readily available to everyone. For example when DH tried, they offered us some free multipass experiences for each day, essentially LL passes for everyone in our party due to our party's makeup. For us, we were going to Disneyland, so what they offered combined with local attraction return times where the queues were not accessible, it was more than sufficient. Of curse only you will know what will work for your kid and your party. They also can make exceptions to the maximum party size rule when kids and/or caretakers are involved.

The other reason that I suggest is that the more people that call in with these unique cases, the better the chances are that Disney will realize they have to figure out a viable solution, I am not saying DAS is the only viable solution, but that they will realize there are people whose needs aren't being met by any of the current solutions and come up with something.

Just my two cents on it, like I said, you may get denied, but you may also get advised of other accommodations that may save you from having to spend the extra money. Of course there are no guarantees, but it is worth a short conversation at least to see the options.
 
Before committing to buying LL, I would still try, your summary here is pretty good as to why the other accommodations won't work well. There is a strong possibility that he will be denied; however, they may offer other alternatives that aren't readily available to everyone. For example when DH tried, they offered us some free multipass experiences for each day, essentially LL passes for everyone in our party due to our party's makeup. For us, we were going to Disneyland, so what they offered combined with local attraction return times where the queues were not accessible, it was more than sufficient. Of curse only you will know what will work for your kid and your party. They also can make exceptions to the maximum party size rule when kids and/or caretakers are involved.

The other reason that I suggest is that the more people that call in with these unique cases, the better the chances are that Disney will realize they have to figure out a viable solution, I am not saying DAS is the only viable solution, but that they will realize there are people whose needs aren't being met by any of the current solutions and come up with something.

Just my two cents on it, like I said, you may get denied, but you may also get advised of other accommodations that may save you from having to spend the extra money. Of course there are no guarantees, but it is worth a short conversation at least to see the options.
That is a good point on Disney at least hearing cases that are more unique to help them understand that a blanket rule may just not be the right solution.
 
This is a good thought. We also have some of the advantages you spoke about. My kiddo is very obviously disabled and is quite frankly, really cute. ;-) Before the changes to DAS, we would literally roll into Town Hall and the CM would say, "You are here to set up DAS?" We were not even really ever asked why he couldn't wait in line (even when they went to the video call). We would explain that he was medically fragile, uses a power chair, and has a trach, which can lead to unexpected respiratory emergencies. His diagnosis also leads to significant fatigue, especially when he is in the heat for long periods of time. The old days of DAS really felt like we were given the pass to help give us equal access to the park. Everything takes us longer than a family that is not dealing with the disability related care that we are. Sometimes his needs are not predictable and I suspect we will miss some LL windows because of that. But, we have always found the park cast members to be really kind and accommodating, so I am really not super stressed about it. More just frustrated at the turn DAS has taken.

I know some commenters suggested that we try for DAS and see what happens. I don't think we will and there are a couple of key reasons for that. First, other individuals with the same disability as my child have been denied. While his disability requires complex care, it does not fall under "Autism or similar" by any stretch. There are not behavior or cognitive impacts. It is all physical, but also goes beyond, "mobility needs." We have fallen into a DAS no-mans-land. Second, the change in max party size also makes it no longer a viable choice for us. We are a family of 5 and always bring an extra adult to assist with caregiving (grandparent or staff person), which makes our total party 6. I have zero interest in spending our entire trip splitting up and playing texting tag to try to coordinate meet-ups in the middle of lines.

But all that is really here nor there related to the point of this thread, which is that in most lines, those that use mobility equipment in lines are not able to exit safely if needed. Putting those people through the Lightning Lane makes a lot of sense for a couple of key reasons. First, a shorter wait time lowers the risk of needing to try to leave the line. Second, for wheelchair users who are unable to transfer and are needing a WAV, they often wait significantly longer once at the front of whatever line they came from for that vehicle to come around. Allowing them to go through the LL helps mitigate that extra wait so they aren't waiting double the stand-by time to ride.

I don't want to seem short, but I also quite frankly do not care whether other people in this forum think my kid should or should not qualify for a DAS. There is no way for me to explain the ins and outs of his care or how it impacts how we navigate the parks, and I won't try. We have not attempted a trip without it, so I am hopeful that it will be okay because I am savvy and can maximize LLs. But, I also know that I am now paying nearly 1K for even a short trip to have a hope at similar access that we previously had under DAS. I will always own my privilege because we are able to do that, but it doesn't always feel super fair to be honest.
You nailed it. We are absolutely in a DAS no man’s land as you put it. If all I had to manage was my wheelchair I’d be good to go but once we start adding layers of disability each case becomes incredibly complex.

I keep wishing Disney would have a DAS lite where you have to go get a return time at each ride so it slows down the use of the DAS for people who truly just need less time in lines where possible but aren’t trying to cram in maximum rides. I understand their issues with DAS and completely see how it has ruined the LL. I watched a person push through the LL to tap in at second point to “start my 10m sooner” even as the CM was asking them not to. People suck and ruin good stuff for the rest of us.
 














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