MK Rides - mainstream?

[tanyaandallie]

I'm still a bit confused on accessibility of a few rides in the MK. I'm trying to map out our afternoon/evening in the MK and want to know what to plan for. MIL only wants to ride a few rides, mostly just wants to take it all in. MIL will be in a regular wheelchair not an ECV. I have read through all the FAQ stuff and it has been very helpful.

From what I understand HM we will enter in the main line then wait at some point by the handicap entrance. If we want them to slow or stop the conveyor belt we must ask and go through a different entrance and skip the room/pre-show. No prob.

Jungle Cruise - there is a wheelchair accessible boat or is it just for ECV? Either? This is where I start getting confused. Is there a special line or do we fp and go through the regular line?

Pooh - same question as above. Pretty sure she can transfer on this ride. Do we go through a special line or fp and go through the regular line?

Small world - seems like we go through a special entrance and she can either stay in her wheelchair on the ride or transfer. I'm guessing transferring into the boat would be tough.

Pirates - IF she decides she can make the transfer at pirates, do we transfer to a different wheelchair even though she is already in a wheelchair and leave hers at the entrance? That sounds like what we do, right? Then we mainstream and go through regular line. This one is very much questionable. Not sure she can transfer.


I'm just trying to map out our evening and trying to figure out when/where to use fp. I love fp and would prefer to use it when possible but don't want to worry about getting one for Jungle Cruise or Pooh if we cannot use one. Are the waits really longer than the stand-by line in the lines that are not mainstream?

Thanks again for any input. This board has been so helpful!

 

[BillSears]

I'm sure others will add some clarifications but here is how I see it:

From what I understand HM we will enter in the main line then wait at some point by the handicap entrance. If we want them to slow or stop the conveyor belt we must ask and go through a different entrance and skip the room/pre-show. No prob.

This is the old method. Right now wheelchairs enter in the normal line and have the option of staying to the right and skipping the interactive que or going left and doing the interactive que. Then you do enter the pre-show room and see the pre-show. After the pre-show you are taken down a small hallway to the exit where you either board with no slow down of the belt or you wait for a certain set of cars where they will stop/slow down the conveyer belt.

Jungle Cruise - there is a wheelchair accessible boat or is it just for ECV? Either? This is where I start getting confused. Is there a special line or do we fp and go through the regular line?

There is a seperate line for wheelchairs/ECVs. The accessible boat does handle wheelchairs with no problems. I'm not sure if ECVs are allowed on the boat.

Pooh - same question as above. Pretty sure she can transfer on this ride. Do we go through a special line or fp and go through the regular line?

Go through the regular line or the Fastpass line if you have a Fastpass. Then when you reach the boarding area you will stand to the side until the accessible car arrives in the boarding area if you want to stay in your wheelchair. I'm not sure what happens if you need the boarding slowed down. If she can go right in then she should be able to board as normal.

Small world - seems like we go through a special entrance and she can either stay in her wheelchair on the ride or transfer. I'm guessing transferring into the boat would be tough.

You'll enter through the exit and wait in a line with others who need assitance. Once it's your turn you'll wait for the accessible boat and from there you can roll right onto the ride.

Pirates - IF she decides she can make the transfer at pirates, do we transfer to a different wheelchair even though she is already in a wheelchair and leave hers at the entrance? That sounds like what we do, right? Then we mainstream and go through regular line. This one is very much questionable. Not sure she can transfer.

This is a tricky one to answer. She will be going through the regular line with "a" wheelchair. But she might be able to use her own wheelchair or she might have to use a Disney wheelchair. About 50% of the time I ride Pirates I'm asked if I can use the Disney wheelchair. I explain that I can't use that wheelchair and almost always they let me use my own wheelchair. THe reason they would prefer that you use the Disney wheelchair is that it makes it easier to get a wheelchair to the exit for you. If it's a Diseny wheelchair then any Disney wheelcahir at the exit will work for you, otherwise they have to rush your own personal wheelcahir to the exit.

Are the waits really longer than the stand-by line in the lines that are not mainstream?

Sometimes they are. Sometimes the ride will require you go through the regular line and then wait in a seperate line that will add additional time to the wait. But sometimes the wait is less. Just don't count on it being less.

Have a great trip and good luck!

 

[tanyaandallie]

Thank you!!! That is exactly what I needed!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with everything Bill wrote, but I will add a bit more.

I'm sure others will add some clarifications but here is how I see it:
This is the old method. Right now wheelchairs enter in the normal line and have the option of staying to the right and skipping the interactive que or going left and doing the interactive que. Then you do enter the pre-show room and see the pre-show. After the pre-show you are taken down a small hallway to the exit where you either board with no slow down of the belt or you wait for a certain set of cars where they will stop/slow down the conveyer belt.

Haunted Mansion:
I need to update the information in the FAQs - Bill has the up to date info.

If you need the moving walkway slowed or stopped, you can tell the CM before you board, before they bring you out of the hallway. If she needs to, you can even bring her wheelchair onto the moving walkway and park it right next to the ride car to transfer (like Bill said, at a certain set of cars).

There is a seperate line for wheelchairs/ECVs. The accessible boat does handle wheelchairs with no problems. I'm not sure if ECVs are allowed on the boat.

Jungle Cruise -
It is listed as bring wheelchair and ECV accessible. Some of the very large ECVs (I’m specifically thinking of one called the Dream) may not fit, but in general, ECVs can go on. We have seen ECVs on the accessible boat, as recently as our trip in May 2012.

Go through the regular line or the Fastpass line if you have a Fastpass. Then when you reach the boarding area you will stand to the side until the accessible car arrives in the boarding area if you want to stay in your wheelchair. I'm not sure what happens if you need the boarding slowed down. If she can go right in then she should be able to board as normal.

Winnie the Pooh comes to a complete stop for everyone.
The CM dispatching the honey pots doesn’t let one go out until all the guests assigned to that pot are inside and sitting down.
So, if she wants to transfer into a honey pot, she will have whatever time she needs to get in and out.

You'll enter through the exit and wait in a line with others who need assitance. Once it's your turn you'll wait for the accessible boat and from there you can roll right onto the ride.

Agree.
If she has trouble with stepping down into the boat, I would suggest she stay in the wheelchair and use the wheelchair boat.
There are seats for 6 guests on the wheelchair boat (plus one wheelchair).
I would suggest riding Small World before you try Pirates because, although the Small World boat is very different than the Pirates boat, the step down into the boat is very similar.

This is a tricky one to answer. She will be going through the regular line with "a" wheelchair. But she might be able to use her own wheelchair or she might have to use a Disney wheelchair. About 50% of the time I ride Pirates I'm asked if I can use the Disney wheelchair. I explain that I can't use that wheelchair and almost always they let me use my own wheelchair. THe reason they would prefer that you use the Disney wheelchair is that it makes it easier to get a wheelchair to the exit for you. If it's a Diseny wheelchair then any Disney wheelcahir at the exit will work for you, otherwise they have to rush your own personal wheelcahir to the exit.

We don’t go on this more than once a trip with our daughter because we have to lift her in, which is very difficult.
We often get asked if she can transfer to a ride wheelchair and the reason explained to us was as Bill explained. The CMs might not ask all the time because the staffing at the time has some effect on how easily they can get someone’s personal wheelchair to the exit.
If you can use one of the attraction wheelchairs, timing is not too important since they keep some attraction wheelchairs at the boarding area.
(The boarding area and the exit are actually in 2 different buildings and the exit is down one floor from the boarding area).

Sometimes they are. Sometimes the ride will require you go through the regular line and then wait in a seperate line that will add additional time to the wait. But sometimes the wait is less. Just don't count on it being less.

Have a great trip and good luck!

People have estimated that about 15-25% of the time, the wait may be shorter, but probably not significantly shorter.
About 25-30% of the time, the wait will be longer, sometimes significantly longer.
The rest of the time will be about the same.

This is pretty much what we have seen too.
Sometimes, it depends on your exact time of arrival to the attraction. One time, we got to the Jungle Cruise when no one was waiting for the wheelchair boat and there happened to only be a few boats until that one arrived. So, our wait was quite short. On our last trip, there were a couple of people ahead of us who were waiting for the wheelchair boat, so our wait was 30 minutes (longer than the standby line).

 

[BillSears]

Thanks Sue! I forgot about the Honey Pots being separate. I'm glad you're making sure it's right.

 

[PatsMom]

I recently did a trip in a wheelchair and I agree with what Sue and Bill have said. I would just like to add that I wasn't asked to change wheelchairs at Pirates - I would have but no one mentioned it so I just went through the line in my personal chair. It met me at the exit. If you have a good sized party you might want to plan on some going up the moving ramp while just two of you go in the elevator with the wheelchair - the elevator is small!

The CM's were all very helpful. The wait for the Jungle Cruise was definitely longer than if I had used fastpass. If I had brought my crutches to the park I think I would have walked through the FP line.

 

[tanyaandallie]

Thanks so much to all of you!!! I am a planner and having all this information really will help us plan our trip. Not really having a good understanding of how mobile my mil is does still leave a big question mark but we will figure it out when we meet up with her and go at her speed.

She asked us last year after my fil passed away if she could come on our next trip. She asks us for very little so we are happy to take it easy and go at her pace for the few days she will be with us at wdw! We are just thankful that she is far enough along in her recovery that she can join us. The kids are just thrilled to share wdw with her.