My WOC wheelchair viewing review (8/6/2011)

[KPeveler]

In a word, the new system STINKS! It is awful. Until it changes, I will not be able to see WOC again.

I went to the first show, but wheelchairs are handled the same for both shows.

When you line up for your "color" fastpass, you are in a mob. Everyone waits in the same place and wheelchairs are not pulled out.

I cannot handle mobs (it's just too dangerous with my condition) but after speaking with a lead/manager, I was allowed to wait just outside the normal waiting area with my family.

They said they would let us into the viewing area before everyone else so we could get settled. This, of course, did not happen. Think of TSM fastpasses in Florida - people RUN as fast as they can to get the best spot. This is dangerous around wheelchairs (or anyone really) and was a little terrifying.

I got a spot right along the rail. The rail is approximately 4 feet high, which means it will sit right in the middle of the vision of the average person in a wheelchair. There is no other option.

There are NO wheelchair viewing areas in the individual color sections.

There are NO benches in the color sections.

I was absolutely trampled by people trying to get around and in front of me to get a better view. I was constantly elbowed by people around me (everyone is required to stand, so I had a wonderful view of BUTTS all night). Because people all along the railing will be standing, a person in a wheelchair will only be able to see straight forward - everyone else will be standing around you, so you only get to look ahead or at tushes to the sides.

At one point a man even tried to use my wheelchair wheels as a backrest!

If you want to sit in the "accessible area," you must sit ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK. The seating areas are tiered, with three levels. The third level is at the same height as the walkways in front of the Little Mermaid ride. The accessible seating is behind the last row of planters at the SAME level as the BACK ROW of viewing.

This means that there WILL BE people standing in front of the benches/wheelchair viewing area. There are also control towers and ivy-covered trellises between the wheelchair viewing area and the show.

Yes, a lot of the show happens in the air, but really not that much.

I was in the second tier, which is about the same level as the "show height." (i.e. the same height over the water as the show elements are). Turning around, I could not even see the top of the Little Mermaid building (about 3 stories tall), much less anything else.

This is a completely unacceptable situations for guests in wheelchairs. It is dangerous and, considering that they used to have a better system, unfair. There used to be wheelchair viewing areas in each section, and now there are not.

Also, if you get a fastpass for a "splash zone" (where you WILL GET SOAKED), you MUST sit there, or go all teh way to the back of the accessible section. You do not get to choose what section you get a FP for. We were in a soak zone, and if I had my power chair, I would have had to leave to protect my electronics. As it was, I was glad I had a poncho.

So, I guess this is the first time I have been truly disappointed in one of Disney's policies for wheelchairs. I will definitely be writing to Disney about it. If you cannot handles being jostled in a huge mob, I strongly suggest skipping WOC until they fix this situation.

 

[Escape2Disney]

That's so disappointing! I'm sorry you had such a rough time, and that the policy seems to overlook the needs of people in chairs. As much as I love Disney shows, it sounds like one I would have to skip. It's very painful and potentially dangerous for me to be jostled and bumped by people in that way. I hope they remedy the situation soon!

 

[SueM in MN]

I read some people's reports in different places on the Internet recently.
Access for everyone, wheelchair or not, sounds like a series of accidents waiting to happen. There were several references to people jogging to get to the rails and secure a good spot once they were left into to their area. Many of the things I've read indicated the view is blocked in some direction where ever you are. It sounds like a mad rush to get to those spots that appear to have less blocked viewing and a lot of jockeying for spaces as people check out the view where they are and try to get somewhere better.

I don't have a good idea of the layout of the area, but with references to steps and railings, plus adding guests with wheelchairs and ECVs into the mix, it sounds like a really bad situation.
It did make me wonder if they removed benches and changed how they were doing things because of an incident - like problems with people standing on benches. It's easy to fix one problem and end up making something else worse.

 

[dclfun]

UGH! I'm glad I saw the show twice in April and I sure hope they have it fixed before I go back to DL which won't be til next April. Can you imagine my precious Skye getting trampled? If she got hurt or someone dislodged a ventilator circuit you'd better believe I'd be heading straight to Guest Services and making some phone calls. Who had this bright idea? I recall it being dark all around so it was hard to see the landings and to figure out which way to go so add that to mass crowds of confusion and I'm surprised no one has driven their chair off a ledge. Do they at least still have an accessible viewing area for the dining package guests?---Kathy

 

[KPeveler]

UGH! I'm glad I saw the show twice in April and I sure hope they have it fixed before I go back to DL which won't be til next April. Can you imagine my precious Skye getting trampled? If she got hurt or someone dislodged a ventilator circuit you'd better believe I'd be heading straight to Guest Services and making some phone calls. Who had this bright idea? I recall it being dark all around so it was hard to see the landings and to figure out which way to go so add that to mass crowds of confusion and I'm surprised no one has driven their chair off a ledge. Do they at least still have an accessible viewing area for the dining package guests?---Kathy

No - All areas, even the dining package areas are first-come, first served. If you need to sit in an area that is not a free-for-all, you would have to sit all the way in the back behind ALL viewing areas!

 

[SueM in MN]

No - All areas, even the dining package areas are first-come, first served. If you need to sit in an area that is not a free-for-all, you would have to sit all the way in the back behind ALL viewing areas!

That doesn’t sound safe for anyone, much less those with mobility devices or special needs!

 

[alizesmom]

WOC??? Karen

 

[KPeveler]

WOC = World of Color, Disney California Adventure.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I went twice last year, once with a dinner reservation and once with nothing. I was not favorably impressed. And although I was in DCA twice last month I made no attempt to see WOC. There was no way that I could really see it in an ECV.