New Accessibility for its a small world

[Cheshire Figment]

I went over to its a small world today to check out the changes in the queue. It is now much easier and there is a dedicated queue for accessibility.

Basically they have switched the entrance and exits. For the "normal" guests the entrance will be to the far left when facing the attraction. They will cross over the river and go down the ramp to the load area (which used to be unload).

On the far right (facing the attraction) is the Exit gate and right next to it, on its left, a gate for disabled access. When you go through the accessible gate you turn left and go down a ramp next to the wall. On your right is fencing which separates you from the exit ramp going up. At the bottom of this ramp is a chain and a large open area.

At the chain is a CM who will ask (a) if you can transfer, and (b) can you walk down the remainder of the ramp.

If the answer to both is yes, you will be asked to park at this landing, where there is room for about six ECVs.

If the answer to (a) is yes but the answer to (b) is no and you are in an ECV they will ask you to park and provide a wheelchair for the rest of the line and for returning.

If you cannot transfer, or if in a wheelchair, you will continue to the bottom of the ramp.

If the person cannot transfer, they (and their party) will be sent to the bottom of the accessible ramp (now next to the water) to wait for the accessible boat. Everyone else will be told by the CM which numbered spot to stand at on the ramp.

At this point the exit ramp will still be on your right, and again with a fence separating the accessible line from the exit ramp.

About halfway down this ramp is a gate. When it is clear, anyone who needs the accessible boat will go to be bottom of the ramp and wait at the far end of the Unload area from the exit ramp itself.

Once in a while, when the line on the lower ramp fills up, instead of loading a boat from the regular load area, after it unloads the people waiting in the accessible line (who can transfer) will be loaded into a regular boat.

This speeds things up tremendously, as only those parties where someone cannot transfer will have to wait for the accessible boat.

And after Unload, everyone goes up the ramp. At the point where the ramp makes a U-turn, anyone who had parked an ECV will pick up their ECV and continue up.

This may sound much more complicated than it really is, but it does work; it keeps entering and exiting groups separated, and does speed things up for people with disabilities.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Hmmm, not sure I like the sounds of this. For those that use an ECV and do not have anyone in their party to be able to push them in a wheelchair it will be a problem, particularly since they will have to be able to get themselves up and down a ramp, either on foot or in a wheelchair. If I am with my children or by myself then we would have to skip this like Pirates. While my older DD may be able to push me on a fairly flat area, ramps would be out of the question and they are also the worst option for me to be able to walk.

It has been several years since we did iasw so I can't remember how we did it in the past with the ECV but I am pretty sure I didn't have to go up or down ramps on foot?

 

[RaySharpton]

Thank you for the report.

Well...it looks like another MK attraction that I won't be able to ride with the new scooter parking and wheelchair transfer because of the extra ramp and walking.

I reallly liked the old way the It's a Small World After All old scooter parking with a short, walk on a flat surface without a ramped sidewalk to have to walk down and up.

I really do miss the Caribbean ride, too. But that is a much longer and more narrower ramp to wheel up or walk up.

At least I can watch everyone from the outside at It's a Small World After All.

Sometimes I wonder who is in charge of these final design changes over the past decade at WDW.

I wish that we had access to them.

But there are so many other attractions to enjoy at WDW and there are the parades and fireworks.

I was trying to think back when I just used a cane to walk around the WDW parks and then I found fewer and fewer benches to sit down and rest between walks and people watch that were removed over the decade during park enhancements.

But now inclines are getting just as difficult to use when walking with a cane.

And being a solo guest, I find it difficult to use the WDW wheelchairs up an incline ramp by myself.

I found that I begrudgingly had to rent a WDW scooter to get around and now I own my own scooter.

Thank you again for the information.

And, no, I will not drive my scooter down and load onto the boat.

I can walk with a cane, but I will just make a decision to not use a wheelchair transfer or not to try to walk down and specifically up a ramped sidewalk to and from the attraction ride.

It is the hill that is my problem.

I just can't wrap my mind around WDW actually doing this on purpose to discourage guests from riding attractions with their new designs or new enhancements.

Maybe it is better line for walkers.

I don't think that it is a better line for me.

But I am just one person.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is how the old boarding process worked:
All guests with special needs came down the right side of the exit ramp to the boarding area. Some came directly into the line that way and some came through the Mainstream Line for about 2 turns until reaching wheelchair gate.
The first part of that ramp was shared with guests who were leaving Small World. As the ramp got closer to the boarding area, there was a rope to separate the ‘handicapped’ area from the exit area. The roped area continued around the corner down to the handicapped boarding area. This is a picture of how it used to be:

The left side is the ramp with people leaving the ride. The right side only had my DH and DD in it and the picture was taken from the area right after the ramp turned the corner.
If you look at the far right of the picture, you can see part of the rest of the ramp. The picture shows how steep the ramp was and also shows people exiting in both sides of the ramp (the area that is supposed to be exit and the area that was marked as wheelchair entrance).
I think the renovation was meant to address both of those issues (the steepness and the ramp being shared by guests with wheelchairs and guests exiting).

In our experience, we frequently were waiting in a long line to get onto Small World (sort of near where I was standing taking the picture). It was sometimes difficult to ‘hold’ a manual wheelchair on that ramp in the very steep areas.
Because the exit line was usually full and the handicapped waiting line was so narrow, there was no efficient way to ‘sort’ guests who would be able to transfer from those who needed the wheelchair accessible boat. Sometimes there was a guest with a wheelchair waiting at the end of the line for the accessible boat, but guests who would be able to transfer were not able to get by, so they had to wait for the guest using the wheelchair to board.
Sometimes it was the opposite, we were waiting for the accessible boat; it came and we were not able to ride because we could not pass the guests who were waiting to walk on and board.
I think the new waiting area and boarding process are an attempt to also address those situations.
This is a link to another picture that shows the OLD boarding area from the bridge. I added it to show how steep the waiting area for guests with disabilities was - the waiting area is the chained off area at the left side of the picture near the boarding area. It does not appear to me to be a legal slope according to the ADA; a ramp needs to be at least 10-12 inches long for every inch of rise. A 6 inch difference in height would need an almost 6 foot ramp, so you can see how much steeper that ramp looked to be.

I’m not positive that the way it is now will be the final; they do sometimes change things based on feedback and how things work after they have been open for a while.
For more information on how it currently works, here’s a
[URL="http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2581409”]link to Small World reopening thread Oct 2010 from the Theme Parks Board.[/URL]
Page one has some pictures and page two has a link to a video that shows the whole boarding process.

This link has picture that shows the new boarding area.
http://wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Its-A-Small-World/Gallery/20Oct2010-New-queue-layout.htm
The last picture shows the waiting area for ECVs/wheelchairs and the boarding and unload areas.
The main boarding area is on the right of the picture and the handicapped boarding area is on the left.
If they board guests with ECVs in the boat that is farthest back to the left of the CM controlling the boats, it looks to me like the walk will be no farther than it was previously from ECVs parked at the exit.
It looks from the picture like the area is pretty flat, although it’s hard to tell without actually seeing it.

 

[dclfun]

I could see this being either much better or much worse. For those entering the accessible queue line it will be less hazardous to have the line separate from the people trying to exit and the accessible "line" itself will hopefully be less crowded with people leaving ECV's at a different area than the loading zone where there would be a huge back-log. A CM would have to ask each guest, at the end of the line, if they could transfer, direct people to park, and by that time, the accessible boat we were waiting for was long gone. On the other hand, it sounds like there are quite a few people who will not be able to walk that far down a ramp or to push themselves in a w/c. They'll be forced to take the accessible boat, which means a really long wait for each person to come back around. I can't remember a time when we were in that queue line and anyone else needed that boat. Most people parked their ECV's or w/c's and walked on the regular boats. I guess we'll all have to see how this works out.---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I could see this being either much better or much worse. For those entering the accessible queue line it will be less hazardous to have the line separate from the people trying to exit and the accessible "line" itself will hopefully be less crowded with people leaving ECV's at a different area than the loading zone where there would be a huge back-log. A CM would have to ask each guest, at the end of the line, if they could transfer, direct people to park, and by that time, the accessible boat we were waiting for was long gone. On the other hand, it sounds like there are quite a few people who will not be able to walk that far down a ramp or to push themselves in a w/c. They'll be forced to take the accessible boat, which means a really long wait for each person to come back around. I can't remember a time when we were in that queue line and anyone else needed that boat. Most people parked their ECV's or w/c's and walked on the regular boats. I guess we'll all have to see how this works out.---Kathy

It depends on just where the ‘parking’ area for ECVs is. If it is where it looks like it is from the pictures, it will be the same or a similar distance.

 

[RaySharpton]

It depends on just where the ‘parking’ area for ECVs is. If it is where it looks like it is from the pictures, it will be the same or a similar distance.

Thank you again for the report, Cheshire Figment.

And thank you Sue for the photo and explanations.

The old entrance sure was a steep slope and long, too. I can't remember when I stopped walking with a cane only at IASWAA, but it is probably when I could no longer make it up the long sloped exit.

One of those decisions that I would make ahead of time. Could I make it...probably not...so I decided not to ride the attraction.

And I can only imagine how difficult it was to hold the wheelchair in place on a hill in a long line.

Using a electric mobility scooter I did not have to worry about manually holding the scooter in place like a manual wheelchair like you have to do.

I onlly tried to use a wheelchair a few times before I had to rent a scooter. It just became to hard to roll a wheelchair by myself up a hill or over cobblestone or rough surfaces in a wheelchair.

This is of course because I go to WDW solo.

And I would never consent to ride my scooter onto an accessible boat or another attraction just because I feel that there are others that need this more than I do. After all, I am very fortunate to be able to get out of my scooter any time and others may not be able to.

But this is just me. I would feel so guilty.

If the new exit is like you described, maybe I might try it once.

But if it after getting down there and watching how it works and I don't feel comfortable, it sounds like it shouldn't be to much trouble to decline riding and ask the castmember to please let me exit instead of walking down to ride.

I know mainstreaming is very difficult for many.

But just speaking for myself, and just my own opinion, I like the idea of mainstreaning que lines, but with exceptions for others.

I do not see a solo person dependant on a wheelchair or scooter and/or using a life support device such as a ventilator should have to be scared to death if someone close to them walking by may disrupt their only means of transportation with no way of helping themselves to make any repairs. Whether someone rushes by a crowded queue line to catch up with family members and disconnects a cable or wire or whether a child places their hands on the device and pulls on something.

I can't even imagine the fear factor of this person might feel in such tight quarters and being without help.

If I were on life support, I don't if I would have the courage to travel alone.

Thank you again everyone for all of your comments on all of the threads on this forum.

 

[dclfun]

Thank you again for the report, Cheshire Figment.

And thank you Sue for the photo and explanations.

The old entrance sure was a steep slope and long, too. I can't remember when I stopped walking with a cane only at IASWAA, but it is probably when I could no longer make it up the long sloped exit.

One of those decisions that I would make ahead of time. Could I make it...probably not...so I decided not to ride the attraction.

And I can only imagine how difficult it was to hold the wheelchair in place on a hill in a long line.

Using a electric mobility scooter I did not have to worry about manually holding the scooter in place like a manual wheelchair like you have to do.

I onlly tried to use a wheelchair a few times before I had to rent a scooter. It just became to hard to roll a wheelchair by myself up a hill or over cobblestone or rough surfaces in a wheelchair.

This is of course because I go to WDW solo.

And I would never consent to ride my scooter onto an accessible boat or another attraction just because I feel that there are others that need this more than I do. After all, I am very fortunate to be able to get out of my scooter any time and others may not be able to.

But this is just me. I would feel so guilty.

If the new exit is like you described, maybe I might try it once.

But if it after getting down there and watching how it works and I don't feel comfortable, it sounds like it shouldn't be to much trouble to decline riding and ask the castmember to please let me exit instead of walking down to ride.

I know mainstreaming is very difficult for many.

But just speaking for myself, and just my own opinion, I like the idea of mainstreaning que lines, but with exceptions for others.

I do not see a solo person dependant on a wheelchair or scooter and/or using a life support device such as a ventilator should have to be scared to death if someone close to them walking by may disrupt their only means of transportation with no way of helping themselves to make any repairs. Whether someone rushes by a crowded queue line to catch up with family members and disconnects a cable or wire or whether a child places their hands on the device and pulls on something.

I can't even imagine the fear factor of this person might feel in such tight quarters and being without help.

If I were on life support, I don't if I would have the courage to travel alone.

Thank you again everyone for all of your comments on all of the threads on this forum.

Travelling on life support isn't easy as you never know what others might do. I always tell people the story of the Dad who stood his child on my ventilator at opening of AK as his child "needed to see better". That was when I had the old LP10 that had a large flat base. The newer vents are more like an oblong wide laptop so at least there's no place for a child to sit or stand on top! I'm actually much more concerned about the mainstreamed bus queue lines as people at the end of the day who are tired or carrying a child aren't paying attention. My service dog has been hit on the bus many times by a child's foot, a large tote bag, etc.- but that is a subject for the bus thread. I do hope the ECV parking area at IASW is close enough and a flat surface for people to walk to the boats without discomfort or fear of falling.---Kathy

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I was using my manual chair and not an ECV, but I did ride IASW on Tuesday. While Cheshire's correct about the procedure that they seemed to be using, if someone was using an ECV, couldn't stand long enough to wait on the last little bit of ramp and didn't have help with them to use one of the wheelchairs they had there, I don't see why they couldn't let them go down the rest of the ramp on an ECV as there was definitely room for one or two ECVs to park down by where the boats load. My guess is that the reason for not letting everyone with an ECV bring it down to loading is because there's more space where they're letting people park currently so it keeps pathways clear.

 

[SueM in MN]

I was using my manual chair and not an ECV, but I did ride IASW on Tuesday. While Cheshire's correct about the procedure that they seemed to be using, if someone was using an ECV, couldn't stand long enough to wait on the last little bit of ramp and didn't have help with them to use one of the wheelchairs they had there, I don't see why they couldn't let them go down the rest of the ramp on an ECV as there was definitely room for one or two ECVs to park down by where the boats load. My guess is that the reason for not letting everyone with an ECV bring it down to loading is because there's more space where they're letting people park currently so it keeps pathways clear.

Thanks for your report.
I don't know if you saw the pictures in the link in my post that had some pictures showing, but I wondered if the fenced in area that looks like a waiting area was the ECV parking area or what?
If it is, I don't see why someone could nor park their ecv there and wait for the last boat in the row to arrive and load with minimal walking or standing.
If that is used for something else, do you have any idea what?

Also, some people have difficulty with walking down or up a ramp, but wouldn't have difficulty with the distance as long as it's less than 30 feet. So do you remember if the area beyond that fenced area is ramped or flat?

Thanks.
I was hoping Small World would be open when we took our last trip so I could get some pictures, but it opened about 2 weeks after we got back.